Angel Irabien

Universidad de Cantabria, Ingenierías Química y Biomolecular, Faculty Member

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Dr Irabien is currently a professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cantabria (Spain), where he teaches Environmental Pollution and Technology, Sustainable Development at a regional level and Chemical Engineering Fundamentals.
Prior to this appointment at UC, Irabien was teaching and doing research at the Pais Vasco University ( Faculty of Sciences, Leioa)
He is interested in sustainable production and consumption based on process intensification, process integration and Life Cycle Assessment.

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Papers by Angel Irabien

Hybrid Solvent ([emim][Ac]+water) To Improve the CO<sub>2</sub> Capture Efficiency in a PVDF Hollow Fiber Contactor

ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, Nov 18, 2016

Reduce carbon dioxide emissions and therefore global warming is one of the great aims of the XXI ... more Reduce carbon dioxide emissions and therefore global warming is one of the great aims of the XXI th century. Post-combustion processes based on ionic liquids and membrane contactors have emerged as a new attractive alternative to traditionally systems in recent years. This route is ideally suitable for conventional power stations and energy conversion systems. In this work, a non-dispersive absorption in a Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) hollow fiber membrane contactor was used as CO2 capture system. The ionic liquid (IL) object of study has been the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [emim][Ac]. This IL has been chosen due to its chemical reaction with CO2. Different amounts of distilled water were added into [emim]Ac] in order to solve the problems associated with the viscosity of the ionic liquid. The presence of water may also facilitate binding of CO2. The purpose of this combined sorbent containing water and an ionic liquid comprising a carboxylate moiety such as acetate, was to achieve competitive efficiencies with traditional processes based on power stations and alkanolamines. Using 30% (vol) water a CO2 capture efficiency of 72.5% and an overall mass transfer coefficient (Koverall) of 9.34•10 -5 m s -1 was accomplished. Simulation results of sensitivity analysis pointed out that only two hollow fiber membrane contactors (total length 0.6m) or a Koverall of 1.70•10 -4 m s -1 were required in order to reach an efficiency of 90%. The addition of water to the ionic liquid leads to use a hybrid solvent in an intensified process.

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Transport of Lignin and Other Lignocellulosic Components Through Supported Ionic Liquid Membranes

Chemical engineering transactions, 2017

Wood can be considered as the main renewable raw material. Until now, the production of cellulose... more Wood can be considered as the main renewable raw material. Until now, the production of cellulose has been the main target of wood transformation. However, the other components, mainly hemicellulose and lignin, must be taken into account for sustainable implementation of bio-refineries. The transition from low to high value added applications, specifically for lignin, requires the development of new separation processes. Supported ionic liquid membranes can be a promising option to separate and purify lignocellulosic components. The extraction from the feed phase to the stripping phase in only one stage allows the compaction of the system, without high energy demand. The main objective of this work was the analysis of the potential of supported ionic liquid membranes for lignin extraction and purification. [BMIM]MeSO4, [EMIM]EtSO4 and CYPHOS 108 were the ionic liquids chosen to impregnate PVDF membranes. The obtained results demonstrated that lignin can be extracted, but the SILMs w...

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Organic Solvent Recovery and Reuse in Pharmaceutical Purification Processes by Nanofiltration Membrane Cascades

Chemical engineering transactions, 2015

The recovery and posterior reuse of organic solvents is a very important aspect to be taken into ... more The recovery and posterior reuse of organic solvents is a very important aspect to be taken into account during the production processes by chemical, petrochemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. Organic solvent nanofiltration is becoming more relevant and appears as a very promising way to carry out solute fractionation, concentration and purification, which can be considered exigent separation operations in organic media. Under optimal design conditions, organic solvent nanofiltration can be also an effective unit process to reduce organic solvent consumption by incorporation of closed-loop solvent recycling systems. Usually, single stage organic solvent nanofiltration processes can only be applied to relatively easy separations, so, most of the times, multiple membrane processes have to be integrated to carry out more complex separations. This research group has previous experience with the design of counter current membrane cascades to purify chemicals and has decided to m...

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$Research paper thumbnail of Water recovery and reuse in the fractionation of protein hydrolysate by ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes$

Water recovery and reuse in the fractionation of protein hydrolysate by ultrafiltration and nanofiltration membranes

Chemical engineering transactions, 2016

The fractionation of a protein hydrolysate obtained from tuna processing by-products by means of ... more The fractionation of a protein hydrolysate obtained from tuna processing by-products by means of a membrane cascade integrating ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes was proposed in order to separate and purify the protein fraction between 1 and 4 kDa, which is the most interesting for nutraceutical purposes. A simulation model, based on mass balances and empirical equations for describing permeate flux and rejection of protein fractions, was developed and complemented with a simple cost estimation model. The product purity (49.3 %) and the process yield (62.6 %) were independent of the total water consumption of the process, but high water consumptions were required to maintain the total protein content of the stream below upper bounds that assured the absence of membrane clogging. The implementation of a water recovery system, based on an additional tight NF stage, implied improvements in both environmental and economic aspects of the process.

$Research paper thumbnail of Optimal design of industrial scale continuous process for fractionation by membrane technologies of protein hydrolysate derived from fish wastes$

Optimal design of industrial scale continuous process for fractionation by membrane technologies of protein hydrolysate derived from fish wastes

Separation and Purification Technology, 2018

-Fractionation process by UF and NF membrane cascades of a fish protein hydrolysate -Basic integr... more -Fractionation process by UF and NF membrane cascades of a fish protein hydrolysate -Basic integrated cascade identified as the most convenient configuration -Freshwater consumption was avoided by implementation of water recovery and reuse system -Product valued above the 95-212 $/m 3 range compensate the costs of the fractionation process

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Comparison of Supported Ionic Liquid Membranes and Polymeric Ultrafiltration and Nanofiltration Membranes for Separation of Lignin and Monosaccharides

Membranes, 2020

Lignin is one of the three main components of lignocellulosic biomass and must be considered a ra... more Lignin is one of the three main components of lignocellulosic biomass and must be considered a raw material with attractive applications from an economic and ecological point of view. Therefore, biorefineries must have in mind the most adequate processing to obtain high-quality lignin and the separation tasks that play a key role to improve the purity of the lignin. Separation techniques based on membranes are a promising way to achieve these requirements. In this work, the separation performance of the SILM (Supported Ionic Liquid Membrane) formed with [BMIM][DBP] as IL (Ionic Liquid) and PTFE as membrane support was compared to a nanofiltration (NF) membrane (NP010 by Microdyn-Nadir) and two ultrafiltration (UF) membranes (UF5 and UF10 by Trisep). The SILM showed selective transport of Kraft lignin, lignosulphonate, xylose, and glucose in aqueous solutions. Although it was stable under different conditions and its performance was improved by the integration of agitation, it was no...

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In Silico Evaluation of Ultrafiltration and Nanofiltration Membrane Cascades for Continuous Fractionation of Protein Hydrolysate from Tuna Processing Byproduct

Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 2016

The present work proposes the design of cascades that integrate ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofilt... more The present work proposes the design of cascades that integrate ultrafiltration (UF) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes to separate the different protein fractions from the protein hydrolysate obtained after hydrolysis of tuna by-products. Experimental data (permeate flux and rejection of proteins fractions under different applied pressures) previously obtained and published by this research group were fitted to empirical models, which were the base for a process simulation model. High recovery rates (0.9) in the UF stages implied high process yields by reduced desired fraction losses, while similar recovery rates in the NF stages were required for high product purity. Nevertheless, the applied pressures were not so influent over the performance of the system. Optimization problems were solved to identify the optimal design and operation conditions to maximize the product purity or the process yield. Maximal purity of the preferred 1-4 kDa fraction (49.3% from 19.0% in feed stream) obtained by the configuration with 3 UF stages and other 3 NF stages implied 2 and 5 bar pressures applied in the UF and NF stages respectively, while 0.9 was the optimal recovery rate value for all the stages. These maximal purity conditions resulted in 62.6% process yield, defined as the percentage of the 1-4 kDa fraction in the feed stream recovered in the product stream. Besides, multi-objective optimization of the process was also carried out to obtain the Pareto graphs that represent the counterbalance between maximal yields and purities.

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Hydrogen peroxide obtained via direct synthesis as alternative raw material for ultrapurification process to produce electronic grade chemical

Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology, 2015

The catalytic direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide is a highly interesting alternative process t... more The catalytic direct synthesis of hydrogen peroxide is a highly interesting alternative process to avoid the current anthraquinone route because implies significant sustainability improvements. Among all the peroxide applications, its use as electronic chemical requires very low metallic content. The employment of direct synthesis peroxide as raw material for ultrapurification process has not been investigated before, so its viability is still pending of evaluation.

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Carbon dioxide capture by [emim][Ac] ionic liquid in a polysulfone hollow fiber membrane contactor

International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control, Sep 1, 2016

CO2 emissions have to be controlled and reduced in order to avoid greenhouse effect. This work re... more CO2 emissions have to be controlled and reduced in order to avoid greenhouse effect. This work reports an analysis of the efficiency of CO2 separation using a hollow fiber membrane contactor and an ionic liquid. This process configuration contributes to the process intensification approach in the field of CO2 capture and storage. In this study, the ionic liquid 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate, [emim][Ac], was used as absorbent due to its high solubility. The module selected was polysulfone (Ps) because it is a well characterized polymer that allows to operate at moderate temperatures. Results were compared to previous studies with a polypropylene module. The gas stream flowed through the inside of the hollow fibers. The CO2 removal efficiency was obtained from experimental data, showing a temperature dependence: from 30 to 45.0 %, corresponding to 291 K and 348 K respectively, when the Ps contactor was used. The overall mass transfer coefficient Koverall has also been evaluated. In addition, a numerical analysis was carried out to study the performance of the membrane contactor for the CO2 capture in order to estimate the process conditions to accomplish 90% CO2 capture as a target to be competitive with the conventional absorption process.

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Modeling and Optimization in Solvent Extraction and Liquid Membrane Processes

CRC Press eBooks, Apr 7, 2008

Statistical modeling of electrodes manufacture for CO2 electroreduction to value-added products

Computer-aided chemical engineering, 2023

Environmental risks of magnetic ionic liquids: Ecotoxicity (EC50, Vibrio fischeri)

The interest in ionic liquids has increased widely in the last years in order to achieve better e... more The interest in ionic liquids has increased widely in the last years in order to achieve better environmental management of processes and products. They are compounds composed entirely of ions and are fluid below 100oC due to the asymmetry of at least one of the ions. Some interesting properties of these compounds, such as their negligible vapour pressure, high thermal stability and attractive properties as solvents make them be considered as new useful solvents in the chemical industry. Many challenges have to be faced since there are a wide lack of data on several properties and their possible impact to aquatic environment and human health; but in spite of the early stage of development of these compounds, some industrial applications have been already developed since the BASILTM process was performed by BASF in 2002. Another family of ionic liquids is recently in the spotlight due to their switchable properties in presence of a magnetic field. These magnetic ionic liquids (MILs) are new ionic liquids with anions containing transition metal ions, such as Fe, Mn and Co. However, even though as other common ionic liquids MILs are not a threat for the atmosphere since their non-volatile character, their solubility in water could lead to environmental problems and it may be also a concern issue for real applications. It is essential to study the risks associated to their use in order to achieve sustainable production and consumption patterns. In this work, the ecotoxicity of some MILs in the bioluminescent bacteria (EC50, Vibrio fischeri) is measured and it is compared to that obtained for common ionic liquids. In addition, a QSAR (Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship) based on a group contribution method is applied to describe the influence of the molecular structure of common ILs and MILs on ecotoxicity.

Decarbonization of Power and Industrial Sectors: The Role of Membrane Processes

Membranes

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the single largest contributor to climate change due to its increased emi... more Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the single largest contributor to climate change due to its increased emissions since global industrialization began. Carbon Capture, Storage, and Utilization (CCSU) is regarded as a promising strategy to mitigate climate change, reducing the atmospheric concentration of CO2 from power and industrial activities. Post-combustion carbon capture (PCC) is necessary to implement CCSU into existing facilities without changing the combustion block. In this study, the recent research on various PCC technologies is discussed, along with the membrane technology for PCC, emphasizing the different types of membranes and their gas separation performances. Additionally, an overall comparison of membrane separation technology with respect to other PCC methods is implemented based on six different key parameters—CO2 purity and recovery, technological maturity, scalability, environmental concerns, and capital and operational expenditures. In general, membrane separation is fo...

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CO2 electroreduction to formate: Continuous single-pass operation in a filter-press reactor at high current densities using Bi gas diffusion electrodes

Journal of CO2 Utilization, 2019

Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 has been taken into consideration as a fascinating option to st... more Electrocatalytic reduction of CO2 has been taken into consideration as a fascinating option to store energy from intermittent renewable sources in the form of chemical value-added products. Among the different value-added products, formic acid or formate is particularly attractive since it can be used as a fuel for low-temperature fuel-cells and as a renewable hydrogen carrier. Very recently, a rapidly increasing number of studies have revealed Bi as a promising electrocatalytic material for the CO2 electroreduction to formate, but the performance of Bi electrodes operating in a continuous mode and high current density (j) has been hardly investigated yet. Thus, this work aims at studying the CO2 electroreduction to formate working in a continuous mode in a filter-press-reactor at a j up to 300 mA•cm-2 using Bi electrodes. Bismuth Gas Diffusion Electrodes (Bi-GDEs) were fabricated from carbon-supported Bismuth-nanoparticles. The influence of j and the electrolyte flow/area ratio in the performance of the Bi-GDEs towards formate were

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Catalyst coated membrane electrodes for the gas phase CO2 electroreduction to formate

Catalysis Today, 2018

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Sn nanoparticles on gas diffusion electrodes: Synthesis, characterization and use for continuous CO 2 electroreduction to formate

Journal of CO2 Utilization, 2017

Electrochemical reduction of CO2 has been pointed out as an interesting strategy to convert CO2 i... more Electrochemical reduction of CO2 has been pointed out as an interesting strategy to convert CO2 into useful chemicals. In addition, coupling CO2 electroreduction with renewable energies would allow storing electricity from intermittent renewable sources such as wind or solar power. In this work, an easy and fast method is adapted for the synthesis of pure and carbon supported Sn nanoparticles. The resulting nanoparticles have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy and their electrocatalytic properties towards CO2 reduction evaluated by cyclic voltammetry. Carbon supported Sn nanoparticles have been subsequently used to prepare Gas Diffusion Electrodes (Sn/C-GDEs). The electrodes have been characterized by scanning electron microscopy and also by cyclic voltammetry. 2 Finally, the electrodes were tested on a continuous and single pass CO2 electroreduction filter-press type cell system in aqueous solution, to obtain formate at ambient pressure and temperature. These Sn/C-GDEs allow working at high current densities with low catholyte flow. Thus, for instance, at 150 mA cm-2 , a 70 % Faradaic Efficiency (FE) was obtained with a formate concentration of 2.5 g L-1. Interestingly, by increasing the current density to 200 mA cm-2 and decreasing the flow rate, a concentration over 16 g L-1 was reached. Despite the high concentrations obtained, further research is still required to keep high FE operating at high current densities.

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ChemInform Abstract: Magnetic Ionic Liquids: Synthesis, Properties and Applications

ChemInform, Nov 20, 2014

A machine-learning predictive model for the optimal fabrication of Bi-based GDEs for CO2 electroreduction

Continuous electroconversion of CO2 into formate using 2 nm tin oxide nanoparticles

Applied Catalysis B-environmental, Nov 1, 2021

Abstract Tin oxide nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) as electrocatalyst for the production of formate from... more Abstract Tin oxide nanoparticles (SnO2 NPs) as electrocatalyst for the production of formate from CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR). We synthesize, characterize and evaluate high surface area SnO2 NPs (2.4 nm and 299 m2 g−1 in diameter size and surface area, respectively), for the continuous production of formate at high current density within a flow electrolyzer. SnO2 NPs under Ar and CO2 reduction conditions were studied by cyclic voltammetry. SnO2-based gas diffusion electrodes (SnO2-GDEs) were manufactured to perform continuous CO2RR. A maximum formate concentration value of 27 g L−1 was achieved with a Faradaic efficiency (FE) of 44.9 % at 300 mA cm-2, which was significantly stable and reproducible when operated up to 10 h. Nevertheless, ohmic drop contribution due to the semiconducting properties of SnO2 was not negligible. The low total FE (

CO2 capture with room temperature ionic liquids; coupled absorption/desorption and single module absorption in membrane contactor

Chemical Engineering Science, Sep 1, 2020

A membrane gas CO2 capture setup, based on the concept of single module absorption and single cyc... more A membrane gas CO2 capture setup, based on the concept of single module absorption and single cycle coupled absorption/desorption, was developed in this work. Ionic liquids (ILs) 1-ethyl-3methylimidazolium methylsulfate ([emim][MS]) and 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide ([emim][DCA]) were used as absorbents. The CO2 absorption rate decreased initially and reached to a nearly constant value achieving pseudo steady state. Coupled absorption/desorption revealed very high performance by retaining 82% and 66% absorption efficiency, for [emim][MS] and [emim][DCA], respectively, even after 70 minutes of operation. Mass transfer coefficients of the coupled absorption/desorption at pseudo steady state were 9 and 5 folds higher than single module absorption, for [emim][MS] and [emim][DCA], respectively. Parametric analysis for the membrane absorber outlet concentration and optimization of the parameters to achieve zero concentration at the membrane stripper outlet were studied in simulations. As a conclusion, coupled absorption/desorption in combination with ILs, can be considered very suitable for continuous postcombustion carbon capture.

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