Modelling of continuous reactors for flow chemistry

Flow chemistry is gaining increasing attention as a mean to achieve process intensification in the fine chemicals synthesis field. Furthermore, it can overcome heat and mass transfer limitations thanks to more efficient mixing, allowing applications characterised by insufficient yield or safety issues, when carried out in the traditional batch mode. Despite their spreading use, micro- and meso-reactors are complex systems that require some detailed modelling in order to achieve the desired process intensification effect. In this review, some examples will be provided dealing with three main modelling items. On one hand, kinetic modelling is needed in order to correctly size the reactor and to estimate its productivity with time-on-stream under different conditions. Then, fluid dynamics issues have to be carefully modelled to predict heat and mass transport properties, which are ultimately related to fluid flow inside micromixers and microreactors. All these topics will be discussed, to review the current developments in continuous microreactors modelling and design, together some examples of process simulation.