Significant Economical and Ecological Benefits by Continuous Process Improvement in an Industrial Vitamin Synthesis Process

Abstract

A large number of today's technical vitamin bulk synthesis processes are performed in single product facilities. Some of them rely on chemistry and technology which has been in place for decades. In the meantime, generations of process chemists and specialists have successfully spent huge efforts in optimizing these processes and pushing chemical yields to the limit. Despite of the late stage in the product life cycles of vitamins, there is still room for improvement.In view of the highly increased competitiveness and price pressure, cost cutting, both operational and administrative, is a major goal and a key success factor in addition to the ecological performance. This article illustrates the benefits of a simplifying and relatively minor process change, which not only leads to economical but also to ecological benefits by complete elimination of solvent cycles in the process. As a subsequent measure, the associated solvent recovery plant was shut down.