Continuous Tubular Reactor Research Articles

Distributed optical fiber sensors for real-time tracking of fouling buildup for tubular continuous polymerization reactors

Early online fouling detection is expected to be a real step forward in the operation of continuous tubular reactors. As an online technology, the Rayleigh backscatter based Distributed Optical Fiber Sensor (DOFS) technology was evaluated with respect to temperature measurement resolution, reproducibility and the best online calibration method. Different coatings and terminations were characterized for emulsion polymerization reactors. Commercially available sensors with acrylate primary coatings, dual acrylate coatings, and polyimide coatings were all compared with each other. It is shown that the presence of a secondary coating significantly alters sensor behaviour. Sensors with only a primary coating showed a temperature resolution of 0.1 °C. Online calibration for temperature readout was carried out and validation tested on segments of fiber integrated in a 3D-printed reactor channel (diameter 1.5 mm). Acrylate coated sensors showed a deviation of 20 % for the calibration coefficients when inside the reactor channel compared to the online calibration, leading to errors in temperature measurement. Polyimide coated sensors showed a deviation of just 0.6 % in this validation test, demonstrating good capabilities for online calibration with accurate temperature measurements. The possibility of spatial and temporal monitoring of fouling buildup through a heat exchanging wall equipped with DOFS was evaluated.

Synergistic effects of defect engineering and functionalizing ionic liquids within UiO-66(Zr)-NH2 frameworks towards improving removal efficiency of phosphate and methyl orange

In this study, novel ionic liquid (IL)-entrapped UiO-66(Zr)-NH2 frameworks are proposed as efficient adsorbents to remove phosphate and methyl orange (MO). First, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant-defected UiO-66(Zr)-NH2 with tuned ligand deficiencies was produced using the continuous tubular reactor under microwave irradiation, making it a fast and scalable process. Upon changing the CTAB/ligand molar ratio from 0.5 to 1.5 and 2.5, the reaction yield deminised from ∼72–68 and 59 %, while the linker deficiency per Zr6 unit increased from ∼ 0.54–1.72 and 2.01, respectively. Defect-contained UiO-66(Zr)-NH2 was favourably entrapped with 1-butyl-3-methylimidazoliumbromide ([Bmim]+[Br]-) ionic liquid using a ship-in-bottle method to obtain host-guest [Bmim]+[Br]-@UiO-66(Zr)-NH2 composites, named Bmim@UN. Results revealed that IL-functionalized UiO-66(Zr)-NH2 comprised N-heteroaromatic rings and NH2 groups, creating a synergetic effect that enhanced the phosphate and MO adsorptions. At pH 4.5 and 27 °C, the Bmim@UN loaded 12 wt% IL had the equilibrium adsorbing capacity for phosphate and MO of ∼ 197 and ∼ 98 mg/g, respectively, and their corresponding adsorption rate constant of ∼ 0.0036 g mg−1min−1 and 0.0022 g mg−1min−1. Notably, the harvested Bmim@UN exhibited good simultaneous decontamination of phosphate and MO in their binary solution, where MO further accelerated the phosphate adsorption. The mechanism studies revealed that electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonds, cation-π, and π-π interactions drove these adsorptions. The study demonstrates that combining defect engineering and IL-functionalizing of MOF has constructed efficient materials for wastewater remediation.

Novel monolithic catalysts for the hydrotreating of oleic acid

Alumina-supported palladium and molybdenum carbide monolithic catalysts were tested in the hydrodeoxygenation of oleic acid. Anodized aluminum monoliths were used as the substrate of the structured catalysts. The Pd catalyst was synthetized by wet impregnation, and the Mo2C sample was prepared in situ using the temperature-programmed carburization methodology. The monolithic catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction, N2 sorption analysis, CO chemisorption and scanning electron microscopy. The catalytic tests were carried out in a continuous tubular reactor at temperatures between 553 and 633 K, with a hydrogen pressure of 30 atm. Both catalysts showed to be active, reaching a conversion of oleic acid higher than 92% at 633 K. The deoxygenation reactions using the Mo2C catalyst were suppressed, favoring the saturation of carbon-carbon double bonds and the stearic acid formation. On the other hand, oleic acid hydrodeoxygenation was promoted when using the palladium-based catalyst, forming undecane and tridecane alkanes.

Process intensification for production of dispersants via integration of reaction and separation in a horizontal thin film evaporator

Process intensification can be achieved in specialty chemicals manufacturing via transition from batch-to-continuous processing. However, the absence of headspace in a continuous tubular reactor limits the ability to remove volatile byproducts from the reacting liquid flow. Previous studies showed that the production of succinimide dispersants follows a two-step amidation-dehydration pathway in which water is formed as a by-product. The inability to remove this water imposed a thermodynamic equilibrium limitation on the dehydration step, and hence necessitated a downstream drying step to obtain a dehydrated dispersant product within commercial specifications. In the present study, the use of an agitated, horizontal thin film evaporator (TFE) was investigated as a continuously operated reactive separator which combines reaction and dehydration into a single operating unit, reducing the overall cost and physical footprint of the process. The continuous TFE unit was first experimentally investigated as a stand-alone, integrated reactor-separator. Using this configuration, the obtained imide yield consistently exceeded the maximum thermodynamic yield at each operating temperature, confirming the efficiency of the integrated reaction and separation steps in the TFE. Next, the unit was modeled by integrating reaction kinetics with mass and energy balance equations, using appropriate correlations for heat and mass transfer from the literature which were verified for the experimental set-up. This model provided insights into the system behavior across different operating conditions, including the role of forward and reverse reactions along the TFE unit length. The model was then used to confirm the feasibility of replacing the two-step tubular reactor-evaporator process with a single TFE unit as an intensified reactive separator, further reducing the physical footprint of the process by enabling compact modular process designs.

A kinetic model of the cycloaddition reactions between cyclopentadiene and 1,3‐butadiene for synthesis of 5‐vinyl‐2‐norbornene

AbstractUnder high temperature and pressure, a continuous tubular reactor was successfully utilized to investigate the kinetics of 5‐vinyl‐2‐norbornene (VNB) production. The process involved multiple cycloaddition reactions between cyclopentadiene (CPD) and 1,3‐butadiene (BD). The results, spanning a wide range of operating conditions, indicate that higher temperature (180°C) and proper residence time (72 min) were conducive to efficient synthesis of VNB. The apparent kinetic parameters, including activation energies and pre‐exponential factors, were acquired by fitting experimental data under integral operating conditions. The kinetic model was proven effective from a practical point of view in predicting the concentration changes of each product in the range 140 to 180°C and 30 to 80 wt.% concentration. This work provides a solid basis for the optimization of the VNB synthesis process.

Hybrid-process including electrocoagulation for the real carwash wastewater treatment using a new continuous undivided tubular reactor

A coagulation-based continuous tubular electrochemical reactor has been designed to treat real carwash wastewater in a flow rate of 100 mL/min. This reactor made of an ordinary iron tube cathode with a commercial aluminum rod anode at the center. Equipment and chemicals needed for this method can be easily and cheaply obtained through non-scientific commercial sources. The one-factor at a time approach was used to investigate the effects of operating variables. Current density, flow rate, electrolysis time and electrode material were selected as independent variables while COD removal was considered as the response function. The experimental results showed that the proposed method can remove 89 % of COD from 10 liters of carwash wastewater in a "single-pass" and more than 99 % in a "double-pass" through the flow reactor. This reactor has short treatment time, low energy consumption, favorable mass transfer and low ohmic drop and does not need to adjust the pH or add electrolyte additionally to save costs. Also, this approach is resistant to undesirable phenomena such as passivation of the electrode surface, cell polarization, electrode surface fouling and reduction of electrical conductivity that may occur during electrolysis. The treated wastewater can be reused in the carwash industry as well as for irrigated agriculture.

Continuous Treatment of Refractory Wastewater from Research and Teaching Laboratories via Supercritical Water Oxidation–Experimental Results and Modeling

Teaching and research laboratories generate wastes of various compositions and volumes, ranging from diluted aqueous solutions to concentrated ones, which, due to milder self-regulation waste-management policies, are carelessly discarded, with little attention given to the consequences for the environment and human health. In this sense, the current study proposes the application of the supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) process for the treatment of complex refractory wastewater generated in research and teaching laboratories of universities. The SCWO, which uses water in conditions above its critical point (T > 647.1 K, p > 22.1 MPa), is regarded as an environmentally neutral process, uniquely adequate for the degradation of highly toxic and bio-refractory organic compounds. Initially, the wastewater samples were characterized via headspace gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry. Then, using a continuous tubular reactor, the selected operational parameters were optimized by a Taguchi L9 experimental design, aiming to maximize the total organic carbon reduction. Under optimized conditions—that is, temperature of 823.15 K, feed flow rate of 10 mL min−1, oxidizing ratio of 1.5 (50% excess over the oxygen stoichiometric ratio), and sample concentration of 30%—TOC, COD, and BOD reductions of 99.9%. 91.5% and 99.2% were achieved, respectively. During the treatment process, only CO2, methane, and hydrogen were identified in the gaseous phase. Furthermore, the developed methodology was applied for the treatment of wastewater samples generated in another research laboratory and a TOC reduction of 99.5% was achieved, reinforcing the process’s robustness. A thermodynamic analysis of SCWO treatment of laboratory wastewater under isothermal conditions was performed, using the Gibbs energy minimization methodology with the aid of the GAMS® 23.9.5. (General Algebraic Modeling System) software and the CONOPT 4 solver. Therefore, the results showed that SCWO could be efficiently applied for the treatment of wastewater generated by different teaching and research laboratories without the production of harmful gases and the addition of hazardous chemicals.

Treatment of Mixture Pollutants with Combined Plasma Photocatalysis in Continuous Tubular Reactors with Atmospheric-Pressure Environment: Understanding Synergetic Effect Sources.

This study investigates the pilot-scale combination of nonthermal plasma and photocatalysis for removing Toluene and dimethyl sulfur (DMDS), examining the influence of plasma energy and initial pollutant concentration on the performance and by-product formation in both pure compounds and mixtures. The results indicate a consistent 15% synergy effect, improving Toluene conversion rates compared to single systems. Ozone reduction and enhanced CO2 selectivity were observed when combining plasma and photocatalysis. This process effectively treats pollutant mixtures, even those containing sulfur compounds. Furthermore, tests confirm nonthermal plasma's in-situ regeneration of the photocatalytic surface, providing a constant synergy effect.

Enhanced scale-up performance on residence time distribution by integrated microcapillaries with high size uniformity

Continuous tubular flow reactors are widely used by virtue of their simple structures, controllable reaction conditions, enhanced heat and mass transfer, etc. Microreactors present specific microscale characteristics including laminar flow, reduced diffusion path, enhanced mixing degree and high surface area to volume ratio. Microcapillary reactors combined the advantages of continuous processing and microscale reactions. However, the scale-up of microreactions is still a very challenging task for the loss of enhanced transport characteristics in microscale. Residence time distribution (RTD) is a vital research method to investigate the flow behaviors of microreactors. Microcapillary films (MCFs) containing several parallel microcapillaries provide a strategy to multiplex the microreactions. Nevertheless, the low size uniformity of microcapillaries in MCF strips hinders their application in microreactions. We carried out Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations with experimental RTD validation to investigate the effects of dimension, convection and diffusion on RTD and the relationship between the RTD diversity and the size uniformity of microcapillaries under fixed velocities and volumetric flow rates. MCFs with high size uniformity were manufactured by liquid-assisted extrusion, and the coefficient of variance of the mean residence times of the microcapillaries in the MCF strip was only 2.8%. Neutralization reaction also showed the consistence of reaction performances among microcapillaries. With the enhanced scale-up performance on RTD and microreactions, MCFs are expected to have broad applications in large-scale microreactions in chemical engineering industry.

Convective enhancement of microalgae slurry in continuous tubular reactors for biocrude production during hydrothermal liquefaction

Continuous hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) reactor is promising in the large-scale production of biocrude from microalgae biomass. To optimize the temperature distribution and biocrude yield of microalgae slurry, the convection of microalgae slurry is enhanced through adjusting flow rate (1 – 24 mL/min) and inserting twist tapes (twist ratio: 3 – 10) in the flow channel, respectively. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model integrated HTL kinetics of microalgae biomass is proposed to simulate the contour plots of temperature and biocrude yields at the heating temperature from 523 to 623 K. Comparing to increasing flow rate, the swirl flow induced by the twist tape can significantly increase the convective heat transfer coefficient from 669 to 1707 W·m−2·K−1, while the conversion rate of biocrude from 0.188 to 0.298 g·L-1·s−1 at 8 mL/min and 623 K. As the enhancement factor of convective heat transfer coefficient h /h0 is higher than 2, the biocrude yield YBC of microalgae slurry appears obvious increasing by the enhancing convective heat transfer. This investigation provides the insights to optimize the flow channel of tubular reactors for the optimization of HTL conversion of microalgae biomass.

Methanolysis of amides under high-temperature and high-pressure conditions with a continuous tubular reactor

The methanolysis of amides, which is widely employed in the synthetic organic chemistry, hardly occurs under mild conditions. To safely and controllably intensify the methanolysis reaction with high-temperature and high-pressure environment, a continuous tubular reaction technology is developed, whose space–time yield is over twice of that of the conventional batch reaction. The methanolysis of acetanilide is selected as the representative reaction, and the influences of temperature, pressure, reactant and catalyst concentration, and residence time on the reaction performances are systematically investigated. Taking the advantages of precise temperature and reaction time control by the tubular reactor, the kinetics of acetanilide methanolysis are determined and compared to the kinetics of acetanilide hydrolysis reaction. The tubular reaction method is also employed to test a variety of other amides to show the effects of substituents, steric hindrance, and alkalinity on the reaction rate of methanolysis.

Scaling up continuous ultrasound-assisted extractor for plant extracts by using spinach leaves as a test material

The ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) process of chlorophylls (a, b) and carotenoids in aqueous ethanol solutions from spinach leaves was upscaled from a batch laboratory reactor to a continuous modular flow-cell of pilot scale. The extraction in the laboratory scale was organized in a loop reactor, where pulp was circulated between a stirred vessel and the ultrasound reactor. The pilot scale extraction was made in a novel continuous tubular flow-cell reactor. The analysis of the experimental data proved that the ultrasound application provided a better extraction yield. In the laboratory scale, the application of ultrasound (24 kHz and 2500 W/L) showed the 2.6-fold higher maximum extraction yield compared to non-sonicated conventional solvent extraction. In the pilot scale, the effect was less significant (1.9-fold), due to smaller ultrasound power density (25 kHz and 1500 W/L). The scale-up of the UAE was based on equal extraction yield at both scales. The scale-up revealed that 2.5-fold higher volume-specific ultrasound power is required in the pilot scale to reach the yield obtained in the laboratory scale reactor.

Milliscale reactors for integration of continuous precipitation and filtration

AbstractBACKGROUNDThe development of integrated continuous biomanufacturing processes faces a significant challenge when the parameters for the design of the process cannot be accurately estimated from those of batch experiments. Process design is even more challenging if the outcome of one unit operation highly influences the performance of the subsequent one, such as in harvesting of a precipitate by filtration. In the case of protein precipitation, results from the batch and continuous experiements deviate and their scale‐down is limited. Microfluidics suffer from poor mixing characteristics. Thus, milliscale devices were developed to maintain mixing performance but at the expense of a slightly larger scale.RESULTSMilliscale devices were developed for the precipitation of antibodies in continuous tubular reactors to compare different dosage times in small scale. The reactors have multiple addition points for precipitant for the continuous, controlled and precise addition of the precipitating agent without valves. The designed devices have a narrow residence time distribution to achieve fast mixing and a small volume that reduces the time and cost for experiments tenfold. Milliscale devices were used to evaluate the most appropriate dosage time for protein precipitation, thus improving purity by a factor of 3 compared to single addition. The resulting filterability of precipitates in tangential flow filtration and depth filtration was improved.CONCLUSIONResults demonstrated that multiple additions were more beneficial than single addition because they help to reduce pressure and increase filter capacity. Such devices can be used to determine and adjust the precipitation methodology to optimize floc formation and improve solid–liquid separation while reducing development time and cost. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry (SCI).

Selective synthesis of MIBK via acetone hydrogenation over Cu-Al mixed oxide catalysts

This work involves direct synthesis of methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK) using a multifunctional catalyst via vapor phase hydrogenation of acetone at atmospheric pressure. Cu-Al mixed oxide catalysts were prepared from inexpensive precursors by co-precipitation of Cu and Al hydroxides with varying Cu:Al atomic ratio. The catalysts were characterized with N2 physisorption, FESEM (coupled with EDS), CO2/NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, FTIR and XRD. The evaluation of catalyst activity was performed in a continuous tubular reactor. The catalytic reactions were studied from variation of parameters such as temperature (200–300 °C), 0.5–1.25 H2/CH3COCH3 mole ratio and space-time (13.34–21.45 kg cat h/kmol acetone). The mixed oxide with Cu/Al atomic ratio of 0.25 showed highest selectivity (74%) for MIBK at 250 °C. Kinetics of the reaction was studied by varying space-velocity at different temperatures. Rate equations based on L-H-H-W model were validated with the kinetic data obtained at four temperatures. The activation energy was found to be 81 kJ/mol.

Supercritical Water Gasification of glycerol: Continuous reactor kinetics and transport phenomena modeling

Supercritical Water Gasification of glycerol is carried out on a continuous tubular reactor at 25 MPa and 610 °C. A design of experiments is performed at three levels of glycerol concentration (2.5; 5; and 10%) and three levels of inflow rate (125; 250; and 375 mL/min). The process outputs are the molar production of H2; CH4; CO2; CO; and C2H6. The influence of Stainless Steel 316 and Inconel-625 as reactor materials is compared. A compartment model is implemented considering the system as a heat exchanger in series with a wall reactor. Heat transfer influence on reactivity is successfully captured. The results are useful and accurate in describing global stoichiometry. H2, CH4, and CO2 productivity are fairly predicted. The catalytic effect of Inconel-625 manifests from the CO2 to CO ratio when compared with Stainless Steel 316. Inconel-625 is 50% more productive in terms of C2 hydrocarbons and 40% more active towards CH4 production, which is detrimental in 50% of the H2 yield.

Kinetic model for the esterification of free fatty acids from palm oil with methanol using sulfuric acid as catalyst and sensitivity analysis in tubular reactors

AbstractIndustrial biodiesel production from crude palm oil (CPO) by homogeneous transesterification requires some conditioning stages. One is deodorization, where free fatty acids (FFA) are stripped out from the CPO. The FFA from the deodorizer is esterified using a homogeneous acid catalyst to produce more biodiesel and improve process profitability. This work studied the sulfuric acid‐catalyzed esterification of FFA with methanol. The factors evaluated were temperature (between 40 and 60°C) and catalyst concentration (between 0.15 and 1.5 wt% based on the mixture). The parameters of a reversible second‐order kinetic model were adjusted from experimental data using a genetic algorithm. The kinetic model, which adequately represents the esterification reaction, according to the Fisher–Snedecor test, was used to perform a sensitivity analysis in isothermal, adiabatic, and non‐isolated continuous tubular esterification reactors using ASPEN HYSYS V10. The results showed that the highest conversion (~96%) was predicted using an isothermal reactor. However, its installation and operational costs could also be the highest. An adiabatic reactor was preferred, which optimal conversion of 94.5% was predicted at temperature, catalyst concentration, residence time, and methanol‐to‐FFA molar ratio of 140°C, 0.3 wt%, 47 min, and 6.7, respectively, its predicted operational cost was 0.63 dollars per biodiesel kilogram. Therefore, the adjusted and validated model has a relevant importance in the biofuel sector, not only in Colombia, but also worldwide.

Enhancing the amination reaction of 4-nitrochlorobenzene in a tubular reactor

In this work, a tubular reactor with a micromixer was introduced in attempt to enhance the amination reaction of 4-nitrochlorobenzene in terms of the process efficiency and safety. It was found that the reaction system containing a large excess of ammonia water can become homogeneous at high temperature. Thus, as both micromixing and the heat transfer performance were guaranteed, the set-up combining a micromixer and a microtube reactor enabled the reaction to exhibit homogeneous reaction characteristics, meeting the demands of efficiency and reliability. Furthermore, using a multi-channel sampling system connected behind the micromixer, the reaction kinetics were studied in a modified “stop flow” mode, which is adaptable for in-situ fast homogenization, high temperature, and high pressure. The reaction conditions were screened and a kinetic model was developed. Accordingly, we propose and verify a self-circulation strategy to reduce the burden of ammonia separation and recovery in a continuous tubular reactor system.

Enhanced lithium leaching from lepidolite in continuous tubular reactor using H2SO4+H2SiF6 as lixiviant

An acidic mixture of sulfuric and fluosilicic acid (H2SO4+H2SiF6) was employed as lixiviant to enhance leaching of lithium from lepidolite. The H2SiF6 was obtained as a byproduct of anhydrous hydrofluoric acid production, aiming to provide HF molecules. It was found that the HF molecules were the main reaction component and played a key role in strengthening the dissolution of lepidolite. Different factors, including mass ratio of ore/H2SO4/H2SiF6, concentrations of H2SO4 and H2SiF6, leaching temperatures (40−80 °C) and time (15−75 min), were investigated. Moreover, an efficient tubular reactor was employed to improve this acid leaching system. Under the optimal conditions (ore/H2SO4/H2SiF6 mass ratio of 1:0.8:1.6, 80 wt.% H2SO4, 15 wt.% H2SiF6, 80 °C, 15 min), 97.9% of Li, 96.4% of K, 97.6% of Rb, 96.7% of Cs and 81.4% of Al (mass fraction) were leached. Additionally, a two-step thermal process was proposed to remove fluorine of leaching slurry. This acid treatment using an acidic mixture of H2SO4 and H2SiF6 in a continuous tubular reactor shows potential as an alternative process to extract lithium from lepidolite.

Implications on Feedstock Processing and Safety Issues for Semi-Batch Operations in Supercritical Water Gasification of Biomass

Biomass with a large amount of moisture is well-suited to be processed by supercritical water gasification, SCWG. The precipitation of inorganics, together with char formation and re-polymerization, can cause reactor plugging and stop the process operations. When plugging occurs, sudden injections of relatively large mass quantities take place, influencing the mass flow dynamics significantly in the process. Reactor plugging is a phenomenon very well observed during SCWG of industrial feedstock, which hinders scale-up initiatives, and it is seldom studied with precision in the literature. The present study provides an accurate evaluation of continuous tubular reactor dynamics in the event of sudden injections of water. An interpretation of the results regarding water properties at supercritical conditions contributes to comprehending mass and heat transfer when plugging occurs. Experiments are then compared to SCWG of a biomass sample aiming to give key insights into heat transfer and fluid dynamics mechanisms that could help develop operational and control strategies to increase the reliability of SCWG. In addition, a simplified model is presented to assess the effect of material integrity on burst-event likelihood, which states that SCWG is safe to operate, at 250 bar and 610 °C, in tubular reactors made of 0.22 wall thickness-to-diameter ratio Inconel-625 with superficial microfractures smaller than 30 µm. We also suggest improvement opportunities for the safety of SCWG in continuous operation mode.

Fabrication of tubular porous titanium membrane electrode and application in electrochemical membrane reactor for treatment of wastewater

In this study, tubular titanium membrane (TTM) /SnO2-Sb/SnO2-Sb-CeO2 porous anode was fabricated and used in continuous tubular membrane reactor for electrochemical treatment of dye wastewater. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were used to evaluate the morphology and microstructure of the different tubular titanium membrane. Linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and accelerated service life test are employed to illustrate the performance of TTM/SnO2-Sb/SnO2-Sb-CeO2 porous membrane electrode. It is found that TTM/SnO2-Sb/SnO2-Sb-CeO2 active layer on titanium membrane has compact microstructure, high over-potential for oxygen evolution (2.10V vs saturated calomel electrode). The effects of pore diameter, applied voltage and flow rate on the electro-catalytic property of the tubular porous electrode were investigated. Study shows titanium membrane reactor with an optimized pore diameter of 10μm has the lowest energy consumption which is important for the practical application of electrochemical technology. The performance of titanium tubular membrane reactor is investigated by treating methylene blue (MB) wastewater under the cell voltage of 3.0–4.5V and the flow rate of 2.5–3.5Lmin−1. This continuous titanium membrane electrochemical reactor using solar cell show excellent performance in treating dye wastewater and the further potential application in electrochemical synthesis.