The Industrial Catalysis and Adsorption Technology research group (INCAT) is part of the Materials, Textiles, and Chemical Engineering department (MaTCh, EA11) within the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture at Ghent University. INCAT primarily focuses on the development of catalysts and adsorbents, with a strong emphasis on renewable resources and environmental management. A major objective is the catalytic conversion of biomass-derived streams, encompassing their upgrading and separation into valuable chemicals. INCAT’s research endeavours have a practical, application-oriented approach, addressing the specific needs of industries. To achieve this, the group actively collaborates with consortiums and industrial partners, including small and medium-sized companies in the broader chemical industry.
INCAT encompasses a diverse range of expertise across various chemical engineering domains. INCAT specializes in heterogeneous catalysis and reaction engineering, involving the synthesis, characterization, and performance testing of catalysts, as well as developing intrinsic kinetic and industrial reactor models to optimize reaction conditions and design efficient catalysts.
The research group also has extensive knowledge in adsorption technologies and focusses on developing methods to recover high-value components from waste streams that are present in low concentrations. By designing and implementing efficient adsorbents and recovery techniques, INCAT contributes to sustainable resource management.
Thermodynamics and separation train design also form an essential part of INCAT’s expertise, as the group delves into the thermodynamics of molecules containing multiple functionalities and/or heteroatoms, creating thermodynamic models that aid in the design of effective separation trains for various chemical processes.
Additionally, INCAT explores the development of multidimensional chromatographic analysis techniques, encompassing both liquid and gas phases to enable the analysis of complex mixtures, such as non-volatile aromatics, providing valuable insights for various applications.
Other research groups
