The purpose of this project is to investigate the usefulness and limits of this catalytic activity, and to develop processes to the point of implementation into pilot plans. The successful conclusion of this project will also foster new markets for Nafion . The first tasks will be to evaluate the existing technologies involving Nafion , and design an experiment to acquire the necessary properties of the catalyst for process research. The final stages of this project will involve the optimization, economics, and flowsheeting of the processes developed from the earlier research. The main focus to date has been on fixed bed and kinetic modeling as well as experiment setup.
Future work includes extensions to other reactions and catalysts.
The purposes of the project is to develop new techniques for experimental optimization of batch recipes in real-time. Using advanced control algorithms, the software will analyze the date and transmit adjustments in the process conditions of the batch reactor in real-time in order to optimize the batch recipe. This research involves developing general strategies for attacking environmental waste problems in industrial processes. These strategies will involve the application of computer aided process synthesis and design techniques to improve the energy efficiency and cost effectiveness of industrial processes, while minimizing waste at the source of pollution. This approach will, in particular, incorporate the economic realities of industrial research, development, and capital investment budgets.