Plug flow preserved in KOT tubular coil reactors
The KOT tubular coil reactors from Biotech Fluidics are the ideal delay elements to preserve plug flow while allowing time for reactions or other events in a stream of flowing liquid. Whether employed in the context of flow chemistry synthesis, or in more traditional liquid chromatography setups, the KOT reactors provide an unmatched capability of preventing zones from mixing with the surrounding upstream and downstream liquid in a flowing stream. This feature can be used to maintain high concentrations of reagents during plug flow chemistry reaction development, with minimum dilution by the transport liquid. Originally, KOT reactors were designed to preserve the integrity of chromatographic peaks during post-column reaction detection in HPLC. They were later applied to allow time for data collection and automatic decision making during online monitoring of semi-preparative liquid chromatography fractionation. Both these are still important application areas. The picture below shows some typical set-ups incorporating KOT reactors in these different systems handling plug flow in fluid streams.
The capability of the knitted open tubular (KOT) coil reactor is a result of a principle that is both simple and clever. By an intricate winding design with frequently alternating direction in three dimensions, the flowing liquid is exposed to centrifugal forces. This pushes the liquid to mix radially, thereby minimizing axial dispersion and dilution. Constructed from inert poly(tetrafluoroethene) [PTFE] material, the Biotech Fluidics KOT reactors are translucent and can thus easily be used in photochemistry, as well as temperature-controlled environments. Applicable flow rates range from about 0.3 mL/min up to several tenths of millilitres per minute. The total residence times can be varied from a few seconds up to several minutes, depending on dimensions, flow rates, and the number of KOT reactors combined in series.
Consult the Biotech Fluidics KOT product webpages and brochure for more information about available dimensions and recommended operational conditions. Biotech Fluidics will also be at your service to discuss the most appropriate KOT reactor for your application.
