TRACK: Non-metallics
Chemical reactions involving hazardous and highly corrosive chemicals pose safety risks and present particular challenges in reactor design and the section of material of construction. This is particularly true for reactor systems involving the use of Hydrofluoric acid in fluorination reactions encountered in numerous synthetic pathways of active ingredients. Under such working conditions, because of increasing complexity of reactor requirements combined with high demands on versatility and performance, there is strong motivation to develop workable and cost effective design strategies which encompass a deeper understanding of the relationship between materials behavior and implications of material selection for design, operation, safety, reactor longevity and performance. Selection and compatibility of materials of construction, as well as manufacturing cost are key concerns for the existing reactor design used in fluorination reactions.
This presents several strategies in reactor design where a fluoropolymer coating and lining are used to impart chemical resistance and passivation of the reactor’s inner surfaces. Different lining options are compared in terms of suitability and efficacy and their performance are bench-marked in terms of (i) application ranges, (ii) mode of construction and lining/coating design and architecture, (iii) impact on reactor’s shell design, (iv) handling mixing regimes, (v) managing Exo- and Endotherms as well as (vi) managing permeation through the Fluoropolymer coating/lining. In managing permeation, a number of design strategies will be discussed and compared with respect to their efficacy in handling reactions involving Hydrofluoric acid.