Process Reactors

Process reactors are process containers used to contain reactions. They are also referred to as industrial scale reactors. They are used for commercial production applications in the range of 1,000 to 1,000,000 liters. Their uses include: commissioning, troubleshooting, improvement and optimization.  Process reactors are use in many differing applications and can be found in the following industries: adhesives processing, agriculture, chemical processing, cosmetics, food and beverages production, paints and coatings, paper and pulp processing, pharmaceutical and medical production facilities, and plastics and thermoplastics processing.

Process reactors are defined as either batch or continuous processors based upon the mode in which they handle samples or product for processing.  Batch process reactors are simplest type of mode of reactor operation. In this mode, the process reactor is filled with medium and the reaction is allowed to proceed. When the reaction has finished the contents are emptied for downstream processing. The reactor is then cleaned, re-filled, re-inoculated and the reaction process starts again.

With continuous process reactors, fresh media is continuously added and reactor fluid is continuously removed. As a result, the material being processed continuously receives fresh medium and products and waste products and materials are continuously removed for processing. The reactor can thus be operated for long periods of time without having to be shut down. Continuous process reactors can be many times more productive than batch reactors. This is partly due to the fact that the reactor does not have to be shut down as regularly and also due to the fact that the growth rate of the bacteria in the reactor can be more easily controlled and optimized.  In addition, cells can also be immobilized in continuous reactors, to prevent their removal and thus further increase the productivity of these reactors. 

In addition to fundamentally processing media, many types of process reactors have specialized features to maintain or eliminate specific conditions that could tamper with the resultant product.  Some of the key conditions that process reactors are designed to control are pH, temperature, dissolved oxygen level, foaming, and the speed of the reactions.

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Part Numbers for Process Reactors