--- KEY MILESTONE! --- May 2024 ---
Successful chemical commissioning run completed with our in-house industrial scale unit
Our newly constructed production facility is designed to produce modified zeolites for both conventional and sustainable applications. This will benefit the refining and petrochemical markets, as well as sectors involved in renewable fuels and chemicals, CO2 capture, and plastic waste recycling. Following a successful (water) liquid run, we have now conducted the installation's first full recipe commissioning run.
The run was a great success, producing our largest batch of mesoporized zeolite ever. This run confirms the installation's capability to smoothly execute the sequence of recipe steps needed to mesoporize our model zeolite. All associated targets were met, including process timings, required flows, temperatures, quality homogeneity and the unit's ease of handling.
The run was meticulously prepared, following a detailed process script and a rigorous safety assessment. As a result, our industrial-scale unit successfully passed the process qualification test.
The next step in the coming weeks will focus on process validation. We will conduct a series of consecutive runs to evaluate the reproducibility of product quality and operating conditions. And a number of additional production runs will help establish product specifications and assess filter unit wear.
Upon completing these final steps, the installation will be ready to fulfill customer orders from world-leading catalyst suppliers. The industrial-scale unit will then produce modified zeolites with enhanced catalytic performance at a ton scale. Our end products will benefit refining and petrochemical companies, as well as those involved in catalytic renewable processes, by making their operations more efficient, economical, and sustainable.
--- March 2024 ---
The construction of our Zeopore industrial scale unit for mesoporizing zeolites is indeed quite a milestone for our growing company. Our aim is to deliver modified zeolites with better catalytic performance on the ton scale to refining and petrochemical companies, making their processes more performant, economical and sustainable.
Watch the longer timelapse to see our in-house installation for mesoporizing zeolites take shape in greater detail. As the commissioning is now completed, the installation is ready to fulfil customer orders received from world-leading catalyst suppliers.
In addition to our bespoke catalyst innovations, we are developing process technology to facilitate the delivery of modified zeolites on a ton scale to refining and petrochemical companies, making their plants more performant, economical and sustainable. This strengthens our IP and technology position along the journey from lab to full-scale industrial production.
Furthermore, our installation will serve as a hub for producing modified zeolites tailored for circular applications, such as renewable fuels and chemicals, CO2 capturing, and plastic waste recycling.
The Flemish government (VLAIO) strongly believes in our added value to the circularity of the chemical industry, and financially supports this development since the start.
We thank our investors for their commitment, our engineering partners for their flexibility, our customers for their trust, and our operations team for their relentless dedication, to make this a reality within the year, from initial idea to implementation.
Follow this news series to witness what Zeopore has in store the coming months. We are excited to set up our own industrial scale unit! You find the latest news at the top.
--- Early November 2023 ---
The realization of our scale unit is progressing well. Currently we are in the assembly, finalization and testing phase of all individual equipment parts as well as the 3D design of the entire plant. This effort is effectuated together with engineering company Konzept Engineering Services GmbH, a renowned German company with experience in such wet chemical processes.
An important element in the new scale unit is the steel platform which will hold all reactors. This structure was separately designed and is now being constructed and welded. Of course, the platform comes in Zeopore’s blue and white branding colors.
Here you see the delivery of the colored steel platform parts.
To speed up the commissioning process and get the scale unit ready for operation as soon as possible, Zeopore decided to test run the modified filter at the assembly location before transportation to Leuven. The following footage shows an initial trial of a zeolite slurry filtration.
In the coming weeks, everything will be assembled and installed at our location in Leuven, for which we defined the necessary manpower, safety instructions and timelines.
This stage is yet another important step in our scaling up adventure, further process optimization and ability to supply larger (ton scale) volumes to our customers.
--- October 2023 ---
On-site preparations are taking place to install required process utilities. The available electric power has increased tenfold to drive and control the entire unit. A big compressor system was installed to supply sufficient air to run the unit. And a tempered water system has arrived to control the process temperature.
--- March to September 2023 ---
A lot of work has been done on the drawing table, in collaboration with engineering company Konzept Engineering Services GmbH. At the same time equipment has been sourced, modified and prepared for installation.
--- February and March 2023 ---
Early on in 2023, Zeopore decided to build its own production unit for mesoporized zeolites. While presenting the operations team who kicked off this project, Henk Janssen briefly explained the purpose of this remarkable endeavor, while presenting the team who is turning this into reality.
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