Process Intensification

Abstract

Abstract Process intensification is a set of radically innovative process design principles that can bring significant benefits in terms of efficiency, cost, product quality, safety, and health, over conventional process designs based on (conventional) unit operations. The principles are perfect reactions, optimized driving forces, and synergy. The PI unit operations generated by these principles via research can be classified into spatial domain, alternative energy supply, synergy, and dynamic operation. In addition to these PI unit operations, a PI process concept design method, based on function integration, has also been developed, and finally, there is also a new engineering and construction method with modular design and prefabricated skid‐mounted construction. Many PI unit operations and PI‐based processes have been implemented at commercial scale. The largest number of unit operation implementations are reactive distillation, dividing wall distillation, and microwave heating. The main benefits are reduced investment cost, reduced energy requirements, and lower diffusive emissions to the environment. Several universities have included PI in their education program as elective courses.