1.Objective :

 To lay down the procedure for the calibration of reactor used in API manufacturing.

2. Scope :

Applicable in API manufacturing industry.

3. Responsibility :

 Production Chemist, Production In charge, Quality Assurance

4. Definition :

• Calibration: It is a demonstration that, a particular Instrument or equipment produces results within specified limits by comparisons with those produced by a reference or traceable standard over an appropriate range of measurements.

• Working Volume: 80 % of the equipment volume is considered as Working Volume of reactor OR volume between dead & overflow volume.

• Dead Volume: Minimum volume of reactor, which is not stirrarble.

5. Procedure :

• Basic Requirements:

-Ensure that reactor is empty & clean.

-Ensure that Bottom valve of the reactor is closed.

-Make the arrangements for calibrated water flow meter, calibrated dip rod & two hosepipes.

-Connect the two end of water flow meter with the hosepipes.

-Now, put the end of one hosepipe into the reactor & the other end of second hosepipe should be connected to the tap for water flow.

-Water flow meter should be properly clamped to note down the readings.

a. Dead  Volume:

• Insert the hosepipe into the reactor & calibrated dip rod at the bottom valve of reactor.
• Take the initial reading by marking on dip rod for the identification.
• Now, start water flow & allow water to fill the reactor until it touches the leaf of the agitator.
• Consider this as second reading.
• Get difference between these two readings & find out the volume of water.
• This volume of water is considered as Dead Volume of the reactor.
• Put mark on dip rod as dead volume.

b. Working Volume :

• 80 % of the equipment volume is considered as Working Volume of reactor.
• First of all, get the Liter per centimeter (LPCM) on dip rod by identifying the amount of water required to reach the one centimeter on dip rod.
• Now, fill the reactor with water until water level gets up to the neck of the reactor (almost 80 %).
• Take the difference between this reading with dead volume.
• This will give the working volume of the reactor.

c. Minimum Stirring Volume :

• Insert the hosepipe into the reactor & calibrated dip rod at the bottom valve of reactor.
• Take the initial reading by marking on dip rod for the identification.
• Now, start water flow & allow water to fill the reactor until it touches the bottom of the agitator so that it can be dip into water.
• Consider this as second reading.
• Get difference between these two readings & find out the volume of water.
• This volume of water is considered as Minimum Stirring Volume of the reactor.

d. Minimum Sensing Volume Without Stirring:

• Ensure that agitator must not be moving or rotating.
• Fill the reactor with water until it touches to the bottom of temperature sensor.
• Mark this on dip rod.
• Get the difference between this & dead volume.
• This will give Minimum sensing volume without stirring.

e. Minimum Sensing Volume With Stirring:

• Ensure that agitator is in moving condition with its minimum speed.
• Now, start the flow of water in reactor while agitator is still moving.
• Stop the water flow once the bottom of sensor touches to the water level.
• Mark this reading.
• Now, difference of this volume with dead volume will give Minimum Sensing Volume with Stirring.

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