The chemical reactor from laboratory to industrial plant

This work is carried to review the second edition of The Chemical Reactor from Laboratory to Industrial Plant by Riccardo Tesser and Elio Santacesaria. The book stands out through a systematic and problem-based approach, which integrates thermodynamics, catalysis, kinetics and mass transfer phenomena into a unified framework for reactor scale-up. Compared with the first edition, the book has significant improvements, adding two chapters on polymerization and bioreactor, reflecting the needs of contemporary industry. An important teaching advantage is that a large number of MATLAB codes for numerical solutions can make reader go beyond the analytical approximation. The book excels in the strict treatment of non-ideal thermodynamics, Langmuir-Hinshelwood kinetics, efficiency factor calculation, and multiphase mass transfer using two-layer theory. However, several limitations are also found: too dense content may make it difficult for novices to understand; computational fluid dynamics is not discussed; the description of non-ideal flow characteristics is also very simple. Compared with Froment & Bischoff’s, Fogler’s, and Levenspiel’s classic works, this book presents a unique European perspective. It not only emphasizes physical chemistry, but also combines engineering practice. The review of the book points out that although there are some minor shortcomings, the book is still a valuable resource for graduate students, process engineers and researchers seeking practical and computational guidelines for the design and scale-up of chemical reactors.