Abstract
The access of food is a basic supply, required for every human being. Harvesting enough to sustain the work population requires fertilizer, for whose, ammonia is a key building block. Even though the Haber Bosch Process has fulfilled the ammonia synthesis, the process is very energy demanding while being centralized with a significant impact on the environment. The production and use of chemicals cause high CO2 emissions, contamination of soil, biota, and water. Especially the use of solvents is a major problem. The Haber Bosch process is not an exception to this rule. The CAST project brings together the expertise and knowledge from three partners in equipment engineering, chemistry as well as process development and will develop a novel green technology to produce ammonia in milder conditions using mechanochemistry as a disruptive technology (as acknowledged by IUPAC). Mechanochemistry uses mechanical processes to induce chemical reactions. The advantages of mechanochemistry include: no solvent use or very low amount, high efficiency, low costs, and reduced energy use and CO2 emission. Based on a recent study, switching to mechanochemistry can reduce consequently terrestrial ecotoxicity and CO2 emissions (~85%), while production costs can be reduced significantly (~12%). The results of the CAST project will thus enable us to develop a new state-of-the-art technology to produce ammonia while minimizing environmental pollution and earth impact.
Consortium

COORDINATOR

  Haute école d’ingénierie et d’architecture Fribourg

Ludovic Gremaud

PARTNERS

Haute école d’ingénierie et d’architecture Fribourg

Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology

Willy A. Bachofen AG

Revorox