Static mixers for continuous flow catalytic reactors

A continuous flow chemical reactor for use in reaction of one or more fluidic reactants, the reactor comprising:

• one or more reaction chamber sections in fluidic communication with each other, each reaction chamber section housing a removable, additively manufactured static mixer element configured as an integral module for insertion into each reaction chamber section, wherein the aspect ratio (L/d) of the reactor is at least about 50,
• each static mixer element is an elongated integral structure comprising catalytically reactive sites and an integral scaffold defining a plurality of similar, interconnected structures repeated periodically along the longitudinal axis of the scaffold to form a continuous lattice of interconnected segments, each segment comprising a plurality of apertures and passages arranged in multiple orientations to the net flow direction configured for enhancing mixing with fluid flowing through the apertures and passages of the static mixer, contact of the fluidic reactants with the catalytically reactive sites and heat transfer, by redistributing fluid in directions transverse to the net flow through the plurality of apertures and passages by changing or splitting the localized flow direction by more than 200/m, corresponding to a number of times within a given length along a longitudinal axis of the static mixer element, the volume displacement % of each static mixer element relative to each tubular reactor chamber section for housing the static mixer element being in a range of 23 to 70%, and, in use, configured to provide a transverse temperature differential of less than about 10° C./mm and a pressure drop across the reaction chamber section (in Pa/m) of less than about 100,000 with a volumetric flow rate of at least 0.1 ml/min;
• one or more reactant inlets for supply of the one or more fluidic reactants to the one or more tubular chamber sections;
• and
• one or more outlets in fluidic communication with the static mixer element for receiving an output stream comprising a product of the reaction.