Batch Or Continuous?

Question 1

What are the disadvantages of batch processes?

Answer 1

• High labour costs as it needs supervising.
• Hard to automate.
• inefficient as production is not taking place constantly and the equipment is not in constant use.
• Time is needed for changing the product if the line is changed.

Question 2

What are the advantages of continuous processes?

Answer 2

• High production rate.
• Easy automation.
• Low labour costs due to high automation.
• Cost per tonne is very small.
• uses less energy and money than starting and stopping.

Question 3

What are the disadvantages of batch processes?

Answer 3

• The process is inefficient if not in constant use.
• There is a high initiation and building cost for the chemical plants.
• There is one input level that is hard to change.
• Space is needed to store the product.

Question 4

Describe the traction of raw materials from plants.

Answer 4

1. The plant is crushed to break it’s cell walls.
2. It is boiled in a suitable solvent to dissolve the compounds.
3. The dissolved plant is placed on chromatography paper(which is placed in the solvent) to separate and identify the individual compounds.
4. Once these compounds are separated, they are purified and tested to see if they are potentially useful.

Question 5

How can the presence of an impurity be detected?

Answer 5

• A range of boiling of melting points.
• Lowered melting point, raised boiling point.
• The greater the impurity the bigger the difference.
• it is tested by measuring the speed at which it moves against a known sample on chromatography paper.

Question 6

Why is purity important?

Answer 6

• It helps to reduce any unknown side effects.

- helps to ensure an accurate dose in each tablet or capsule.

Question 7

What are the advantages of batch processes?

Answer 7

• Low factory equipment costs.
• Easy to change the product being made.
• Flexible, easy to make product when demand is higher.