Flow processes with microstructured reactors allow paradigm changes in process development and thus can enable a faster development time to the final production plant. They do this by exploiting similarity effects along the development chain (modularity) and intensification. The final result can be a (significantly) reduced number of apparatus in the plant, a (significantly) reduced apparatus size, and a higher predictability in the scale-out of the apparatus. So far, this was mainly achieved via transport intensification given in microstructured reactorsimproved mixing and heat transfer which increase productivity and possibly improve selectivity. A more new idea is chemical intensification through deliberate use of harsh chemistries at unusual (high) pressure, temperature, concentration, and reaction environment which again increases productivity. A very new idea is the process design intensification -the reaction-maximized flow processes need less separation expenditure and the small unit size together with the high degree in functionality gives large potential for system integration. Both means change and simplify the process scheme totally which can lead to a reduced number of apparatus and has impact on predictability. The modular nature of the small flow units allow an easy implementation to modern modular plant environments (Future Factories) which enables to perform all the testing cycles (lab, pilot, production) in one plant environment; an example are here container plants. All these measures have large potential for (much) decreased overall development time.

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An overview on the separation/recycling methods for homogeneous transition metal catalysts in continuous flow on the lab- and industrial scale is provided.

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Konti‐Prozesse mit mikrostrukturierten Reaktoren ermöglichen Paradigmenwechsel in der Prozessentwicklung und damit auch kürzere Entwicklungszeiten bis hin zur Produktionsanlage. Der Schlüssel liegt hier in analogen Prozesszuständen in der Entwicklungskette (Numbering‐up), Standardisierung (Modularität) und Intensivierung. Das Resultat ist letztendlich eine reduzierte Apparateanzahl und ‐größe und eine höhere Voraussagekraft im Scale‐out der Anlagen. Dies wird bislang meistens über die Transport‐Intensivierung in mikrostrukturierten Reaktoren bewirkt. Ein neuer, mehr und mehr genutzter Ansatz ist die Chemie‐Intensivierung durch Einsatz harscher Chemie bei ungewöhnlichen Reaktionsparametern und maßgeschneiderter Reaktionsumgebung. Eine ganz neuer Ansatz besteht zudem in der Prozessdesign‐Intensivierung – zum einen brauchen selektivitätsoptimierte Durchflussprozesse weniger Reinigungsaufwand, zum anderen haben mikrostrukturierte Reaktoren aufgrund ihrer kleinen Baugröße und der Möglichkeit zur internen Funktionalisierung großes Potenzial für die Systemintegration. Beide Maßnahmen verändern und vereinfachen das gesamte Prozessschema grundlegend. Der modulare Aufbau der kleinen Konti‐Einheiten erlaubt eine einfache Implementation in moderne modulare Anlagenumgebungen, in denen alle Testzyklen (Labor, Pilot, Produktion) in einer Anlagenumgebung durchgeführt werden sollen, wie z. B. Container‐Anlagen.

This paper presents a techno‐economic assessment of three novel routes for the production of bio‐based aromatics from lignin. It aims to provide insights into their feasibility and hotspots at an early stage of development to guide further research and development and to facilitate commercialization. The lignin conversion routes are: (non‐catalytic) lignin pyrolysis, direct hydrodeoxygenation (HDO), and hydrothermal upgrading (HyThUp). The products generated are mixed oxygenated aromatic monomers (MOAMON), light organics, heavy organics, and char. For the technical assessment, conceptual design followed by process modeling in Aspen Plus was based on experimental yields. The models generated indispensable data on material and energy flows. An economic assessment was then conducted by estimating operating and capital costs. Return on investment (ROI), payback period (PBP), and net present value (NPV) were used as key performance indicators. Downstream processing was especially demanding in the HyThUp process due to the presence of a significant flow rate of water in the system, which significantly increased external utility requirements. Due to complex separations, the HyThUp process showed the highest capital cost (35% more than pyrolysis). Operating costs were the highest for the direct HDO process (34% more than pyrolysis) due to the use of hydrogen. Overall, the direct HDO process showed the highest ROI (12%) and the shortest PBP (5 years) due to high yields of valuable heavy organics (32%) and MOAMON (24%). Direct HDO was found to be feasible with a positive NPV based on prices used in the assessment. Among the three processes investigated, the direct HDO process therefore appeared to be the most promising, and consideration should be given to further development and commercialization of this process. © 2019 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts, and Biorefining published by Society of Chemical Industry and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.