ChemSCAN: Bench-top, automated parallel catalyst screening and development platform

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.

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