Flow Chemistry and Continuous Process Technology – Novel Process Windows for New Business Windows

Abstract： 

Micro Process Technology has given strong push to continuous chemical manufacture via facilitating heat and mass transfer (transport intensification). The next big step is 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 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). Reactivity is boosted via high-T, high-p, high-c (solvent-free; alternative solvent) concepts and more. Recently, biotechnology and flow chemistry merged into enzymatic micro-flow reactors. Enzymes are commonly immobilized on porous beads filled into a tube – a micro-flow packed bed reactor. The making of high-value building blocks for APIs is demonstrated by the formation of alpha amino alcohols with Threonine Aldolase. A transesterification with Lipase underlines how productivity, sufficient at least for pharma level, may be achieved and what bottlenecks are still to overcome. Starting from such new reaction designs, new process designs in flow are developed, with major consequences on CAPEX/OPEX costs, sustainability, and energy consumption (heat integration, pinch analysis). On top of that, the embedment of flow processing into modern compact modular chemical production platforms (‘Future Factories’; container) such as Evonik’s Evotrainer is discussed. Such modern chemical manufacturing allows a faster return on invest by reducing time-to-market (‘windows of opportunity’) especially for high-value chemicals and in volatile markets. First evidence is given by cash-flow analysis, determining the net-present value. 

Introduction： 

Prof. Dr. Volker Hessel, born 1964, studied chemistry at Mainz University. He got the PhD level in the field of organic chemistry in 1993. Since 1994 he is an employee of the Institut für Mikrotechnik Mainz GmbH (IMM). In 2002, Prof. Hessel was appointed Vice Director R&D at IMM and in 2007 as Director R&D at IMM. In 2005, Prof. Hessel was appointed as part-time professor for the chair of “Micro Process Engineering” at Eindhoven University of Technology, TU/e. He was appointed as honorary professor at Technical University of Darmstadt in 2009 and in 2012 as guest professor at Kunming University of Science and Technology/China. In 2011, he was appointed as full professor for the chair of “Micro Flow Chemistry and Process Technology” at Eindhoven University of Technology, TU/e. Prof. Hessel is author or co-author of more than 260 peer-reviewed publications (with 38 extended reviews), 18 book chapters, and 5 books (h-index: 39). He received the AIChE Award “Excellence in Process Development Research” in 2007 and in 2010 the ERC Advanced Grant about “Novel Process Windows”. Prof. Hessel is an authority in the 35-man teamed Enquete Commission "Future of the Chemistry" of the parliament of Germany's state Nordrhein-Westfalia and, in a period of two years, is so involved in making strategic recommendations on the future material mix and proper use of resources and reserves. Prof. Hessel is in the scientific advisory board of the “International Conference on Microreaction Technology 10” (IMRET-10). He is Editor-in-Chief of the journal “Green Processing and Synthesis”.   

Contract：DNL0903 Chen Guangwen（9031）