(730a) Membranes for Continuous, on-Demand Dehydration of Anhydrous Solvents in Flow Chemistry Manufacturing Processes

Solvents can be critical in the development and production of new pharmaceutical molecules, affecting yield, product quality and process efficiency to name just a few key elements. One of the ways to minimize the environmental impact of solvents is to recycle and reuse them. However, it is not always possible to recycle solvents if their use must be at anhydrous levels and use in a process renders them less pure than is ideal for the process. On-demand production of anhydrous solvents is not always trivial given the temperature, quality and process requirements of APIs, particularly in flow chemistry systems. Membrane dehydration and purification can provide an avenue for efficient and cost-effective, on-demand production of these anhydrous solvents. Compact Membrane Systems has installed several fluoropolymer membrane pervaporation systems into flow chemistry manufacturing processes to allow inline dehydration of solvents. CMS membranes have been specifically developed to be thermally and chemically resistant to allow for their use in harsh environments, including organic solvents. One example of this work was published in OPR&D along with authors from Pfizer and Asymchem and provides a new route to manage solvents and allow recycling and on-demand production of anhydrous solvents in flow chemistry processes. This talk will discuss solvent purification and management in flow chemistry processes using pervaporation membranes and will also cover specific operational issues such as how to manage low flow rates or small hold up volumes.