Improved Efficiency of Micro Flow Synthesis Reactions with Smoothflow Technology

Using High Pressure Q Series Smoothflow Pumps to Improve Flow Chemistry Experiments and Research.

Flow Chemistry is a field which has continued to receive a tremendous amount of research as manufacturers and research facilities alike aim to improve the efficiency and repeatability of their experiments. As a means to increase the overall reaction efficiency of their experiments, many companies are moving away from single batch methods to ultra-trace amounts of inline reactions. This allows for reactions to be carried out continuously with more control and precision.

However, since the path that the chemicals flow and react is very thin, these type of reactions must performed at high speeds so high pressure are needed to achieve this.

Also, since trace amounts of chemicals are used for these reactions, pumps which are capable of supplying chemicals with severe precision are demanded.

In addition, some of the solutions that are used are very difficult to handle, and if it comes into contact with the air, it will react to even the slightest amount of moisture in the air, and there is a risk of heat generation and fire.

Lastly, although it is still now in the research stage, continuous drivability is also an important point in anticipation of mass production in the future.

For flow chemistry experiments, syringe pumps and plunger pumps are generally the most commonly used. However, when these type of pumps are used during these experiments, there are a number of problems that arise that can negatively alter the results of these experiments and thus waste valuable time and effort.

Syringe Pumps:

・ The accuracy is good but continuous operation is not possible.

・ The pump breaks down very quickly after becoming high pressure.

・ Maintenance is too difficult to perform on site. Users usually have to send the pump back to the manufacturer in order to perform standard maintenance.

・ These syringe pumps are very expensive.

Plunger Pumps:

・ They are capable of high pressure and high degrees of accuracy, but since its structure is not completely sealed, moisture from the air mixes with our chemicals and ruins users results.

・ In order to avoid air contact at the sliding parts, we have to use a chemical hood(nitrogen purge in the chamber). However, it becomes very expensive and the large-scale equipment is difficult to install in research facilities as space is limited.

・ The plunger pumps themselves are very expensive due to their design and structure.

For users who are demanding a more convenient, easier to use, and more reliable pump, we would like to introduce our high pressure type Q Series Smoothflow Pump. Users who have moved away from syringe pumps and plunger pumps to adopt our high pressure Q Series Smoothflow Pump have been able to resolve the problems associated with these other type of pumps.

High Pressure Q Series Smoothflow Pump:

・ The completely sealed structure of this diaphragm pump has made it possible for user to transfer highly reactive chemicals without having to worry about them reacting with the air. This can also help the user reduce the overall costs of large, additional equipment such as chemical hoods.

・ The compact, small size of the pump makes it much more affordable and easier to handle. This allows users to economize on the space necessary to install the pumps in their research facilities.

・ Given the design of the Q Series Smoothflow Pump and its use of a stepping motor, it is capable of transferring liquids with the incredibly high accuracy needed for flow chemistry experiments.

・ Due to the general working principle of diaphragm pumps, the Q Series pump has superior repeatibility which assures that the exact same amount of solution is being transferred every time to guarantee the best test results.

・ Lastly, thanks to the Smoothflow Technology used in our Q Series pump, it is capable of transferring liquids constantly without pulsation or stopping, so continuous operations are possible which were originally thought to be impossible due to the limitations of syringe and plunger pumps.

We have also begun to see success with these research facilities and manufacturers as they shift from the research stage to the production phase. Since the design, mechanism and general principle is the same throughout our entire Smoothflow lineup, scaling up from the research phase to the production phase is very easy because the performance of all our Smoothflow Pumps are linear so there is no need to search for and reevaluate a new type of pump for production.