creating the future of production
www.f3factory.eu
New modular, sustainable production
technology a step closer to reality
Sigurd Buchholz, Bayer Technology Services GmbH (Project Co-ordinator).
Launched in June 2009, the 930 million F3 Factory project is a major public/private sector initiative seeking to
define and validate a new paradigm in modular, sustainable production technology for the EU chemical industry.
Crossing country and company
borders, interdisciplinary teams
from 25 partners in nine EU states
have made substantial progress in
the first two years of the project.
Early stage research and design
tasks for the F3 Factory project
have been specified to meet
clearly defined industrial process
needs across a diverse range of
manufacturing / product application
areas. This is supported by a unique
collaborative spirit amongst the
industrial and academic partners
that is enabling a combination of
cutting edge research, industrial
process expertise and equipment
supplier know-how to be applied to
the specific project tasks.
Key developments include:
Research on process intensified
equipment, novel reaction
pathways and process design
concepts successfully transferred
to bench scale.
Development of downstream
operations for intensified reaction
steps with modularised design
approaches completed.
Process automation and process
control concepts defined.
Design guidelines - as a base for
standardisation and demonstration
- developed jointly.
First modular production
containers designed and now
being assembled for the industrial
demonstration projects.
Verification of equipment and
process design methodologies
underway to enable detailed
evaluation of the benefits.
The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Communitys
Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement n 228867
As the project enters year three of
its four year duration, the focus
of activity now moves from basic
research to full validation and
demonstration of the F3 Factory
concepts on seven industrial
case studies.
These include solvent-free specialty
polymers, innovative surfactants,
compounds for the healthcare
industry and materials from
renewable resources.
In addition to the technical,
economic and ecological validation,
a key task of the F3 Factory project
is the design and utilisation of a
common, large-scale, standardised
backbone facility. This facility
will be provided by the INVITE
Research Center - a 50/50 joint
venture between Technical
University Dortmund and Bayer
Technology Services GmbH - which
opens in September 2011.
Developments in all aspects of
this large scale research and
demonstrator project will continue
to be discussed, challenged and
developed further within the
F3 Factory consortium.
In addition, active engagement
with other EU Framework Seven
projects - as well as other industrial
and academic stakeholders in
Europe - continues as part of
the overall project dissemination
activities.
Lectures, conferences and specially
organised interest group meetings
will continue to be the basis for the
delivery of this.
ISSUE 2 09/2011
View from the
EU Commission
Sren Bwadt, Research Programme
Officer, Industrial Technologies,
DG for Research & Innovation,
comments on developments at the
half way stage of the project.
Initiated by the SusChem
European Technology Platform,
the EU Commission views the F3 Factory as a vitally
important project for strengthening EU leadership
in materials and production technologies.
The delivery of radically new to enhance the overall
production concepts - through competitiveness of the EU
process intensification chemical industry and drive
value for both our industrial
and innovative application
methodology - has the potential and academic organisations.
to increase energy and resource
But this transformation is only
efficiencies substantially.
possible if industry continues
In combination with standardised to invest in research and
equipment and infrastructure, this development with a focus towards
should lead to significant cost and sustainable chemistry using
environmental benefits in bulk and renewable resources and energy
fine chemicals manufacture and efficient production methods.
drive entirely new products with If the objectives of the F3 Factory,
elevated added value. and related EU Framework Seven
projects, are delivered in full,
The generation and integration
as anticipated, then we will
of novel process technologies
have made substantial progress
also fosters the effective
in underpinning the future
transition from a resource-led
competitiveness of the
to knowledge-based industry.
EU chemical industry,
These are all vitally important safeguarding production
factors that can only serve capacities and related workforces.
ISSUE 2 09/2011

F3 Factory work packages explained

Delivery of the F3 Factory paradigm - and demonstration of the new modular, continuous production technology - is focused
on seven industrial case study projects (from three product groupings) and nine strongly interlinked work packages.
The case studies cover a diverse range of applications from API to large scale consumer goods and intermediates. Updates on four of the industrial case
studies are featured in this newsletter, building on the three case studies featured in Issue 1.

WP9

Dissemination and training activities to facilitate wider uptake of F3 Factory concepts

WP8

Design and construction of an open access backbone facility to demonstrate F3 Factory concepts

PHARMACEUTICAL INTERMEDIATES SPECIALTY POLYMERS LARGE SCALE INTERMEDIATES

WP7
Validation of F Factory technology
3

on a range of industrial case study projects

F3 Factory engineering and early validation concepts

WP2 WP3 WP4 WP5 WP6
Production Integrated Plant Intensified Intensified
scenarios development and operation chemical reactors downstream
design processes
methodologies

Evaluation of production Development of innovative Development of engineering Development & evaluation Development of intensified
scenarios to determine design methodologies for methods and standardised of intensified chemical downstream processes
drivers for F3 Factory intensified production solutions for optimal plant reactors tailored to the
innovations processes operation needs of industrial
projects

WP1
Project management activities

For further updates visit www.f3factory.eu

ISSUE 2 09/2011

Inter-linked work packages drive progress

across seven industrial case study projects
The strong spirit of collaboration across all the F3 Factory work packages, embracing innovative research and development from
all project partners, has been instrumental in driving early successes in the project.
Typical productions scenarios
(WP2) have been evaluated for
each of the industrial case studies
to define both the technical and
economic development targets for
the F3 Factory. This activity aims
to limit the amount of process
and product alternatives for
methodology development in the
project. It also seeks to determine
requirements for an innovative
decision tool (ProMoT) currently
under development at Technical
University Dortmund.
The production scenarios evaluated
have been used to develop
black-box models of equipment
requirements. In addition, generic
cost modelling has been developed
to assess the economic benefits /
barriers to implementation of
F3 Factory processes.
The ProMoT tool combines
requirements for non-conventional
process modelling, cost and
equipment models and enables
generic evaluation of the whole
supply chain / production life cycle.
Exploiting this unique combination
of features, the ProMoT prototype
has been used to benchmark
F3 Factory processes against
traditional processes, based on
the typical production scenarios
evaluated. This work will enable
industrial organisations to make
faster, well informed decisions
with respect to the right
production mode.
Integrated design methodologies
(WP3) are currently being evaluated
to support the F3 Factory concept
for developing multipurpose,
modular intensified plant involving
multistage reactions and work-ups
in a data lean environment.
In conjunction with project
partners (AstraZeneca, Denmark
Technical University, Process Design
Center, Rhodia, Procter & Gamble
and Bayer Technology Services)
and following collation of current
production methodologies used
in the industrial sub-projects -
Britest has proposed a preliminary
methodology for conceptual process
design, equipment selection and
optimisation.
This methodology incorporates an
innovative, multi-decision software
tool ChemPrompt - developed by
the University of Newcastle.
The initial ChemPrompt tool is
being modified specifically for
the F3 Factory to incorporate a
database of equipment and PEA
information from the industrial
projects to enable faster
equipment selection.
The integration of conceptual
process design methodology
with optimised equipment design
will help support the detailed
evaluation of the F3 Factory
concepts across all the industrial
case study projects.
Generic engineering tools for
process control and standardised
solutions for optimal plant
operation (WP4) - within the
F3 Factory backbone plant - have
been developed by TU Dortmund,
Bayer Technology Services and
partners. Control structures for
four different modules have been
proposed including - modular
tubular reactors, sequence reactors,
jet-loop reactors with membrane
separation and reactive distillation
columns. These are now being
applied to the specific requirements
of the different industrial
demonstrator projects.
For both reaction and downstream
processing (WP5 & WP6)
single and integrated Process
Intensification (PI) equipment
has been selected and successfully
tested at the laboratory scale.
As reported in the industrial
case study projects, these tests
have confirmed expected gains in
process efficiency at lab scale. This
intensified equipment for chemical
and physical transformations will
now be evaluated further as part of
the validation (WP7) and scale up
process for each of the industrial
demonstration projects.
In parallel with the process design
and development activities, a
key feature of the project is the
establishment of a dedicated
F3 Factory backbone
demonstration facility (WP8).
The new INVITE Research Center
a 50/50 joint venture between
TU Dortmund and Bayer Technology
Services will provide this facility
(see below).

F3 Factory - from basic research to reality

As the F3 Factory project now moves from a basic research Exterior of the new INVITE Research Center which
phase to validation and demonstration, key activities for officially opens on 21st September 2011

year three include:

design and construction of demonstration equipment

c onstant refinement of common design guidelines / methodologies
and standardisation requirements
engagement with EU stakeholders outside the consortium
Dissemination and interaction with EU stakeholders (WP9) is primarily
undertaken through regular updates to the public website
www.f3factory.eu - annual interest group meetings, newsletters,
partner participation in conferences / symposia and dedicated F3 Factory
sessions at key industry events (CHISA 2010 / ECCE 2010, ECCE 2011,
CHISA 2012).
Improving competitiveness and carbon
footprint of high-volume chemicals
Jean Franois Devaux, Arkema
Arkema is seeking to validate a more flexible, modular process for the production of acrylic acid and acrylate ester using
glycerol a widely available green by-product of bio-diesel and oleochemicals.
High volume chemical intermediates
are traditionally manufactured in
highly optimised world-scale plants
at several hundreds of kilo-tons
per annum scale. Using F3 Factory
concepts, Arkema is seeking
to address intensification and
modularisation challenges at the
medium scale plant level.
Early indications suggest that the
business model (WP2) for installing
World scale production plant
Fast & flexible production of early
phase pharmaceutical materials
AstraZeneca is seeking to develop and validate a new transformation methodology that can unlock
major time/cost savings and increase throughput of early phase pharmaceutical development.
Working with partners - KTH Institute
of Technology, Denmark Technical
University, Newcastle University,
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
and Britest, the new transformation
methodology concept focuses on the
development of a generic continuous
process design for Nitro reductions.
One of the biggest challenges facing
the international pharmaceutical
industry is the ability to offer a
flexible response to the production
of new materials for toxicological
studies.
The F3 Factory approach to providing
a one size fits most process
synthesis for the production of
medium scale plants located closer to
raw material suppliers or downstream
users - and fully optimised using
whole process design and reactor
intensification methodology - is
economically competitive. Medium
scale plants may also be considered
better suited to meet market growth
for new products.
The Arkema case study also suggests
that improved environmental
intermediates for campaign 2
material, is seen as a key step in
building a fast and flexible response
to this need and reducing production
costs in this area.
Early indications suggest that the
new transformation methodology
could potentially reduce
pharmaceutical intermediate
development time by over 30% and
overcome inherent inefficiencies
impacting transformations from
lab-scale to typical batch-operated
multi product plants.
It will also enable faster production
of kilo-scale amounts from
widely-used standard intermediate
performance and reduced carbon
footprint can be achieved as a result
of higher energy efficiency and
optimisation of plant location.
Development and evaluation of
new process design methodologies
in WP3, in conjunction with PDC
(Process Design Center), have
demonstrated that production costs
of decentralised medium scale plants
(20-30 kilo-tons/annum) from
bio-based material, are competitive
compared to world scale plant from
fossil raw material. Unit CAPEX costs
benefit from process intensification
and reduced engineering effort.
Within WP5, Arkema is developing
two types of innovative PI reaction
technologies for gas phase reactions
that use bio-based feedstock. Both
of them use a reduced number of
reactors with fixed bed technology
or fluid bed technology.
Early results of work to develop a
more cost/energy efficient process
transformations such as Grignard
reactions and Suzuki couplings.
Key developments in the project to
date include:
Design of a new Substrate Adoption
Methodology (SAM) protocol
Design and testing of a conceptual
reactor
Evaluation of a novel isolation
method - solid supported
evaporation (SSE)
Collation of requirements to inform
the design and development
work for the process equipment
container (PEC) and F3 Factory
backbone facility (WP7/8)
for acrylate ester production
indicate a 10-20% reduction in
energy consumption is achievable.
In WP6, a scheme for the purification
of bio-based acrylic acid using an
innovative combination of purification
technologies with reduced equipment,
has been validated in cooperation
with CNRS. Purification of the acrylate
ester/alcohol azeotropic derivatives
using membrane separation
technology, however, has shown this
to be more efficient than classical
separation processes.
In conducting the validation studies
for this industrial case study (WP7),
Arkema has discovered and patented
a process for the selective chemical
elimination of an impurity which could
simplify the purification scheme.
Two pilot plants for validation of the
F3 Factory concepts, at a scale of
several kg/h, have been constructed
at Arkema and TU Dortmund and are
now in operation.
AstraZeneca envisages that new
production processes brought about
from the F3 Factory project could
drive valuable costs savings for the
company. Reduction of waste and
costly reactants could add further
savings which, when extrapolated to
the R&D volumes of European fine
chemical producers, could result in
potential industry savings of up to
9200 million.
If this industrial demonstrator project
proves successful, a substantial number
of AstraZenecas pharmaceutical
intermediate processes could follow the
F3 Factory transformation methodology,
freeing up resources to focus on later
stage development.
 creating the future of production

Europoly project signals potential gains

from continuous polymerisation
A joint Rhodia/BASF project (Europoly) seeks to illustrate the benefits of continuous production of different acrylic-acid
based polymers - with widely varying properties - in the same modularised equipment. Early feasibility studies suggest clear
benefits in fixed and investment costs, as well as gains in process reliability, are obtainable.
Several products are being studied
within the project with the help
of academic partners Technical
University Dortmund and CRNS.
Initial activity in WP2 (Production
scenarios) has studied the benefits of
continuous versus batch production
of a 10 kT/yr polymer solution,
initially based on a mono product
unit. Preliminary results from the
economic study suggest benefits in
fixed cost reductions, better process
reliability and reduced investment
costs are all achievable.
Earlier studies at Rhodia, TUDO
and CNRS, using millifluidic scale
equipment for different polymer
systems, showed that it is possible
to transpose a 24 hour batch cycle
to a continuous process with <2
hours residence time, resulting in
substantial investment and fixed
cost benefits.
BASF investigations also show
that the best production fit to
meet growing market demand can
be achieved using the F3 Factory
modularisation concept with
identical product lines.
The methodology developed for
transposing batch-to-continuous
(WP3) suggests a re-think of
process recipes and extension of
operating conditions can improve
both process parameters and
product quality. It could also
lead to new products, previously
unobtainable in batch processes.
Within WP5, a new continuous
static mixer reactor concept
has been designed based on
requirements and process
characteristics defined by the
project partners. This reactor
concept is highly versatile, flexible
and scalable and offers advantages
in terms of intensification and A prototype reactor
modularisation.
Four different types of static
mixer-based reactors are now
operational:
2 prototypes developed with
Fluitec Georg AG
2 reactors with a 10 kg/h
throughput set up by Rhodia (one
with a teflon tube for product
sampling and feasibility study;
the other a stainless steel version
for chemical engineering and
extrapolation study)
In WP7, a radical polymerisation and a product very close to target
process has been reviewed in terms specification was obtained.
of the Process Equipment Assembly The next step will be to use the mix
(PEA) requirements and associated of partner equipment to validate
Process Equipment Container (PEC), the techno-commercial benefits of
using generic assessments. First the batch-to-continuous approach
pilot trials have been carried out by for radical polymerization across a
Rhodia with the Teflon tube reactor range of different co-polymers.

Transforming batch-to-continuous PEC under

construction
at BTS

in pharmaceutical intermediates
Sigurd Buchholz/Tobias Grmping, Bayer Technology Services GmbH

Bayer Technology Services (BTS) is leading an industrial case study to demonstrate the F3
Factory concept in pharmaceutical intermediate production. The project assesses the potential
for driving cost efficiencies and manufacturing flexibility by transforming a multi-step,
synthetic batch process to a fully continuous process in a flexible, modular infrastructure.
BTS believe that the demonstration time (from starting material to active reduction in design and installation development and production modes
of small scale continuous production substance); a significant increase costs is projected. with only minor changes, while
- via a sequence of chemical synthesis in space-time-yield; unification extended portfolios of standardised
The process example has now been
stages within an F3 Factory container and reduction of solvents and chemical and physical processing
transferred to a process at lab scale,
- will trigger the introduction of consumables. units and PEAs will contribute
confirming the assumed benefits
innovative and highly efficient to faster implementation of new
The overall number of unit operations of the F3 Factory manufacturing
process equipment solutions.
also decreases as isolation steps approach on this scale. manufacturing strategies.
Early development work and can be eliminated in continuous In progressing this demonstrator PEAs and PEC have now been
constructive networking with processing. In addition, novel project, new standardisation designed and assembly of the
partners across the various process intensified apparatus enables approaches for equipment (PEAs) demonstration container unit
sub-projects and work packages - cheaper production routes that would and plant (PECs/INVITE) have also has begun. Validation of this
focusing on chemical redesign and not normally be considered in batch been developed together with demonstrator project will take
process intensification stages - has processing. project partners. place in the new backbone facility,
demonstrated clear operational
and cost benefits. These include an Based on the first process design It is envisaged that modular PECs within the INVITE Research Center,
estimated >60% reduction in lead and engineering studies, a 15 20% will be able to transfer between in Q1 2012.
ISSUE 2 09/2011
F3 Factory backbone facility
targets shorter innovation
timescales
Septembers official opening of the
new INVITE Research Center at
the ChemPark site, Leverkusen
marks an important and
exciting milestone for
the F3 Factory
project.
The INVITE (INnnovation, VIsion,
TEchnologies) Research Center will
serve as the open access backbone
facility for the F3 Factory and
other research projects during and
beyond the EU project life time.
The combination of a joint
industry/academia research center
with access to a full industrial
infrastructure is intended to
significantly shorten innovation
timescales. INVITE will also execute
publicly-funded projects and
contract research as well as
F3 Factory dedicated assignments.
Newsletter produced by Britest Ltd on behalf of the F3 Factory Consortium.
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@bayer.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
The INVITE backbone facility will
provide the infrastructure for
demonstrating the F3 Factory
plug-and-produce continuous
chemical production technologies
on industrial case study projects.
It is configured to enable for up to
four different Process Equipment
Containers (PECs) to be docked
alongside each other, enabling
simultaneous development, testing
and operation. Additional facilities
include laboratory space, offices
and a lecture room.
creating the future of production
Interest
Group
Meeting
Industrial and academic
organisations across
Europe are invited to
participate in the second
F3 Factory interest group
meeting. The event will
take place at the INVITE
Research Center on 15th
November 2011, providing
Ground floor of the an early opportunity to
INVITE large scale
demonstration facility at the
view the new F3 Factory
Chempark site in Leverkusen backbone demonstrator
facility.
INVITE is a 50/50 joint venture
This annual dissemination
company established in 2010
event is also a unique
between TU Dortmund and Bayer
opportunity for the european
Technical Services. The facility
chemical processing
will be open to the public and
community to:
host events and lectures from
Q4 2011. TU Dortmund will also engage with industrial and
academic partners in the
run courses there as part of its
F3 Factory project
engineering programme.
share learning and
During 2010, development work
experiences on new process
in WP8 focused on the design and intensification and process
construction of the INVITE Research design approaches
Center, definition of PEA/PEC
interfaces and development of a gain access to generic
knowledge and know-how
logistics concept for reactant and
for the design of
product handling, with users able
modularised production
to choose between three options.
containers
More recent work has embraced provide input to the
detail engineering of the docking standardisation and
station interface for connecting automation methodology
PECs to the infrastructural services required to support
provided by INVITE. widespread implementation
This is based on quick-fitting multi of the F3 Factory concept
and single couplings for connecting help identify training
utilities and process streams. requirements that will
Electrical connections and process enable potential users to
control signals use conventional fully benefit from F3 Factory
connectors and sockets. approaches.
Visualisation of a partially equipped PEC To register your interest
in attending the meeting
email:
donna.rawson@britest.co.uk
or telephone Donna Rawson
on +44 (0)1928 515683.