The SuPER team generated an IP portfolio in the research areas of interest and the industrialization is ongoing with leading EPC and production companies for several patents.
AURGAS(TM) process – Methane-based zero-emissions electrified syngas production process
Description. AURGAS(TM) is a new electrified process for producing conditioned syngas (e.g., for methanol synthesis) starting from methane and without any emission.
Applicant: Politecnico di Milano (ITA), NTNU Trondheim (NOR)
Inventors: Filippo Bisotti, Kristofer Gunnar Paso, Flavio Manenti
Priority: 2022
Ownership: 100% Politecnico di Milano – TRL: 9
IP status: Basic Engineering Design Package
CANE(TM) – Carbon net-negative process for syngas production and net-neutral green hydrogen production
Description. CANE(TM) process allows to efficiently produce green hydrogen through total electrification and energy integration. With exogenous CO2 (sources are, for instance, stell mills, concrete production plants, tyles production plants, power generation plants), CANE(TM) becomes a net-negative process for the sconditioned syngas production.
Applicant: Politecnico di Milano (ITA)
Inventors: Filippo Bisotti, Flavio Manenti
Priority: 2022
Ownership: 100% Politecnico di Milano – TRL: 9
IP status: Basic Engineering Design Package
NEZEE(TM) process – Net-zero emissions electrified bi-reforming process
Description. NEZEE(TM) process is a new concept of bi-reforming able to provide conditioned syngas by means of a totally electrified solution.
Applicant: Politecnico di Milano (ITA)
Inventors: Filippo Bisotti, Flavio Manenti
Priority: 2022
Ownership: 100% Politecnico di Milano – TRL: 9
IP status: Basic Engineering Design Package
PSWA(TM) process – CO2 capture from pressurized streams by totally electrified and water-based-only apparatus and process
Description. total electrification for CO2 capture process from pressurized streams with water only as adsorption carrier. The process and the proprietary equipment are strongly recommended for conditioning syngas streams, which are rich in CO2, before synthesis.
Applicant: Politecnico di Milano
Inventors: Flavio Manenti, Kristiano Prifti
Priority: 2020
Ownership: 100% Politecnico di Milano – TRL: 9
IP status: 1 plant operating since 2021, 2 plants in construction
Picture. Process scheme
AG2S(TM) process – Acid Gas to Syngas process technology
Description. New process and apparatus to convert acid gases into syngas according to the reaction: 2 H2S + CO2 = H2 + CO + S2 + H2O. Syngas is obtained from emissions only (no sources/biosources required) in energy self-sustainability thanks to a minor injection of oxygen. Recovery of CO2 via H2S consumption wherever they are simultaneously available and conversion of syngas into chemicals (methanol, dimethyl ether, …) through the combination of known and established technologies. Zero emissions or by-products thanks to the engineered AG2S process.
Applicant: Politecnico di Milano
Inventors: Flavio Manenti, Lucio Molinari (Maire Tecnimont-KT), Flavio Manenti
Priority: ITMI20131322A·2013-08-02 – Application: ITMI20131322A·2013-08-02 – Publication: ITMI20131322A1·2015-02-03
Ownership: 100% Politecnico di Milano – TRL: 9
IP status: Basic Engineering Design Package for oil refinery expected in Q3/2022
Picture: AG2S trademark
SACS(TM) process – New firebox for gas fields, refineries and reforming processes
Description. A completely new process and apparatus to split the H2S into (blue) hydrogen and elemental sulfur according to the reaction H2S = H2 + 0.5 S2 by means of catalytic technology and at mild operating conditions. The splitting is sustained thermally within a firebox. The firebox could be a completely new dedicated unit, a refurbished unit by exploiting existing thermal sources installed by the field, electrical. Laboratory testing have been accomplished; pilot-scale testing are ongoing.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano, ITT SpA
Inventors: Flavio Manenti (Politecnico), Giulia Piccioni (ITT)
Priority: IT201900006957A·2019-05-17 – Application:
IT201900006957A·2019-05-17 – Publication: IT201900006957A1·2020-11-17 – Published as: CA3139914A1; IT201900006957A1; WO2020234709A1Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (50%), ITT SpA (50%) – TRL: 6
IP status: Achievement of TRL 9 by Q1/2023
Picture: the trademark, the unit scheme, the laboratory validation
Process and plant for hydrogen generation
Description. A new process aimed at partially oxidizing H2S into hydrogen and SO2. SO2 can be adopted for the synthesys of sulfidric acid, while blue hydrogen is generated. The main reaction occurs in a thermal chamber at appropriate temperature. The stability of SO2 with respect to other sulfur oxides is ensuring high selectivities.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano
Inventors: Flavio Manenti (Politecnico), Lucio Molinari (Maire Tecnimont-KT), Sauro Pierucci (Politecnico)
Priority: ITMI20131311A·2013-08-02 – Application: ITMI20131311A·2013-08-02 – Publication: ITMI20131311A1·2015-02-03 – Published as: ITMI20131311A1; WO2015015463A1
Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (100%) – TRL: 3
IP status: relevant experimentation planned in Q1/2022 – Q2/2022
GASIFORMING(TM) process – Process for the production of syngas from pretreated plastic wastes
Description. The GASIFORMING™ process exploits thermal/catalytic treatments to transform the mix of plastic wastes (end-of-life wastes) into hydrogen (and CO2) and then into methanol/DME. It is significantly less impacting than other plastics wastes gasification processes in terms of CO2 production thanks to milder conditions and reduced shift action. It has the peculiarity to minimize the solid residues after the thermal treatment as well as to provide a high H2/CO ratio in the produced syngas so as to favor the synthesis to advanced biofuels.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano, INSTM
Inventors: Flavio Manenti (Politecnico), Maurizio Masi (Politecnico), Sergio Miele (INSTM), Enrica Bargiacchi (INSTM)
Priority: IT201900013239A·2019-07-29 – Application: IT201900013239A·2019-07-29 – Publication: IT201900013239A1·2021-01-29; Published as: WO2021019433A1
Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (50%), INSTM (50%) – TRL: 7 to 9 (KoM 03.2021 – End 06.2022)
IP status: (1) Exclusive license agreement for Italy 2021-2036 to ACEA SpA, Plant Target: demo-scale plant operating in Q2/2022 and 15 kt/y of methanol operating in Q2/2023 (site: Ancona); (2) International agreement with exclusion of Italy with Techint E&C ltd for Basic Engineering Design Package, Construction and Commissioning
Picture: the demo-scale plant adopted for validation
PLASBREAKER(TM) process – New process to convert plastic wastes into lube bases and hydrogen
Description. The PLASTBREAKER™ process exploits mild thermal treatments to transform the mix of plastic wastes (end-of-life wastes) into slightly hydrofinished lubricants and hydrogen. It is significantly less impacting than other plastics wastes gasification processes in terms of CO2 production thanks to milder conditions and its less severe conditions allow a full integration with concentrating solar technologies. It has its best application when combined with hydrofinishing plants to improve lubricant quality.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano
Inventors: Flavio Manenti
Priority: 2019
Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (100%) – TRL: 9
IP status: ongoing industrialization with Itelyum Regeneration (leader in hydrofinishing processes) with definition of Basic Engineering Design Package for the first industrial plant at Pieve Fissiraga (LO)
Picture. Demo-scale unit for de-halogenation step of PLASBREAKER(TM) process
BIGSQUID(TM) process – A versatile plant for converting biogas into high added value chemicals
Description. New modular/compact unit to convert biogas into bio-methanol. It is consituted by 4 sections: the filtration and compression, the thermocatalytic conversion (picture), the synthesis, and the purification. A biogas plant of 1 MWe is produces the biogas and burns it in engine for electric power generation. After the combustion, about 8’000 t/y of CO2 are released back to the atmosphere. the BIGSQUID(TM) process tecnology is able to sequestrate and converting almost all the CO2 into advanced biofuels. An option of the technology is the achievement of self-consistency in electric and thermal energy supply. It is engineered for 0.4 MWe equivalent and 1.0 MWe equivalent plants.
Applicant: Politecnico di Milano
Inventor: Flavio Manenti
Priority: IT201700073797A·2017-06-30 – Application: IB2018054895W·2018-07-02 – Publication: WO2019003213A1·2019-01-03
Ownership: 80% Politecnico di Milano; 20% FAT SpA (Autonomous Tobacco Farm) – TRL: 9
IP status: 1 demo-scale plant; 5 kt/y plant in operation since 2021; 2 plants in construction.
Picture: construction phase of FAT plant.
RECS(TM) process – High performance conversion of biogas into dimethyl ether
Description. New reactor and process for organic exothermal syntheses. Special application for methanol and dimethyl ether productions. The catalyst is not fully filling the tubes, but it achieves a certain level; accordingly, the level of boiling feed water fed at the shell side isapproaching the catalyst level within the tubes. During the operations, a part of vaporized steam will condense on the outer tubes and form a film. Such a zone is adopted as feedstock preheater. This proprietary equipment is integrated in dedicated processes for methanol and dimethyl ether synthesis.
Applicant: Politecnico di Milano
Inventor: Flavio Manenti
Priority: 2019
Ownership: originally, 100% Politecnico di Milano; in 2021, 75% transferred to INSTM; in 2022, exclusive industrialization agreement with Techint E&C ltd. – TRL: 7
IP status: Basic Engineering Design Package for demo-scale plant ready by Q2/2022
Picture. RECS(TM) one-stage concept.
Plant for regeneration of waste oils
Description. New reactor and process for organic exothermal syntheses. Special application for methanol and dimethyl ether productions. The catalyst is not fully filling the tubes, but it achieves a certain level; accordingly, the level of boiling feed water fed at the shell side isapproaching the catalyst level within the tubes. During the operations, a part of vaporized steam will condense on the outer tubes and form a film. Such a zone is adopted as feedstock preheater. This proprietary equipment is integrated in dedicated processes for methanol and dimethyl ether synthesis.
Applicant: Itelyum Regeneration
Inventors: Francesco Gallo (Itelyum), Danilo De Arcangelis (Itelyum), Daniele Previtali (Politecnico), Maurizio Giusti (Itelyum), Alessandro Quaglia (Itelyum), Flavio Manenti (Politecnico)
Priority: IB2018058950W·2018-11-14; IT201700133760A·2017-11-22 – Application: EP18816229A·2018-11-14 – Publication: EP3714026A1·2020-09-30 – Published as: EP3714026A1; WO2019102308A1
Ownership: totally transferred, 100% Itelyum Regeneration – TRL: 9
IP status: 9 kt/y plant operating since 2019
Picture. Plant operating (picture, courtesy of Itelyum Regeneration)
Innovative biorefinery plant energetically self-sustainable for the conversion of second generation biomasses
Description. Zero residues, zero emissions, energetically self-sustainble second and third generation biorefinery producing advanced biofuels and added-value chemicals.
Applicants: INSTM, Politecnico di Milano, Italbiotec, Fondazione CARIPLO
Inventors: Sergio Miele (INSTM), Flavio Manenti (Politecnico), Nelson Marmiroli (Italbiotec)
Priority: IT201600123786A·2016-12-06 – Application: IT201600123786A·2016-12-06 – Publication: IT201600123786A1·2018-06-06 – Published as: IT201600123786A1
Ownership: INSTM (33%), Politecnico di Milano (33%), Italbiotec (33%), Fondazione CARIPLO (1%) – TRL: 3
IP status: currently no actions
Picture. Conceptual lyout
Concentrating solar catalytic reactor
Description. Totally transparent reactor, to be fully invested by the solar radiation and activated for its whole volume to perform catalytic conversions. The reactor consists of a solar concentrator such as the linear-parabolic toughs, a transparent receiver resisting to medium-high temperatures, a transparent catalyst deposed on transparent support. Catalyst is generated by means of nanometric deposition techniques to get the transparency. The reactor is very active for air/water purification, e.g. VOC conversion on TiO2-based photoactive catalysts, but also in case of traditional endothermic synthesis.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano, University of Milan
Inventors: Flavio Manenti (Politecnico), Carlo Pirola (UMilan), Claudia Bianchi (UMilan)
Priority: IT201700001505A·2017-01-09 – Application: IT201700001505A·2017-01-09 – Publication: IT201700001505A1·2018-07-09 – Published as: WO2018127562A1
Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (50%), University of Milan (50%) – TRL: 3
IP status: conceptual phase
Picture. concept.
New process for enriching air
Description. Enriching air (in oxygen) by exploiting Henry coeffieint gap between oxygen and nitrogen/argon. The process is adsorbing air in water under pressure and releasing humid enriched air (30 to 32%v in oxygen). The system consists of a pump. a packed column and a vessel for small amount of enriched air.
Applicants: Politecnico di Milano, University of Milan
Inventors: Flavio Manenti (Politecnico), Carlo Pirola (UMilan)
Priority: ITLO20130002A·2013-04-04 – Application: ITLO20130002A·2013-04-04 – Publication: ITLO20130002A1·2014-10-05 – Published as: ITLO20130002A1; WO2014161713A1
Ownership: Politecnico di Milano (50%), University of Milan (50%) – TRL: 5
IP status: scaling up phase
Picture. Bench-scale plant for air enrichment.