Abstract

Making Chemistry Different through Flow and Transforming it to Intensified End-to-End Process Design

Volker Hessel, Professor, University of Adelaide

Micro Process Technology has given strong push to continuous chemical manufacture via facilitating heat and mass transfer; named transport intensification The next big step was to develop a tailored process chemistry in flow under highly intensified conditions – which is one essence among the developing field of Flow Chemistry. This has been coined Novel Process Windows [1-3] and has two research pillars, – the exploration of unusual and typically harsh process conditions (chemical intensification) and, in a more holistic picture, a completely new and often simpler process design (process-design intensification). A survey based on several own-developed flow chemistries will underpin the above given. This will demonstrate how to boost reactivity via high-T, high-p, high-c (solvent-free; alternative solvent) concepts. Yet, the big chance is to make chemistry different. Two major ways will be reported: (i) direct green pathways from inactive, non-functionalized resource materials (C-H activation, N fixation, CO2 utilization); (ii) flow cascades which shrink multi-step syntheses together. For the latter, an LCA study will be presented. Starting from such new reaction designs, there is now the big chance to develop new process designs in flow. In the past flow plants were mainly made by retrofit. The exchange of a batch reactor versus the new intensified flow reactor was used “just” to enable the Green and Flow Chemistry benefits. Yet, there is also an own intensification momentum in Green Engineering apart from providing the mentioned service. This will be exemplified by a superficial direct adipic acid process at large-scale (400 kt/a); with major consequences on CAPEX/OPEX costs sustaina¬bility, and energy consumption (heat integration, pinch analysis). On top of that, the embedment of flow processing into compact, mobile and modular chemical production platforms (‘Future Factories’; container) such as Evonik’s EcoTrainer is discussed. A cash-flow analysis gives evid