Biomass as an alternative carbon source is a promising resource for reducing the dependence on fossil fuels as well as the carbon footprint of the chemical industry. However, besides carbon, sulphur is also an essential element occurring in almost all living organisms and plants. For this reason, it is necessary to take sulphur capture into account when developing biomass-based processes.
If biomass is used for fermentation or gasification, the bound sulphur is converted into hydrogen sulphide. The complete separation of the resulting hydrogen sulphide is essential for the subsequent use of the gaseous products (biogas, synthesis gas, carbon dioxide) as a valuable energy source and raw material in the chemical industry. In the downstream processes, hydrogen sulphide otherwise acts as a catalyst poison or an interfering substance due to its toxicity and corrosive properties, thus preventing the further utilisation of the intermediate products.
Ongoing Projects
The central question of the ECO2Feed research project is the development of an efficient oxidising gas scrubber for the separation of small quantities of hydrogen sulphide from carbon dioxide-rich gas streams in order to enable the recovery and utilisation of the bound carbon. The focus lies on the use of particularly environmentally friendly reagents. The research aims at achieving high hydrogen sulphide conversions with minimal carbon dioxide absorption through the targeted selection of reaction conditions, such as temperature and pressure, as well as the identification of suitable catalysts. The central development goals are the identification of a suitable reaction system and process engineering apparatus, the simulation and piloting of the process as well as the ecological and economic evaluation.
The joint project is being funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action as part of the ‘Technologies for the CO2 circular economy’ funding programme.
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Last update: Mar 18, 2025
