Scale-up and multiphase reaction engineering

Abstract

Successful scale-up of new multiphase reactions from the laboratory into practical processes is important to all sectors of the process industry. Business demands that process technologies involving molecular transformations maintain high profitability and operate safely within existing environmentally regulations. Current societal expectations and regulations require that all process technology should be environmentally responsible [1]. One key question to be answered is whether or not these expectations can be met in the foreseeable future with the current approaches to scale-up and technological workforce. In addition, advances in chemistry, physics, materials, and biology will continue to generate new potential reaction pathways for more efficient utilization of non-renewable and renewable resources. Another key question is whether the current methods for process scale-up incorporate the relevant scientific advances to ensure 'green technologies', or are they just extensions of previous largely empirical approaches having limited utility and reliability? Evidence suggests that only a science-based scale-up methodology can substantially reduce the risk of new process commercialization and provide reliable estimates of both profitability and environmental impact. We review briefly here the historical approach to scale-up and opine on the challenges of implementing improved approaches.