In chemistry, micro reaction technology results in a brand new approach if it comes to chemistry development. Developing new chemicals can be done much faster, cheaper and safer by miniaturising the reactions.

More concrete, micro reaction technology leads to the following advantages:

• High yield and selectivity
  The high yield leads to reduction of needed chemicals. The high selectivity leads to a reduction of difficult and costly purification steps. 
• High surface to volume ratio
  This creates excellent mass- and heat transfer possibilities. When using a heater or cooler in the reactor, almost no temperature gradients in the reactor exists. Highly endothermic or exothermic reactions can be carried out at almost isotherm conditions.
• Inherently safe processing
  Due to the very small hold-up of fluids in a chip during any part of the process, the processing is very safe, even when working with dangerous (explosive, corrosive) chemicals. Therefore, uncommon reaction conditions are possible. The microfluidic devices Micronit develops can handle pressures up to 100 bar (1450 psi) or more, and temperatures of several hundred degrees centigrade (depending on glass specifications). 
• Optical inspection/analysis
  When using glass as a micro reactor construction material, optical inspection of the process is one of the obvious advantages. And when using specific glass types, even online infrared or UV spectroscopy is possible. 
• Two phase flow in one channel
  The use of a microfluidic chip for chemical reactions enables a two phase flow in one channel.
• Optimal mixing conditions
  Multi-layer microreactors can function as mixer, resulting in very short mixing times, reaching ideally mixed conditions within very short periods.

Scaling up
Microfluidic chips are typically used in a modular system. When scaling up a chemical process, no larger reactor needs to be designed, just more micro reactors are being placed parallel to each other. Advantages of this modular system are:

• Maintenance is quite easy and cost efficient. No total reactor downtime is necessary. The defect module is just taken out of the system and repaired.
• Bulk process conditions are the same as "prototype" conditions
• Scaling up is easy and time and cost efficient

The Micronit solution
Micronit offers a microfluidic solution to the chemical industry. We develop customized, functionalized glass microreactors with the necessary connection tools. We functionalize the microreactor, by modifying the surface and integrating other materials and electrodes.