Metal Catalyst-Carbon Complex Reduction With A Self-Contained, Reclaimable, Filter Pack

In the manufacture of small molecule pharmaceuticals, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and excipients, there are often intermediate steps involving the use of precious metal catalysts such as palladium, platinum, gold, silver, rhodium, and ruthenium.

As catalysts, these materials are highly active and are used for such applications as adding hydrogen molecules to various organic molecules such as the hydrogenation of unsaturated hydrocarbons. These particular reactions are performed at both major pharmaceutical manufacturing plants as well as at contract manufacturing facilities.

In many instances these catalysts are coupled with carbon particles to provide a very large active surface area and exposure to the target molecule. High shear (aggressive mixing) is sometimes used to quickly contact catalyst powder with liquid-phase reactants and used to quickly contact catalyst powder with liquid and gas phase reactants in the case of hydrogenations.