Safe Plants in Reactor Systems

The following should be considered in designing an inherently safer plant involving reactor systems  

A good understanding of reaction kinetics is required to establish safe conditions for operation of exothermic reactions. 

Methods have been developed for improving batch process productivity in the manufacture of styrene-butadiene latex by the continuous addition of reactants so the reaction occurs as the reactor is being filled. These are not continuous processes even though the reactants are added continuously during most of a batch cycle. The net result is that reactants can be added almost as fast as heat can be removed. There is relatively little hazardous material in the reactor at any time because the reactants, which are flammable or combustible, are converted to non-hazardous and non-volatile polymer very quickly. 

If possible, produce and consume hazardous raw materials in situ. Some process raw materials are so hazardous to ship and store that it is very desirable to minimize the amount of these materials on hand. In some cases, it is possible to achieve this 

Fig ure 12-41. Prooess B Batoh reaotion with reaotants added during the reaotion. Little flammable and hazardous material are present at any time. A reflux (or knookbaok) oondenser is used to provide additional heat transfer. (Source S. M. England, Inherently Safer Plants Practical Applications, Prooess Safety Progress, Vol. 14, No. 1, pp. 63-70, AlChE, 1995.) 

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