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Application 1007

Automatic processes for efficient production

Automation of large-scale processes is often a requirement for economically viable chemical processes. The benefits of scale are best harvested at high throughputs and 24/7 operation. This leads to the demand for process automation, and the elimination of hands-on work.

Addition of reagents, withdrawal of products, and the monitoring of batch quality can turn into high operating costs if automation is not possible. The rotating bed reactor is, by design, perfect for automation. By containing the solid phase in the RBR, separation is intrinsic to the operation, and the solids do not need to be filtered from the product. Any solid phase with particle size above 100 µm is compatible, e.g.:

  • Ion exchange resins
  • Adsorbents
  • Immobilized enzymes
  • Chemical catalysts
  • Zeolites
  • Molecular sieves

Are you using any solid-phase materials in your applications? Reach out to us for a discussion.

SpinChem’s customers are running automatic processing of 100’s of cubic meters per day, with rotating bed reactors of large capacity installed in their process vessels. Sensors are undisturbed by the solid phase retained in the RBR, so the feedback to the controller is precise and accurate.

SpinChem offers systems that are easy to automate, from benchtop to plant scale. With solutions ranging from a few mL to 1000’s of cubic meters per batch, we are equipped to discuss your particular application. Contact us today for a conversation about your processes.

Further reading:

Industries Pharmaceutical, Food and Beverage, Environmental, Nuclear, Flavour and Fragrances

Topics Decolorization, Process Development, Reaction Screening, Reactor Engineering, Downstream Processing

Products SpinChem® RBR S3, SpinChem® Vessel V3

Details

Conditions: Neutralization of about 500 mL water with 0.63 mM NaOH and 110 mg/L phenolphthalein within a SpinChem® S3 flower-baffled reaction vessel, using a SpinChem® RBR S3 containing 50 mL Amberlite IRN99 at 500 rpm. The automated sequence included filling to level sensor, starting the overhead stirrer motor, stopping stirrer motor when absorbance probe recorded a clear solution, opening the bottom valve until vessel was empty and finally closing the bottom valve to get ready for a new cycle. The entire sequence was controlled by a microcomputer allowing a preset number of cycles to be executed without manual interaction.