The Chemzyme Membrane Reactor in the Fine Chemicals Industry

Recovery of catalysts from homogeneous reaction mixtures is a major problem in the fine chemicals industry if the amount or the price of catalyst are not negligible. Product purification costs and catalyst costs are the main reasons for attempts to immobilise homogeneous catalyst, on inorganic supports or resins. We present a way to recycle the homogeneous catalyst in situ by binding it to homogeneous, soluble polymers, which can be retained by a membrane reactor system. Different research areas, which are contributing to the system, are discussed, and continuous processes on lab scale are presented.