Continuous processing is a means of expanding plant capacity with minimal capital investment, while providing more accurate control of product purity. In the specialty and commodity chemical industries, continuous processing has been used for many years to maximize throughput and minimize costs via continuous reactions, distillations, phase separations and chromatography.

AFC has been a leader in the introduction of continuous processing to the cGMP manufacturing of intermediates and active ingredients. Based on our long and successful history of using continuous processes to produce thousands of metric tons per year of various energetic compounds for the defense industry, our experienced team of engineers and chemists has integrated continuous processing into two of our cGMP technology platforms: SMB chromatography and energetic reactions.

At the heart of the SMB technology is the continuous separation of
binary mixtures. Product identity is defined by time intervals. Government
regulators have approved this concept in numerous audits of the AFC
method of manufacturing API’s in the SMB units. For example, a U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) audit in April 2007 resulted in zero
observations (problems).

Conducting energetic reactions in a continuous mode is typically the safest (and sometimes only) way to effect the synthesis. AFC has implemented this across numerous platforms, including the use of diazomethane-fed continuous reactors for the manufacturing of hundreds of metric tons of advanced intermediates and API’s.

AFC is currently developing batch-to-continuous conversions for the proprietary processes of two customers. Our services include process development and engineering and production of of kilogram to multi-ton quantities of fine chemicals under Continues Processing Conditions. We stand ready to apply our continuous processing expertise to assist others in reducing costs and improving control of chemical processes.

View Examples of Continuous Reactions / Processes.

View an article about reducing costs through continuous processing.