Historical Perspective
Enabling intensification of multiphase chemical processes with additive manufacturing

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cis.2020.102294Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Process Intensification, an important path to sustainable processes, requires convergent approaches to multiphase systems.

  • Additive Manufacturing offers fabrication flexibility to provide new access to efficient unit operations designs.

  • Recent examples of successful approaches in Heterogeneous Catalysis and Emulsion Polymerization are featured.

Abstract

Fixed bed supports of various materials (metal, ceramic, polymer) and geometries are used to enhance the performance of many unit operations in chemical processes. Consider first metal and ceramic monolith support structures, which are typically extruded. Extruded monoliths contain regular, parallel channels enabling high throughput because of the low pressure drop accompanying high flow rate. However, extruded channels have a low surface-area-to-volume ratio resulting in low contact between the fluid phase and the support. Additive manufacturing, also referred to as three dimensional printing (3DP), can be used to overcome these disadvantages by offering precise control over key design parameters of the fixed bed including material-of-construction and total bed surface area, as well as accommodating system integration features compatible with continuous flow chemistry. These design parameters together with optimized extrinsic process conditions can be tuned to prepare customizable separation and reaction systems based on objectives for chemical process and/or the desired product. We discuss key elements of leveraging the flexibility of additive manufacturing to intensification with a focus on applications in continuous flow processes and disperse, multiphase systems enabling a range of scalable chemistry spanning discovery to manufacturing operations.

Section snippets

Multiphase chemical processes

Many pharamaceutical, specialty, and fine chemical processes involve liquid phase reactions with reactants and catalysts present in other phases [1]. Fluid-fluid dispersions, specifically bubbles of gas in a liquid or liquid droplets dispersed in a second immiscible liquid, appear in numerous chemical manufacturing processes and a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Generally, these dispersions are characterized by the mean radius 〈a〉, distribution DSD, and volume fraction ϕ, of the

Process intensification in multiphase systems

Unit operations are single, basic steps in a chemical process where physical or chemical transformations take place. Recently, there has been an increased focus on process intensification targeting more efficient unit operation design [58]. A more efficient unit operation means any of combination of the following: reduced processing time, lower operating cost, increased production volumes, smaller footprint, consistent quality and uniformity, lower hazards, intrinsic safety, and less waste [59,

Additive manufacturing technologies

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a class of manufacturing that, in contrast to subtractive manufacturing, adds material in a layer by layer process to create the final product. It has dramatically increased in popularity in recent years due to commercial availability and the ability to rapidly produce custom prototypes or parts using a wide range of materials with complex internal geometries [100,101].

Broadly, AM is the process in which material is deposited and then joined or solidified to

Chemical process intensification of multiphase technologies with additive manufacturing

Process intensification objectives involve multiple scales and multiple functionalities spanning from the molecular environment to the macroscale processing and equipment. Additive manufacturing is a popular technology for designing equipment for process intensification because of the diversity of materials and ability to control the structure on many orders of length scale [137]. The geometric design space enables the realization of part geometries that optimize effective areas for driving

Case study: continuous emulsion polymerization

In traditional emulsion polymerization, chemical agents are typically used to control latex particle size. The process development procedure for this type of chemical control results in extremely large and discrete design spaces. Further, changing the end product characteristics (eg. particle size) may require entirely new formulations. However, by shifting to continuous manufacturing the average particle size can be controlled by process variables (eg. volumetric flow rate (V̇) and residence

Summary

Multiphase chemical systems are an integral part of the chemical industry, and further emphasis and activity in process intensification is necessary to lower the cost of consumer goods and medicine, as well as reduce the environmental impact. Research into additive manufacturing for chemical applications is still in its early stages, yet the potential has been demonstrated. AM technologies can control device geometries at multiple length scales, enabling researchers to create devices that

Declaration of Competing Interest

None.

Acknowledgements

Two of the authors (REM and JKF) gratefully acknowledge support from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Award 80NSSC18K0453).

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