Large quantities of wastewater and solvent waste are a common problem in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry. The causes lie primarily in the complex production processes involving many dissolution steps. Direct reuse of the substances is often difficult – either due to legal requirements or because suitable, efficient separation processes are lacking.
This is precisely where the research of Dr. András Tóth comes in. Since March, as a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, he has been strengthening the team of the Institute of Process Systems Engineering at the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), led by Prof. Mirko Skiborowski, for two years.
A new decarbonisation strategy for the chemical industry
Tóth is dedicated to the development and optimisation of innovative separation technologies for waste treatment in the chemical industry. His goal is to develop processes that consume as little energy as possible, are maximally economical and at the same time minimise CO₂ emissions. He has many years of experience in the fields of membrane processes, distillation and process simulation, most recently as a research group leader and assistant professor at the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME).
Common processes for separating liquids in industry are predominantly based on distillation. This method has long been established, but it consumes a great deal of energy and causes high CO₂ emissions. As the EU is aiming for a climate-neutral economy by 2050, there is a great need to make these processes more environmentally friendly. Possible approaches include the use of special column internals that reduce energy consumption through intelligent flow management, as well as the use of waste heat from other process steps. Heat pumps that efficiently use low temperatures, and hybrid processes that combine different separation methods, are also a focus of Tóth's research. His ambitious goal is to design a new decarbonisation strategy for the chemical industry.
About the funding
The Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowships offer outstanding researchers from all over the world the opportunity to carry out a long-term research project of their own choosing in cooperation with a research institution in Germany. Both postdocs and experienced researchers can apply for the fellowships, which run for between six and 24 months.
https://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/apply/sponsorship-programmes/humboldt-research-fellowship
Further information about Dr. András Tóth and his research can be found on his ORCID profile.
