(399e) Shared Research for Process Intensification – an Example Project

In the last decade, process technology took a giant leap forwards with the arrival of new manufacturing technology and design methodologies to create micro-structured reactors. Chemical industry already reacts by changing their thinking about process design and the use of continuous flow reactors. However, they are often not well equipped (regarding facilities, time, and/or money) to test all kinds of equipment to assess what works and what doesn’t for their chemical process. Secondly, development or optimization of equipment is not their core business. Similarly, equipment manufacturers are well equipped to develop the most intricate process equipment conceivable, but they lack detailed knowledge of the specifics of industrial chemical processes.

The Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research TNO has built up experience over the years in equipment development, process technology, and chemistry. Speaking the language of both chemical industry and equipment manufacturers, we are in a position to help force a breakthrough by cooperating with both worlds. In fact, it is essential to setup collaborations in order for process intensification concepts like the micro-structured reactors to reach the implementation stage. TNO is currently running a program called CoRIAC[1], in which 11 partners from chemical industry, equipment manufacturers, pilot plant builders, and academia actively work together to develop and benchmark different reactor designs for a number of specific industrial chemical processes on a small scale (1-10 kg/hr). A small selection of these processes is demonstrated on a pilot plant scale (10-100 kg/hr).

CoRIAC focuses on processes that are notoriously difficult to execute in continuous flow equipment due to the presence of multiple phases, high exothermicity, or dynamic viscosity changes. In the presentation, the approach of this shared research program will be explained on the basis of one of the industrial cases that was addressed in the project. The experience that was gained during the project will be presented, together with the benefits for all partners involved. It will be shown that the form of shared research is an effective way to speed up the implementation of novel process equipment concepts in new or existing industrial processes.