For the polymer industry, process intensification is now being embraced as a revolutionary approach to process and plant design. The reduced processing steps as well as the equipment footprint, minimize costs, increase flexibility and deliver higher yields.

Polymerizations, including those that change phases during the reaction, require solvents or diluents to reduce viscosity and promote heat transfer to meet the specification of the product. Temperature control is especially crucial when dealing with highly viscous, sticky materials by lowering or eliminating solvent. The solvents must then be removed during the final stages of the process, recovered, purified, or possibly disposed of as toxic waste.

In an effort to increase cost efficiency while streamlining polymer processes, many companies are discovering polymer processes in the concentrated phase for processes without or less solvents.

Due to this process intensification, process steps can be eliminated and the recovery step can be simplified. As a result, innovative processes enables to reduce space and energy consumption, increase process efficiency, and lower their CAPEX and OPEX. Processing in the concentrated is a solution for effective process intensification. The result is a recreated or new process solution leading to the savings of raw material with improved product qualities.

Processing in the concentrated phase also has wide benefits for the environment. The reduction or elimination of solvents produces less toxic materials resulting in a cleaner production Environment.