Hamley, Paul A., Martyn Poliakoff. SUPERCRITICAL FLUID REACTORS—TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRESS
Clean Technology Research Group, B13a School of Chemistry, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, U.K. (Paul.Hamley@nottingham.ac.uk)
The Clean Technology Research Group is involved in a number of industrial collaborations, involving a variety of supercritical fluids. Together with UK fine chemicals company Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd, we have developed a continuous supercritical fluid reactor capable of a wide variety of reactions. Heterogeneously catalysed reactions studied include hydrogenation, Friedel-Crafts alkylation, etherification, and hydroformylation. Advantages over conventional batch processes include process intensification, smaller inventory, independent control of varibles (P, T, flow rates, residence time, etc) leading to high selectivity and yield, a non toxic solvent (CO2) and easier separation of products. The technology is being commercialised and a 1000t.p.a. plant is due to be operational by autumn 2001. We believe that scCO2 offers a simple, safe, selective, versatile, efficient and clean technology.
Supercritical Water Oxidation is also under development as a medium for continuous synthesis of organic compounds with homogeneous catalysis and also for inorganic nanoparticles.