Abstract
For complete chemical processes, downstream operation steps are essential, but on a miniaturized scale, they are not so far developed as the microreactors. This contribution presents three different unit operations for phase and component separation. Liquid-liquid extraction is often performed in columns, which were miniaturized for higher separation efficiency and flow rates suitable for processes in flow chemistry. Two-phase mass transfer processes in capillaries benefit from rapid final phase separation, which can be performed in an in-line phase splitter based on different surface wetting behavior. Crystallization is often a final purification step, which is performed in a continuously operated helical tube setup with narrow residence time distribution. For all unit operations, design criteria are shown with typical applications. The methodology of downscaling of known equipment and employing typical microscale phenomena such as good flow control, laminar flow, or dominant surface forces leads to successful equipment design.
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Abbreviations
- C p :
-
heat capacity (J/kg/K)
- Bo:
-
Bodenstein number (−)
- d i :
-
inner tube diameter (m)
- d c :
-
coil diameter (m)
- d h :
-
hydraulic diameter (m)
- D ax :
-
axial dispersion coefficient (m2/s)
- Dn:
-
Dean number (−)
- g:
-
gravity acceleration (m/s2)
- l:
-
tube length (m)
- ṁ:
-
mass flow rate (kg/s)
- n bends :
-
number of bends (CFI)(−)
- n seg :
-
number of segments (CFI)(−)
- n tums :
-
number of turns per coil (CFI)(−)
- P:
-
pitch distance (m)
- R:
-
volumetric flow ratio (aq/org)(−)
- Re:
-
Reynolds number (−)
- w:
-
flow velocity (m/s)
- V̇:
-
volume flow rate (m3/s)
- T*:
-
modified torsion parameter (−)
- x cut :
-
cut-size diameter (m)
- η:
-
dynamic viscosity (Pa s)
- υ:
-
kinematic viscosity (m2/s)
- π:
-
pi number (−)
- ρ:
-
density (kg/m3)
- G:
-
gaseous phase
- L:
-
liquid phase
- p:
-
particle
- S:
-
solid phase
- sol:
-
solution
- total:
-
summation of all inlet streams
- 5-HMF:
-
5-hydroxymethylfurfural
- aq:
-
aqueous
- c:
-
continuous
- CFI:
-
coiled flow inverter
- CSTR:
-
continuously stirred tank reactor
- COBC:
-
continuous oscillatory baffled crystallizer
- d:
-
dispersed
- EFCE:
-
European Federation of Chemical Engineerin
- ELLE:
-
enantioselective liquid-liquid extraction
- FEP:
-
fluorinated ethylene propylene
- HP-β-CD:
-
hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin
- LL:
-
liquid-liquid
- MCFI:
-
microstructured coiled flow inverter
- MSMPR:
-
mixed suspension mixed product removal crystallizer
- MSZW:
-
metastable zone width
- org:
-
organic
- PCTFE:
-
polychlorotrifluoroethylene
- PFA:
-
perfluoroalkoxy alkane
- PEEK:
-
polyether ether ketone
- PMMA:
-
poly(methyl methacrylate)
- PSA:
-
phenylsuccinic acid
- PVC:
-
polyvinyl chloride
- PVDF:
-
polyvinylidene fluoride
- RTD:
-
residence time distribution
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Hohmann, L., Kurt, S.K., Soboll, S. et al. Separation Units and Equipment for Lab-Scale Process Development. J Flow Chem 6, 181–190 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1556/1846.2016.00024
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1556/1846.2016.00024