Professional Certificate Course
Mastering Concepts - Pharma & Chemical Industry
Benefits to Students
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Industry-Ready Skills: Prepares for roles in pharma and chemical industry.
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Problem-Solving: Understands the ways and means of industry problem solving.
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Career Boost: Opens opportunities in pharma and chemical industry.
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Modern Knowledge: Covers advanced technologies and concepts in industry.
Course Contents
Concepts - Pharma & Chemical Industry
Key Concepts: Core Principles
1. Mass Balance - Definition: Conservation of mass in a system.
- Example: In API synthesis, the mass of reactants equals the mass of products and byproducts.
For instance, in the production of paracetamol, the mass of p-aminophenol and acetic anhydride equals the mass of paracetamol and acetic acid produced.
2. Energy Balance - Definition: Conservation of energy in a system.
- Example: In a reactor producing aspirin, the energy input (heating) equals the energy used for the reaction and the energy lost to the surroundings.
3. Momentum Balance - Definition: Describes fluid motion using Navier-Stokes equations. - Example: Calculating the pressure drop in a pipeline transporting a liquid API intermediate.
4. Thermodynamics - Definition: Study of energy, heat, and work. - Example: Determining the heat of reaction for the synthesis of ibuprofen to design an efficient cooling system.
5. Phase Equilibrium - Definition: Equilibrium between different phases (solid, liquid, gas). - Example: Separation of a solvent from an API using crystallization, where the solid API is in equilibrium with the liquid solvent.
6. Chemical Equilibrium - Definition: State where forward and reverse reaction rates are equal. - Example: In the synthesis of penicillin, the equilibrium between the reactants and products determines the yield.
7. Reaction Kinetics - Definition: Study of reaction rates and mechanisms. - Example: The rate of hydrolysis of aspirin in aqueous solution follows first-order kinetics.
8. Transport Phenomena - Definition: Unified study of momentum, heat, and mass transfer. - Example: Heat transfer in a jacketed reactor used for API synthesis and mass transfer in a gas absorber used for purifying intermediates.
9. Fluid Mechanics - Definition: Study of fluid behavior in motion. - Example: Designing the flow system for a liquid API to ensure laminar flow and minimize pressure drop.
10. Heat Transfer - Definition: Mechanisms of heat exchange (conduction, convection, radiation). - Example: Heat conduction through the walls of a reactor used for the synthesis of an API.
11. Mass Transfer - Definition: Movement of mass from one place to another. - Example: Oxygen transfer from air to a fermentation broth in the production of antibiotics.
12. Dimensional Analysis - Definition: Simplifying problems using dimensionless numbers. - Example: Using the Reynolds number to predict flow regime in a pipeline transporting a liquid API.
13. Process Modeling - Definition: Mathematical representation of processes. - Example: Modeling a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR) for the production of an API.
14. Process Simulation - Definition: Using software to simulate processes. - Example: Simulating a multi-step API synthesis process using Aspen Plus to optimize conditions.
15. Process Dynamics and Control - Definition: Study of process behavior over time and its control. - Example: Using a PID controller to maintain the temperature in a reactor producing an API. --- Unit Operations
16. Distillation - Definition: Separation based on differences in volatility. - Example: Purifying ethanol used as a solvent in API production.
17. Absorption and Stripping - Definition: Gas-liquid contact for separation. - Example: Removing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from exhaust gases in an API plant.
18. Adsorption - Definition: Adhesion of molecules to a surface. - Example: Using activated carbon to remove impurities from a solvent used in API synthesis.
19. Extraction - Definition: Separation using a solvent. - Example: Extracting an API intermediate from a fermentation broth using organic solvents.
20. Crystallization - Definition: Formation of solid crystals from a solution. - Example: Crystallizing an API from a solution to achieve the desired purity and particle size.
21. Filtration - Definition: Separation of solids from liquids. - Example: Filtering out impurities from a liquid API using a filter press.
22. Centrifugation - Definition: Separation using centrifugal force. - Example: Separating cells from a fermentation broth in the production of biopharmaceuticals.
23. Drying - Definition: Removal of moisture from solids. - Example: Drying a wet API cake in a vacuum dryer to achieve the desired moisture content.
24. Evaporation - Definition: Removal of solvent by vaporization. - Example: Concentrating an API solution by evaporating the solvent in a rotary evaporator.
25. Membrane Separation - Definition: Separation using semi-permeable membranes. - Example: Purifying an API solution using ultrafiltration to remove high molecular weight impurities.