The ChemSCAN is a bench-top, automated parallel catalyst screening and development platform for the study of high-pressure reactions and heterogeneous catalysis processes. It consists of an 8-reactor system, supporting 16 ml - 50 ml vessels as standard.
Each reactor is independently controlled and monitored, including both temperature and pressure, with on-line gas consumption automatically calculated for each reactor. This allows a suite of screening tests to be carried out concurrently, and coupled with fully automated process control sequences, enables acceleration of development times and effectively shortening times to scale-up and commercialization.
The ChemSCAN is able to support a fully automated, high-pressure liquid feed option for reactions that require a liquid addition, and with its excellent agitation system, it is capable of ensuring kinetically controlled gas uptake during reactions. This control facilitates a greater understanding of the individual reaction kinetics, ultimately delivering increased confidence in the subsequent scale-up of the process.
Features and Options:
Vessel Types and Volumes
- 8 x 16 ml, 25 ml, or 50 ml reactors, available in SS316 Stainless Steel, Hastelloy.
Temperature Control
- Ambient to 250 ⁰C (no external cooling).
- Options to increase the range down to -40 ⁰C (circulator dependent).
- A separate mantle around each reactor allows the temperature to be controlled individually with a range/difference of over 100 °C between the reactors.
High Pressure and Vacuum Systems
- Each reactor can be independently pressurized up to 200 bar, with a pressure difference between reactors up to 30 bar.
Control Options
- Reactors can be set to different start pressures, allowing the controlled stirring to initiate the reaction.
- Pressure transducers are provided as standard (gauges optional).
- Availability of manual purge and gas feed for each reactor.
- On-line gas consumption calculation.
Stirring Available
- Indirect agitation with magnetic stirrer bar as standard.
- Suspended mechanical agitation for efficient mixing on small-scale and non-viscous samples.
- Optional Overhead direct agitation for larger vessels.
- Superior mixing allowing homogenous and heterogeneous catalytic gas-liquid reactions.
- The mixing rate ensures that the gas uptake is typically controlled kinetically, thus enabling scale-up with confidence.
Intelligent Software Control and Analysis
- labCONSOL software control enables regular data logging, multi-step recipes, parameter control, and feedback loops. The software adds a responsive intelligence to the ChemSCAN system and still delivers an intuitive interface that needs only minimal training to run quickly.
- Customizable standard plans allow for easy running of the system with automated purging, reaction, and safety steps.
- Experiments can be designed to:
- Run all reactions at the same temperature and pressure -while varying the catalyst or reagents.
- Keep catalyst loads identical but vary the initial pressure.
- Run individual reactors with different loads, pressure, and temperatures
Safety Features
- Include automatic user-configurable reaction detection and shutdown procedures, to ensure user safety.
- Compact manifold for easy manual purge and pressurization.
- Automatic hardware and software fail-safes are installed on every system.