Investigate the reaction characteristics for a safe transfer from batch to continuous reaction technology.
Safely converting a chemical reaction from batch to continuous operation requires a good insight in the reaction characteristic. Where reactions in batch are often performed in a ‘black box’ concept, continuous flow reactions require more detailed information.
Under which conditions does the reaction exactly start?
Is the heat production gradually or instant?
What is the actual temperature rise at each point of the reactor?
How do mix ratio and start temperature affect the reaction?
These questions are difficult to answer with conventional Reaction Calorimeters.
The Fluitec Reaction Calorimeter is one of the first Calorimeters which can give a fast and extensive insight in the reaction characteristics in continuous flow. This makes it a very usefully tool for converting chemical reaction from Batch to Continuous flow.
Milli-Conti Reaction Calorimeter
With the Milli-Conti Reaction Calorimeter from Fluitec, the chemical reaction will be investigated directly in a scalable plug flow tubular reactor (PFR) (Fig. 1). The calorimeter consists of an insulated tubular reactor with a heated double jacket and static mixers. With the axial temperature sensor inside the reactor a temperature profile along the reactor can be recorded. Two feed streams are delivered by a pulsation-free pump in a flow-controlled manner. Both feeds flow first through a preheater before entering the PFR. Further, on the heat transfer medium (HTM) side there are additional temperature sensors. One is placed at the reactor inlet and the other one at the reactor outlet. Moreover, the HTM flow rate is recorded by a Coriolis flow meter.
By means of a heat balance together with the obtained temperature profile, the heat transfer can be determined. Subsequently, the locally generated heat of reaction can be deduced using segmental dynamic parameters. The temperature profile is not only used to calculate the heat of reaction, but can also be used directly for a scale-up design in the mixer heat exchanger.