Process intensification: The key to sustainability in chemical engineering

Innovation is the key to sustainability. To reach sustainability targets, the chemical industry must embrace sustainable processing and energy-efficient technology, driving industry improvements through novel tools and techniques. That’s the topic of a new webinar.

What is process intensification?

In his book Process Intensification — Breakthrough in Design, Industrial Innovation Practices, and Educationopens in new tab/window, Harmsen defines process intensification as:

A set of radically innovative process-design principles which can bring significant benefits in terms of efficiency, cost, product quality, safety and health over conventional process designs based on unit operations.

It’s based on four principles outlined by Van Gerven and Stankiewicz in The Fundamentals of Process Intensificationopens in new tab/window:

1. Maximize the effectiveness of molecular events: altering the reaction rate by managing the frequency, energy, and timing of molecular collisions.

2. Ensure each molecule has a uniform experience: reducing velocity, temperature, and concentration differences across a process.

3. Optimize driving forces and specific surface areas: achieving high heat and mass transfer rates by maximizing the driving force and specific surface area needed for these processes.

4. Maximize synergistic effects of partial processes: leveraging the synergy between phenomena and operations within a single equipment.

While not entirely novel to chemical engineering, these principles become explicit objectives through intensified processes. A fully intensified process embodies all these principles by applying fundamental PI approachesopens in new tab/window across four domains:

• ●

  Spatial (structure)

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  Thermodynamic (energy)

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  Functional (synergy)

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  Temporal (time)

The primary focus when considering process intensification solutions has been on process improvement through continuous processes. This focus stems from the understanding that transitioning from batch to continuous operation inherently results in more condensed, energy-efficient processes.

Eastman Chemical Company’sopens in new tab/window methyl acetate production via a reactive distillation column is a classic example of process intensification. “There was an enormously clever project run by Eastman Chemical where they reduced 11 process steps into one column,” Harmsen says. “And if you look at this historic case of process intensification, it was far more reliable to scale.”

Industry applications: Process intensification solutions

As industries seek innovative solutions to optimize operations, several companies have emerged as leaders in building process intensification solutions.

Synthio Chemicals

Synthio Chemicalsopens in new tab/window is a chemical manufacturing and engineering services firm that bills itself as “chemistry for the new millennium.” Founded in 2017, the company provides process intensification solutions for industrial-scale chemical production. According to Synthio Chemicals, what differentiates it from conventional processes is its “proprietary continuous-flow production platform,” which rapidly and safely produces challenging or costly chemicals at scale.

Chemtrix

Established in 2008, Chemtrixopens in new tab/window works with manufacturers in the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries to create user-friendly and scalable reactors. Through this work, Chemtrix has designed a range of continuous Flow Reactorsopens in new tab/window suitable for chemical processes ranging from screening reactions at milligram-scale to large-scale industrial production.

CoorsTek

An active leader in the industry since 1910, CoorsTekopens in new tab/window manufactures a wide range of technical ceramics for various industries, including chemicals, medical, and energy. One key feature is a novel process that uses an advanced ceramic membraneopens in new tab/window to “make the direct, non-oxidative conversion of gas to liquids for the first time.” According to CoorsTek, this process reduces costs, consolidates multi-step processes and eliminates CO2 emissions.

NiTech Solutions

NiTech Solutionsopens in new tab/window considers itself “one of the world’s leading authorities on the use of continuous baffled reactor and crystallization technology.” Its innovative continuous flow reactor technology promises to deliver savings and limit harmful emissions. The company offers equipment on any scale, from laboratory to pilot to commercial.