ABSTRACT
Batch chemical processing is still widely used and offers advantages over continuous operations in certain cases. These cases include manufacturing operations in which flexibility is required in either the rate or mix of products, in cases
where the throughput is very small or the chemistry is not applicable to continuous operations, and in cases where lot integrity must be maintained. The selection of a batch vs. continuous operation is based on many factors (see Table 2.1). A large-scale manufacturing process, such as the refining of petroleum, involves many continuous operations. A small-scale process, such as the production of a highly specialized chemical reagent, may be mostly done in batch operations. A heuristic rule suggests that products with annual requirements of more than 500,000 kg are more economically efficient when done in continuous operations.
