05 — robotics
Flow Chemistry
Continuous automated chemical synthesis
Overview
Flow chemistry replaces batch reactors with continuous tubular systems where reagents flow through precisely controlled microreactors, mixing, reacting and separating in a seamless automated process. REC 2 is investing in flow chemistry systems that dramatically accelerate pharmaceutical synthesis, specialty chemical production and green chemistry — reducing waste, improving safety and enabling chemistries impossible in batch mode.
The advantages of flow chemistry are profound: reactions can be run at extreme temperatures and pressures safely, hazardous intermediates are consumed immediately rather than accumulated, and scale-up from laboratory to production is achieved simply by running reactors in parallel ('numbering up'). REC 2 sees flow chemistry as foundational to the future of chemical manufacturing.
Defence applications include the on-demand synthesis of propellants, explosives and chemical countermeasures — eliminating the need for large munitions stockpiles and enabling just-in-time production near the point of use. Our flow chemistry investments serve both the commercial specialty chemicals market and defence procurement.
Why REC 2 is investing here
01
Flow chemistry reduces synthesis times from days to minutes and increases yields by 20-50%, providing compelling economics across the $5T global chemicals market.
02
Pharmaceutical companies are rapidly adopting continuous manufacturing mandated by regulatory agencies, creating strong pull-through demand for flow chemistry systems.
03
Defence synthesis applications carry premium margins and long-term government contracts, providing revenue predictability.
Key Applications
06 areasTeam