Willkommen am IMVT
Das Institut für Mikroverfahrenstechnik (IMVT) wurde im Juli 2001 gegründet, um neuartige Mikrostrukturen für eine technologische Erneuerung der Verfahrenstechnik nutzbar zu machen. Vorausgegangen waren bahnbrechende Untersuchungen zur Fertigung metallischer Mikrostrukturapparate und deren Einsatz für verfahrenstechnische Anwendungen in der damaligen Hauptabteilung Versuchstechnik und zuvor am Institut für Kernverfahrenstechnik des Forschungszentrums Karlsruhe unter Leitung von Dr. Klaus Schubert seit Ende der 80er Jahre.
Heute ist das IMVT eine der weltweit führenden akademischen Forschungseinrichtungen auf dem Gebiet der Mikroverfahrenstechnik. Ein internationales Team von über 60 Mitarbeiterinnen und Mitarbeitern aus verschiedenen Fachrichtungen befasst sich mit der Konstruktion und Fertigung von Mikrostrukturapparaten, mit Grundlagenuntersuchungen zu Transportvorgängen und chemischen Reaktionen in Mikrostrukturen und mit dem Einsatz von Prototypen in ausgewählten thermischen und chemischen Prozessen. Zusätzlich zu den grundfinanzierten Forschungsvorhaben im Rahmen der Helmholtz-Programme werden Drittmittel-Projekte in Kooperation mit der Industrie sowie mit akademischen Forschungseinrichtungen aus dem In- und Ausland durchgeführt.
IMVT well represented at IMRET 2018 in Karlsruhe
Marcel Loewert on IMRET 2018 presenting his work on dynamically operated micro structured Fischer-Tropsch reactors.
This year’s International Conference on Micro Reaction Technology (IMRET) took place from the 21st to 24th of October in the heart of Karlsruhe. For four days 263 participants from 23 countries on 5 continents intensively interchanged recent ideas and developments in the field of micro reaction technology. Over 80 presentations and more than 100 posters covered almost all areas from micro fabrication, to process analytics and sensors, reactions in flow and kinetics, phase separations and finally scale up and industrial applications. Particular interest and vivid discussions evoked the presentations of the numerous industry representatives (30 % of all participants). Companies entering the international market as small start-ups only a few years ago, like for instance IMVT’s spinoff INERATEC GmbH reported from their impressive technologies and progresses in implementing them in considerable scale. But also, the well-known global players like BASF, Evonik and Siemens were present on this year’s IMRET. For instance, Christoph Kiener from Siemens reported from exciting developments in the field of design and additive manufacturing of highly complex metal structures for high temperature applications and accelerated maintenance / supply of spare parts.
IMVT’s employees were present with numerous interesting contributions. Besides five lectures, various posters on current research topics and an exhibition stand representing IMVT’s unique know-how in micro fabrication were part of the conference programme. The high quality of IMVT’s contributions was acknowledged with a poster award for W. Benzinger and his co-authors for their poster “Tailored 3D Printed Fluid Guiding Elements for Process Intensification”.
Not only the perfectly organized lectures and poster sessions but also the delightful conference dinner, organized by the local organizing committee and DECHEMA, the pre-conference workshop on the 21st of October at IMVT and the concluding excursions to BASF in Ludwigshafen, IMM in Mainz and IMVT in Karlsruhe were very well received by the participants.
Concluding, IMRET 2018 was a great success. Hopefully the outcome of the conference will lead to even more fruitful cooperation between research groups all over the world, new approaches in research and development and last but not least many enriching friendships in the field of micro reaction technology.
