Integrated Microreactor System for Gas Phase Reactions

DavidJ. Qaimm, Klavs F. Jensen, Martin A. Schmidt, Patrick L. Miiis, James F. Ryiey, Mark D. Wetzei, and DanieiJ. Kraas 

The heart of the system is a microreactor packaging scheme that is based upon a commercially available microchip socket. This approach allows the silicon-based reactor die, which contains dual parallel reaction channels with more than 100 electrical contacts, to be installed and removed in a straightforward fashion without removing any fluidic and electronic connections. Various supporting microreactor functions, such as gas feed flow control, gas feed mixing, and various temperature control systems, are mounted on standard CompactPCI electronic boards. The boards are subsequently installed in a commercially available computer chassis. Electrical connections between the boards are achieved through a standard backplane and custom-built input-output PC boards. A National Instruments embedded real-time processor is used to provide closed-loop process control and 

Micro Instrumentation for Hi Throughput Experimentation and Process Intensification - a Tool for PAT Edited by M. V. Koch, K. M. VandenBussche and R. W. Chrisman Copyright 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA, Weinheim ISBN 978-3-527-31425-6 

1987-1994 DuPont develops microreactor concepts and prototype microreactors so that selected target chemistries can be demonstrated in an automated fashion. 

1994-1997 DuPont funds collaborative effort with MIT to develop accurate transport-kinetic models for microscale chemical reactors. 

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Integration of various components is an important issue for the DCF systems. The simple scale-up of microreactors is not enough as the DCF system. A DCF system should consist of not only reactors but also other factory parts like a mixer, separator, and temperature controller. Many integrated microreaction systems have been reported and some of these are commercially available. For example, K. F. Jensen s group has reported an integrated microreactor system for gas-phase catalytic reactions using microstructured reactors and other devices on a computer board [13]. They have achieved computer control over the reaction system through this device as shown in Fig. 6. 

Desktop Chemical Factory, Fig. 6 Integrated microreactor system. Integrated microreactor system for gas-phase catalytic reactions [13]... 

The benefits of microreactors are many more ideal temperature exchange for gas phase reactions they enable the reaction process to take place in an electric field and the performance of complex catalytic reactions can be simplified [18]. These benefits will also provide access to novel structures. Additionally, the bottleneck caused by limited availability of unusual building blocks and scaffolds will be eased, or altogether eliminated, by microreactor operations and miniaturized screening formats. The advent of microreactor systems for chemical synthesis not only opens the door for direct integration of synthesis and screening, but also provides better access to novel compounds. 

Another erample involves the design of a gas-phase microreactor system for the OTddation of CH4 and NH3 ]65]. The system utilizes the fabrication, assembly, and system integration principles from the computer industry. The reactor boards consist of several reactor channels and control functions for the gas flow rate and reaction temperature (Figure 11.13). The different reactor boards are highly modular and fit in the slots of a computer framework. 

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