Novel multiphase chemical reaction systems enabled by microfabrication technology

Advances in MEMS (micro-electromechanical systems) have enabled some of the "Lab-on-a-Chip" technologies and microfluidics that are pervasive in many of the current developments in analytical chemistry and molecular biology. Coinciding with this effort in micro-analytics has been research in chemical process miniaturization -- reducing the characteristic length scale of the unit operation to improve heat and mass transfer, and ultimately process performance. My research has involved the design and fabrication of novel chemical reaction systems using MEMS and microfabrication methods (photolithography, deep-reactive-ion etching, thin-film growth and deposition, and multiple wafer bonding). Miniature chemical systems provide the opportunity for distributed, on-demand manufacturing, which would eliminate the hazards of transportation and storage of toxic or hazardous chemical intermediates. Reactions that are particularly suitable for miniaturized chemical systems are those that are fast and involve toxic intermediates: the controlled synthesis of phosgene is such a reaction and has been demonstrated in a microfabricated packed bed reactor. Owing to the high surface-to-volume ratios, micro chemical systems also have the potential to make improvements in process performance through enhanced heat and mass transfer.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Chemical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2001

Author dc:creator

• Losey, Matthew W

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Klavs F. Jensen and Martin A. Schmidt.

• Chemical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/8634

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/8634