Hoe bestrijden we energiearmoede die ontstaat in de private huursector? Hoe versterk je de cyberweerbaarheid van het mkb? En hoe kunnen we afgeschreven windmolens hergebruiken als nieuw bouwmateriaal? Het zijn slechts drie van de talloze voorbeelden van actueel praktijkgericht onderzoek aan hogescholen. Onderzoek dat direct is verbonden met grote maatschappelijke opgaven, bijvoorbeeld op het gebied van energie, klimaat, technologisering en kansengelijkheid. Voor die opgaven hebben we nieuwe kennis nodig die we snel kunnen omzetten in nieuwe producten en oplossingen. Het praktijkgericht onderzoek aan hogescholen is daarvoor een onmisbare schakel tussen fundamenteel onderzoek en onze samenleving.
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VHL University of Applied Sciences (VHL) is a sustainable University of AppliedSciences that trains students to be ambitious, innovative professionals andcarries out applied research to make a significant contribution to asustainable world. Together with partners from the field, they contribute to innovative and sustainable developments through research and knowledge valorisation. Their focus is on circular agriculture, water, healthy food & nutrition, soil and biodiversity – themes that are developed within research lines in the variousapplied research groups. These themes address the challenges that are part ofthe international sustainability agenda for 2030: the sustainable developmentgoals (SDGs). This booklet contains fascinating and representative examplesof projects – completed or ongoing, from home and abroad – that are linked tothe SDGs. The project results contribute not only to the SDGs but to their teaching as well.
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The Cashing Cashew project focuses on isolation and purification of Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL) from Cashew Nut Shells (CNS) in order to fully utilize this valuable by-product of the cashew nut production. Global cashew nut production is about 4 million mt/ tons/yr. Of the cashew nut, about 70 % is shell that is removed in processing and currently typically burned as a dirty and inefficient fuel or discarded as waste. This is not only creating an environmental issue but also wasting valuable by-products. The shell contains circa 20-30 % brown viscous liquid, Cashew Nut Shell Liquid (CNSL). This natural resin contains valuable chemical components, for example, cardanol, cardol, and anacardic acid. CNSL and its derivatives have several industrial uses as for example biobased additives, polymeric building blocks, and biodiesel. Part of the CNSL can be extracted during the roasting process prior to separating the shell and nut kernel. The shell waste still has a high CNSL concentration that can be isolated by solvents or pressing (expeller). Expeller process is simple and not capital-intensive; therefore it is commonly used. The main disadvantages of the method are the high energy consumption and that 3-5 % oil remains in the press-cake producing harmful gases in burning. Also, the resulting cake is too dense to be further processed to charcoal or other useful application. The objective of this project is to study the purification of the CNSL obtained from pyrolytic isolation to find the most efficient way of making use of the CNSL oil and the total Cashew Nut Shell biomass. An initial evaluation of potential applications is also performed.
Om de klimaat- en circulaire doelstellingen te halen moet de kunststof/plasticsector in de komende decennia sterk verduurzamen . Voor de producenten van polyesters liggen hier veel mogelijkheden. In tegenstelling tot bijvoorbeeld polyolefines kunnen veel polyesters goed chemisch naar de monomere bouwstenen worden gerecycled. Verder is al een aantal monomeren (isosorbide, 1,3-propaandiol, succinaat, FDCA, etc.) op de markt die afkomstig zijn uit hernieuwbare grondstoffen en gebruikt kunnen worden in de synthese. Toch bestaat er vanuit de industrie een sterke behoefte aan nieuwe biobased monomeren die niet alleen de abiotische/petrochemische monomeren kunnen vervangen maar ook nieuwe eigenschappen, inclusief biodegradeerbaarheid, brandwerendheid, aan polyesters kunnen toevoegen. In dit project wordt beoogd om de in literatuur beschreven verbinding furan 2,5-dipropionic acid (methylester) te synthetiseren, dit vervolgens te optimaliseren en op te schalen naar grotere hoeveelheden (20-100 g). Het furan 2,5-dipropionic acid (FDPA) kan via een drie-staps synthese worden verkregen uit de biobased building blocks furfural en levulinezuur Beide verbindingen worden op commerciële schaal gesynthetiseerd uit verschillende biogrondstoffen maar zijn ook, zoals recent aangetoond door de Hanzehogeschool in een lopend GoChem project, te synthetiseren uit hooi. De verbinding zal vervolgens als co-monomeer in een aantal verschillende polycondensaties worden ingebouwd en op een aantal parameters (ratio, Tg, Tm, Mwt,) worden geanalyseerd om inzicht te krijgen in de structuureigenschappen en het commercieel perspectief van dit nieuwe type co-polymeren.
Introduction The research group Biobased Resources & Energy (BRE) of Avans focusses on recovery of valuable building blocks from low-value solid and liquid residual streams from agriculture, households and industries. For the valorisation of these residual streams, BRE looks into different biological, chemical and mechanical processes. One of the main issues in the utilisation of residual streams is economic feasibility and the recovery of multiple resources from one residual stream. Using membrane technologies in combination with biological, chemical and/or mechanical processes could offer great opportunities. Central Research Question What is the applicability of membrane technologies for valorisation of different residual streams and is it possible to integrate membrane technology in current and new biorefining projects of research group BRE: Set-up In order to reach the goal of this postdoc, 4 research questions will be answered using literature search, experimentation and modelling: 1) What membrane methods are currently (commercially) available to enhance the results of current projects in research group BRE? 2) What are the essential technical parameters for membrane separation and how can these be optimized? 3) What is the economic impact of using membrane technology in recovery of valuable building blocks from residual streams? 4) What are the effects of using membranes instead of or complementary to currently used methods on the sustainability of valorisation of residual streams? Cooperation The postdoc and the research group BRE want to extend the contact and research cooperation with (regional) businesses and (applied) universities and support and facilitate the introduction and further development of membrane technologies in the curriculum of different Avans study programmes. This will be done via internships, minor projects (together with businesses) and development of study material for courses and trainings.
