Abstract: In a micro heat exchanger for the transfer of high area-specific amounts of heat from a heat source to a heat transfer medium, including a heat transfer structure with an inlet- and an outlet duct structure between which a plurality of passages extend through the heat transfer structure, the inlet and outlet duct structures are arranged in alternating order in the heat transfer area in close proximity to the heat source, with the inlet and outlet duct structure and the passages interconnecting the inlet and outlet structures covering the whole heat transfer area directly adjacent the heat source.

Abstract: A process for preparing hydrogen cyanide, comprising the provision of gaseous formamide by evaporating liquid formamide in an evaporator (step i)) and the catalytic dehydration of the gaseous formamide (step ii)), and also an apparatus for performing the process according to the invention, comprising at least one microevaporator and a tubular reactor, and the use of a microevaporator for evaporating formamide in a process for preparing hydrogen cyanide from formamide.

Abstract: A mixer system for mixing at least two fluids includes a plurality of micromixers that are fluidically connected in parallel. The micromixers are integrated into a guide matrix and are fluidically connected via feed lines for the fluids to be mixed.

Abstract: In a microstructure apparatus for heating and atomizing a fluid with an inner body received in an outer tube, circumferential microstructure passages are formed into the inner surface of the outer tube or the outer surface of the inner body so as to form a flow passage which is provided with an inlet connector and heating means are incorporated into the inner body for heating the fluid conducted through the microstructure flow passages under pressure, the microstructure fluid passages extending spirally around the inner body so as to proved for a relatively long microstructure fluid flow passage which is open at the axial end thereof for discharging the fluid heated pressurized therein through the open axial end.

Abstract: A method for solution crystallization of mixtures of substances includes: providing a liquid mixture of substances including at least one component substance having an elevated melting point; drawing off a substream from the mixture of substances; feeding the substream to a heat exchanger so that the substream flows through the heat exchanger; cooling the substream in the heat exchanger to a temperature below a crystallization temperature of only the at least one component substance so that crystals from the at least one component substance form in the substream at an outlet of the heat exchanger; blending the substream including the crystals into the mixture of substances so that the crystals in the mixture of substances selectively bind other substances as a result of crystal growth; and providing for sedimentation and precipitation of the crystals in the mixture of substances.

Abstract: In a micro heat exchanger for the transfer of high area-specific amounts of heat from a heat source to a heat transfer medium, including a heat transfer structure with an inlet- and an outlet duct structure between which a plurality of passages extend through the heat transfer structure, the inlet and outlet duct structures are arranged in alternating order in the heat transfer area in close proximity to the heat source, with the inlet and outlet duct structure and the passages interconnecting the inlet and outlet structures covering the whole heat transfer area directly adjacent the heat source.

Abstract: A mixer system for mixing at least two fluids includes a plurality of micromixers that are fluidically connected in parallel. The micromixers are integrated into a guide matrix and are fluidically connected via feed lines for the fluids to be mixed.

Abstract: In a microstructure apparatus for heating and atomizing a fluid with an inner body received in an outer tube, circumferential microstructure passages are formed into the inner surface of the outer tube or the outer surface of the inner body so as to form a flow passage which is provided with an inlet connector and heating means are incorporated into the inner body for heating the fluid conducted through the microstructure flow passages under pressure, the microstructure fluid passages extending spirally around the inner body so as to proved for a relatively long microstructure fluid flow passage which is open at the axial end thereof for discharging the fluid heated pressurized therein through the open axial end.

Abstract: In a microstructure apparatus for heating a fluid with an inner body received in an outer tube, circumferential micro-passages are formed into the inner surface of the outer tube or the outer surface of the inner body so as to form a flow passage which is provided with inlet and outlet flow structures and heating means are incorporated into the inner body for heating the fluid conducted through the micro-structured flow passages.

Abstract: In a static micromixer which comprises at least one mixing chamber and one guide component disposed upstream of the mixing chamber and which includes channels extending therethrough at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the micromixer, so that the channels of alternate layers intersect without communicating with each other, the cross-section of the channels decreases steadily from the entrance end to the exit end of the guide component so as to reduce the pressure losses of the fluid flowing through the channels for mixing in the mixing chamber.

Abstract: In a static micromixer which comprises at least one mixing chamber and one guide component disposed upstream of the mixing chamber and which includes channels extending therethrough at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the micromixer, so that the channels of alternate layers intersect without communicating with each other, the cross-section of the channels decreases steadily from the entrance end to the exit end of the guide component so as to reduce the pressure losses of the fluid flowing through the channels for mixing in the mixing chamber.

Abstract: In a method of destroying harmful microorganisms in liquids by short term high temperature heating of the liquids in micro heat exchangers formed by stacks of metal foils having parallel microchannels, in a first step, the liquid is rapidly heated in a micro heat exchanger with a gradient of at least 200° K/sec, then is maintained at the high temperature for a time period of <2 sec and is finally cooled again in a micro heat exchanger with a gradient of at least 200° K/sec.

Abstract: In a method of destroying harmful microorganisms in liquids by short term high temperature heating of the liquids in micro heat exchangers formed by stacks of metal foils having parallel microchannels, in a first step, the liquid is rapidly heated in a micro heat exchanger with a gradient of at least 200° K/sec, then is maintained at the high temperature for a time period of <2 sec and is finally cooled again in a micro heat exchanger with a gradient of at least 200° K/sec.

Abstract: In the process for the continuous dispersion of at least one fluid A constituting the disperse phase and at least one continuous phase constituting the enclosing phase of a fluid B, at least one fluid stream A and at least one fluid stream B are fed into a dispersion apparatus and come into contact therein in a dispersion chamber.

Abstract: A method and a device for producing a dispersed mixture from at least two phases. To do this, the first and the second phase are subdivided into split streams so that the split streams from the first phase are located on a first flat layer and the split streams from the second phase are located on a second flat layer, the split streams of the first phase inside the flat layer being fed onto the split streams of the second phase at an angle in order to bring about a dispersion and mixing process, wherein the flat layers are directly arranged on top of each other, and parallel to each other. The device consists of at least one base unit containing two foils into which a parallel assembly of grooves is inserted on one side of each foil. Both foils are configured in the base unit such that the sides of the foils fitted with grooves lie on top of each other and form an angle with each other.

Abstract: In the reaction process, at least two educts A, B are divided by a system, assigned to each of them, of slit-like microchannels 1a, 1b into spatially separate fluid lamellae, which then emerge into a common mixing and reaction space 4. The fluid lamellae here have a thickness <1,000 &mgr;m, preferably <100 &mgr;m, at a width thickness ratio of at least 10. It is essential here that educts A, B can emerge as thin fluid lamellae 6a, 6b into the mixing/reaction space 4, each fluid lamella 6a of an educt A being led into the mixing/reaction space 4 in the immediate vicinity of a fluid lamella 6b of another educt B. The adjacent fluid lamellae 6a, 6b then subsequently mix by diffusion and/or turbulence. As a result, the mixing operation is accelerated substantially compared with conventional reactors. In the case of rapid chemical reactions, the formation of undesirable by-products or secondary products is largely prevented in this manner.

Abstract: A microstructures lamellae mixer comprising a guide component for supplying fluids to be mixed to a mixing chamber, the guide component being composed of a plurality of foils which are layered one above the other and into which microchannels are incorporated such that separate fluids supplied to the guide component are formed into spatially separated microstreams which then emerge adjacent to each other in a mixing chamber.

Abstract: A process for rapidly mixing phosgene and an amine in the gas phase to produce the corresponding isocyanate. Micro-structure mixers are used for the rapid mixing. The educts emerge from the micro-structure mixer in the form of thin free jets which mix very rapidly by diffusion and/or turbulence. As a result, the mixing operation is accelerated substantially as compared with conventional reactors. The isocyanate yield is also increased.

Abstract: In a static micromixer a flow guide structure consisting of a stack of foils provided with passages formed into alternate foils so as to extend between a mixing chamber at one end of the flow guide structure and different admission chambers at the opposite end of the flow guide structure, the passages are curved so that they are all parallel at their exit ends adjacent the mixing chamber and, at their entrance ends, the flow guide structure has face areas which are inclined with respect to the exit end face of the flow guide structure at such an angle that the curved passages have all about the same length.

Abstract: In a method of producing a self-focusing reflection grating structure for the series manufacture of microspectrometers including flexible foil strips provided with a grating structure and supported in a microspectrometer housing, a foil is first mounted onto a support member of an ultraprecision turning lathe on which circumferential parallel grooves are cut into the foil by microforming diamonds providing a saw-tooth pattern of annular teeth with predetermined tooth spacing, the foil is then cut into a plurality of foil strips and the strips are bent into a curved shape providing a focusing reflection grating structure.