Five Key Advantages of Using Glass Jacketed Reactors

Traditionally, manufacturing processes were initially developed in round-bottom laboratory flasks and then transitioned to small-scale production reactors once the process was ready for testing. Jacketed glass reactors offer a unique alternative, and we will discuss five key advantages of using glass jacketed reactors for development for scale-up testing and how they may benefit your company. 

 

Traditionally, manufacturing processes were initially developed in round-bottom laboratory flasks and then transitioned to small-scale production reactors once the process was ready for testing. Weikeduooffer a unique alternative, and we will discuss five key advantages of using glass jacketed reactors for development for scale-up testing and how they may benefit your company. 

  
Identify problems

Jacketed laboratory reactors can also help identify problems in the early stages of process development. Because the geometry is that of a larger reactor, you can detect stirring problems that may not occur if mixing is performed in a flask.
Phase separation can create problems when upgrading a process from a flask to a pilot reactor. But by using a small-scale reactor, you can simulate the phase separation that occurs in both pilot and production facilities, eliminating this common scaling-up problem. 

 

Jacketed glass reactor

 

Access to Data

By using a laboratory reactor and combining it with process analysis, a wide range of data can be collected about your process, even at the earliest stages. This data provides a good understanding of the parameters of each process (e.g., temperature limits, reaction times) that can be used to support process modifications. 
Since you are able to create miniature systems that are virtually identical to the full production layout, most of the testing can be done in the development phase. By the time you conduct pilot testing, only minor adjustments to the process are required. 

 

 

Save time

The device is much more robust than a laboratory flask. The ability to measure and control the reaction during the development phase eliminates any unpleasant surprises that may occur when first testing the process in a pilot reactor (which would normally result in having to go back and redevelop the process). With a jacketed reactor used in the development phase, you can identify potential problems early and resolve them before moving on to the pilot phase. 
The small reactor also eliminates the need for a reaction calorimeter, which can save a lot of time.

 
Improved safety

Another advantage of using a jacketed laboratory reactor is improved process safety. Product is removed from the lab reactor through a valve in the bottom of the vessel, and the flask is usually emptied by picking it up, which can be dangerous if the reaction gets out of control. It also reduces the risk of safety issues as you move to the pilot stage since you will be taking more data with you to the next stage. Upgrading from a flask to a reactor does not introduce the same uncertainty. 
 

High pressure reactor

 

Save money

Small plant reactors are a good example of how sometimes you have to spend money to make money. Jacketed lab reactor systems are known to be much more expensive than the traditional lab flasks more commonly used at this stage of development. Depending on the size and scope of your R&D project, you could be spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on equipment.
But to see the full picture, you must consider the time you can save in the development process. When combined with the value of the product you are making, the ability to bring it to market faster can greatly improve your ROI.
 

 

The advantages of using small reactors in the development phase - obtaining data, identifying problems, improving safety, saving time and money - all provide optimized solutions for product experimentation and scale-up testing. The ability to get information about how the production process works early in the development phase helps you make better-informed, safer decisions. Visit TOPTION website to see more products and please send a message to our experts for more information.