Stirring tank reactor vs. microreactor

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When chemicals react with each other, heat is often generated and has to be dissipated. Small flow tanks, which are manufactured using 3D printing, enable more efficient cooling than classic stirred tanks. A comparison of the two systems

publication date3RD AUGUST 2022

INFOGRAPHIC MAXIMILIAN NERTINGER

STIRRED-TANK REACTOR
The large reactor volume generates a lot of heat. A very cold coolant (nitrogen at -196°C) has to be pumped through the reactor casing to ensure that no part of the tank gets too hot.
Size comparison
Comparison of the efficiency of the reactor types*
Microreactor

Stirred-tank reactor

☐ = Ø annual electricity consumption of 100 German households: 310

Source: destatis.de
Microreactor

Stirred-tank reactor

☐ = CO2 emissions of an Airbus A320 on a flight from Munich to Berlin: 37

Source: atmosfair.de
*Relative to the cooling requirement for a production volume of 150,000 tons per year for ortho-lithiation
MICROREACTOR
Many thin reactor tubes ensure that the local temperature stays lower. Because all the tubes are surrounded by a cooling medium, the heat is also better dissipated.
New production process
3D printing enables reactor components to be manufactured in shapes that would be very expensive to make using conventional production processes such as injection molding.

Read more here: Microreactors from the 3D printer

PUBLICATION DATE

2nd August 2022

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