Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i. is one of the six institutes belonging to the CAS chemical sciences section and is a research centre in a variety of fields such as

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

catalysis Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

and

environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

. Its research topics include multiphase reaction systems for the design of

chemical synthesis As a topic of chemistry, chemical synthesis (or combination) is the artificial execution of chemical reactions to obtain one or several products. This occurs by physical and chemical manipulations usually involving one or more reactions. In moder ...

chemical process In a scientific sense, a chemical process is a method or means of somehow changing one or more chemicals or chemical compounds. Such a chemical process can occur by itself or be caused by an outside force, and involves a chemical reaction of some ...

es and new materials development, energetics and protection of environment. Its national and international reputation is ascertained by its participation in EU financed research projects, such as
EUCAARI
o
MULTIPRO
Th

project was evaluated to belong to 20 best projects of the 6th Frame Programme.

History

The institute was founded at the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in 1960 and, from its beginning, was intended to be a multidisciplinary research institution. Its founder and first director, Professor Vladimír Bažant, was a chemical technologist with a broad perspective who valued modern concepts without which development of new processes would not be possible. This led him to invite Professor George L. Standart, a chemical engineer and a US native, who paved the way for the development of chemical engineering in the former Czechoslovakia in the 1950s and 60s. Chemical engineering research could not be done without a solid base in physical chemistry. This field of research was brought into the institute by the arrival in 1964 of Professor Eduard Hála and his team of physical chemists to the newly built site in the Prague suburban area of Suchdol-Lysolaje. Gradually new branches of chemical engineering and chemical technology research were being developed such as reaction engineering,

homogeneous catalysis In chemistry, homogeneous catalysis is catalysis by a soluble catalyst in a solution. Homogeneous catalysis refers to reactions where the catalyst is in the same phase as the reactants, principally in solution. In contrast, heterogeneous catalysis ...

, studies of

Non-Newtonian fluid A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid that does not follow Newton's law of viscosity, i.e., constant viscosity independent of stress. In non-Newtonian fluids, viscosity can change when under force to either more liquid or more solid. Ketchup, for exa ...

s, sublimation,

separation process A separation process is a method that converts a mixture or a solution of chemical substances into two or more distinct product mixtures, a scientific process of separating two or more substance in order to obtain purity. At least one product mi ...

es, dynamics and control of chemical systems etc. Most of these new topics were introduced as necessary support to a large and long-term project of development of a complete production technology of terephthalic acid a

polyesters Polyester is a category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in every repeat unit of their main chain. As a specific material, it most commonly refers to a type called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Polyesters include natural ...

. In 1989 several restructurings had been carried out that lead to a gradual decrease of staff by 50%. The research was rationalized into today's institute's structure.

Present

The institute of chemical process fundamentals research activities currently include the

theory of chemical processes A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...

especially in

chemical engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

physical chemistry Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mecha ...

chemical technology Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

and

environmental engineering Environmental engineering is a professional engineering discipline that encompasses broad scientific topics like chemistry, biology, ecology, geology, hydraulics, hydrology, microbiology, and mathematics to create solutions that will protect and a ...

Main research activities

* molecular

theory A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be s ...

and computer

simulations A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the s ...

of fluid systems *

thermodynamics Thermodynamics is a branch of physics that deals with heat, work, and temperature, and their relation to energy, entropy, and the physical properties of matter and radiation. The behavior of these quantities is governed by the four laws of the ...

of fluid systems,

PVT behaviour PVT may refer to: Medicine * Paraventricular nucleus of thalamus, a portion of the thalamus * Portal vein thrombosis, a liver disease involving blood clots * Psychomotor vigilance task, a sustained-attention, reaction-timed task that measures the ...

of pure compounds and mixtures and

phase equilibrium In thermodynamics, the phase rule is a general principle governing "pVT" systems, whose thermodynamic states are completely described by the variables pressure (), volume () and temperature (), in thermodynamic equilibrium. If is the number of ...

* research and development of

microreactor A microreactor or microstructured reactor or microchannel reactor is a device in which chemical reactions take place in a confinement with typical lateral dimensions below 1 mm; the most typical form of such confinement are microchannels.''R ...

s * fundamentals of processes using supercritical fluids * advanced catalytical processes,

morphology Morphology, from the Greek and meaning "study of shape", may refer to: Disciplines * Morphology (archaeology), study of the shapes or forms of artifacts * Morphology (astronomy), study of the shape of astronomical objects such as nebulae, galaxies ...

, and properties of

catalyst Catalysis () is the process of increasing the rate of a chemical reaction by adding a substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed in the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recyc ...

s, preparation of catalysts * study and preparation of

nanomaterial * Nanomaterials describe, in principle, materials of which a single unit is sized (in at least one dimension) between 1 and 100 nm (the usual definition of nanoscale). Nanomaterials research takes a materials science-based approach to nan ...

s and

nanofiber Nanofibers are fibers with diameters in the nanometer range (typically, between 1 nm and 1 μm). Nanofibers can be generated from different polymers and hence have different physical properties and application potentials. Examples of natural polyme ...

s *

texture Texture may refer to: Science and technology * Surface texture, the texture means smoothness, roughness, or bumpiness of the surface of an object * Texture (roads), road surface characteristics with waves shorter than road roughness * Texture (c ...

of porous substances and

transport phenomena In engineering, physics, and chemistry, the study of transport phenomena concerns the exchange of mass, energy, charge, momentum and angular momentum between observed and studied systems. While it draws from fields as diverse as continuum mechan ...

in porous substances *

membrane separation Membrane technology encompasses the scientific processes used in the construction and application of membranes. Membranes are used to facilitate the transport or rejection of substances between mediums, and the mechanical separation of gas and li ...

pervaporation Pervaporation (or pervaporative separation) is a processing method for the separation of mixtures of liquids by partial vaporization through a non-porous or porous membrane. Theory The term ''pervaporation'' is a portmanteau of the two steps of the ...

permeation In physics and engineering, permeation (also called imbuing) is the penetration of a permeate (a fluid such as a liquid, gas, or vapor) through a solid. It is directly related to the concentration gradient of the permeate, a material's intrinsic ...

* study and application of

biocatalyst Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

bioremediation Bioremediation broadly refers to any process wherein a biological system (typically bacteria, microalgae, fungi, and plants), living or dead, is employed for removing environmental pollutants from air, water, soil, flue gasses, industrial effluent ...

* structure, reactivity and catalytic activity of

organometallic complex Organometallic chemistry is the study of organometallic compounds, chemical compounds containing at least one chemical bond between a carbon atom of an organic molecule and a metal, including alkali, alkaline earth, and transition metals, and s ...

es *

NMR spectroscopy Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, most commonly known as NMR spectroscopy or magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), is a spectroscopic technique to observe local magnetic fields around atomic nuclei. The sample is placed in a magnetic fiel ...

fluidized bed A fluidized bed is a physical phenomenon that occurs when a solid particulate substance (usually present in a holding vessel) is under the right conditions so that it behaves like a fluid. The usual way to achieve a fluidize bed is to pump pressur ...

combustion Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combusti ...

and

gasification Gasification is a process that converts biomass- or fossil fuel-based carbonaceous materials into gases, including as the largest fractions: nitrogen (N2), carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H2), and carbon dioxide (). This is achieved by reacting ...

* photochemical reactions in

microwave Microwave is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths ranging from about one meter to one millimeter corresponding to frequencies between 300 MHz and 300 GHz respectively. Different sources define different frequency ran ...

field Field may refer to: Expanses of open ground * Field (agriculture), an area of land used for agricultural purposes * Airfield, an aerodrome that lacks the infrastructure of an airport * Battlefield * Lawn, an area of mowed grass * Meadow, a grass ...

and microwave

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

fluid dynamics In physics and engineering, fluid dynamics is a subdiscipline of fluid mechanics that describes the flow of fluids— liquids and gases. It has several subdisciplines, including ''aerodynamics'' (the study of air and other gases in motion) an ...

and

in multiphase systems * rheologic properties of microdispersions and liquids *

aerosol An aerosol is a suspension (chemistry), suspension of fine solid particles or liquid Drop (liquid), droplets in air or another gas. Aerosols can be natural or Human impact on the environment, anthropogenic. Examples of natural aerosols are fog o ...

chemistry and physics *

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The fir ...

-induced chemical reactions and aerosol processes for preparation of new compounds and composites

Organization structure

Management

*Director: Ing. Michal Šyc, Ph.D. *Chairman of Institute Board: Dr. Ing. Vladimír Ždímal *Scientific Secretary: Ing. Vladimír Církva, Dr.

Research departments

#Department of Membrane Separation Processes - Head: Ing. Pavel Izák, Ph.D., DSc. #Department of Aerosols Chemistry and Physics - Head: Dr. Ing. Vladimír Ždímal #Department of Catalysis and Reaction Engineering - Head: Ing. Olga Šolcová, CSc. #Department of Multiphase Reactors - Head: Doc. Ing. Marek Růžička, CSc. #Department of Analytical Chemistry - Head: Ing. Jan Sýkora, Ph.D. #Department of Environmental Engineering - Head: Ing. Michal Šyc, Ph.D. #Department of Molecular and Mesoscopic Modelling - Head: prof. Ing. Lísal Martin, DSc. #Department of Laser Chemistry - Head: RNDr. Radek Fajgar, CSc. #Department of Advanced Materials and Organic Synthesis - Head: Ing. Jan Storch, Ph.D. #Department of Bioorganic Compounds and Nanocomposites - Head: Ing. Tomáš Strašák, Ph.D.

Supervisory board

*Prof. Ing. Vladimír Mareček, DrSc. - chairman

Institute board

*Dr. Ing. Vladimír Ždímal – chairman

Postgraduate studies

Postgraduate studies are accredited by the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports of the Czech Republic for mutual programmes of ICPF and all the faculties of ICT Prague and other faculties of Czech universities in the following fields: *Chemical engineering *Physical chemistry *Organic technology *Organic chemistry *Inorganic chemistry *Biotechnology *Chemistry and technology of environmental protection

Research projects

ICPF research teams are currently working on dozens of interesting basic and applied scientific projects financed both from national and foreign resources. Selected topics in the following list show the broadness and multi-disciplinarity of the research carried out in the institute's laboratories: * F3 Factory - Flexible, fast and future production processes * Study of polymeric membrane swelling and make use of this effect for increasing its permeability * Separation of

volatile organic compounds Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapour pressure at room temperature Colloquially, "room temperature" is a range of air temperatures that most people prefer for indoor settings. It feels comfortable to a ...

from air * Optimization of supercritical fluid extraction for maximal yield of biologically active substances from plants * Determination of the phase and state behaviour of fluids and fluid mixtures for process-es at superambient conditions: molecular-based theory and experiment * Computer modelling of structural, dynamical and transport properties of fluids in nanospace * Preparation of hierarchic nanomaterials * HUGE2 - Hydrogen Oriented Underground Coal Gasification for Europe - Environmental and Safety Aspects * Special catalytic processes and materials * Modern theoretical methods for the analysis of chemical bonding * Supported oxidic catalysts containing low amount of active species as catalysts for N2O decomposition * Reactive chemical barriers for decontamination of heavily polluted waters * Removing endocrine disruptors from wastewaters and drinking water using photocatalytic and biological processes * Transport and reaction processes in complex multiphase systems * Determination of the coalescence efficiency of bubbles in liquids * Wall effect in flowing microdisperse liquids: apparent slip and electrokinetical potential * Novel inorganic-organic hybrid nanomaterials * Releasing hydrogen on formation of chemical bonds catalysed by titanium complexes * Whole-cell optical sensors * Preparation of helicene-based chiral stationary phases for HPLC * FLEXGAS - Near zero advanced fluidised bed gasification * Advanced methods of fluid and burner coal and biomass co-gasification * Waste as raw material and energy source * Development and validation of thermal desorption technology using microwave radiation * EUSAAR - European Supersites for Atmospheric Aerosol Research * Influence of surface processes and electromagnetic radiation on transfer phenomena in aerosol systems with nanoparticles and porous bodies with nanopores * Development and application of new experimental methods to measure heterogeneous particles in superheated steam * Preparation of Ti/O/Si based photocatalysts by laser induced CVD and sol-gel technique

External links

ICPF Homepage
{{authority control Research institutes in the Czech Republic Czech Academy of Sciences 1960 establishments in Czechoslovakia Research institutes established in 1960 Chemical research institutes