New Workstation to Investigate Thermal and Hazard Risk of a Wide Range of Chemical Processes

The RC1e™ Process Safety Workstation from METTLER TOLEDO is a semi-automated workstation and when used in combination with METTLER TOLEDO iC Safety™ software, can be used to investigate thermal and hazard risk of a wide range of chemical processes. Enhanced reaction control reduces the risk of large-scale failures that endanger lives, equipment and profits in an increasingly competitive worldwide market.

"Using the RC1e™, process safety, data quality and reaction reliability are enhanced while related costs are reduced," said Urs Groth, Marketing Communication Manager, Reaction Engineering, METTLER TOLEDO. "A precision thermostat instantly determines all critical process parameters and, with the help of iC Safety™ software, manufacturers can engage in process development that make reactions safer, more repeatable and more economical."

Groth adds that a thorough understanding of reagent properties of materials going into process development is essential for improved process safety. This holds true for engineers in highly sensitive industries across the board including pharmaceutical, polymer, biopharma, specialty chemical and fine chemical. The RC1e™ provides quality data on both desired outcomes and undesired reactive potential to identify and mitigate thermal risk. By collecting real-time heat flow data and recording a chemical’s reactivity potential, runaway reactions are anticipated and can be avoided through appropriate process development and safety measures.

The RC1e™ Process Safety Workstation and iC Safety™ software module combine the precision of the proven RC1e™ measuring technology with data handling experience gleaned from the most respected safety labs around the globe.

Data traceability is key, and with the click of a mouse, engineers access important information on mass and heat balances, heat transfer, specific heat capacity, heat flow and the enthalpy of a given reaction.

But the RC1e-iC Safety™ workstation-software combination goes even further. This robust pairing provides advanced information such as ΔTad, accumulation, conversion and MTSR, as well as a chemical process’s maximum achievable temperature. Process safety data is then turned into a "Runaway and Criticality" graph which presents process safety risk in a standard, easily deciphered format.

"The development of this powerful, semi-automated system draws on more than 30 years of experience in reaction calorimetry and process safety", said Groth. "The effective pairing of the RC1e™ Process Safety Workstation and iC Safety™ software module is just one more way METTLER TOLEDO is helping engineers quickly obtain the information that makes chemical process development safer, more economical and more environmentally-friendly than ever before."