Projects

Welcome to the list of our research group’s projects in the field of microwaves. Our team of researchers is dedicated to advancing knowledge in this area and has undertaken several projects to achieve this goal. We hope that you find our work informative and engaging, and we welcome your feedback and suggestions

H2MW

Development of a pilot plant for green hydrogen production using microwave technology

The H2MW Project aims to develop a pilot plant for green hydrogen production using microwave technology. This groundbreaking advancement leverages the reduction of Solid-State Ionic Materials (SSIM) by microwaves at significantly lower temperatures compared to conventional methods.

The project’s objective is to design and construct a technological demonstrator that will serve as a foundation for future industrial-scale devices. This meticulous approach will evaluate and consolidate Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and develop scalable models, ensuring a robust and successful outcome.

This innovative electrochemical water dissociation process, producing only O₂ as a byproduct, offers a promising pathway for sustainable, carbon-free hydrogen production with low energy costs and high efficiency.

This 2-year project will be a joint effort by the Microwave Division (DIMAS) of the ITACA Institute at UPV, the Energy Conversion and Storage group at the Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIC-ITQ), and the engineering and technology group Sener.

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RHINO

Electrifying chemistry towards net-zero emission industry

The RHINO project aims to establish a new electrified paradigm for the chemical industry that incorporates renewable energy sources and decarbonizes this energy-intensive sector. This paradigm shift has the potential to significantly reduce the industry’s carbon footprint, increase energy efficiency, and enhance the production of high-value chemicals, thereby contributing to a more sustainable and competitive chemical industry. 

The core of RHINO’s strategy is the development of electrochemical reactors that use electric power to drive chemical reactions with high selectivity. The project seeks to overcome current barriers by creating a new class of electrified catalytic reactors through an interdisciplinary approach. This approach combines cutting-edge nanomaterials, interface engineering,a deep understanding of reaction kinetics, microwave engineering, and advanced multi-physics modelling.

RHINO will focus on developing two innovative types of electrically driven reactors:

Electrochemical Membrane Reactor Technology. Two approaches for the electrification of membrane reactions are tackled. On the one hand, Joule electric heating in ceramic membrane reactors will allow exploiting the effect of local heating. On the other hand, electrochemical reactors based on membrane electrode assemblies (MEA) will be developed. 

Microwave-Driven Enhanced Catalysis: This breakthrough technology will employ microwave (MW) electromagnetic irradiation to enhance the catalysis of reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions. MW irradiation allows for processing at lower reaction times and temperatures, improving energy efficiency and selectivity. The concept of “non-equilibrium local heating”—where specific domains are heated to much higher temperatures than the bulk solution—will be explored to enhance chemical reactions. 

The project is led by two Spanish research groups at the forefront of microwave technology (Microwave Division of ITACA Institute -ITACA-DIMAS-) and catalytic materials research (Energy Conversion and Storage group at the Institute of Chemical Technology -CSIC-ITQ-). With a focus on multidisciplinary activities, both partners will collaborate in this 2-year project -from December 2022 to November 2024- to pave the way for a sustainable future in the chemical industry by developing advanced electrified processes that align with sustainable development goals.

 

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RASMIA

Towards sustainable energy processes in chemical industry: development of CO2 capture and utilization assisted by microwave heating

RASMIA project entails the transformation of energy intensive chemical industry through microwave heating, a more efficient way of supplying energy to the processes using renewable electricity and avoiding fossil fuels.

This coordinated project, financed by the Spanish Science and Innovation Ministry (PID2022-138336OB-C21) will focus on the design of new microwave driven processes for CO2 capture and hydrogen generation by Dry Reforming of Methane (DRM). The goal is to contribute to decarbonisation of chemical industry together with process circularity, since the CO2 captured in the microwave adsorption process constitutes the raw material for dry methane reforming.

RASMIA involves researchers from the Institute of Information and Communication Technologies (ITACA) of the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), belonging to the Microwave Division (ITACA-DIMAS). The coordination of the project is led by researchers from Universidad de Zaragoza (UNIZAR), Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón, INMA, working in the field of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science.

Continuous evaluation of the results throughout the project will direct RASMIA’s efforts towards optimizing resource efficiency, process scalability, and reducing the cost and carbon footprint compared to the state-of-the-art reference processes of amine absorption for CO2 capture and steam reforming for syngas production.

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STEP

Stone Technology for Eco-efficient Production

The objective of the STEP project is the implementation of new eco-efficient technologies in the natural stone industry, which are expected to result in significant environmental, financial and sustainability benefits for the construction sector.

The natural stone production process involves drying in natural gas kilns, applying reinforcement resins to seal cracks, and curing the resins in furnaces. The project introduces the use of water-based epoxy resins, formulated for a new thermal curing process to be validated at an industrial scale. This innovation allows the removal of natural gas-fed drying lines, as the new resins are compatible with wet conditions, and enables the adoption of a more efficient thermal curing technology. The combined implementation of these advancements will significantly enhance efficiency, productivity, raw material utilization, and improve health and safety for production line employees in the natural stone sector.

8 European partners participate in this project funded by the EU commission through the CIP-EIP-Eco-Innovation call, with the aim to overcome important limitations associated with the natural stone sector, such as high energy costs, low material efficiency and the emission of toxic volatile organic compounds.

 

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NANOFOR

Advanced synthesis of colorless nano-fluorophors

The NANOFOR project aims to obtain colorless nano-fluorophors with high optical response by excitation and up-conversion at pre-designed wavelengths. This objective encompasses recent progress in the fields of nanoscience, materials science, and emerging technological advancements.

Upconverting nanoparticles are usually composed of rare-earth based lanthanide- or actinide-doped transition metals and are of particular interest for their applications in in vivo bio-imaging, bio-sensing, and nanomedicine because of their highly efficient cellular uptake and high optical penetrating power with little background noise in the deep tissue level. They also have potential applications in photovoltaics and security, such as infrared detection of hazardous materials.

This project has been financially supported by the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) and by the EU through the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF).

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