| Abstract: | Reaction engineering in industrial high-pressure processes . The essential task of industrial chemistry is to transform cheap raw materials into high-quality materials and substances economically. From the very beginning, the chemical industry has used the energy sources coal, oil, and gas as the starting point for synthesis. These substances are introduced into the product line through high-pressure reactions. Joint developments in catalytic chemistry reaction kinetics, and plant design have permitted construction and operation of high-capacity, high-pressure plants at remote sites, where coal, oil, and gas are won. Industrial high-pressure chemistry is thus capable of transforming in situ raw materials that could be used otherwise into high-value products worth transporting to energy-poor regions and whose distribution is secured. The second part of this paper considers the technical limits of pumps, compressors, and high-pressure reactors. Approximate estimates of investment costs as a function of the pressure as process parameter are given for a high-pressure process step. Aspects to be taken into consideration during design, construction, and installation of factory-built high-pressure reactors are considered in condensed form in the last part. |
