Parallel Reactor System for Syngenta
Syngenta wanted to increase the reaction throughput by, generate high quality data and avoid cross contamination between reactors.
A manually operated 20-parallel screening unit with two temperature blocks with 10 high-pressure reactors in each segment.
Each temperature block of 10 reactors was split into 2-rows of 5 reactors operating at separate pressures, designed for 100barg and 200°C in this case.
The reaction media are contained completely within a HPLC-type, septum-sealed glass vials, which are magnetically stirred via a teflon-coated magnetic stirrer. The design used ensures there is no pressure gradient over the glass wall of this vessel meaning that reactions up to high pressure can be tested. There is zero cleaning required after reaction as the reagents are completely contained within the glass vial. The pressures vessels and needles have been manufactured in Hastelloy C for excellent corrosion protection.
The reactor system ILS developed allowed them to quadruple their throughput with a unit which is straight forward to operate.
Tomas Smejkal, Syngenta:
“We wanted to increase the reaction throughput by moving from a single reactor to a parallel system of reactors. The data quality was very important, and we had to ensure there would be no cross contamination between the multiple reactors. We wanted a company with a sound reputation and good design capabilities.
We’ve now quadrupled the throughput of experiments per week and this lets us become much more creative in our research. It’s far easier to optimise promising hits, and the data quality is very good. We don’t see any cross contamination and it’s little effort to clean the reactors. If you work with ILS you will get a well-designed unit that really works.”
