QRCC Computer Controlled Catalytic Reactors

The Computer Controlled Catalytic Reactors, "QRCC", has been designed by EDIBON to perform the saccharose hydrolysis reaction in a continuous way by using catalytic fixed-bed reactors application.

Saccharose hydrolysis is the industrial process to obtain glucose and fructose from saccharose. It is a reversible chemical reaction.

The "QRCC" unit consists of three fixed bed reactors. Two of them are fixed-bed reactors for chemical catalysis, composed of the same chemical catalyst, called ion exchange resins, but with different granulometry between them. The third reactor is a fixed-bed reactor for biological (enzymatic) catalysis, which is prepared for use with an immobilized enzyme through which we will pass our product, in this case sucrose, to proceed to its hydrolysis.

Saccharose hydrolysis is favoured with temperatures around 50 °C – 60 °C. For this purpose the reactors are jacketed and hot water is circulated through them. The temperature of this water is controlled by PID control through the control software.

Feeding saccharose to our reactors is done through a peristaltic pump which allows the regulation of speed through the control software. The resulting solution is pumped to the final-product flask. From this point on it will be analysed with a spectrophotometer that is adapted to "QRCC" unit interface.

As an optional supply, there is the possibility of acquiring the additional recommended element Computer Controlled Flow Injection Analysis (FIA) Unit, "QRCC-IF". This unit is a Flow Injection Analysis system, which is used to measure the conversion degree of the reaction of the saccharose hydrolysis in a continuous way.

This Computer Controlled Unit is supplied with the EDIBON Computer Control System (SCADA), and includes: The unit itself + a Control Interface Box + a Data Acquisition Board + Computer Control, Data Acquisition and Data Management Software Packages, for controlling the process and all parameters involved in the process.