So, dear reader. If you were going to design a general/multi-purpose chemical plant capable of doing a wide variety of chemical transformations, what kind of features would you install now that you’ve had some experience in the field? No high pressure vessels, just ambient to 80 or 100 psi. I’m talking about a plant with 50 to 2000 gallon reactors- say, 8 of them. What kind of configurations would be desirable starting from the ground up?
No GMP capacity- too bloody expensive. We don’t want to do API’s. No gas phase chemistry. No scary oxidation chemistry or energetic materials. Just the kind of garden variety specialty organic or inorganic compounds and transformations that you might find in the Aldrich catalog. Synthons, reagents, etc.
One interesting thing to ponder are possibilities with the use of passive architectural features to attenuate the propagation of upset or emergency conditions.
Lamentations on Chemistry 
I like everything you say, but I would add, if you want to make money don’t go for the bottom feeders – make something that you can charge a lot for. So, it has to be something that you know a few secrets about and can make that no one else can do – yes?
I think everyone and his brother must be doing asymmetric synthesis, but what about making new ligands and catalysts?
hmm. Fun exercise.
Hi Bill, High dollar/kg is definitely desirable. I think there is a shortage of US manufacturing capacity in certain product markets. Part of this is because many refuse to look beyond pharma. Based on what I’m reading in the trade pub’s, I think pharma has some tough sledding for the next 5 years. They’re facing patent expirations, excessive size, high overhead, and a less than spectacular pipeline of new products as an industry. I think Pfizer is really in for a bad time. Hope I’m wrong.
You might consider fragrance ingredients. For one thing the industry is old and stodgy – that is it might benefit from some innovative new ideas.(this blanket statement is accurate).
Many of their ingredients are fairly expensive and patent protection is mostly nonexistant (this is very important). Most of the chemists in the fragrance business wouldn’t last a week in Pharma. It really is structured top heavy around business types with a small amount of R&D. Even the weakest chemists can hide in fragrance if they are so lucky (another blanket statement which is accurate).
I’m alluding to the fact that it is in many ways a ‘non-competitive’ business structured on long term relationships between producers and the fashion community. Where you fit into the chain is beyond me. Likely you’d sell to the big mixers like Firmenich.
what kind of features would you install now that you’ve had some experience in the field?
Sounds like a high bay prototyping facility I’d worked on a while back, I’d keep the reactor laid out in a line. with offices and labs supporting the reactor rooms all on one side. The reactor bays would each have access to an outside wall, which could have pressure relief panels, if required. I’d keep everything on one level, except the labs which could be two level with access to catwalk/mezzanine in the reactor areas.
Now you’re talking. That is an interesting design. I’m gonna have to sketch that out and play with the idea. More to follow.