Continuous Flow Chemistry for APIs and Intermediates (Part 1)
The introduction of continuous flow processing has changed the way we conduct chemistry. The oil, solvent and polymer industries have extensively used continuous flow chemistry for decades. However, when considering the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries, continuous flow chemistry has been primarily used when batch operations are deemed unsuitable or unsafe – and in particular, where high energy chemistry is encountered.
Historically, chemists have been reluctant to embrace continuous flow development, instead preferring to develop processes with test tubes and scaling-up to large volume reactors. This method is often at odds with colleagues who have a chemical engineering background as they are more comfortable with the concept of continuous flow.
Cambrex entered continuous flow processing due to its extensive background in high energy chemistry, specifically nitrations and nitric acid oxidations, and dates back to Alfred Nobel in 1896.
As part one of a two-part series, this webinar will:
- Provide an introduction to continuous flow processing
- Provide a brief history of continuous flow at Cambrex
- Discuss the obstacles to be solved and overcome when implementing continuous flow
- Conclude with a brief look at the future of continuous flow