Question

What is the advantages and disadvantages of the batch reactor and plug flow reactor ?

Answer 1

First let me describe the difference between the two in generic terms.

Batch reactor, as the name sugggests, is a discontinuous operation in quantum of batches. Single batch is prepared and processed eact time.

Plug flow reactor on the other hand is continuous in nature. The feed enters on one end and the product comes out from other in non-stop operation.

In petroleum, oil, gas industry we moslty see continuous operations because of high volumes involved in processing.

Pharmaceutical industry mostly uses batch reactors. Because quality control is very strict in such industry, it allows more precise control of the process. Each batch can be certified individually and aif something wrong happens one that batch is discarded. In contnuous process, whole product tank would have to be discraded in such situations.