Abstract

3D Printed Reactor Inserts For Heterogeneous Catalysis – New Chemical Manufacturing Solutions

Christian Hornung, Director of FloWorks, CSIRO

With a design guided by CFD, 3D-printed from base metals such as stainless steel, and coated with a catalyst using either cold spraying, electroplating or wash coating, catalytic static mixers are used to replace fixed bed columns in continuous flow heterogeneous catalysis. The deposition methods have been optimized in order to minimize catalyst leaching levels, resulting in only ppb levels of catalyst contamination in the product. We have demonstrated the versatility of this technology for gas-liquid hydrogenations in the pharmaceutical, fine chemical and related industries.