Continuous Reactor Systems

Build Continuous Reactor Systems with Applied Catalysts

Continuous reactor systems offer several advantages, especially for chemical manufacturing processes that require a high degree of automation, precision, and scalability. Continuous reactors can achieve a steady-state operation, which allows for greater control over the reaction conditions, higher product yields, and improved process efficiency. They also offer greater flexibility in terms of process design, enabling manufacturers to optimize the production process and reduce costs.

When to Use Continuous Reactor Systems

Continuous reactor systems are suitable for chemical manufacturing processes that require a high degree of process control, consistency, and safety. They are especially useful for processes that involve complex reactions, require precise temperature and pressure control, or produce highly reactive or hazardous intermediates.

Continuous reactor systems are also beneficial for processes that require high throughput or long reaction times, as they can operate continuously for extended periods of time without the need for frequent shutdowns and start-ups. Additionally, continuous reactor systems can offer significant cost savings compared to batch processes due to their ability to operate with greater efficiency and automation.

Overall, the decision to use a continuous reactor system for chemical manufacturing will depend on several factors, including the specific process requirements, safety considerations, and economic feasibility.

Benefits of Continuous Reactors

Continuous reactor systems offer several advantages over traditional batch reactor systems that can result in higher yield, higher selectivity, and newer technology.

Higher Yield

Continuous reactor systems allow for precise control of chemical reaction conditions such as temperature, pressure, and reactant concentration. This precision control can help to optimize the reaction conditions, leading to higher yield and selectivity.

Higher Selectivity

Continuous reactor systems often use more advanced and innovative technologies compared to batch reactor systems. These newer technologies can enable more efficient mixing, heat transfer, and mass transfer, resulting in more uniform reaction conditions and higher yield.

Newer, More Efficient Technology

Continuous reactor systems can offer several process advantages, such as the ability to operate continuously for extended periods, the ability to perform multiple reaction steps in a single process, and the ability to integrate downstream processing steps. These advantages can lead to higher overall process efficiency and lower costs.

Bring Us Your Challenge

Why Batch Reactor Systems From Applied Catalysts?

Repurpose Assets

Repurposing assets can involve modifying the reactor design or layout of the system, installing new equipment or components, or upgrading existing systems to improve their performance. By repurposing assets, chemical engineers and manufacturers can avoid the expense and disruption of building entirely new reactor systems, while also improving their ability to meet changing market demands and regulatory requirements. It also promotes sustainability by reducing waste and minimizing the use of new resources.

Overall, the ability to repurpose assets is a key advantage of continuous reactor systems, as it enables manufacturers to be more flexible, adaptive, and competitive in a rapidly changing industry.

Overall, rapid changeover in batch reactor systems enables manufacturers to be more agile and responsive to changing market demands, reduce costs, and improve product quality and environmental sustainability.

Just-In-Time Produce Multiple Products

One of the significant advantages of continuous reactor systems is the ability to produce multiple products with a single setup. Continuous reactor systems allow for precise control over reaction conditions, which enables efficient and effective production of a wide range of products. This flexibility in production capability allows manufacturers to respond quickly to changes in demand or product requirements, providing a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Furthermore, the ability to produce multiple products from a single continuous reactor system also reduces the need for separate manufacturing processes, equipment, and facilities, resulting in lower costs and higher efficiency. This can be particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises that may not have the resources to invest in multiple specialized equipment and facilities.

Process Performance Guarantee

We provide our clients with the assurance that their equipment will meet their specific process requirements. Our guarantees include specifications for process parameters such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, reaction rate, and reaction time, as well as product quality characteristics such as yield, purity, and impurity levels. By providing these guarantees, we give our clients the peace of mind that they need to invest in our equipment, knowing that it will perform as intended and meet their production goals.

Just-In-Time Manufacturing

Just-in-time (JIT) manufacturing is a production strategy that aims to minimize inventory costs and improve production efficiency by producing goods only when they are needed.

Continuous reactor systems are ideal for just-in-time manufacturing because they allow for continuous production without the need for stopping and starting between batches. This means that production can be scaled up or down quickly and efficiently based on demand.

Additionally, continuous reactor systems allow for tighter control of process parameters and quality, which is critical in just-in-time manufacturing. The ability to make real-time adjustments to the process ensures that each product is manufactured to the exact specifications required, reducing the risk of overproduction or waste.

Our Process for Building Continuous Reactor Systems

Let's Have a Conversation
Discovery

Which chemistry do you want to run in the continuous reactor system?

This will help us determine the type of equipment and materials needed for the reaction.

What are your volumes?

We’ll need to know the desired production volumes to determine the appropriate size and capacity of the continuous reactor system.

What’s your timeline for implementation?

Understanding your timeline will ensure that the continuous reactor system can be designed, manufactured, and delivered in a timely manner.

What utilities do you have available?

To ensure that the continuous reactor system can be properly installed and operated, we’ll need to confirm available utilities, such as electrical power, water, and steam.

Share your current continuous reactor system with us.

We’ll ask for details about the current equipment and its performance to better understand your needs and requirements.

Identifying Milestones

Is the continuous reactor technology already in-house?

We need to know if the client currently has a continuous reactor system in place or if they will need to acquire a new one.

If not, we’ll run experiments.

If the client does not have an existing continuous reactor system, we’ll recommend running experiments to determine the reaction conditions and establish a design basis for the new system.

Project proposal.

Once we have a design basis for the new system, we can produce a proposal. Based on the results of the experiments and the client’s requirements, Applied Catalysts will develop a design basis for the new continuous reactor system and produce a proposal outlining the equipment, materials, and costs involved in the project.

What’s In the Project Proposal?

Our proposal outlines the scope, details, and costs involved in designing, manufacturing, and installing a continuous reactor system.

The proposal includes an opportunity summary that provides a brief overview of the project, a process schematic that outlines the process flow and equipment configuration, the required utilities needed to operate the system, the required footprint area, and the required timeline for the project’s completion.

Additionally, the proposal includes a budgetary price, which can be either for the sale or rent of the equipment, that provides a cost estimate for the system’s design, manufacturing, delivery, installation, and ongoing support. All of these items are critical to ensuring that the client understands the scope and costs of the project and can make an informed decision about whether to move forward with the continuous reactor system proposal.

Catalysts

Activated Carbon Monolith Catalysts (ACMC)

In addition to the ACMC monolith based catalysts, Applied Catalysts can provide particulate catalysts to solve the customers catalytic needs. Applied Catalysts will provide Industry Standard catalysts when available from a number of participating Catalyst Vendors in addition to proprietary catalysts manufactured by Applied Catalysts.

Granular Activated Carbon Catalysts (GACC)

In addition to the ACMC monolith based catalysts, Applied Catalysts can provide particulate catalysts to solve the customers catalytic needs. Applied Catalysts will provide Industry Standard catalysts when available from a number of participating Catalyst Vendors in addition to proprietary catalysts manufactured by Applied Catalysts.

Metal Oxide Catalysts (MOC)

In addition to the ACMC monolith based catalysts, Applied Catalysts can provide particulate catalysts to solve the customers catalytic needs. Applied Catalysts will provide Industry Standard catalysts when available from a number of participating Catalyst Vendors in addition to proprietary catalysts manufactured by Applied Catalysts.

Custom & Industry Catalysts

With a proven record of Custom Catalyst manufacturing services and a foundation of knowledgeable chemists and researchers, Applied Catalysts’ monolithic catalyst supports even the most challenging design and processing needs from manufacturing to development, ensuring high performance.

Systems

Modular Process Systems

Applied Catalysts offers catalyst development services based on heterogeneous catalysts. Combining our testing services with our catalyst development services accelerates project success and maximizes value creation for the customer.

Services

Catalyst Development

Applied Catalysts offers catalyst development services based on heterogeneous catalysts. Combining our testing services with our catalyst development services accelerates project success and maximizes value creation for the customer.

Catalyst Testing

Applied Catalysts offers catalytic process development services, including catalyst screening and process parameter optimization to yield high activity, selectivity and lifetime.

Process Development

Applied Catalysts offers catalytic process development services, including catalyst screening and process parameter optimization to yield high activity, selectivity and lifetime.

Catalyst & Chemical Sourcing

Applied Catalysts offers process flowsheets using Chemcad simulation software and systems scale-up by partnering with Engineering Firms and Systems Manufacturers.

Applications & Industries Served

Biorenewables

Applied Catalysts serves bio-renewable industries to develop, scale up and help commercialize bio-based products and processes. ACMC catalytic reactors can be used for bio-mass transformations, everal fine chemical products, including pharmaceuticals.

Fine Chemical Catalysts

Applied Catalysts is well-conversant with the market’s needs and works effortlessly to meet them as a leader in catalytic technology for fine chemical products. These fine chemicals include active pharmaceutical ingredients and biocides.

Hydrogenation

The hydrogenation process involves the addition of hydrogen to organic substrates. The functional groups being converted in the organic substrates can be olefinic to aliphatic groups, aromatic compounds to aliphatic compounds, nitro groups to amines, nitrile groups to amines, acids to aldehydes, and aldehydes and ketones to alcohols and ethers. Hydrogenation can also be used to remove sulfur, nitrogen, and chlorine content in molecules.

Oleochemicals

As a catalytic technology leader in oleochemistry serving several oleochemical industries, Applied Catalysts carbon catalysts offer the conversion of unsaturated fatty acids into saturated fatty acids due to their susceptibility to hydrogenation.

Oxidation to Chemicals

Activated carbon monolith catalysts can also be used to oxidize organic substrates to other chemicals. There are many oxidation reactions of interest, including transformations of bio-mass to chemicals.

Pharmaceuticals

The manufacture of pharmaceuticals often contains one or more catalytic hydrogenation steps. Monolith catalysts convert the functional group of a molecule selectively into a new one to produce the starting material for the next synthetic step. Applied Catalysts can provide ACMC monolith-based catalysts for continuous flow process chemistry, enhancing the sustainability and low cost of manufacturing pharmaceutical products.

Polymers

Applied Catalysts is looking to provide polymer hydrogenation catalysts, systems and services to rubber, elastomer, and other hydrogenated polymers. Applications include tires, synthetic fibers, fiberglass, and silicone heart valves.

Reductive Alkylation

As a provider of catalytic technology, Applied Catalysts provides metal catalysts used in the reductive alkylation process which involves the addition of alkyl groups to amines, and amines to carbonyl containing compounds.

Specialty Chemicals

Applied Catalysts serves several specialty chemical industries that deal with specialty chemicals, including adhesives and cosmetic additives. The catalytic reactors convert a reactant of a single or more chemical reactions into a product or multiple products.

Process-Performance Guaranteed
Batch Reactor Systems

We give our clients the peace of mind that they need to invest in our equipment, knowing that it will perform as intended and meet their production goals.

  • Rapid changeover from one chemistry to another
  • Just-in-time manufacturing
  • Seamless process scaleup

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For a quarter-century

Applied Catalysts

Has provided a broad array of catalysts,

along with development, testing and troubleshooting services, to enhance clean air and chemical process applications.