Reactive Separations

Abstract

Traditional industrial chemical processes have a reactor (or series of reactors) and a sequence of separations. Combining the reaction and separation into a single unit represents an opportunity for more sustainable processes which reduce the amount of materials and land used in plant construction, save significant energy inputs associated with separation, and normally increase yields. This approach is particularly useful with equilibrium processes since one can often force the reaction to the desired product by separating a reaction product. This article provides an overview of the types of technologies and then provides a more detailed discussion and examples of the three most common types of reactive separations including reactive distillation, coupling reactions with membrane separations, and coupling reaction with adsorption.