The Formation of Another Phase in the Reactor

Summary

With some chemical reactions a product is formed that separates itself from the reaction phase, to form another phase. A gas may evolve from a liquid; a liquid phase may condense from a gaseous mixture; a liquid may separate into two liquids; a solid may be precipitated from a liquid or a gas phase. In a number of ways, the formation of another phase may influence the rate of the reaction. Sometimes, the newly formed phase becomes a reaction phase. In the case of the precipitation of solids, the phenomena of nucleation, surface growth, aggregation and agglomeration determine the size and structure of the formed solid particles. These phenomena are determined by the conditions in the reactor, including the hydrodynamical regime. Therefore, reactor conditions during precipitation processes generally determine the quality of solid products. This may have important consequences for reactor design.