Reactors

Reactors are idealized for the most different areas, standing out the Chemical Industry. In general, reactors are vessels designed to contain chemical reactions of interest and to industrial systems.

There are several types of chemical reactors and several ways to classify them according to the intended application. They usually operate in a steady state but can be operated in a transient state. There are three basic models used to estimate the most important process variables of different chemical reactors: batch, continuous stirred-tank or plug flow.

The reactors can also be classified according to the nature of the phases: homogeneous reactors with totally gaseous or liquid media, and heterogeneous reactors, with the reagents being in the different combinations of phases: gas-liquid, gas-solid, liquid-solid and gas-liquid-solid.

They can be adiabatic and isothermal, with systems of agitation and control of process variables (residence time, volume, temperature, pressure, concentration of chemical species, and heat transfer coefficients).