Search

The interest in renewable products is growing as a source of raw materials. Alongside, new process technologies (process intensification combined with continuous manufacturing) are seen as better alternatives to increase the profitability of new projects. Consequently, two Monte Carlo simulations were performed to focus the Research and Development effort on areas of major impact on the development of a chemical process. Palm oil and high oleic sunflower oil were used as case studies for the production of azelaic acid. It was found that process intensification strategies should focus on selectivity and on the reduction of the number of processing steps. Additionally, the use of vegetable oils with a higher quality although at higher price (about 50 % more expensive) provides a faster payback time, mostly due to a lower CAPEX and a better value of the co-products. For specialty chemicals, the choice of the oil depends strongly on the fatty acid profile.

The development of a pilot-scale synthesis of the rufinamide precursor in flow chemistry is reported. Complex steps such as Taylor-flow, segmented flow, and high-temperature processing at high pressure (high-p,T) are successfully combined, overcoming the mixing and heat transfer issues of the scale-up. The cascaded multistep process operates essentially solvent-free in just 3 m2 giving a productivity of 47 g/h (>400 kg/year), which increases in a factor of 7 the lab-scale productivity previously reported as a scale-up proof-of-concept. The publication also includes an economic study of the feasible implementation of this technology for a possible manufacturer, as well as an outline on business development strategies how to implement such kind of disruptive technology.

The development of a pilot-scale synthesis of the rufinamide precursor in flow chemistry is reported. Complex steps such as Taylor-flow, segmented flow, and high-temperature processing at high pressure (high-p,T) are successfully combined, overcoming the mixing and heat transfer issues of the scale-up. The cascaded multistep process operates essentially solvent-free in just 3 m2 giving a productivity of 47 g/h (>400 kg/year), which increases by a factor of 7 the lab-scale productivity previously reported as a scale-up proof-of-concept. This publication also includes an economic study of the feasible implementation of this technology for a possible manufacturer, as well as an outline on business development strategies of how to implement such a disruptive technology., The development of a pilot-scale synthesis of the rufinamide precursor in flow chemistry is reported.