Decentralized Production Concepts

International competition, volatile markets and ever faster product cycles are challenges for the producing chemical industry, especially in fine and specialty chemistry. More flexible production concepts, based for example on small mobile plants and modular plant concepts are a response to these challenges. We consider the use of these concepts being most promising for our customers when dealing with the production of substances with high reactivity, since in these cases both, the storage and transport, are rather challenging.

Functionalities

We want to unlock this potential and, thus, we are aiming at developing a modular synthesis unit that allows realizing a complete synthesis process for a selected class of reactive intermediates - from the generation of the intermediate up to its direct conversion and the subsequent purification of the reaction product.

Properties and application areas of the synthesis unit

Within the project DIAZO, we have considered diazotization reactions as an example. The resulting, often unstable diazonium compounds are key intermediates in organic synthesis. The decisive advantage of the modular synthesis unit is the continuous processing combined with our microreaction technology, which allows achieving a precise process control. This in turn is needed to safely produce and convert such unstable substances in a targeted manner. Mobility and compactness of the synthesis unit form the basis of a decentralized or on-site production respectively. Consequently, we offer the opportunity to small and medium size companies to use intermediates, produced for instance by diazotization reactions, and to process them further directly at their site, while being independent of REACH regulations and possible suppliers.

Our research & development

We use the experiences gained with the model diazotization reaction to transfer the concept of modular synthesis units onto further reaction classes. By exchanging or by incorporating additional reactor units and combining the various unit operations we adjust the equipment flexibly to different syntheses and, thus, to your needs.

Other possible applications for our approach with modular small scale plants:

• Production of Grignard compounds,
• production of lithium organic compounds.

Funded by: Stiftung Rheinland-Pfalz für Innovation, funding reference 961-386261/1182.