A combination glass and glass-lined steel reactor, which we refer to as the VERI reactor, provides the best of both materials of construction.
The glass-lined steel body allows for higher jacket pressures, allowing for higher heat transfer rates via higher turbulent jacket flows. The body’s material of construction also allows for higher temperature differentials, again providing higher heat transfer. Due to the flanged bottom outlet connection, the VERI reactor body can also utilize the De Dietrich glass-lined steel Clean Valve, which allows for a variety of functions without the need to interrupt the process and without dismantling the valve. Additionally, the glass-lined steel reactor body uses 150# or 300# ANSI jacket flanges and bolting, typically recommended by synthetic thermal fluid manufacturers.
The glass reactor head provides excellent visibility for observation of process scale up and development. It also simplifies the inspection process when you are confirming a CIP process. By looking right through the reactor cover you can easily assess important aspects of your operation, such as if your process is foaming, whether the solids disperse or clump, and any mixing issue that might be occurring (e.g. suspensions not adequate). The glass connections and mixer assembly are smaller than that of the glass-lined steel units and allow for more process connections. The glass cover bolts directly to glass overheads (distillation/rectification/other arrangements), providing the same observation benefits listed above.
Using strong, corrosion resistant glass-lined steel integrated with a glass cover and overheads, the VERI reactor features the same corrosion resistance as a glass-lined unit, but additional visibility. This combination reactor model is widely used in pilot plant units due to its robust design.