Types of Reactors in Industries (Pharma, chemical, petrochemical)

The reactor is a vital part of any chemical industry. It is also called the heart of the chemical process, where chemical reactions are conducted. The product is the result of the process of raw material; hence, chemical reactors are important equipment in any process.

In any industry, such as the chemical industry, polymer industry, Dye and pigment industry, colour industry, pharmaceutical industry, and many more, the reactor plays an important role in a chemical reaction.

Several types of reactors are used based on the types of reaction and raw material properties; hence, there are selection criteria for selecting reactors in the industry. In this post, we will learn about different types of reactors being used in the chemical industry and give examples.

Prior to discussing the types of reactors in chemical plants or any industry, let’s have a quick refresher with the definition.

What is Reactor ?

A reactor is a process vessel design to add chemicals and conduct chemical reactions. It consists of different parts designed to give maximum yield in a chemical reaction. Different types of reactions are being carried out in chemical reactors.

Types of Reactor

Several types of reactors are being used in Chemical industry. Selection criteria, i.e. when to use which type, will be discussed in the later part of the article.

1. Batch Reactor
2. CSTR – Continuous stirred tank reactor
3. PFR – Plug flow reactor
4. Semibatch reactor
5. Nuclear Reactor

these are the basic types of chemical reactor, Now let us discussed all the reactos in details.

1. Batch Reactor

A batch reactor is the simplest type of reactor that consists of agitator and had a provision to apply utilities to heat ot cool the reaction mass. This is a closed system in which there is no flow of material entering or exiting the system. In the batch reactor, raw materials are charged into the reactor and allow to get agitation. Jackets are provided to the batch reactors where we can apply utilities to heat or cool the reaction mass according to the process requirement. These are mostly used in the pharmaceutical industry and also prepare solutions, i.e. dosing chemicals, etc. Batch reactors are used for chemical preparation, fermentation, crystallization and etc.

Batch Reactor Application – Batch reactors are used to prepare chemicals for dosing in the reaction. In the Chloro Alkali industry, batch of sodium sulfite is prepared that is used to dose in brine to remove free chlorine is the dichlorination outlet

We also posted a detailed article on types of distillation. So do check out that also.

2. Continuous stirred tank reaction (CSTR)

Continuous stirred tank reactor in another type, also known as back mix reactor, mixed flow reactor (MFR), or continuous-flow stirred-tank reactor (CFSTR), is widely used in the chemical industry and had various applications. CSTR are batch reactors with open systems and have an impeller equipped with it to provide agitation for proper mixing to the content. These allow adding continuous raw material into the reactor and continuous removal of product. CSTR is considered an idealized agitated tank reactor and is used to model operation variables required to achieve a specified output.

CSTR Application – CSTR are used in chemical industries, especially in continuous plant

3. PFR – Plug Flow reactor

PFR stands for Plug flow reactor and also known as a continuous tubular reactor (CTR) is a type where one or more chemicals as a fluid are injected or pumped through a pipe or tube. These are known as plug flow or tubular reactors as these have a tube-like design, and the reaction takes place.

The chemical reaction proceeds as the reagents travel through the PFR. The changing reaction rate creates a gradient with respect to the distance traversed; at the inlet, to the PFR the rate is very high, but as the concentrations of the reagents decrease and the concentration of the product(s) increases the reaction rate slows.

4. Semibatch reactor

A semi-batch reactor is operated with both continuous and batch inputs and outputs. These are a combination of batch and continuous reactors. In semi-batch reactors, raw material and reactants are charged, and other chemicals are added slowly in the process along with time procedure. The agitator provides agitation to the reaction mass, which will help to achieve uniform composition and temperature throughout the reactor. Semibatch reactions provide the option/flexibility to add chemicals in the continuous process reaction. Semi-batch reactors also had jackets in which utilities could be used to provide heating and cooling to the reaction mass according to the chemical process requirement.

Don’t forget to check pump performance curve if you want to learn more about pumps.

5. Nuclear Reactor

Nuclear reactors are designed to perform nuclear fission reactions, i.e. splitting of the atoms and releasing energy. Uranium, such as uranium-235 or plutonium-239, is used as a nuclear fuel. These are designed to sustain the controlled nuclear chain reactions. These Nuclear reactors are used in nuclear power stations to generate electricity.

In these, the fuel is reacted and converted into uranium dioxide powder and then pellets are made by pressing them and process them to make hard ceramic material. The pellets are then stacked into the tubes called fuel rods. The number of fuel rods depends on the capacity of the reactor. In the reactor vessel, Control rods made up of different materials have properties to reduce the reaction and are used to control the reaction. They are inserted into the reactor’s core to reduce the reaction rate or withdrawn to increase it.

Application of Nuclear Reactors – These are used in nuclear power stations.

FAQ (What are different types of reactors)

Wrapping Up

This was a detailed article on the types of reactors used in chemical industries or, to be precise, types of chemical reactors. If you have any doubts related to the reactor topic or if you want some more details about the reactors, i.e. batch, CSTR, etc, then feel free to use the comment section; We will help you with that. Till then, keep learning and exploring the chemical world. If you are an android user, then download our app from Play Store – apps for chemical engineers.