SIMPLIFY, the Sonication and Microwave Processing of material Feedstock project, aims at enabling the electrification of the chemical process industry – and in particular the specialty chemicals industries. SIMPLIFY's vision is that of intensified processes, where alternative energy sources enable flexible continuous technologies to achieve localized ultrasound and microwave actuation of multiphase, flow reactors powered by electricity from renewable sources for the purpose of high-value product synthesis. SIMPLIFY has selected three major classes of specialty processes to work on: i. The class of chemical processes involving highly viscous streams, with MW/US-assisted reactive extrusion of polyurethane as representative; ii. The class of chemical processes involving suspensions, in particular those requiring long residence times (up to hours), with US/MW-assisted reactive crystallization of zeolite microparticles in a continuous oscillatory baffle reactor (COBR); iii. The class of chemical processes involving suspensions, in particular those with inherently high reaction rates (residence times of seconds to minutes), with MW/US-assisted reactive crystallization of titania nanoparticle synthesis in a plug flow reactor (PFR). SIMPLIFY advances the technology readiness level (TRL) of flow technology for these multiphase streams involving suspensions or viscous products from TRL4 (technology validation in lab) to TRL6 (industrial demonstration), thus pushing the transition from chemical reactions with poor resource – both material and energy – efficiency and variable product quality to processes with high resource efficiency and excellent, uniform product properties.

CARBOWAVE deploys alternative heating sources i.e. plasma or microwave heating to replace conventional heating in energy intensive industries. The conversion of microwave electromagnetic radiation to heat relies on a high dielectric loss tangent (DLT). This is of importance as many of Europe’s most energy intensive industries utilise low dielectric loss raw materials. Carbon fibre (CF) which is used to produce carbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP), is produced from poly(acrylonitrile) (PAN) which exhibits a low DLT (0.007). CF is designated as a strategic material for Europe as it is deployed in many crucial sectors which underpin Europe’s future energy security e.g. in manufacture of light weight wind turbines for wind energy generation; in manufacture of light weight automobiles and electric vehicles for a more energy efficient Transport sector; and similarly for a more energy efficient Construction sector. Hence, CARBOWAVE will have vast economic and environmental impact. Europe dominates the advanced carbon materials market supplying 37% of the global market, which is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% to reach US$7.9 billion by 2027. Currently, the industry uses large amounts of electricity and natural gas to generate the heat necessary for conversion of PAN to CF (100–900 MJ per one kg of CF produced), limiting the industrial use of CF to high end and expensive applications. In this context, CARBOWAVE aims to drastically reduce the energy consumption, carbon emissions and production cost of CFs. This in-turn will radically transform the construction, wind energy and EV industries. CARBOWAVE will achieve this through development of two alternative heating sources; an atmospheric plasma for stabilisation of PF, and a radically new susceptor induced microwave heating technology specifically designed for increasing microwave absorption, allowing the conversion of stabilised PF to CF in a continuous production process at TRL 6.

SIMPLI-DEMO, the Demonstration of Sonication and Microwave Processing of essential chemicals project, aims at strengthening the chemical process industry ? and in particular the specialty chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries ? in its capacity to produce materials and chemicals in a sustainable and competitive way by moving from batch to continuous and modular production with flexibility being ensured by the application of alternative energy forms. Currently, the conventional technologies in the specialty and pharma sector tend to be batch-type, combined with mechanical mixing and conduction-based heat transfer, inherently leading to poor process control. SIMPLI-DEMO's vision is that of intensified processes, where alternative energy sources enable continuous and modular technologies to achieve localized actuation of multiphase, flow reactors for the purpose of high-value product synthesis. SIMPLI-DEMO focuses on the synthesis of specialty polymers and particles for use in a wide variety of every-day-use products, e.g. insulation, paints and coatings, plastics, catalysts, as well as health applications, which are important domains in the chemical industry today and into the future. Therefore, SIMPLI-DEMO advances the technology readiness level (TRL) of modular flow technology for multiphase streams involving suspensions or viscous products from TRL5 (validation in relevant environment) to TRL7 (industrial system demonstration). SIMPLI-DEMO has brought together a consortium of four end-user chemical companies, two technology suppliers (ultrasound and microwave technology), five universities and research institutions (process control & automation, reactive extrusion, oscillatory flow, ultrasound, microwaves), one SME experienced in modular automation and another SME experienced in sustainability assessment and exploitation.