Method for heating a slurry system

An apparatus comprising:

• a reactor;
• a reservoir;
• a heater in thermal contact with the reservoir;
• a pump;
• a valve assembly having a first 3-port valve and a second 3-port valve;
• a first transparent supply line in fluid communication with the reservoir at a first end thereof and with the pump at a second end thereof;
• a second transparent supply line in fluid communication with the pump at a first end thereof and with the valve assembly at a second end thereof;
• a delivery line in fluid communication with the valve assembly at a first end thereof and with the reactor at a second end thereof;
• a transparent return line in fluid communication with the valve assembly at a first end thereof and with the reservoir at a second end thereof;
• at least one temperature sensor in thermal contact with at least one of the reactor, the first supply line, the second supply line, the valve assembly, and the return line;
• a processor-based system in data communication with the at least one temperature sensor and configured to control the heater, the pump, and the valve assembly;
• wherein the valve assembly is configured such that in a first state the valve assembly provides fluid communication from the reservoir to the reactor via the first supply line, the pump, the second supply line, and the delivery line and, in a second state, provides recirculation of the contents of the reservoir via the first supply line, the pump, the second supply line, and the return line.

A method for maintaining a slurry of reactants in a fluid state comprising:

• providing:
• a reactor;
• a reservoir contain a slurry of reactants;
• a heater in thermal contact with the reservoir;
• a pump;
• a valve assembly having a first 3-port valve and a second 3-port valve;
• a first transparent supply line in fluid communication with the reservoir at a first end thereof and with the pump at a second end thereof;
• a second transparent supply line in fluid communication with the pump at a first end thereof and with the valve assembly at a second end thereof;
• a delivery line in fluid communication with the valve assembly at a first end thereof and with the reactor at a second end thereof;
• a transparent return line in fluid communication with the valve assembly at a first end thereof and with the reservoir at a second end thereof;
• wherein the valve assembly is configured such that in a first state the valve assembly provides fluid communication from the reservoir to the reactor via the first supply line, the pump, the second supply line, and the delivery line and, in a second state, provides recirculation of the contents of the reservoir via the first supply line, the pump, the second supply line, and the return line;
• visually monitoring the slurry of reactants in the first transparent supply line, the second transparent supply line and the transparent return line;
• positioning the valve assembly into the second state;
• and,
• actuating the heater and the pump to recirculate the heated slurry of reactants from the reservoir through the first supply line, the pump, the second supply line, the valve assembly, and the return line back to the reservoir.

An apparatus comprising:

• a reactor;
• a reservoir;
• a heater in thermal contact with the reservoir;
• a pump;
• a valve assembly;
• a source of inert gas;
• a purge line in fluid communication with the source of inert gas at a first end thereof and with the valve assembly at a second end thereof;
• a first transparent supply line in fluid communication with the reservoir at a first end thereof and with the pump at a second end thereof;
• a second transparent supply line in fluid communication with the pump at a first end thereof and with the valve assembly at a second end thereof;
• a delivery line in fluid communication with the valve assembly at a first end thereof and with the reactor at a second end thereof;
• a transparent return line in fluid communication with the valve assembly at a first end thereof and with the reservoir at a second end thereof;
• wherein the valve assembly is configured such that in a first state the valve assembly provides fluid communication from the reservoir to the reactor via the first supply line, the pump, the second supply line, and the delivery line and, in a second state, provides recirculation of the contents of the reservoir via the first supply line, the pump, the second supply line, and the return line, and
• wherein the valve assembly is configured such that in a third state the valve assembly provides fluid communication between the source of inert gas and the reactor via the purge line and the delivery line.