Application: Reaction Engineering
Applications:
- Crystallisation
- Precipitation
- Condensation
- Hydrolysis
- Polymerisation
Benefits include:
- Improve quality through more process control
- Reduce costs through more efficient use of energy and resources
- Develop new processes
- Audit existing processes
Why Tomography is effective
By their very nature, many liquid-based reactions lead to a significant change in conductivity in their medium:
- crystallisation
- precipitation
- condensation
- hydrolysis
- redox
Electrical conductivity measurements can not only track progress of reactions, but also determine kinetic differences at different locations within the reaction vessel. This can be of considerable assistance where vessel conditions (such as heat transfer, mixing, position of feed points) can have a significant effect on yield as processes are scaled up.
Precipitation of barium sulphate
Dual mode tomography - using the M3000 - can also be used to monitor different materials during a reaction through their differing responses to Electrical Capacitance Tomography and Electrical Resistance Tomography imaging.
Condensation reaction (polymerisation of nylon).
Red regions correspond to high conductivity regions where water is present.
Particular interest is being shown in using process tomography in PAT (process analytical technology) applications.
