A chemical process transforms raw materials into finished products by means of a complex network of multiphase units, which provide both chemical reaction and physical separation between the components. The course provides basic knowledge of the most common reactive and non-reactive multiphase apparatuses, whose design is fundamental, especially in the setup of a sustainable process. The first part of the course is dedicated to the design of the most important non-reactive separation units such as filtration, flocculation, crystallization, distillation, etc. In the second part, the operation principles of multiphase reactors, where the reactants are found in different phases as well as in the catalyst (if present), is deepened to understand how the interference between mass transfer phenomena and kinetics eventually affects their conversion performance. Particular attention is devoted to electrochemical reactors and their applications in sustainable processes.

At the end of the course the students should be able to: - design the most common reactive and non-reactive multiphase apparatuses and their connections in the whole plant; - understand the importance of mass transfer phenomena on the final conversion and yield of multiphase reactors; - achieve basic knowledge of sustainable electrochemical processes.

To gain the best benefit from the course, the students must possess a basic knowledge in chemical thermodynamics and kinetics as well as transport phenomena.

The course is divided into two parts. The first part (multiphase non-reactive units) is focused on the following topics: Introduction on unit operations and chemical plants graphical representations. Sensors, process monitoring and intensification for multiphase processes. Physical separations: filtration, flocculation, sedimentation, centrifugation. Evaporation and condensation. Crystallization theory, equipment and process examples. Principles of distillation processes. Vapour-liquid equilibrium. Azeotropic mixtures. Distillation columns, components, materials balance and design principles The second part (multiphase reactors) is focused on the following topics: Nomenclature and short review of ideal homogeneous reactors. Multiphase gas-liquid reactors. The Hatta number and the enhancement factor. Design of packed bed columns. Heterogeneous catalytic reactions. The Langmuir-Hinshelwood-Hougen-Watson (LHHW) approach. Heterogeneous reactions in porous catalytical particles. The effectiveness factor and the Thiele Modulus. Design of a packed bed catalytic reactors: mass and heat balances and microkinetic modelling. The adiabatic catalytic burner, a simplified case study. Reactors with suspended solid catalyst: the fluidized bed reactor and the Kuni-Levenspiel model. Three-phase reactors (solid-fluid-fluid): slurry reactors and fixed-bed reactors (Trickle Bed reactors). Principles of Electrochemical reactions and processes. Applications in sustainable processes: hydrogen production and carbon dioxide conversion to substitute fossil fuel-based chemicals and fuels.

Lectures (55 hours) aim at developing basic knowledge to help understand the operation principles of the most common reactive and non-reactive units of a chemical process. Lectures are integrated with practical exercises (25 hours) aimed at solving simple problems related to the design of the different apparatuses as an application of the lesson subjects. The course includes a site visit of the Photo-electrochemistry Solar Fuels Lab (DISAT Department, Polytechnic).

Students are provided with the handouts or slides of the lectures. The following books are suggested to improve learning: 1) Westerterp, Van Swaaij, Beenackers, 1984, Chemical Reactor Design and Operation, John Wiley & Sons. 2) Froment, Bischoff, De Wilde, 2011, Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design, John Wiley & Sons. 3) Levenspiel, 1999, Chemical Reaction Engineering, John Wiley & Sons. 4) Rawlings, Ekerdt, 2002, Chemical Reactor Analysis and Design Fundamentals, Nob Hill Publishing. 5) Salmi, Mikkola, Warna, 2011, Chemical Reaction Engineering and Reactor Technology, CRC Press. 6) Coulson & Richardson’s CHEMICAL ENGINEERING VOLUME 6 FOURTH EDITION Chemical Engineering Design R. K. SINNOTT 7) Kern’s Process Heat Transfer, Ann Marie Flynn Toshihiro Akashige Louis Theodore 8) Perry's chemical engineer's handbook, Don W. Green, Marylee Southhard 9) Seader J.D., Henley E.J., Roper D. Keith, SEPARATION PROCESS PRINCIPLES, THIRD EDITION, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010. 10) Energy and Environment Series, Carbon Dioxide Electrochemistry: Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Catalysis, Edited by Marc Robert; Cyrille Costentin; Kim Daasbjerg. 11) Ottone C., Hernández S., Armandi M. , Bonelli B. Testing Novel Water Oxidation Catalysts for Solar Fuels Production, PoliTO Springer Series 2019.

Slides; Esercizi; Esercizi risolti;

Modalità di esame: Prova scritta (in aula);

Exam: Written test;

... The exam aims at verifying the acquisition of the knowledge and capacities that were the purpose of the course (and are reported in the “Expected Learning outcomes” box) through a two-hour written test. The written test involves the resolution of two calculation exercises, one on the design of a non-reactive multiphase unit and the other on the design of a multiphase chemical reactor.

Gli studenti e le studentesse con disabilità o con Disturbi Specifici di Apprendimento (DSA), oltre alla segnalazione tramite procedura informatizzata, sono invitati a comunicare anche direttamente al/la docente titolare dell'insegnamento, con un preavviso non inferiore ad una settimana dall'avvio della sessione d'esame, gli strumenti compensativi concordati con l'Unità Special Needs, al fine di permettere al/la docente la declinazione più idonea in riferimento alla specifica tipologia di esame.