Scalable flow reactor technology

vrt TM
technology

vrtTM technology is an automated and sophisticated plug flow reactor system that enables processes
developed using micro reactor systems to be directly scaled to the kilo / plant level. The technology is
broadly applicable for a vast range of chemistry.

vrtTM technology enables process optimisation at scale to demonstrate robustness, productivity, safety,
quality and economic benefit and provides the basis for a full scale commercial manufacturing design
specification.

vrtTM technology has been exemplified for a number of multi-ton commercial products within the Fine
Chemical and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing sectors.

Three Distinct Stages of Development of a

Continuous Flow Process Development Flow Process

vrtTM technology is specifically designed for • develop the chemistry

intermediate scale-up to kilo and pilot plant scale STAGE 1 and outline the process
development. • consolidate route
Laboratory
Based selection
The development of a flow process can be divided into
Experimental • carry out initial screening
three distinct stages:- Design of the process parameter
envelope
Stage 1: Laboratory Based Experimental Design
Stage 2: Intermediate Scale-up Kilo/Plant Scale
Stage 3: Full Scale Commercial Manufacture

There are many commercial micro reactor systems

available for completing laboratory based experimental • produce kilo scale quanti-
design (stage 1). However technology for progressing ties of material
beyond the laboratory is less developed. • optimise the process to
STAGE 2 d e mo n s t r a t e s a f et y ,
The concept of ‘scaling-out’ or ‘parallelisation’ of micro quality, robustness, pro-
Intermediate ductivity and economic
reactor processes has been extensively documented Scale-up to Kilo/ benefit
as an alternative to conventional scale-up, although in Pilot Plant Scale
reality there are limited real-case examples of this • provide the basis for full-
approach. scale commercial manu-
facturing design specifi-
cation
‘Parallelisation’, by its very nature, builds complexity
into a process. Whereas a more desirable goal for
most organisations would be risk reduction through
simplicity. The lack of a general purpose scale-up tool
for flow processing is one of the major contributors to
such processes remaining within the domain of the
laboratory and never realising the advantages of
continuous flow. STAGE 3

Full Scale • full-scale commercial

vrtTM technology overcomes this shortcoming because Commercial manufacture
it is specifically designed for intermediate scale-up to Manufacture
kilo/pilot plant scale (stage 2) development and
provides the foundation for continuous flow based
commercial manufacture (stage 3).

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Innovation through Continuous Processing
Improving the manufacturing process both economically and sustainably is a primary objective for fine
chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Continuous flow processing is widely recognised as
technology to achieve this objective.

Continuous processing enables cleaner, leaner and more energy efficient processes to be developed
and offers substantial investment, technological and safety advantages.
• Investment Advantages
e.g. low capital costs; small footprint—high
throughput; minimal scale-up problems; Commercial Process Developed Using vrtTM
improved efficiency; using less raw materials,
and lower operational costs

• Technological Advantages
e.g. safely handle energetic chemistry; develop
shorter, more economic processes; telescope
processes together; readily integrate with real-
time monitoring & control (PAT), and deliver
higher yield, higher purity

• Safety & Environmental Advantages

e.g. small inventory at any one time, reducing
hazard & risk; remotely operated plant control;
reduced operational exposure; reduced
emissions level; more energy efficient, and
reduced waste

vrt TM
Technology Illustration Variable Residence Time
In the graphics, colour represents quality and the vrtTM technology uses well characterised
required quality of the output is represented by heat exchangers and conventional static
the light green. mixers for achieving the necessary heat
and mass transfer required for a flow
process.

Initially the process is operated
with a residence time of 31 units,
resulting in over conversion
(‘brown’ product).
The residence time is reduced to
7 units resulting in slight under
conversion (‘light blue’ product).
The most important parameter for a plug
flow process is residence time because this
ultimately governs the product composition
and quality. The ability to vary residence
time on-line is extremely desirable because
it enables rapid optimisation and tuning of
the process at scale. However, for a static
mixer based reactor, varying residence
time by simply changing flow rate is not an
option because the flow rate governs heat
and mass transfer.

vrtTM technology overcomes this limitation

Finally the residence time is
tweaked’ to 9 time units resulting
in the desired ‘light green’
product.
by enabling residence time within the
systems parameters to be accessed
without changing flow rate.
Stylistically the vrtTM is a static mixer that
can be stretched or compressed at will to
achieve any desirable residence time.

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 Example Product Specification

Parameter Description

vrt TM
Application Appropriate for kilo-lab to pilot-scale to full-scale usage

Output kilogram to tonnes

Design flow-rate 100 mL/minute

Residence time 5 to 75 seconds (5 sec intervals), longer times available (Note 1 below)

Operating pressure 2 – 100 bar

Operating temperature Typically -20 – 120o C

Flow stability +/- 1.0% of set-point

Static mixers 1/4” or 3/16”

Reynolds number ~500 (at flow rate 100 mL/min)

Back pressure 2 – 100 bar

Automation Industrial PLC interface

Materials Stainless steel, C22 or C276 Hastelloy; PTFE or PFA (low pressure only)

Regulatory compliance Compliant

Available on request e.g. integration with liquid-liquid extraction, on-line

Options
monitoring, gaseous inputs etc

Note 1
VRT Technology enables reactions to be accelerated by employing higher temperatures / pressures whilst main-
taining product integrity and selectivity, hence a residence time of 75 seconds will be sufficient for the majority of
processes.

Automation: User/Control Interface Contact:

Operational control is clear and intuitive due Sapien Process Technologies

to the simple nature of the equipment. Flows, Newton Hall
Town Street, Newton
residence times, pressures and temperatures Cambridge, UK
are manipulated using a graphical interface. CB22 7ZE

Experiment design including preparation and Tel: +44 1223 870213

Fax: +44 1223 872983
purging is simply sequenced and integrated
with the analysis and sampling requirements. Email: vrt@sapien-equipment.com
Web: www.sapien-equipment.com
Process information is plotted in real time and
all data logged to a database.

vrtTM technology is a joint venture between Sapien

Process Technologies and Phoenix Chemicals

evolution of intelligent process equipment

Sapien VRT Publication 10g, April 2008 4/4