Research on the crystallization clogging during reaction process in the microchannel continuous flow process

This study focuses on the investigation of the crystallization clogging process in continuous-flow microchannels by synthesizing methyl sulfone (MSM) via the oxidation of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as a probe reaction. Experimental data were utilized to establish solubility and reaction kinetic models, leading to the derivation of a critical crystallization blockage criterion for the reaction process. At a catalyst dosage of 0.0005 mol, the reaction activation energy was measured to be 40.55 kJ∙mol−1, and the pre-exponential factor was calculated as 0.789 × 103 mol∙s−1. Under the designed continuous flow experimental conditions, the critical catalyst dosage for the crystallization process of MSM was calculated to be 0.00241 mol. The crystallization position test of MSM confirmed that the obtained criterion was efficient and accurate. Additionally, the introduction of a small amount of typical organic solvent into the reaction system successfully suppressed MSM crystallization blockage, resulting in a significant backward shift of the crystallization position. This study proposes an effective suppression strategy for the industrialization challenges associated with crystallization clogging in the microchannel flow process.