Mixing and organic chemistry

Mixing is an important unit operation in the chemical industry. Beside stirred vessels, other mixing devices like static mixers are commonly used today. Over the past years, however, microtechnology has become increasingly important for the optimization of existing, and the development of new processes. Especially in chemical engineering, microstructured mixers and heat exchangers have been used to determine the potential of chemical reactions without mass or heat transfer limitations. A lot of different materials and functions are available for microstructured components. First examples of applying such components on an industrial scale have been published. This article describes the potential of microtechnology for chemical process development and presents examples from research, development and production.