Project to Develop Ceramic Hot-Gas Ventilators Launched
On February 9, 2026, partners of the research project “CMCVent - Hot-Gas Ventilators Made of Oxide CMC for CO2 Reduction in Thermal Processes in the Ceramics Industry” gathered on the premises of the brick manufacturer August Lücking GmbH & Co. KG in Bonenburg (Germany), for their kick-off meeting. According to a post on LinkedIn, the project consortium, together with the project management organization Projektträger Jülich (PtJ), agreed on the objectives, work packages, and next steps, thereby giving the green light for the coming months.
The project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy under grant number 03EN2140 A – H, runs until October 31, 2028, and aims to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the thermal processes of the ceramics industry.
According to the project profile from the coordinating body, GWI Essen, hot-gas fan wheels made of fiber-reinforced oxide ceramics / oxide ceramic matrix composites (O-CMC) are to be developed to achieve this goal. These impellers can operate at temperatures up to 1,100 °C and enable a significantly more efficient air circulation in ceramic thermal processes.
This is expected to significantly reduce burner usage, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions, particularly in tunnel and batch kilns. The ceramic fans are to be resistant to corrosion and thermal shock, can be operated at higher temperatures and offer longer service life compared to metallic ventilators/impellers. The project aims to develop the design, manufacturing techniques, and testing of the fans through to industrial application. The results will form the basis for use in other high-temperature industries and make an important contribution to industrial decarbonization.
Project Partners and sub projects
Rauschert Heinersdorf-Pressig GmbH with sub project: Development of a manufacturing technique for oxide fiber preforms for ceramic fan wheels
Alumina Systems GmbH with sub project: Simulation and production of metal-ceramic brazed composites for oxide ceramic fan wheels
Pollrich GmbH with sub project: Layout and design of a hot gas fan made of an oxide ceramic composite material
Keratek GmbH with sub project: System adaptation and installation of an oxide ceramic hot gas fan in a circulation system for a tunnel kiln
August Lücking GmbH & Co. KG, as an associated partner to demonstrate functionality in an industrial tunnel kiln in the ceramics industry
Fraunhofer Center for High-Temperature Lightweight Construction HTL, with sub project: Development of a joining technique for oxide ceramic fan wheels in a differential design based on fiber preforms
Gas- und Wärme-Institut Essen e. V., with sub project: Numerical flow simulation to optimize internal circulation in industrial kilns when using oxide ceramic hot gas fans
Institut für Ziegelforschung Essen e.V., with sub project: Investigation of oxide ceramic hot gas fans in a test kiln under various operating conditions
Project objectives
Significant CO2 reduction in the energy-intensive ceramics industry
Reduction of the natural gas share from currently ~90 percent to 0 percent through H2 operation or full electrification
Energy savings of up to 20 percent by integrated atmosphere circulation
Optimized heat utilization in continuous tunnel kilns
Essential improvement of atmosphere circulation up to 1,100 °C
Development of innovative hot gas fans (HGL) made of oxide CMC (O-CMC) for extreme temperature and atmospheric conditions.
