March 2019
- Picture of the Month
March 2019 - Equipment design for the skin of a (bio-)chemical process
The apparatus forms the shell of chemical or physical processes and determines the efficiency and safety of a chemical production plant. Well characterized, robust and scalable apparatuses are important for optimal chemical production and fast, reliable process development from laboratory to production. Based on well-known concepts, we develop miniaturized apparatuses that fit into a fume hood, but offer the full functionality of conventional process steps. In reactors with channels smaller than 3 mm, the so-called microreactors, we can carry out chemical reactions with little consumption but high functionality. With Peltier elements, we measure the heat release of exothermic reactions. In helical tube reactors we can adjust a narrow residence time distribution and influence the selectivity of multiphase chemical reactions. In addition to chemical reactions, separation processes are very important for the efficiency of a chemical process. For example, we have developed the smallest stirred extraction column with an internal diameter of 15 mm, which enables a countercurrent of the two phases through targeted pulsation. A distillation column with rotating internals and an internal diameter of 25 mm allows for continuous separation of mixtures with low flow rates. We can even carry out continuous cooling crystallization in the helical tube. The columns can be interconnected with microreactors and other separation equipment to form a modular overall process with integrated sensors.