Nature-inspired chemical engineering processes

Abstract

Nature is fascinating. It is even more awesome when scru-tinised from a scientific, mechanistic angle across lengthscales, down to the nanoscale, unravelling complex structuresand patterns. Natural systems consist of a dynamic, complexassembly of interacting components and systems, leadingto emergent behaviour, achieving tasks ultimately aiming atsurvival, which, very roughly, translates into sustaining cur-rent activities. Such activities include processing matter andenergy, transporting fluids, changing phase state to obtainproducts of high quality, and communication. The similar-ity is striking with what processes in chemical engineeringare intended for, since they also deal with the processing ofmatter, energy and data...