Fine industrial microreactor process

Industrial Microreactor Process Development for Fine and Functional Chemistry... 

Thus, microreactor technology, by allowing continuous processes, touches at the heart of fine chemical manufacturing processes, namely it reduces the amount of labor required to run a process. It reduces the amount of labor because it reduces the number of unit operations (or procedures) accomplished by workers. Those operations are performed in situ through an automated system and an appropriate microreactor setup (toolbox concept). The relation between continuous operations and labor is well established in other industries such as the petroleum industry, leading to highly automated and efficient processes. 

W-Methyl-A/ -nitroso-p-toluenesulfonamide (MNTS) is an important precursor for the production of diazomethane. Diazomethane is then further converted to a range of useful molecules in the pharmaceutical and fine chemical industry [69]. Production of MNTS is a highly exothermic process and includes the presence of the extremely toxic materials. Stark et al. [70] have explored the application of microreactor technology for the production of this industrially valuable material, assuming that due to the efficient heat exchange and the closed system, microflow conditions provide a safer environment for these hazards. 

Roberge DM, Zimmermann B, Rainone F et al (2008) Microreactor technology and continuous processes in the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industry is the revolution underway Org Process Res Dev 12(5) 905-910 www.syrris.com/. Accessed 14 Sept 2009... 

Figure 5.13 A schematic representation with typical process steps in the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries and recommendation when to use microreactor technology or continuous processes based on a multipurpose approach (by courtesy of PharmaChem/B5Srl) [44].

Most industrial processes using the interaction of fluids to obtain chemical changes can be classified into one, or sometimes more of the preceding five liquid reactor types. Variations on these themes are used for gas-gas, gas-liquid, or gas-solid reactions, but these variations parallel many of the processing ideas used for liquid-liquid reactors [20]. A new continuous, spinning disk reactor concept has recently attracted interest for some intrinsically fast organic reactions and for possible application in crystallizations [21]. Modular microreactors have also become of interest to fine chemicals producers and pharmaceutical companies for their faster reactions, ease of scale-up, and low cost [22]. 

Many microreactors are at the research level but a few are already commercially available. Microwave-assisted flow processing in microreactors (MAFP) [93] or radiofrequency-heated flow reactors [94,95] are promising alternatives for conventionally heated, multistep production of fine chemicals in batch reactors. Realization of MAFP at an industrial scale requires a proper design of multitubular reactors integrated with microwave heating [96]. 

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