Flow Chemistry, this relatively young technology has emerged to enable transformations that have been difficult or almost impossible to do it in the already centennial batch platform.  Side benefits from adopting flow include: enhanced heat and mass transfer, easy scale-up, better process performance & quality, attractive e-factor, and improved throughput.  While reactions have been the main focus on incorporating this technology to business, in recent years more attention has been put on integrating downstream operational units to the whole flow idea.  This essentially enable the implementation of a full end-to-end process where reaction and workup, of a specific synthetic route, generate the desired product continuously.<br/><br/>Different types of reactions (liquid-liquid, liquid-gas, liquid-gas-solid) have been successfully enabled using platforms like Plug Flow Reactors (PFR), Continuous Stirred Tank Reactors (CSTR), Packed Bed Columns, Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) Reactors for Photochemistry, and Graphite/Carbon Felt Cells for Electrochemistry.  Operational units like: Centrifugal Extractors and Rotating Disc Contactor (RDC) Columns for Extractions, Thin-Film-Evaporators (TFE) for Concentration or Solvent Swaps, Hollow Fiber Membrane Modules for Dehydration, Mixed-Suspension Mixed-Product Removal (MSMPR) for crystallizations, and Agitated-Filter-Dryers (AFD) for final product isolation are some of the equipment that Asymchem has in its toolbox for Workup operations.  The loop for a robust and efficient process is completed when Process Analytical Technology (PAT), like React-NIR and On-Line HPLC, together with sophisticated Automation are integrated to control and monitor in real-time an end-to-end process.  This presentation describes, through different case studies, Asymchem’s evolution in flow chemistry and the successful integration of this technology into its global core business of manufacturing Intermediates and APIs.

From R&D to commercialization: Successful integration of flow chemistry into manufacturing of API’s and intermediates

2019 Fall National Meeting

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.