BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions, known as BASF ECMS, will implement CurieOS, the AI-powered materials discovery platform developed by Orbital Industries the tool will be used in research projects focused on catalysts for automotive emissions systems.
The agreement will allow BASF ECMS scientific teams to evaluate candidates through simulations before beginning their synthesis and validation in the laboratory. With this approach, the company aims to reduce the time spent on unpromising formulations and concentrate its resources on materials with greater technical potential.
CurieOS brings artificial intelligence to the materials lab
CurieOS functions as a research platform capable of receiving multi-step, goal-oriented instructions, the system consults scientific literature, analyzes experimental data, and runs simulations to propose working hypotheses.
The platform also integrates Orb, an AI-accelerated simulation model that predicts the properties of materials that have not yet been physically produced. This capability allows for early computational evaluation and comparison of different candidates before moving on to laboratory testing.
Orbital Industries presents this technology as a virtual laboratory for the industrial development of materials. According to the company, the system can convert simulation processes that previously took weeks into much shorter calculations.
BASF ECMS seeks to reduce research cycles
Traditional materials discovery requires synthesizing, characterizing, and testing each formulation; depending on the complexity of the project, a research campaign can last for years.
Therefore, the addition of CurieOS aims to reduce the number of experiments needed during the early stages of development. The platform helps to identify relevant candidates by data analysis and atomistic modeling before using equipment, raw materials, and laboratory hours.
This process can improve R&D efficiency in areas where small variations in a material’s composition affect its behavior, durability, and catalytic capacity.
Orb simulates systems of up to 100,000 atoms
One of Orbital Industries’ main technical arguments is the simulation scale of Orb, the company claims that the model can work with systems of up to 100,000 atoms in a single graphics processing unit.
The company also claims that the model operates ten times faster than alternatives developed by Microsoft and Meta. This data comes from Orbital Industries and was reproduced by the analyzed websites. Complete details of the comparison methodology were not provided in the files.
Scale is especially relevant for catalysis, where reactions depend on complex surfaces and interactions that are difficult to represent using simplified models. A larger simulation can provide more useful information about a material’s behavior under conditions close to its industrial application.
Catalysis poses a demanding challenge for simulation
James Gin-Pollock, Chief Technology Officer of Orbital Industries, noted that catalysis requires analyzing complex surfaces, large systems, and subtle interactions. In his view, Orb allows working at a scale that was previously beyond the reach of many research approaches.
Jonathan Godwin, CEO of Orbital Industries, explained that one of the biggest challenges in materials discovery is determining where to look. CurieOS allows for exploring ideas through computation before dedicating resources to their fabrication and testing.
The platform had already been used by Orbital Industries in the development of a PFAS-free coolant for its Orbital IT division. The agreement with BASF ECMS now expands its application to the automotive industry and research into emissions control systems.
The regulation promotes new automotive catalysts
The adoption of CurieOS comes as vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers face stricter emissions regulations. They must also respond to changes in propulsion systems, the use of alternative fuels, and constant pressure on costs.
Saeed Alerasool, senior vice president and chief technology officer of BASF ECMS, indicated that the company is evaluating new approaches to accelerate development and improve the efficiency of its research and application activities.
In this way, BASF ECMS will use the artificial intelligence as support for their scientists and not as a substitute for physical testing. The computational results will serve to prioritize materials before moving on to synthesis, characterization, and experimental validation.
The implementation also demonstrates how industrial AI is beginning to be integrated into chemical activities that rely on precise models and lengthy laboratory cycles. For BASF ECMS, the immediate application will focus on catalysts capable of responding to manufacturers’ evolving needs and the new demands of the automotive market.
Source: Hydrocarbon Processing
Photo: Shutterstock
