Multipurpose vessel scale

The development section serves as an intermediary between laboratory and industrial scale and operates the pilot plant. A dkect transfer from the laboratory to industrial-scale processes is stiH practiced at some small fine chemicals manufacturers, but is not recommended because of the inherent safety, environmental, and economic risks. Both equipment and plant layout of the pilot plant mirror those of an industrial multipurpose plant, except for the size (typically 100 to 2500 L) of reaction vessels and the degree of process automation. 

In the design of a hne-chemical plant the size of the equipment, especially the volume of the reaction vessels, is critical. In order to ensure that the potential customer s needs are met by the capabilities of the plant, this has to be dehned in close coordination with the marketing and sales function. Depending primarily on the differing quantities of the hne chemicals to be produced in the same multipurpose unit, the concentration of substances in the reaction mixture, and the reaction time, there is, however, an upper limit for the size of the reaction vessel and the ancillary equipment. Some factors run countercurrent to the economy of scale and point to small-size equipment ... 

Obviously, any pressure vessel presents a rupture hazard. However, both design standards and official tests that are enforced by state agencies (or equivalent), in combination with strict inspection procedures limit this hazard to a quasi-zero level, especially on large-scale units. But, some mechanical hazards are often underestimated, especially on R D multipurpose equipments ... 

In most scale-up operations multipurpose equipment is used so one has little choice of specialized equipment. In fact, in many companies it is the equipment available for scale-up operations that defines the processing conditions. For instance, a reduction may be carried out by transfer hydrogenation if a pressuriz-able vessel is not available for hydrogenation using H2 from cylinders. 

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