Continuous stirred-tank reactor

<p>The continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR), also known as vat- or backmix reactor, mixed flow reactor (MFR), or a continuous-flow stirred-tank reactor (CFSTR), is a common model for a <a href="/facts/Chemical_reactor/asqApwa4">chemical reactor</a> in <a href="/facts/Chemical_engineering/Fb64amQf">chemical engineering</a> and <a href="/facts/Environmental_engineering/He7fly74">environmental engineering</a>. A CSTR often refers to a model used to estimate the key unit operation variables when using a continuous agitated-tank reactor to reach a specified output. The mathematical model works for all fluids: liquids, gases, and <a href="/facts/Slurry/erSTjthc">slurries</a>.
</p><p>The behavior of a CSTR is often approximated or modeled by that of an ideal CSTR, which assumes <a href="/facts/Perfect_mixing/9M0ooI7Q">perfect mixing</a>. In a perfectly mixed reactor, reagent is instantaneously and uniformly mixed throughout the reactor upon entry. Consequently, the output composition is identical to composition of the material inside the reactor, which is a function of residence time and reaction rate. The CSTR is the ideal limit of complete mixing in reactor design, which is the complete opposite of a <a href="/facts/Plug_flow_reactor_model/kCMMrS1M">plug flow reactor</a> (PFR). In practice, no reactors behave ideally but instead fall somewhere in between the mixing limits of an ideal CSTR and PFR.
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Continuous stirred-tank reactor open-in-new

Continuous stirred-tank reactor