Capital Expansion Project!
Bridge Organics is pleased to announce that our capital expansion project is now complete and operational. The newly installed equipment enhances our capabilities to allow for increased capacity (batch sizes up to 100 kilos) as well as increased processing capability. These reactors and supporting equipment include a 400L hastelloy C276 cone-bottom reactor, a 120L hastelloy C276 cone-bottom reactor, and a 120L glass-lined SS316 reactor that can operate at -75°C. Our new low temperature capability utilizes a circulating cooling system that services these selected reactors. The system has demonstrated capability to reach and maintain -75 degrees C. Bridge Organics can now carry out reactions efficiently to -75 C.
Why the expansion? Bridge Organics’ initial entry into the fine chemical arena was focused on supporting pharmaceutical and biotech companies at early stage development. Its goal at the smaller batch size scale (grams to 20 kilos) was to prepare high purity (>98%) research and development compounds. Early on, batches of up to 20 kg in our 50L reactors fit the needs of many of its customers. However, Bridge Organics recognized that the development needs of many of its customers required batch sizes of up to 100 kilos. It is in response to this need that Bridge Organics made the investment to expand its capacity. The expansion was completed in line with Bridge Organics’ mission to produce high purity (>98%) materials safely.
Bridge Organics carried out this expansion in cooperation with Middough, a design engineering firm out of Chicago. Middough’s expertise in the design and engineering of the reactor systems and associated safety systems will allow Bridge Organics to meet the needs of its customers efficiently and safely.
The newly installed large reactors are connected to vacuum, nitrogen, and condenser systems. The in-house scrubber system allows for efficient environmental safety.
The installation has been successfully inspected by the appropriate building, electrical, and fire inspectors and is ready for use.
Here is the complete list of new equipment with specific capabilities Bridge Organics has installed in this capital expansion to meet the needs of its customers.
- One 400L cone-bottom hastelloy C276 reactor with a temperature range of -75°C to +180°C.
- One 800L glass-lined reactor with a temperature range of -25°C to +120°C. The temperature controls are not yet connected.
- One 57 ft 2 hastelloy C276 condenser interconnected to the above reactors and connected to its own cooler capable of -20°C.
- One 120L cone-bottom hastelloy C276 reactor with a temperature range of -75°C to +180°C.
- One 120L glass-lined SS316 reactor with a temperature range of -75°C to +120°C.
- One 120L glass-lined SS316 reactor with a temperature range of -40°C to +120°C.
- Two large capacity vacuum pumps for providing vacuum to the above reactors and filters.
- One 24” hastelloy C276 pressure nutsche filter.
- One 18” hastelloy C276 pressure nutsche filter.
- One 24” SS316 pressure nutsche filter.
- One 4-mole/hr ozonator with equipment for continuous ozonolysis.
- One scrubber 16” x 10 ft. for removal of hazardous gasses.
- One hood-ventilated packaging area for larger quantities.
- Teflon-lined (Resistoflex) piping for the reactors.
In order to meet some very specific requirements we have ordered a 12” x 10 ft column for silica gel chromatography and have plans for a 16” column in the future. These additions will enhance our capability to meet specific critical purity specifications.
One final note: Bridge Organics in its support of the development activities of its customers has maintained and grown its strong core of process chemists and engineers. It is fully staffed to match its new capabilities and to meet the needs and requirements of its customers.
