Investigation of the synthesis of hexagonal meso/macroporous boron nitride (h-BN) with high thermal and chemical stability and its application in adsorption processes

• Applicants: Professor Dr.-Ing. Dieter Bathen; Professor Dr. Dirk Enke
• Subject Area: Chemical and Thermal Process Engineering
• Term: from 2019 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 423708703

Boron-based materials have a high thermal, chemical and mechanical stability. Therefore, they are used as solid particles in a lot of technical processes. In contrast to this, porous particles like porous glasses, boron-containing zeolites, covalent organic frameworks or porous boron nitride are still in the state of research.The aim of this project is to synthesize a new boron-based adsorbent to understand the relationship between conditions of synthesis and specific material properties and to evaluate the new material in difficult adsorption processes.The first step is to synthesize meso-/macroporous boron nitride (h-BN) and develop a formulation of technical particles via extrusion, granulation und ionotropic gelatinization. The resulting boron nitrides and precursors will be systematically characterized in view of their specific structural and adsorptive properties. Due to their expected thermal and mechanical stability three difficult applications will be investigated experimentally; the adsorption of aldehydes and ketones (adsorber fire), moving/fluidized bed adsorption (attrition) and the adsorption of inhalation anaesthetics (weak interaction).To reach these goals two research groups with complementary expertise from the University of Leipzig (Technical Chemistry, Synthesis) and the University of Duisburg-Essen (Process Engineering, Adsorption) will work in close collaboration.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants