PI in reactions has led to several new designs and techniques. Miniaturization can be developed based on the categorization of reaction kinetics. Lonza and Visp have used a kinetically oriented ranking for judging the suitability of chemical processing for microflow operations and used a standard industrial classification, which divides the chemical reactions according to their reaction time, such as Types A, B, and C, where

1. Type A reactions are very fast, reaction times are of the order of less than 1 s, and the overall reaction is mixing controlled.

2. Type B reactions are rapid, where the reaction times are of the order of 1 s to 10 min. These reactions are kinetically controlled, but temperature control is very essential.

3. Type C reactions are slow, where the reaction times are of the order of greater than 10 min. These reactions are well suited for batch processing, but safety and quality are issues that need to be handled.

They found that nearly half the reactions that are practiced in industries bear microreactor potential. However, only about 20% of these reactions can be addressed through the microreactor, while the other 30% of the reactions contain solids or are multiphase in nature. Both types were considered as not easily addressable using today's microreactor technology (Wiley-VCH, Lonza and Visp). It was also concluded that Type A reactions could be handled with micromixers (possibly with integrated or subsequent heat exchangers). Hybrids of microstructured and smart conventional flow-through components could be used for Type B reactions,...