Peakdale upgrades kilo lab
two large-scale glass reaction systems from Radleys to upgrade the
capabilities of its kilo-scale laboratory.
Opened last year, the new facility is being used to produce a greater range of pharmaceutical intermediates more quickly and cost effectively than was possible on conventional laboratory scale production equipment.
In moving from conventional laboratory scale to the 30 and 50 litre reactor systems, Peakdale had to overcome issues including the provision of efficient heat exchange to cope with exothermic reactions and quenches; the ability to use the 50 litre system as a quench vessel for the smaller system and using gravity wherever practical to effect liquid transfer from vessel to vessel or rotary evaporator, cutting out the need for pump systems.
Radleys designed the purpose-built glass reaction systems to meet these requirements, and also supplied the required heating / cooling units, an integral part of the reactor systems.
The kilo lab is claimed to cut the time to produce products by up to 10 times, allowing the firm to recoup its investment in the facility in six months. The primary function of the new unit is to scale-up the energetic processes used to generate the proprietary compounds in Peakdale's intermediates catalogue.
