HCBBS Forum (English)
Submit Chemical Projects / Find Solutions
Amplify Your Requirements on a Broader Chemical Platform *Engineering · Technology · Equipment · Solutions*
Submit Request

Current status of the microreactor industry at home and abroad

2020-06-29View Original

Thread Content

Current status of the microreactor industry at home and abroad: Research on microchemical technology began abroad in the early 1990s. Developed countries such as the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan have successively carried out research on microchemical engineering and technology. According to incomplete statistics, there are currently over 50 suppliers of microchemical technology and equipment worldwide, with Europe accounting for approximately 60% of them. As can be seen from Table 1, each company’s microreactor system has its own characteristics, reflecting the current advanced level and development trends in microreactor design and manufacturing. Serial Number Supplier Nationality Microreaction System 1 Ehrfeld Mikro Technik BTS GmbH Germany Modular microreaction system 2 ICT-IMM Germany SIMM microreactor 3 Siemens Germany Siprocess microprocessing system 4 Corning United States G1-G4, lab-reactor systems 5 Syrris United Kingdom Africa, Asia, Titan systems 6 Chemtris Netherlands Lab trix, Kilo flow, Plan trix systems 7 Haomei China Microreactor systems 8 Wei Jing Technology China Solid-state continuous reaction reactor systems, microreactors 9 Hangzhou Shen’s China Military-grade microreactor systems 10 ITS Corporation India Microreactors, hydrogenation reactors The microreactor modules produced by Germany’s Ehrfeld company can be easily disassembled, assembled, and cleaned. Corning’s Mini-lab microreactor system is a highly integrated modular device that includes functional modules for mixing, reaction, and heat exchange; all of these modules are made of glass. Siemens’ Siprocess microreactor system is an integrated modular system, characterized by the fact that each module is equipped with electronic systems for measurement and control, which makes it easier and more precise to manage the reaction process. The University of Mainz in Germany was the first to develop an electrochemical microreactor for the synthesis of methoxybenzaldehyde from p-methoxybenzylmethane. MIT in the United States has developed a micro-packed reactor for gas-liquid-solid three-phase catalytic reactions. The University of Hull in the UK has designed a T-shaped liquid-liquid phase microreactor, whose main feature is the use of electroosmotic flow to transport fluids. The T-shaped thin-walled microreactor designed and manufactured by MIT is a representative gas-phase microreactor. Research on microreactors in China has been ongoing for over a decade, and rapid progress has been made in areas such as the design and manufacture of microreactors, the exploration of micromixing principles, gas-phase reactions, liquid-phase reactions, and the preparation of nanoparticles, with significant achievements obtained. The institutions currently focusing on microreaction technology include Dalian University of Technology, University of Science and Technology of China, East China University of Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, and others. The Institute of Chemical Machinery at East China University of Science and Technology manufactured a plate for a microreactor used in the steam reformation of methanol to produce hydrogen. The University of Science and Technology of China developed ceramic microreactors using sintering methods and conducted experiments with such microreactors for the reformation of ethanol in the presence of water and gas, achieving satisfactory results. In response to the fact that current macroscopic reaction systems are not capable of effectively treating pollutants at ultra-low concentrations, Beijing University of Chemical Technology researched and developed soft-shell microreactors, and combined them with the advanced oxidation technique of Fenton reaction to create an effective new method for treating water containing low concentrations of dyes. Dalian University of Technology has incorporated zeolites and zeolite membranes into microreactors, enabling the combination of the multiple advantages of zeolite catalysis, membrane catalysis, and microreaction technology. In addition to universities and research institutions, a number of excellent microreactor manufacturers have also emerged in the domestic market. Taking Hangzhou Shen’s Energy Saving Technology Co., Ltd. as an example, relying on various R&D teams established in collaboration with renowned domestic universities such as Zhejiang University, Tsinghua University, China Jiliang University, the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Tianjin University, the company focuses on the development of chemical processing technologies and industrial continuous-flow equipment systems. It has successfully developed and produced third-generation integrated microchannel heat exchangers as well as microenvironment system equipment, thereby achieving localization of industrial microreactors. Integrated catalyst-supported microchannel reactors, integrated microchannel mixers, and integrated microchannel reaction systems are frequently used in industrial applications. Hangzhou Shen’s efforts in developing domestically produced microreactors are not limited to equipment development; as a company listed on the New Third Board, it has built strong advantages in this field and has since expanded its activities into the military equipment sector as well. It is worth looking forward to Hangzhou Shen’s future performance in the microreactor industry. Lemai, relying on a strong team for process research and development as well as fluid simulation, coupled with advanced mechanical processing capabilities, can provide customers with comprehensive development and design services for microreactor system projects. Evolving from the bold MicroWell Technology’s precision processing equipment based on fluid dynamics design, it has innovatively developed the RTB microreactor featuring rectangular-channel disc cross-mixed channels. Based on the results, microreactors have indeed enabled a large number of pharmaceutical and chemical companies to achieve a comprehensive upgrade of their process technologies. In 2011, the Research Institute of Sinopec Nanjing Chemical Group introduced the high-throughput-microchannel continuous flow reactor from Corning Inc. in the United States, and subsequently developed new processes for chlorobenzene nitration and special rubber additives. Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Pesticides uses Hangzhou Shen’s integrated microchannel reactor system, which not only occupies less space but also increases the yield of products by 6-8%, saving over 1 million yuan in energy costs each year. In recent years, systematic research on microreactors has been carried out both domestically and internationally, and breakthroughs have been achieved in key technologies such as their design, manufacturing, integration, and scaling up. Devices such as micromixers, integrated microchannel reactors, and microheat exchangers have been developed. However, for microreactors to truly replace traditional reactors in actual production, several challenges still need to be addressed.

Submit a Project

**Looking for Chemical Technology, Equipment & Solutions?** No Registration Required Broader Platform Exposure | Global Chemical Service Provider Connections

Submit Request — Free Consultation

Disclaimer

This is an automated machine translation of the original thread. Some technical terms may have inaccuracies; the original text shall prevail. Click "View Original" at the top right to access the source page, which supports IP-based automatic real-time language translation. Please watch out for contact details and sales inducements to prevent fraud. All content and translations are for reference only, representing solely the poster's personal views. For enquiries, email service@hcbbs.com.