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Compact and versatile, bench-scale system for Scale-up of heterogeneous catalysis under pressure
Jasbir Singh, Managing Director, HEL Group
The potential benefits of operating in flow mode are now being appreciated in the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Of particular interest are high pressure reactions, especially in heterogeneous catalysis where the benefits are greatest especially compared to batch operation.
This presentation will discuss the key design features and operating criteria for a small scale flow reactor, as distinct from a catalyst cartridges used for reaction screening. It will discuss aspects of catalyst loading which is important for both reproducibility and also optimising catalyst costs. It will describe how the reactor can be successfully used over a wide flow range thus allowing the equipment to be used as a research tool first and then later to produce enough material for trials. Using the same design criteria, it is relatively simple later to move on to production scale.
These points will be demonstrated by reference to a bench-scale flow reactor running a several high pressure hydrogenations and even a carbonylation. The benefits of a flow reactor where all parameters can be individually monitored and controlled become apparent when tuning of the product slate becomes simple and repeatable.
Microbial treatment for mitigating the fluid flow problem due to paraffin deposition in tubular and surface flow lines of oil wells
Surendra Bateja, Deputy General Manager, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited
Severe wax deposition problem is encountered in down hole tubular as well as surface flow lines and even around well bore region of the wells producing waxy crude. Conventional mitigation methods such as thermal, magnetic, mechanical scraping, and chemical treatment etc. are not only cumbersome, costly and hazardous but also provide temporary respite.
Use of microbes, a novel approach was conceived to find a long lasting, easy to apply , economic, non hazardous and eco friendly alternative . Two separate microbial systems have been developed for mitigating the vexed problem of paraffin deposition in oil wells and surface flow lines of oil wells.
The microbial system for down hole tubular comprises of paraffin degrading bacterial (PDB) consortium, nutrient supplements and growth enhancer. Application of the technology has been done successfully on commercial scale in 125 wells of Ahmedabad, Mehsana , Ankleshwar and Assam Assets of ONGC.
Bacterial consortium, named as FIB-19, showing 67% wax degradation efficiency at 37°C prevents wax deposition in surface flow lines. Applicability of the technology has been successfully tested on pilot scale in surface flow lines of more than 40 wells of Ahmedabad,Mehsana ,Ankleshwar, and Assam Assets of ONGC .
Online Solutions for Synthetic Chemists
Keshav Sharma, Solution Specialist, Reed Elsevier
Reaxys is a web-based workflow tool for synthetic chemists. www.reaxys.com or www.info.reaxys.com
The experimental data in Reaxys is drawn from trusted sources (Cross Fire, Gmelin and Patent Chemistry Database) and provides high quality answers chemists can use with confidence. It is designed to support the optimization of synthetic processes and offers a valuable resource for accurate and validated experimental reaction and substance data. Reaxys reduces time getting to relevant results, delivers high quality answers you can use with confidence and is designed around synthetic chemists' workflow to improve efficiency.
Reaxys is an extensive repository of chemical properties and reaction data, presented with chemistry as the organizing principle. Relevant results are quickly accessible through the simple interface with powerful search features and specialist content focused on synthetic chemistry. Reaxys facilitates the exploration of chemistry information and frees up more time for creativity and innovation.
The new Reaxys interface is intuitive for chemists, making Reaxys easy to use and learn. Functionality goes beyond data searching with results management, analysis tools and new workflow features such as synthesis planning and export tools. Reaxys provides high-quality answers which researchers can use with confidence in their discovery efforts. Synthetic chemists can use the multi-step reaction function and gain insight into the intermediary steps in a synthetic process. Precursor reactions can be identified. Full information about a reaction pathway is easily accessible. Researchers can compare alternative synthetic routes, identify the shortest potential path and generate a list of reagents for target compound synthesis.
Compact and versatile, bench-scale system for Scale-up of heterogeneous catalysis under pressure
Dinesh Malviya, General Manager, HEL Ltd
The HEL flowCAT delivers flow hydrogenation in a laboratory bench-top unit.
FlowCAT system was designed for rapid screening of process conditions – particularly useful in the early stage generation of key API intermediates, where the behaviour and chemistry of the species may be an unknown. Bench-scale flow system was developed to bridge the screening and prep-scale needs which are not only limited to hydrogenations & heterogeneous catalytic reactions but also applicable for other complicated reactions too. FlowCAT can be used for number of applications such as screening of new chemistries rapidly, optimization of yield, identification of new catalysts & for quicker & safer use in small-scale production.
In fact with the new design and different MOCs for reactor tube of standard 3mL or 12mL isothermal reaction zone, enhanced temperature range of upto 700 C and pressure of 200bar can be achieved. One can do catalytic reaction and regeneration at higher temperature & higher pressure as well as at high temperature & atmospheric pressure respectively. Customized number of parallel continuous fixed bed reactor tubes and operation either in parallel or series with different liquid and gas feed, product separation and complete automation to GC analysis as well.
FlowCAT runs in classic "trickle-bed" mode so that the conversion of substrate is not limited by solubility of hydrogen and thus much higher conversion at significantly greater flow rates is possible. Any heterogeneous catalyst can be used and users can pack their own columns. The wide-bore reactor removes any propensity for blockages and further extends the reliability of the system.
FlowCAT is equipped with WinISO real-time software monitoring and feed back control supported by PAT integration, DOE etc. thereby very easy-to-use, low on maintenance and adaptable for the full array of High-pressure chemistries.
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