High process intensification

Cheng, A.T.Y. (1997) A high-intensity gas-liquid tubular reactor under supersonic two phase flow conditions, in Process Intensification in... 

Trent, D. (2004) Chemical processing in high-gravity fields, in Re-Engineering the Chemical Processing Plant Process Intensification (eds A. Stankiewicz and J.A. Moulijn), Marcel Dekker Inc., New York, pp. 33-67. 

As examples of micro-channel process intensification and the respective equipment, in particular gas/liquid micro reactors and their application to toluene and various other fluorinations and also to carbon dioxide absorption can be mentioned [5]. Generally, reactions may be amenable to process intensification, when performed via high-temperature, high-pressure, and high-concentration routes and also when using aggressive reactants [5]. 

Globalization creates a need to source complex products with a high degree of consistency across the world [291], This, in turn, demands a well-defined and transferable process technology. A massive, local customization requires product availability in great variety close to the customer, demanding process intensification, modular operations, transportable plant, and fast response and product changeover. Multifunctionality demands a wider space in formulations and a chemistry set to deliver dial-in fimctionality , which needs assembly from a consistent set of basic materials. 

Reactive distillation is one of the classic techniques of process intensification. This combination of reaction and distillation was first developed by Eastman Kodak under the 1984 patent in which methyl acetate was produced from methanol and acetic acid. One of the key elements of the design is to use the acetic acid as both a reactant and an extraction solvent within the system, thereby breaking the azeotrope that exists within the system. Likewise, the addition of the catalyst to the system allowed sufficient residence time such that high yields could be obtained, making the process commercially viable. Other examples in which reactive distillation may enhance selectivity include those of serial reactions, in which the intermediate is the desired product, and the reaction and separation rates can be systematically controlled to optimize the yield of the desired intermediate. ... 

Fig. 6. Process intensification of the aqueous Kolbe-Schmitt synthesis of resorcinol using high-p,T processing. (Courtesy of ACS)...

In recent years, micro-structured reactors have attracted considerable attention for a variety of applications [61, 62]. Such micro devices are characterized by a laminar flow, and the very high surface-to-volume ratio they provide leads to increased mass and heat transfer, offering the potential for process intensification. 

M. V. Koch, K.M. Van den Bussche, R.W. Chrisman (eds.), Micro-instrumentation for High Throughput Experimentation and Process Intensification - A Tool for PAT, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2007. 

Highly solvating—therefore low volumes used, thus process intensification... 

S. E. Gilbert, The future of liquid-phase microseparation devices in process analytical technology, in Micro Instrumentation for High Throughput Experimentation and Process Intensification - a Tool for PAT, M.V. Koch,... 

A number of other methods, not falling within any of the earlier-mentioned categories, may prove useful for process intensification. Some of them, such as supercritical fluids, are already known and have been applied in other industries (104,105). Because of their unique properties, especially the high diffusion coefficient, supercritical fluids are attractive media for mass transfer operations,... 

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