nir-vana innovation network

Many laboratories and research-oriented companies focused on the development of new materials have difficulties in designing and manufacturing the necessary test-equipment for them.
Therefore, a German SME that is very experienced in membrane technologies and electrochemistry offers development and manufacturing of laboratory test cells, prototypes of electromembrane reactors, as well as test benches.

R&D personnel or PhD students dedicated to a new field of technology development have very limited time for realization of their projects. It is hardly possible for them to focus on the material development and at the same time design a functional electrochemical reactor or a test cell for further tests of new materials.
The SME develops and produces membrane apparatuses and electrochemical reactors as test equipment for R&D laboratories in academia and industry that develop new materials, like membranes or electrode coatings. This enables researchers e.g. to test the materials in a laboratory test cell or investigate an up-scaling in a flow-through reactor.

Moreover, currently, many research groups start new for them experimental investigations in demanded electrochemical energy storage and conversion. The SME helps these R&D groups to avoid expensive mistakes and get faster to a functional device by selecting a suitable concept, materials and design for test reactor.

The German SME is looking for a technical co-operation with a partner from research or industry active in the development of new materials. They will supply the required test equipment and support their partner to improve the materials and finally speed up the time to market.

The SME is also interested in research agreements within the frame of EU-funded projects. They could act as partner or as subcontractor for the development in the field of membrane apparatuses and electrochemistry, including e.g. development of innovative concepts, experimental feasibility studies; flow simulation with ANSYS software; experimental flow visualization in liquid channels; material selection; CAD design and manufacturing of the reactor components; test-bench assembly; test of prototypes and process optimisation; engineering for up-scaling and further industrialization.
The SME is already experienced in publicly funded projects. At the moment, they develop electrolysers in the frame a nationally funded project aiming at the conversion of CO2 from industrial parks into valuable, biodegradable bioplastics.

Advantages & innovations

- 25 years of experience in development of membrane technologies and electro-chemical reactors. - Utilisation of materials suitable for industrial up-scaling, e.g. spacers and current collectors with integrated gaskets; mixed-metal oxide (MMO) coated anodes; mechanically reinforced membranes. - Sensor integration in the reactor. - Recommendation of suitable concepts and materials for reactor design from the SME's large database. - Flow-simulation with ANSYS (software), e.g. for optimization of flow distribution in the reactor. - Scientists can focus on their material and technology research, while the SME designs suitable test equipment. - Agile response to requests and rapid development realization. - Flexibility in cooperation and project tasks: designing and manufacturing laboratory test cells and prototypes of electro-membrane reactors; building test benches; experimental testing. - Long-standing international experience. - Innovation, open-mindedness and efficiency are among the most important core values of the company.

Stage of development

Available for demonstration

Partner sought

- Type of partner sought: R&D (academic or industrial) - Specific area of activity of the partner: R&D laboratory; manufacturer, user or developer of membrane and electro-membrane technologies (electrolysis, electrodialysis, micro- and ultra-filtration, membrane air-humidification, etc.) - Tasks to be performed by the partner sought: Partners have to specify their research activities and targets so that the SME can develop and manufacture the required laboratory test reactors or new membrane or electrochemical devices, test benches or perform technology evaluation. Thus, the partners can jointly finalise the development of new materials in the frame of a technical co-operation agreement. This could also be done under a research agreement within in the frame of an EU-funded project. - Joint development of a business, where SME will be providing reactors and components, while a sought partner extending the business with his competences and market access. For example, a partner could build and sell test systems with reactors of SME; or it could provide to SME specific materials (electrochemical catalysts; gas diffusion layers; membranes), which could be adopted in new reactors.