Process reactors

Buying guide

The variable that settles most reactor purchases is the wetted material and how it matches the chemistry it will hold. A glass or glass-lined vessel tolerates acids and allows the operator to watch the reaction; a stainless steel reactor handles pressure and abrasion but can be attacked by chlorides and strong acids. Decide the material first, because it sets the pressure rating, the temperature range, and the price band before any other specification matters. Volume follows from the work: a few hundred millilitres for route-finding, several litres for process development, hundreds of litres or more for production. Match the vessel to the stage, since an oversized reactor wastes reagent and an undersized one forces repeated batches.

Temperature control is the next decision, and it is why the jacketed design dominates the listings here. A jacketed reactor circulates a heating or cooling fluid in an outer shell, holding the contents at a set point across the full batch. Check that the jacket rating covers the span the chemistry needs, and that the agitator, seal, and ports suit the viscosity and the feed arrangement you intend to run.

On a used unit, condition is where the real diligence sits. Ask for the pressure test history and the date of the last hydrostatic check, because a vessel that holds pressure is the whole point of the equipment. Inspect the glass for crazing or chips at the ports, the steel for pitting and weld integrity at the jacket, and the agitator seal for wear, since a leaking mechanical seal is a common and costly fault. Confirm that the fittings and the control package are present and documented; a vessel sold without its agitator drive or temperature controller needs parts that add to the real cost.

Price spans a wide range here, from a bare glass vessel to a complete production reactor with jacket, drive, and controls, so compare like with like before judging what a unit costs. Set the budget against the stage of work rather than the headline figure, because the cheapest listing rarely carries the controls a usable system needs. A refurbished reactor listed for sale sits below the new price, which is where most of the catalogue sits, and makes a tested vessel affordable for a development lab that cannot justify new.

Types of Process reactors

Which reactor types are listed here?

Among the listings that specify a type, the catalogue divides along two lines: what the vessel is made of, and how it is heated. Jacketed reactors are the most common, built with an outer shell that circulates heating or cooling fluid so the contents stay at a controlled temperature through the batch; process chemists reach for these whenever a reaction is exothermic or temperature-sensitive. Glass chemical and laboratory reactors suit corrosive chemistry and let the operator see the reaction, which is why route-finding and formulation work favours them. Stainless steel reactors and stainless steel reactor vessels take over where pressure, scale, or mechanical robustness matter more than visibility, typically in process development and production.

Bioreactor vessels are the life sciences member of this group. A bioreactor grows cells or microorganisms under controlled oxygen, pH, and temperature, and is the working equipment of cell culture, bioprocessing, and biomanufacturing. Stirred-tank bioreactor vessels run microbial fermentation and mammalian cell culture for protein production, and the same vessel design underpins bench-scale work in synthetic biology and the scale-up steps that carry a molecular biology result toward manufacture. Where a buyer is equipping a bioprocessing line rather than a chemistry bench, the bioreactor vessel, not the chemical reactor, is the unit that fits.

The brands behind the process reactor listings

The names that recur in this category are Chemglass, Various, Chemglass Life Sciences, Precision Stainless, Feldmeier. For a buyer, that mix matters in practical ways. Chemglass and Chemglass Life Sciences concentrate on glass laboratory reactors, where components and replacement vessels are catalogued and a model is straightforward to compare across listings. Precision Stainless and Feldmeier build the stainless steel and production end, where vessels are larger, often custom, and priced accordingly. The "Various" entry reflects how much of this catalogue is single used units rather than a standard line, so comparing two listings means reading the specifications rather than the badge. A recognised brand usually makes parts and seals easier to source; an unbranded vessel is judged on its test history instead.

What a used process reactor costs here

The condition split is stark: 97 percent of the listings are used. Prices range from EUR 40 to EUR 120.525, a spread that covers a bare bench glass vessel at one end and a complete jacketed production reactor at the other. Because used and refurbished units are listed below new prices, a development laboratory can acquire a tested, pressure-rated vessel for a fraction of a new build. Where warranty matters, it is arranged in consultation for the specific listing, so weigh each vessel on its own documentation and test history rather than on a catalogue-wide figure.