In July, AVN welcomed chemistry students from Marshall University for an educational outreach event focused on industrial chemistry, process development, and continuous manufacturing. The visit provided students with a unique opportunity to explore an important area of chemical manufacturing that is often not emphasized in traditional undergraduate chemistry curricula: transforming batch chemistry into continuous processes.
The educational session highlighted how AVN scientists approach process intensification and continuous process development. Beginning with the fundamentals of chemical equilibrium, students examined how reaction conditions and physical properties can be leveraged to drive chemical conversions and improve process efficiency. AVN scientists then expanded on these concepts by introducing a variety of unit operations commonly used in industrial chemical manufacturing and discussing how process design is tailored to the specific requirements of a reaction.
Using real-world examples, the team demonstrated how continuous processing can be applied across a range of chemistries and technologies, including alkoxylation, polymerization, carbonylation, hydrogenation, and reactive distillation. The session provided students with valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities involved in scaling laboratory chemistry into commercially viable manufacturing processes.
Following the classroom portion of the event, students toured AVN’s laboratory and pilot-scale facilities to see these concepts in action. The tour featured a variety of equipment used for process development, scale-up, and continuous manufacturing, including continuously stirred tank reactors (CSTRs), plug flow reactors (PFRs), distillation systems, reactive distillation columns, Karr extraction columns, fixed-bed catalytic reactors, and wiped-film evaporators.
By combining technical instruction with hands-on exposure to industrial equipment, the event showcased how AVN helps clients develop safe, efficient, and scalable chemical manufacturing processes. AVN remains committed to supporting the next generation of scientists while advancing innovation in process chemistry and continuous manufacturing.
– For additional information, contact questions@AVNcorp.com
Date Posted
Aug 04,2026
