creating the future of production

www.f3factory.eu ISSUE 1 08/2010

A new paradigm in sustainable production

technology for the EU chemical industry
Launched in June 2009, F3 Factory is a major 530 million
public/private initiative that is seeking to enhance the
EU chemical industrys competitive position through
the development of faster, more flexible and efficient
manufacturing methods.
The F3 Factory consortium - of Key objectives of the project involve
25 industrial/academic partners the definition and delivery of:
from 9 EU States - is crossing standardised, modular,
competitive boundaries to create continuous production technology
a new paradigm in sustainable to which intensified process
production methodology. equipment can be connected Consortium partners from 25 EU organisations at the launch meeting in June 2009
As a key, large scale demonstrator whole process design methodology
project, F3 Factory is seeking (through the application of novel Industrial application areas Project activity is on track and the
to combine the flexibility of process intensification concepts targeted within the project partners are confident of delivering
batch manufacturing with the and decision tools) include solvent-free specialty radically new production techniques
efficiency of large scale continuous large scale demonstration polymers, innovative surfactants, that will help to generate new
manufacturing to establish the capability to test the F3 Factory compounds for the healthcare business and drive estimated
factory of the future for the concept across a wide range of industry and materials from savings of around 54 billion for
European chemical industry. existing chemical products. renewable resources. the EU chemical industry.

Spirit of engagement and

creativity key to success
Sigurd Buchholz, Bayer Technology Services (Project Co-ordinator).
F3 Factory has been running for just over a year now and much progress Tobias Grmping (left) and Sigurd Buchholz (right)
has been made across the various work packages. of BTS view a modular microreactor test rig

Key developments include:
lab-scale equipment for industrial
demonstrations - now in place
construction on the backbone
facility infrastructure has
commenced
a common agreement has been
established for the infrastructure
design and process intensification
methodology
engagement with wider interest
groups to ensure standardisation
and applicability across a broad
stakeholder group
A strong common F3 Factory
spirit was established from the
outset of the project with a high
level of engagement amongst
project partners, positive
exchanges across national borders,
companies and institutions and
a strong commitment to good
communication. Meetings and
workshops have taken place
across Europe to enable this
inter-disciplinary teamwork. These
face-to-face interactions have been
complemented by web-based and
teleconference meetings.
An electronic sharepoint facility
accessible to all project partners,
was quickly established to allow
rapid exchange of information,
discussion of ideas and creation
of new approaches to individual
sub-project activity. In addition,
a public website was launched to
enable wider communication of the
projects aims and objectives and
encourage engagement with
a broader range of stakeholders.
The F3 Factory vision of a highly
efficient, modular manufacturing
platform - with broad applicability
across the EU chemical and
pharmaceutical industries -
requires a simultaneous and highly
interdisciplinary approach where
processes, products, methodology
and infrastructure are developed in
parallel. Tasks, ideas, achievements
and drawbacks are readily
communicated with consortium
partners, leading to a process of
constant innovation, revision
and application.
Output from the F3 Factory will
clearly be of great interest to a
range of stakeholders beyond
the project partners. Seven
industrial case studies delivered
through the project will be a
basis for developments beyond
the initial project scope and it is
envisaged that the technology
requirements, modular process and
equipment design will lead to a
standardisation accepted among
the EU chemical manufacturing
community. Data exchange with
other EU projects and initiatives is
also a key focus of the project.
As project co-ordinator, BTS is
confident that the structure and
spirit of the F3 Factory project is
set-up perfectly to achieve its key
aim of providing a new and highly
efficient manufacturing platform
for Europe.

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Communitys
Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n 228867
ISSUE 1 08/2010 creating the future of production

Seven industrial demonstration projects

to showcase the F3 Factory concept
The F3 Factory represents a substantial, large-scale demonstrator project for the European chemical industry. A key focus of
the project is the effective demonstration of the new modular technology across seven industrial demonstration case studies.
These industrial projects cover annual production capacities ranging from The industrial case studies are linked by cross-project activities covering
kilograms to 1000's of tonnes across three key industry sectors: business case development, process development, plant operation,
reaction and downstream equipment design, lab scale validation and
Pharmaceutical intermediates - AstraZeneca, Bayer Technology Services demonstration. Together the work will contribute to a handbook of F3
Factory standards for process and plant design that will be widely available
Specialty polymers - BASF, Rhodia to the European chemistry-using industries.
In this newsletter we feature three of the industrial case studies. Further
Large scale intermediates - Arkema, Evonik, Procter & Gamble information on all industrial case studies will be available on the F3 Factory
website over the coming months as the individual projects progress.

Use of novel technologies

BTS proposed PEC layout for the HIVISCOP
continuous solvent-free polymerisation process
HIVISCOP - Solvent-free
for highly exothermic
reactions
Horst Zanthoff, Evonik Industries
Evonik Industries a global leader in specialty chemicals
and its project partners, are investigating the use of novel
technologies for highly exothermic reactions.

specialty polymer manufacture Two technologies are being

investigated for demonstration
The experimental work
demonstrated that the structured
catalyst packings intensified mass
in the F3 Factory which could
Achim Stammer, BASF help Evonik become more flexible and heat transfer, enhancing
The F3 Factory concept will enable BASF to transfer a in production capacities, use of selectivity and space time yield
different feed qualities and faster as well as simplifying reactor
multi-product batch polymerisation of a high temperature scale-up procedures. construction.
thermoplastic in an organic solvent to a continuous solvent
Depending on the respective Components for a jet loop reactor
free process with multiple product lines. The polymers
reactions investigated, preliminary with an innovative integrated cold
manufactured have a range of domestic, medical and work suggests that it should be membrane separation unit have
engineering applications. possible to achieve an increase also been procured.
Working with Bayer Technology A conceptual layout for the HIVISCOP in space-time-yield of +50%; a
Jet-loop reactors have narrow gas
Services and a number of Process Equipment Container (PEC) reduction in reactor manufacturing
bubble distribution with a smaller
academic partners, BASF is has already been produced by Bayer costs of 50% and energy use by up
size compared to conventional
seeking to demonstrate a new Technology Services. Also, BASF has to 20%; enhanced safety in plant
bubble columns.
manufacturing process within the developed an on-line measurement operation as well as CO2 and other
F3 Factory project. This involves a technique applicable to high-torque savings. In combination with the integrated
modular continuous plant using a kneaders. This technology has cold membrane separation
Highly exothermic reactions
high torque kneader reactor capable been shared with project partners technology they offer an intelligent
traditionally suffer from limited
of processing high viscosity fluids. Buss-SMS-Canzler and the University approach to significantly reduce
heat and mass transfer capabilities.
The new technology will also enable of Paderborn, who will use it manufacturing cost and energy
Current reactor technologies for
the polymerisation reaction to during equipment validation and input.
exothermic reactions are therefore
be carried out without the use of process trials. In parallel, a team complex and unique for each Bringing the new mindset
solvents resulting in associated at the Technical University of product and mainly economic embodied within the F3 Factory
cost and environmental benefits. Eindhoven has developed a new only in world scale capacities, project to reality requires more
Multiple product lines based on one dimensional Computational i.e. > 100,000 tonnes per annum. than typical partnerships.
the F3 Factory modular plant Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of
concept - will enable a range the kneader reactor which will be Within the F3 Factory project The F3 Factory consortium - with its
of tailored products to be validated using results obtained to date, experimental work on outstanding combination of experts
manufactured in a more efficient from the trial work conducted at the structured catalyst packings has from academia and industry - is a
manner. University of Paderborn. been carried out. guarantee to success.

For further updates visit www.f3factory.eu

ISSUE 1 08/2010
Sustainable manufacturing
of anionic surfactants
for consumer goods
Alberto Simoncelli, Procter & Gamble
As well as being one of the worlds largest consumer goods manufacturers, Procter & Gamble
(P&G) is also one of the largest global manufacturers of surfactants used in detergents.
Together with its industrial and
academic partners in the project,
P&G is seeking to demonstrate
that an F3 Factory concept for
intensified, modular, production of
surfactants can shift the balance
from centralized, large scale
surfactant manufacturing plants
towards distributed, smaller
plants, following a supply chain
approach described as: produce
whats needed, when needed,
where needed.
The F3 Factory demonstration
plant will focus on two primary
chemistries for surfactant
manufacture SO2 oxidation and
sulf(on)ation. Current surfactant
manufacturing technology is not
well suited to installation in small
plants closer to the final detergent
manufacturing facility because the
equipment is designed to minimize
capital and operating costs by
leveraging economies of scale.
Within the F3 Factory Project, P&G
is looking to develop manufacturing
technologies using a holistic
approach that optimizes the entire
value chain, including CAPEX, OPEX,
logistics and R&D costs.
F3 Factory to focus on new methodological approaches
Mark Talford, Britest
Consortium partners from across the F3 Factory project are collaborating to develop new methodological approaches to
support the uptake of the F3 Factory concept by the wider EU chemistry-using industries.
The Technical University of Dortmund
is leading the development of a
novel software tool ProMoT - that
will support the business case
development for the adoption of
F3 Factory concepts based on
economic and environmental
benefits. Initial background data
supplied by the industrial partners,
has provided base cases for
comparison with F3 Factory concepts.
creating the future of production
Highlights
of other
industrial
case study
projects
This requires unit operations that Institute of Chemical Process Arkema is evaluating reactor
are considerably smaller, more Fundamentals (ICPF) has carried designs for a process to
flexible, possibly modular, and out an extensive structured manufacture acrylic acid from
simpler to operate than current literature survey on SO2 oxidation bio-diesel derived glycerol.
large scale technologies, but which has populated some gaps in
without excessive compromises on understanding. ICPF and Karlsruhe AstraZeneca has demonstrated
CAPEX and OPEX. Institute of Technology have also a novel isolation technology
carried out process modelling at the laboratory scale on a
Work to date has focused on the and simulation work and Britest pharmaceutical intermediate.
tasks of combined process and is developing a methodological
Bayer Technology Services
reactor design. A team at the approach to process development.
has demonstrated that two
chemical stages in their
F Factory distributed manufacturing could further
3
pharmaceutical intermediates
enhance P&Gs sustainability goals demonstrator can be operated in
continuous process intensification
2012 Sustainability Goal - Operations (PI) equipment with equivalent
or better performance than the
GOAL Deliver an additional 20% reduction (per unit production) in traditional batch process.
CO2 emissions, energy consumption, water consumption and disposed
waste from P&G plants, leading to a total reduction over the decade
Rhodia is evaluating novel
of at least 50%. intensified reaction equipment
for polymer production based on
PROGRESS SINCE SINCE polyacrylic acids at both the lab
(percent reduction per unit production) July 2007 July 2002 scale (with project partners at
ENSIC-INPL and TU Dortmund)
Energy Usage -11% -48%
and at pilot plant scale.
CO2 Emissions -10% -52% Further information on all the
Waste Disposal -30% -53% industrial case study projects will
be included in future newsletters
Water Usage -13% -52% and on the F3 Factory website as
the projects develop.
The development of new software partners have been collated to technologies, including membrane
has begun, with investment cost identify key gaps and improvement separation and reactive distillation.
estimating, new models for mass and opportunities. Process Design
energy-balances being evaluated This process and plant design
Center is developing a whole
using published case studies. methodology activity is running
process design methodology using
successfully in parallel with the
Within the project, Britest is the Arkema demonstration process
leading the development of new industrial case study projects
as a case study.
integrated process and plant and backbone infrastructure
design methodologies. Process In parallel, a number of academic development creating a highly
development methodologies partners are studying the energetic and interdisciplinary
currently used by the industrial application of novel process approach to the project.
For further updates visit www.f3factory.eu
ISSUE 1 08/2010 creating the future of production

INVITE facility to speed up Framework

innovation
A key aim of the F3 Factory project is to
demonstrate the processes developed
in the standardised infrastructure
within a common, large scale
demonstration facility
capable of testing the new
production concepts across
a range of existing
chemical products.
The backbone facility
for the F3 Factory will be
provided by INVITE - a 50/50 joint
venture company established in
2010 between TU Dortmund and
Bayer Technology Services.
The INVITE backbone facility will
provide the infrastructure for
demonstrating the new F3 Factory
production concept across the
seven industrial case studies.
INVITE will also take the F3 Factory
vision beyond the EU project
duration by providing an open
research center for developing
and demonstrating future
manufacturing technologies.
Construction work on the facility has
already begun. The infrastructure
and building will be erected in
2010/11 and the facility is scheduled
to be operational by mid 2011.
The INVITE backbone infrastructure
- which will be embedded in the
infrastructure of Bayer Technology
Services at the Chempark site
in Leverkusen - will allow three
different process equipment
containers (PECs) to be developed,
tested and operated. Additional
facilities include laboratory space,
offices and a lecture room.
Ground floor of the INVITE
large scale demonstration facility
at the CHEMPARK site in Leverkusen
INVITE will carry out publicly
funded projects and contract
research as well as its own research.
The facility will be open to the
public and supported by events and
lectures. TU Dortmund will also use
INVITE to run new courses as part
of their education programme
for engineers.
This combination of a joint
research/demonstration facility
for industry and academia -
with access to a full industrial
infrastructure - will help shorten
innovation periods significantly.
Seven
projects
showcase
at CHISA
Initial results from the F3
Factory will be presented
publicly for the first time
at the joint CHISA 2010
and ECCE 7 Congresses
in Prague at the end of
August 2010.
Representatives from the F3
Factory consortium were invited
to organise a symposium session
to showcase some of the key
EU Framework Seven projects
relevant to the sector.
The F3 Factory project will
feature alongside PILLS and
COPIRIDE - which are focused
on development of intensified
processing methodology

Engagement with stakeholders

for various chemical
manufacturing routes.
Five papers from each project
A key focus of the F Factory project is to facilitate engagement with a broad range of industry
3 will be presented at the
symposium on 1st September.
and academic stakeholders across Europe to gain input and commitment to the development
The session will provide
of new standards and identify future opportunities for implementing the F3 Factory concept. attendees with an overview of
By engaging with the F3 Factory also provide a platform for the the application of Process the projects research objectives
project, participants can gain wider European chemical and Intensification approaches and and results to date.
preferential access to some of the pharmaceutical processing help identify/validate the
For more information visit
generic knowledge generated in community to input into aspects training required to enable
www.chisa.cz/2010
the individual work packages. of the project, share learning potential users to fully benefit
Interest Group participants will and experiences related to from the F3 Factory approaches.

If you wish to participate in the joint Industry/Academia Interest Group please contact: Newsletter produced by
Industry: Dr Mark Talford email: mark.talford@britest.co.uk Britest Ltd on behalf of the
Academia: Dorota Pawlucka email: dorota.pawlucka@bci.tu-dortmund.de F3 Factory Consortium.
Consortium representatives pictured with Herbert von Bose, Director Attendees at the joint Industry/Academia Interest Group meeting
- Industrial Technologies, DG-Research at the European Commission. in Frankfurt, May 2010 For further information visit:
www.f3factory.eu

Project Coordinator
Dr. Sigurd Buchholz
Bayer Technology Services GmbH
Building E41
D-51368 Leverkusen, Germany
Phone: +49 214 30 67253
Fax: +49 214 30 50262
E-mail: sigurd.buchholz@bayertechnology.com

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Communitys
Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n 228867