Process intensification connects scales and disciplines towards sustainability

Abstract

Process intensification (PI) has been established as a cluster of technologies able to produce more with less. While scientists around the globe advocate for new semantics that are increasingly tied to the notion of sustainability, what does the literature data say about PI? A Vosviewer bibliometric map of PI displays it as closely linked to the subjects of design, optimization, gas-to-liquid technologies, mass transfer, catalysis, and kinetics. We analyze the relationship between PI and these subjects while identifying misconceptions about the intensifying potential of some of them, as is the case for process optimization. We provide examples and summarize the recent technological trends for all these cases. Finally, we provide an outlook on the future of PI in which we identify elements that will be key to accelerate the adoption of PI technologies at the commercial scale.

Emerging applications of process intensification for enhanced separation and energy efficiency, environmentally friendly sustainable adsorptive separations: A review

“…PI requires close interdisciplinarity with applied physics, chemistry, materials science, catalysis, electronics and mechanical engineering. 37 The key elements for the acceleration of the adoption of PI technologies at the commercial scale were identified by Boffito and Fernandez Rivas, 38 and several barriers were presented, such as the convenience of unit operations-oriented disciplines, conservativism in upper management/risk aversion, perceived scalability issues, supply chain fragility and lack of success stories. It was proposed that education on PI would be a tool for overcoming the barriers.…”

“…It was proposed that education on PI would be a tool for overcoming the barriers. 38 Measures of success and the key barriers to the increasing penetration of PI and process technologies were modulated to several institute metrics by Grieco and Yelvington 39 as energy efficiency, energy productivity, intensified process modules, costeffective module manufacturing, the potential for costeffective deployment, research and development portfolio; building industrial partnership and ecosystem; selfsustainment; trainer training; student educating; annual planning; industrial roadmap focusing on refining and expanding existing roadmap to include agriculture, food, pulp and paper, pharma/biotech; emerging supply chain: workshops to engage equipment, tool, sensor suppliers to enable the module manufacturing supply chain addressing and diversity. 39 Consequently, new developments and opportunities facilitated by PI can be expected by the chemical engineering community.…”

Emerging Leaders Special Series Preface

“…Title: Process Intensification connects scales and disciplines towards sustainability. [3] Dr. Boffito is the Canada Research Chair in Intensified Mechano-Chemical Green Processes for Sustainable Biomass Conversion, and combines her extensive industrial experience in process intensification, ultrasonics, and biomass transformation for exciting new areas of application, such as bioproducts, lubricants, and biofuels using extremely compact chemical plants. She has received numerous recognitions internationally, such as the Green Talents award (Italy), the Australia Awards Endeavour Research Fellowship, and an NSERC Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship.…”

Two-stage continuous production process for fatty acid methyl ester from high FFA crude palm oil using rotor-stator hydrocavitation

“…On the other hand, several researchers have recommended that a hydrodynamic cavitation has many benefits compared to other traditional techniques. The hydrodynamic cavitation reactors have many advantages; the cheapest and energy-efficient methods for useful generating cavitation, simple equipment setup, less chemical consumption, less time required, and relatively easy to scale-up for commercial-scale [28] , [29] , [30] . Furthermore, the hydrodynamic cavitation can generate more cavities due to its configuration.…”