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Application 1003

Improving reactions in emulsions using a rotating bed reactor

When working with an emulsion (and particularly with a heterogeneous catalyst) the mass transfer between the phases is critical. Insufficient mixing leads to lower interfacial area per volume, and in turn to poor mass transfer across the phases.

Emulsions are prominent in chemical processing and the manufacturing of many products. Some examples are:

  • Biofuel production
  • Hydrolysis
  • Conversion of oils
  • Biocatalysis

SpinChem’s rotating bed reactor (RBR) has been proven for many applications involving emulsions. Among others:

  • Lipase-catalyzed hydrolysis using Novozymes 435
  • Epoxidation of fatty acids
  • Chemical catalysis using ion exchange resins

This video shows the ability of the rotating bed reactor (RBR) to form an emulsion of two immiscible solvents: water and dichloromethane (50/50 by volume). The dye, initially dissolved in the organic phase, is transformed (de-protonated) by an ion exchange resin in the RBR, and extracted into the aqueous phase.

Do you work with emulsions and a heterogeneous catalyst or adsorbent? Let us know what you are interested in.

Further reading

Industries Pharmaceutical, Food and Beverage, Flavour and Fragrances

Topics Decolorization, Biocatalysis, Process Development, Chemical Catalysis, Reactor Engineering

Products SpinChem® RBR S2, SpinChem® Vessel V2

Details

Conditions: Red 2,6-dichloroindophenol (about 3 mg) in dichloromethane (70 mL) with water (70 mL) converted to its blue phenolate anion using Purolite A500P (25 mL) in OH form (created by treating Cl form with NaOH) packed into a SpinChem® RBR S2 rotating at 500 rpm in a SpinChem® V2 flower-baffled reaction vessel.