CSIRO-Catalytic-Static-Mixers

CSM_05

 

 

[Music plays and an image appears of a split circle and photographs of various CSIRO activities are shown in either side, and then the circle morphs into the CSIRO logo]

 

[Image changes to show an animation of different chemical model structures, and then animation symbols of pills, a burger and fries, perfume and lipstick, and a plant appear inside circles]

 

Narrator: Just about everything we use contains chemicals, from pharmaceuticals, to fragrances, food flavouring and fertilizers.

 

[Animation image changes to show a model of a hand pouring liquid into a conical flask held above a flame and liquid spurting from the top of the conical flask]

 

But some chemicals can be difficult and dangerous to make.

 

[Animation image shows the liquid becoming a large explosion which fills the screen, and then the animation image changes to show a hand holding a sign “Flow Chemistry”]

                                                                          

That’s why we’re researching ways to make them more efficiently, and safely using flow chemistry.

Flow chemistry is a cleaner, more cost-effective way of making chemicals.

 

[Animation image changes to show a piece of equipment on the left containing a 3D printer, and a computer on a table on the right]

 

And we’re looking at new ways to improve it further, using additive manufacturing, and artificial intelligence.

 

[Camera zooms in on the computer screen, and then an animation of a factory appears on the screen and “H2” appears in the smoke coming from the chimneys]

 

One particularly demanding class of industrial processes widely used across many manufacturing sectors, are hydrogenation reactions.

 

[Animation image shows hazards symbols showing a flame, an explosion appearing on a screen on the right, and a large mixing tank on the left, and the image shows a forklift moving past the mixing tank]

 

These important catalytic processes come with a range of challenges including the handling of hazardous hydrogen and the operation of a complex multi-phase system under pressure.

 

[Animation image changes to show hands holding a catalytic static mixer, and text appears: Catalytic Static Mixers]

 

To combat these challenges, we’ve invented a suite of special structured catalyst devices called catalytic static mixers, or CSMs.

 

[Animation image changes to show the CSM at the bottom of the screen, and a diagram of a flow chemistry system can be seen above, and text appears: Feed tanks, Reactor 1, Reactor 2, Purification, Analysis, Product tank]

 

They are the latest development in flow chemistry.

 

[Animation image changes to show the CSM on the screen and liquid can be seen moving through the CSM]

 

CSMs have a dual function - to act as a fluid mixer for the reagents and to provide the attachment scaffold for the chemical catalyst.

 

[Animation image changes to show a close view of reactor tubes and the image shows chemicals moving around between the reactor tubes, and the CSM can be seen at the bottom of the screen]

 

Positioned within reactor tubes, reagents flow through each CSM, mix and react at the catalyst surface.

 

[Animation image shows the CSM moving off the screen to the top]

 

Different CSM designs are used depending on the mixing demands of chemical process.

 

[Animation image changes to show a piece of equipment housing a 3D printer on the left, and a computer on a table on the right, and the camera zooms in on the computer, and then the 3D printer]

 

The combination of additive manufacturing and AI based design, offers the potential to create mixing geometries for a variety of applications, ranging from high viscous media, to intense liquid-gas mixing.

 

[Animation image shows a 3D printer in the equipment, and a computer screen appears inset with the CSM design in the centre]

 

All of our CSMs are made by 3D metal printing. This manufacturing process provides a range of design freedoms.

 

[Animation image shows another CSM design appearing below the first one]

 

It makes CSMs highly customizable and allows for rapid prototyping of new mixing solutions.

 

[Camera zooms out to show the CSM designs, and the computer can be seen on the right again, and symbols of different materials appear above text: Palladium, Gold, Nickel, Ruthenium, Platinum, Rhodium]

 

The printed mixers can then be coated in a wide range of catalyst materials including palladium, platinum, nickel, gold and others.

 

[Animation image shows fluid modelling on the CSM models between the computer and the 3D printer]

 

Modelling tools such as Computational Fluid Dynamics are used to evaluate the performance of the mixers,

 

[Camera zooms in on the computer screen on the right, and symbols of pills, a clock, a H2 chemical structure, and a factory appear inside four inset computer screens]

 

and CSIRO’s FloWorks test facility can evaluate them for industrial processes, such as the hydrogenation of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals.

 

[Animation image changes to show a researcher working in a laboratory]

 

These intricate and carefully designed catalytic mixing structures can be inserted into standard industrial tubing, greatly speeding up specific chemical reactions.

 

[Animation image moves up to show three chemical mixing tanks, and a speech bubble appears and a CSM appears inside the speech bubble]

 

Due to their enhanced performance compared to traditional packed bed reactors, and the use of scalable mixing geometries, this technology can easily be scaled from lab to production.

 

[Animation image moves down and a new animation image appears of hands holding a CSM, and text appears beneath: Catalytic Static Mixers]

 

The combination of smart design, 3D printing and novel catalyst materials, results in better chemical production. 

 

[Music plays and the image changes to show the CSIRO logo on a white screen, and text appears: Australia’s National Science Agency]