Microreactor systems and methods
View Patent ↗In various embodiments, a microreactor features a corrosion-resistant microchannel network encased within a thermally conductive matrix material that may define therewithin one or more hollow heat-exchange conduits.
1. A microreactor comprising:
a network of hollow microchannel conduits formed of a corrosion-resistant material;
surrounding the microchannel conduits, a matrix comprising a matrix material having a thermal conductivity larger than a thermal conductivity of the corrosion-resistant material; and
disposed (i) between at least a portion of at least one of the microchannel conduits and the matrix material and (ii) in contact with the at least a portion of the at least one of the microchannel conduits and the matrix material, a region (a) consisting essentially of the corrosion-resistant material and the matrix material and (b) having a mixed and/or graded composition.
2. The microreactor of claim 1 , further comprising one or more hollow heat-exchange channels each (i) defined by the matrix material, (ii) proximate one or more microchannel conduits, and (iii) not intersecting any of the microchannel conduits.
3. The microreactor of claim 2 , wherein a diameter or lateral dimension of at least one heat-exchange channel is larger than a diameter or lateral dimension of at least one microchannel conduit.
4. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the corrosion-resistant material comprises at least one of niobium, molybdenum, tantalum, tungsten, rhenium, titanium, zirconium, glass, or stainless steel.
5. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the matrix material comprises at least one of aluminum, gold, brass, silver, or copper.
6. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the network of microchannel conduits comprises (i) two or more input conduits converging to a single reaction zone, and (ii) an output conduit leading away from the reaction zone.
7. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the region consists of the corrosion-resistant material and the matrix material.
8. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the composition of the region is graded.
9. The microreactor of claim 8 , wherein the composition of the region is linearly graded.
10. The microreactor of claim 8 , wherein the composition of the region is step graded.
11. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the region is a uniform mixture of the corrosion-resistant material and the matrix material.
12. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the region surrounds an entirety of at least one of the microchannel conduits.
13. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the region surrounds at least a portion of each of the microchannel conduits.
14. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the region surrounds an entirety of each of the microchannel conduits.
15. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein the region extends outwardly from the at least a portion of the at least one of the microchannel conduits by a distance approximately equal to or less than a diameter of the at least one of the microchannel conduits.
16. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the region is approximately 1 cm or less.
17. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the region is approximately 1 mm or less.
18. The microreactor of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the region is at least 0.05 mm.
19. A microreactor comprising:
a network of hollow microchannel conduits formed of a corrosion-resistant material;
surrounding and in contact with the microchannel conduits, a matrix comprising a matrix material having a thermal conductivity larger than a thermal conductivity of the corrosion-resistant material; and
one or more hollow heat-exchange channels each (i) defined by the matrix material such that an inner surface of the one or more hollow heat-exchange materials is formed of the matrix material, (ii) proximate one or more microchannel conduits, and (iii) not intersecting any of the microchannel conduits.