SYSTAG FlexyPAT-HFC solution for reaction calorimetry

FlexyPAT-HFC is SYSTAG’s solution for automated reaction calorimetry to ensure safe chemical reactions and avoid thermal incidents in laboratory or production plants. FlexyPAT-HFC can also play a key role in smoothly and successfully scaling up chemistry processes from R&D to production scale.

FlexyPAT-HFC is the heat flow calorimetry iteration of SYSTAG’s FlexyPAT process automated control platform, which in turn forms a component of its overall FlexyConcept suite of reaction control and automation solutions.

Flexy-PAT-HFC concept

The FlexyPAT-HFC solution is designed to meet industry’s need for chemical processes to be closely analyzed for potential thermal reaction risks to provide comprehensive safety analysis and safe scaling of processes to production scale.

FlexyPAT-HFC can analyse measured data of a synthesis reaction to provide key indicators such as reaction power (Heat & Power of Reaction) to calculate the required cooling capacity, as well as the theoretical maximum temperature rise (MTSR) of a synthetic reaction to prevent ‘runaway’ scenarios. These are indispensable factors to visualize potential hazards during risk assessment and prevent possible accidents in full production.

At laboratory scale, the ePAT platform provides an entry level solution for R&D controlled reactor operations, while FlexyPAT-HFC  Reaction Calorimeter can be applied for process safety measurements, scale-up studies, kinetic analysis for process optimization and much more. Both provide strong and flexible tools that enable automated customer-specific lab reactor systems to be implemented cost-effectively to integrate with existing reactors and other devices.

FlexyPAT-HFC features and benefits  

The FlexyPAT-HFC reaction calorimeter is based on SYSTAG’s proven automation technology and can therefore be adapted at any time to meet a wide range of requirements. This is due to its inbuilt flexibility, thanks to features that include:

• Centralized monitoring of multiple reactors from a single PC
• Intuitive control interface for minimal operator training requirements, and high acceptance
• User-friendly system configuration through integrated sensor identification
• Compatibility with third-party hardware
• Customizable for turn-key systems
• Supports wide range of glass and steel reactor formats from 250ml to 5lt
• Compatible with Jacketed or electrically heated reaction vessels
• Sources heat flow calorimetry data from the reactor itself
• Heat balancing in the reflux condenser
• GLP and CFR21 Part 11, IQ/OQ compliance documentation on request

For FlexyPAT-HFC users, this flexibility and extended capability provides tangible advantages such as ease of use, ability to  generate meaningful results quickly and easily, make physical parameters visible in a graphic interface, deeper understanding of process, ability to use standardized protocols, and compliance with safety standards through approved SOPs.

Enhanced safety through visibility

Safe process control requires not only a sound understanding of the synthetic reaction, including possible side reactions. The kinetics of the reaction must also be known in detail.

Ultimately, experience has shown that it is not only the thermal potential of processes that plays a significant role in incidents, but also the human factor or technical failure of the infrastructure.

Well-founded calorimetric analyses make thermal hazards not only visible but also controllable, and developed countermeasures prevent more serious incidents even in the event of unexpected deviations.

The FlexyPAT-HFC reaction calorimeter provides the physical parameters needed to evaluate the process in terms of safety.

Resources

Click on FlexyPAT Reaction Calorimetry  for access to downloadable brochure.
Click on SYSTAG FlexyPAT for further information.