Integrated chemical processing apparatus and processes for the preparation thereof

Claim 2

An integral structure for chemical processing and manufacture comprising a plurality of laminae joined together with at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port formed therein for the receipt and discharge of chemicals, and at least one three-dimensionally tortuous channel formed therethrough for accommodating chemicals to be processed, wherein said channel is connected to said inlet and outlet ports, said laminae further comprising a material selected for compatibility with the chemical process, and further wherein said channel is precisely oriented between adjacent laminae and said channel is continuous along one or more laminae and discontinuous along one or more other laminae thereof, and further wherein said discontinuous channel is continuously aligned between adjacent laminae to form a continuous pathway therethrough and configured to cooperate with means to perform at least one unit operation positioned to effect a desired control so that the chemicals are processed.

Claim 3

The integral structure of claim 1 wherein said laminae further comprise a material selected from the group consisting of nonmetallic elements of groups III, IV and V of the Periodic Table, ceramics, glasses, polymers, composite materials and metals.

Claim 4

The integral structure of claim 2 wherein said laminae further comprise a material selected from the group consisting of elements of groups III, IV and V of the Periodic Table.

Claim 5

The integral structure of claim 3 wherein said laminae further comprise a material selected from group IVA of the Periodic Table.

Claim 6

The integral structure of claim 4, wherein said laminae further comprise a material selected from the group consisting of silicon and germanium.

Claim 7

The integral structure of claim 2, wherein said laminae further comprise a ceramic selected from the group consisting of silicon carbide, sapphire, and alumina.

Claim 8

The integral structure of claim 1 wherein said laminae are arranged to accommodate a plurality of unit operations.

Claim 9

The integral structure of claim 1 wherein said channel measures from about 10 to about 5000 micrometers in cross section.

Claim 10

The integral structure of claim 1 wherein said means to perform at least one unit operation is selected from the group consisting of temperature control means, pressure control means, means for controlling chemical residence time, mixing means, thermal insulation means, separator means, photoreactor means, electrochemical reactor means and catalytic reactor means.

Claim 11

The integral structure of claim 9 wherein said temperature control means is in combination one or more temperature sensing means and one or more heat flow control means.

Claim 12

The integral structure of claim 10 wherein said heat flow control means is selected from the group consisting of an electric heater in contact with the integral structure, a heat exchanger in contact with the integral structure, and means for transmitting radiant energy.

Claim 13

The integral structure of claim 10 wherein said heat flow control means is a three-dimensionally tortuous channel formed within one or more laminae wherein said laminae have at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port formed therebetween, said channel being thermally coupled to at least one three-dimensionally tortuous channel which accommodates chemicals to be processed.

Claim 14

The integral structure of claim 9 wherein said pressure control means is selected from the group consisting of a pressure regulator and a pumping arrangement.

Claim 15

The integral structure of claim 9 wherein said mixing means is a T-mixer.

Claim 16

The integral structure of claim 9 wherein said mixing means is a serpentine path mixer.

Claim 17

The integral structure of claim 9 wherein said mixing means is a combination of a T-mixer and a serpentine path mixer.

Claim 18

The integral structure of claim 9 wherein said thermal insulation means separate a plurality of said laminae.

Claim 19

A method for chemical processing and manufacture comprising: (a) introducing one or more chemicals to be processed into the inlet port of the structure of claim 1; (b) directing the one or more chemicals to traverse at least one tortuous channel that is specially adapted to receive the one or more chemicals; (c) coordinating the traversal of the one or more chemicals through the tortuous channel with means that perform at least one of the following unit operations to the one or more chemicals: A--mixing, B--heat exchanging, C--separating, D--reacting catalytically, E--reacting noncatalytically, F--reacting photochemically, and G--reacting electrochemically; (d) withdrawing one or more processed chemicals from the outlet port; whereby said processing is characterized by coordination of the design of the tortuous channel with the unit operations effected upon the one or more chemicals being processed.

Claim 20

A process according to claim 18 wherein the one or more chemicals introduced into the inlet port are subjected to the unit operation of mixing.

Claim 21

A process according to claim 18 wherein the one or more chemicals introduced into the inlet port are subjected to the unit operation of heat exchanging.

Claim 22

A process according to claim 18 wherein the one or more chemicals introduced into the inlet port are subjected to the unit operation of separating.

Claim 23

A process according to claim 18 wherein the one or more chemicals introduced into the inlet port are subjected to the unit operation of reacting catalytically.

Claim 24

A process according to claim 18 wherein the one or more chemicals introduced into the inlet port are subjected to the unit operation of reacting noncatalytically.

Claim 25

A process according to claim 18 wherein the one or more chemicals introduced into the inlet port are subjected to the unit operation of reacting photochemically.

Claim 26

A process according to claim 18 wherein the one or more chemicals introduced into the inlet port are subjected to the unit operation of reacting electrochemically.

Claim 27

A process according to claim 18 wherein the one or more chemicals introduced into the inlet port are sequentially subjected to the unit operations of mixing, of heat exchanging, of reacting photochemically, and of separating.

Claim 28

A process for using an integral structure for chemical processing and manufacture, comprising a plurality of laminae joined together with at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port formed therein for the receipt and discharge of chemicals, and at least one three-dimensionally tortuous channel formed therethrough for accommodating chemicals to be processed, wherein said channel is connected to said inlet and outlet ports, said laminae further comprising a material selected for compatibility with the chemical process, and further wherein said channel is precisely oriented between adjacent laminae and said channel is continuous along one or more laminae and discontinuous along one or more other laminae thereof, and further wherein said discontinuous channel is continuously aligned between adjacent laminae to form a continuous pathway therethrough and configured to cooperate with means to process the chemicals by a sequence of unit operations, said process comprising: (a) heating the chemicals to a controlled temperature by the combination of an electric heater in contact with the integral structure and temperature control means, (b) mixing the chemicals by sequentially dividing the chemicals into a plurality of streams, causing corresponding pairs of streams to be mixed by a T-mixer which combines said pairs of streams into combined streams, causing each of said combined streams to be mixed by a serpentine path mixer, recombining said streams into a single stream, (c) passing said mixed chemical stream through first thermal insulation means, (d) passing said mixed chemical stream through a first side of a first heat exchanger means to further increase the temperature of said mixed chemical stream, (e) passing said stream to photoreactor means having a source of actinic radiation which causes said mixed chemical stream to photoreact in an exothermic reaction, (f) passing said reacted chemical stream through a second side of the first heat exchange means to reduce the temperature of said reacted stream, (g) passing said cooled reacted stream through second thermal insulation means to a separator means comprising a spiral separator in thermal contact with a second heat exchanger, said separator being maintained at controlled temperature by control means comprising a temperature sensor, controller and heat exchanger fluid flow control means, (h) separating reacted chemical stream into at least two substreams, (i) causing at least one substream to be discharged through at least one outlet port.

Claim 29

A process for using an integral structure for chemical processing and manufacture, comprising a plurality of laminae joined together with at least one inlet port and at least one outlet port formed therein for the receipt and discharge of chemicals, and at least one three-dimensionally tortuous channel formed therethrough for accommodating chemicals to be processed, wherein said channel is connected to said inlet and outlet ports, said laminae further comprising a material selected for compatibility with the chemical process, and further wherein said channel is precisely oriented between adjacent laminae and said channel is continuous along one or more laminae and discontinuous along one or more other laminae thereof, and further wherein said discontinuous channel is continuously aligned between adjacent laminae to form a continuous pathway therethrough and configured to cooperate with means to process the chemicals by a sequence of unit operations, said process comprising: (a) heating the chemicals to a controlled temperature by the combination of an electric heater in contact with the integral structure and temperature control means, (b) mixing the chemicals by sequentially dividing the chemicals into a plurality of streams, causing corresponding pairs of streams to be mixed by a T-mixer which combines said pairs of streams into combined streams, causing each of said combined streams to be mixed by a serpentine path mixer, recombining said streams into a single stream, (c) passing said mixed chemical stream through first thermal insulation means, (d) passing said mixed chemical stream through a first side of a first heat exchanger means to further increase the temperature of said mixed chemical stream, (e) passing said stream to photoreactor means having a source of actinic radiation which causes said mixed chemical stream to photoreact in an exothermic reaction, (f) passing said reacted chemical stream through a second side of the first heat exchange means to reduce the temperature of said reacted stream, (g) passing said cooled reacted stream through second thermal insulation means to a separator means comprising a spiral separator in thermal contact with a second heat exchanger, said separator being maintained at controlled temperature by control means comprising a temperature sensor, controller and heat exchanger fluid flow control means, (h) separating reacted chemical stream into at least two substreams, (i) causing at least one substream to be discharged through at least one outlet port.