Reaction engineering evaluation and utilization of static mixer technologyfor the synthesis of pharmaceuticals

As part of an evaluation of equipment aimed at process intensification, the use of a continuously operating tubular reactor packed with static mixing elements (intensified plug flow reactor, IPFR) was investigated. A characte risation of the reactor was initially carried out and revealed close to ide al plug flow and good heat-transfer characteristics. An exothermic chemical reaction to synthesise a drug intermediate, where selectivity was known to be dependent on mixing efficiency and temperature profile, was carried out in the reactor. The results showed that the turbulent flow behaviour and t he efficient temperature control led to high conversion of the starting mat erial at high product yield and very low impurity levels. The IPFR was also found to be a useful tool for the determination of reaction kinetics.