SBIR Phase I: Fiber Film Reactors for Organic Synthesis Processing

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project targets conversion of a technique perfected for washing hydrocarbons in the oil industry, fiber film reactor (FFR) technology, into a production organic synthesis technique. A FFR will be constructed in Phase I and two reactions studied- an epoxy polyol reaction and an epoxy synthesis. Feasibility will be proven by demonstrating producible conversion yields. FFR is an elegant, economical, and environmentally friendly approach to production-scale organic synthesis. Both PTC-based and conventional processing methods will benefit from FFR technology. The commercial market value of FFR processing is enormous - over 3 billion pounds annually of organic production could potentially benefit from FFR. The environmental advantages are compelling - a waste factor due to emulsion in DGEBA production of just 0.05% would add 250,000 pounds to our national waste streams- and the added costs to the manufacturer in materials and time are equally huge. These two factors will drive FFR demand.