Cranfield University use the Tornado Reactor, Breeze Workstation and the Huber Ministat circulator combination to perform temperature controlled parallel reactions in a small space

Cranfield university case study

Contact: Konstantinos Vasilakos

Organisation: Cranfield University

Department: Water Department

Country: UK

Product: Tornado IS6 Reactor and Huber Ministat 230

Case Study No: CS1100

The Situation

In the beginning of our membrane crystallization experiments, a simple jacketed reactor system setup was used, with a circulator both for the hot and the cold side of the system. By using this set-up we were able to run one experiment at a time, at the temperatures we needed and with the results we wanted, but when finishing, there were problems extracting the crystals produced and in continuing on with our procedure.

The Objective

We started looking for possible alternative technologies that would allow us to have an independent heating system, that would allow heating of the reactors, yet also allow us to remove them from the heat source with ease, without having the fear of losing our solutions (avoiding possible flooding).

We also decided that we would have to run more than one experiment at a time and in a limited lab space; so needed a compact parallel or multi-reactor system.

Last but not least, even though we could define the temperature we needed to work with on our existing circulator, we did not have a live feedback of the solution temperature within the reactor.

The Results

To solve these problems, we purchased three new products. The Tornado IS6 parallel reactor, Breeze Heating/Cooling Workstation and the Huber Ministat 230 circulator with a Pilot ONE touchscreen. This combination solved all of our problems.

Tornado’s ability to support 6 reactors in such a tight space and the way the reactors are heated/cooled via the Breeze and Minstat, gives us the opportunity not only to run up to 6 experiments at the same time in a small space, but we also don’t have to use jacketed reactors.

This allows us to further process the crystals we produce with great ease and prevent incidents that would make the laboratory an unsafe place to work.

Moreover, with Huber Ministat 230, we manage to precisely control the temperature. The live temperature feedback and the easy access of the unit’s controller through the Pilot ONE touchscreen makes the Ministat a perfect choice for temperature control.

Tornado in use

Radleys were able to provide us with state of the art solutions we needed in order to continue our research without any problems related to the technical aspects of it. A relationship that started with conversations trying to establish the best available solution, the delivery and the installation of the technologies, continued now with the constant support of the Radleys sales and technician teams and we are more than happy to continue using their products. I would highly recommend their technologies and services.