Tandem Dual Vessel Glass Reactor 2x20L Cascade Synthesis PLC Temperature Control

The FPGR-T20D tandem reactor couples two 20 litre jacketed borosilicate vessels on a single stainless frame, with a jacketed transfer line and PTFE valve between them so that a two stage synthesis can run without an intermediate hold tank. The first vessel normally carries the reaction while the second receives the crude for quench, pH adjustment, washing or crystallisation. Each vessel has its own jacket circuit, its own agitator drive and its own temperature sensor, which means stage one can be held at reflux while stage two is cooled to zero, all within one footprint of roughly 1.6 square metres.

Both vessels are formed from 3.3 borosilicate glass and share the same cover port pattern, so condensers, dropping funnels and pH probes can be moved from one to the other without adaptors. A programmable logic controller sequences the two drives, the jacket circulation valves and the transfer valve, and a seven inch touchscreen records the temperature and agitation profile of the whole campaign as a batch report. For laboratories that currently move a batch between two separate reactors on a trolley, the tandem arrangement removes the transfer losses, the cleaning of a third vessel and the operator exposure that goes with a manual pour.

• Two Independent Jacket Circuits: each vessel has its own chiller or circulator connection, allowing simultaneous reflux and sub zero cooling on one frame
• Jacketed Transfer Line: a PTFE lined valve and jacketed line connect the vessels so a heated transfer does not crystallise in the pipework
• PLC Sequence Control: a seven inch touchscreen runs drive speed, jacket valve changeover and transfer timing as a single recipe with batch logging
• Identical Cover Port Pattern: condensers, funnels and probes move between vessels without adaptors, reducing the accessory inventory
• Compact Two Vessel Footprint: the tandem frame occupies about 1.6 square metres yet provides 40 litres of jacketed reaction volume
• Full Visual Access: both vessels remain fully transparent, so an operator can watch a colour change or an emulsion break in either stage

The cascade arrangement fits two stage organic synthesis where an unstable intermediate must be quenched immediately, peptide and oligonucleotide work where coupling and cleavage are separated by a wash, and natural product extraction where a hot alcoholic extract is precipitated into cold water in the second vessel. Dye and pigment manufacturers use it for diazotisation followed by coupling, and battery materials laboratories use it for co-precipitation followed by an ageing hold. Pilot groups value the batch log for technology transfer, because the temperature and agitation history of a successful campaign can be replayed on the production unit.

The frame is trial assembled and the transfer circuit pressure tested before dispatch, and the control recipe is simulated against the delivered hardware. Both vessels are hydro tested at 0.2 MPa. Glass travels in foam lined cartons; the frame and control cabinet ship in a plywood case with the touchscreen protected. A spare gasket set, a wiring diagram and the PLC project archive on USB are included. The tandem unit carries a twelve month warranty, transit breakage is replaced free of charge, and our engineers can commission the control recipe remotely or on site.