For the second consecutive year, experts will gather in Essen to discuss the subject of CO2 as the feedstock of the future. After a successful start in 2012, nova-Institut will organise the 2nd Conference on CO2 as Feedstock for Chemistry and Polymers on 7-9 October 2013 in the Haus der Technik in Essen (Germany).The conference will be held in English and will offer international participants a unique opportunity to discuss current scientific and industrial progress on the road towards a sustainable CO2 economy. This year we are expecting over 300 experts, who can have a significant influence on short- and medium-term developments in politics, business and research. The programme will focus on the topic of efficient and sustainable use of CO2 including the political framework and future visions as well as the technical conditions and possibilities. It will highlight not only how the molecule can be used as the basis for innovative processes in chemistry, plastics production and industrial biotechnology, but also the progress being made in the areas of artificial photosynthesis, the recovery and preparation of CO2 from waste gases and the atmosphere, along with systems for evaluating sustainability and certifying CO2-based products.
The first day of the conference will provide an overview of the political framework, visionary models, sustainability and CO2 recovery as the core of new technological developments. Representatives from national and international policymaking agencies will describe the political framework conditions of a CO2 economy. The day’s second section will be devoted to sustainability evaluations and the certification of CO2-based feedstock, chemicals and polymers. The third main subject area is the availability of raw materials, and here international industry representatives will provide details of the state of raw material recovery, filtration and logistics.
The second day will focus on discussions about carbon dioxide as a raw material for the chemicals industry and as a feedstock of the future with examples from various international projects. The programme is designed primarily to give participants an overview of the many organic chemistry uses for CO2 along with a status report on the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide. Particular emphasis will be laid on the subject of artificial photosynthesis as a future technological challenge. This will be complemented by an examination of CO2’s role in the production of gaseous and liquid sources to store surplus renewable energy.
The third day of the event will concentrate on CO2-based plastics and monomers. The plan is to present innovate approaches to produce and use CO2-based biopolymers, including current developments in the field of polypropylene carbonate (PPC), polyurethanes and other polymers along with the combined use with bio-based materials. There will also be presentations on polymers and monomers such as polyacrylate and PHB that are produced using biotechnological processes based on CO2 fermentation.
A technical exhibition of products, technologies and development ideas will run in parallel to the conference, as will a poster session on uses of CO2.
