News Information

As an emerging chemical production technology, microchannel continuous flow can significantly enhance production efficiency and product quality, while reducing energy consumption and waste emissions. It has demonstrated remarkable technical advantages in the field of fine chemical synthesis. However, at present, the application of microchannel continuous flow technology in China is still in its infancy, with problems such as the lack of industry norms and standards, scattered technological research and development forces, and insufficient market promotion efforts. Meanwhile, the microchannel continuous flow process also faces many technical challenges in the design and implementation process, such as the design and selection of reactors, the assessment and control of amplification effects, etc. All these need to be improved and perfected during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period.

Specifically, the current challenges and risks faced by this technology fall into four aspects: First, there is a lack of clear standards and norms. Continuous flow microchannel technology lacks clear standards, intensity requirements and calculation methods. Some enterprises only consider tubular continuous flow as absolutely safe, neglecting intensity calculation, which leads to potential risks in reactions in small-scale Spaces.

The second is the improper installation of the safety relief device. Due to the characteristic of continuous material flow in the continuous flow process, the setting of safety relief devices is significantly different from that of reaction vessels.

The third issue is the difficulty in choosing the materials for the equipment. In highly corrosive reaction processes, non-metallic materials seem to be good choices, such as silicon carbide, glass, PTFE, etc. However, brittle materials like silicon carbide and glass are extremely sensitive to stress concentration when subjected to pressure. Even minor defects or sudden changes in geometric shape in the equipment can become the source of stress concentration, accelerating the damage of the materials. Therefore, how to select materials that can both meet economic costs and have application value is undoubtedly a formidable challenge.

The fourth is regulatory complacency and conceptual confusion. Continuous flow technology is regarded by some enterprises and regulatory authorities as an intrinsically safe technology, but in fact, the safety of many devices and processes has not been fully demonstrated.

To standardize the application of microchannel continuous flow processes, it is suggested that relevant industry norms and standards should be formulated as soon as possible. These norms and standards should cover all aspects including design, manufacturing, installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance to ensure the safety and reliability of the process. At the same time, corresponding testing and certification mechanisms should be established to certify and promote products that comply with norms and standards.

The first is to establish safety standards and norms. Formulate and improve the safety standards and norms for continuous flow microchannel technology as soon as possible, clearly defining the strength requirements, calculation methods and inspection methods. At the same time, strengthen safety training and education for enterprises to enhance their awareness and attention to the safety of continuous flow technology.

The second is to clarify the concept of microchannel size. Avoid arbitrarily enlarging the size of microchannels to ensure the effectiveness and safety of continuous flow technology. At the same time, strengthen the supervision of enterprises' pursuit of high throughput to prevent them from turning continuous flow technology into batch reaction, which would increase safety risks.

The third is to enhance technological research and development as well as innovation. Encourage universities, research institutes and enterprises to strengthen cooperation and jointly carry out technological research and development and innovation in microchannel continuous flow processes. The key research focuses on technologies such as the structural optimization of reactors, the improvement of mass and heat transfer efficiency, and the evaluation and control of amplification effects.

Fourth, standardize the management of high-risk reaction materials. Strengthen the application testing and inspection of high-risk reaction materials to ensure that the material quality meets the specification requirements. Special attention should be paid to the stress corrosion problem caused by highly toxic substances such as chlorination and fluorination. Enhance sealing conditions and waterproof measures to reduce the risk of corrosion.

The fifth is to enhance the level of electrical automation. By enhancing the application level of electrical automation and neural network technology, precise control and monitoring of continuous flow technology can be achieved.

Sixth, give full play to the leading role of standards. Encourage enterprises to formulate and implement enterprise standards and group standards that are higher than national standards, providing referenceable examples and experiences for the industry.

The seventh is to promote demonstration projects and application cases. Select a number of projects with demonstration significance in key industries and fields to carry out demonstration applications of microchannel continuous flow technology. Through the implementation of demonstration projects, experience and data are accumulated, providing strong support for subsequent promotion and application.

The eighth is to strengthen talent cultivation and team building. Strengthen the cultivation of interdisciplinary talents and team building, encourage cross-disciplinary cooperation in fields such as chemical reactions and equipment strength, equipment safety, etc., and jointly study and solve the safety issues of high-risk reactors. Through extensive development and preparation, it is ensured that high-risk reactors meet the economic, safety requirements of chemical reactions and the load-bearing capacity of the equipment.

The ninth is to improve policy support and financial guarantee. The government should introduce relevant policies to provide support such as tax reduction and exemption and financial subsidies to enterprises that adopt the microchannel continuous flow process. At the same time, a special fund should be established to support the research and development, demonstration and promotion of microchannel continuous flow processes. In addition, guidance and services for enterprises should be strengthened to help them solve the problems and difficulties encountered in the application process.

In conclusion, during the "15th Five-Year Plan" period, efforts should be further intensified in the research and development, promotion and application of microchannel continuous flow technology to enhance the overall competitiveness of China's chemical industry.