Chemical micro processing

Hessel, V., Hardt, S., and Lowe, H. (2004) Chemical Micro Process Engineering Fundamentals, Modeling, and Reactions, Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH. 

Dream reactions can be performed using chemical micro process engineering, e.g., via direct routes from hazardous elements [18]. The direct fluorination starting from elemental fluorine was performed both on aromatics and aliphatics, avoiding the circuitous Anthraquinone process. While the direct fluorination needs hours in a laboratory bubble column, it is completed within seconds or even milliseconds when using a miniature bubble column. Conversions with the volatile and explosive diazomethane, commonly used for methylation, have been conducted safely as well with micro-reactors in a continuous mode. 

V. Hessel, S. Hardt and H. Lowe Chemical Micro Process Engineering - Fundamentals, Modelling and Reactions, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim (2004). 

I 7 A Multi-faceted, Hierarchic Analysis cf Chemical Micro Process Technology... 

A micro reactor according to the logic given here uses the fundaments to permit impacts on several entities, all related to chemical micro processing. Further, the new way of processing has impacts on mankind and environment. These various kinds of impacts provide altogether a third level, i.e. a third group of entities. Some of the impacts are in a consecutive relationship, some are in a parallel position. The nature of these fundaments is disclosed in Section 1.2. 

Micro-reactor and Chemical-micro-processing Differentiation... 

Many authors regard chemical micro engineering as a separate, novel discipline (see, e.g., [5]), the term micro-reactor engineering being used already in an early citation [6], What is essentially different about micro reactors, i.e. what differentiates micro-reactor and chemical-micro-processing ... 

Micro-reaction technology can be one of the tools that process intensification may use [5]. Hence chemical micro processing and process intensification have a share, where the former supplies devices for the latter concept or purpose. However, both chemical micro processing and process intensification also cover imique aspects that the other field does not comprise. 

Strictly, chemical micro processing, in addition to being a device field based on micro channels, is a means to use micro flows, which is oriented not at one, but rather at a multitude of purposes. Process intensification, also strictly, is a concept (but specifying no concrete means) and apparatus for a specific purpose (see above). 

Hence chemical micro processing may also be applied for purposes other than PI, e.g. screening, which is not related to production and, accordingly, does not fall into the category of process intensification (see the definition given above). 

Needless to say, all conclusions drawn in Sections 1.1.1-1.1.7 are ideal-case considerations of an abstract nature aimed at showing the maximum potential of chemical micro processing, and the ideas behind. In reality, a performance less than ideal (but often better than conventional) may be found, at least initially, e.g. for reasons of imperfect exhibition of flow patterns or due to limits of micro flow compared with existing technology. This reality description is given in Chapters 3-5. 

Other Concepts Related to or Relevant for Chemical-Micro Processing... 

An analysis and specification of the entities and their relation gives a multi-faceted knowledge on chemical micro processing, the content of this chapter. 

---