Okuzeka
Chemical Engineering vocabulary · Process Fundamentals and Balances

Batch process

Meaning in chemical engineering, with examples

/ˈbætʃ ˌprɑːsɛs/nounCore term

In chemical engineering, batch process means: A way of producing in separate loads: materials are charged into a vessel, processed for a set time and then emptied before the next load starts.

In Turkish: kesikli proses, kesikli işlem, parti üretimi

How it is used

Typical of pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals, paints, food and specialty polymers. Each load is a 'batch' with its own batch number and batch record. Engineers talk about batch time, cycle time and batch-to-batch variation.

Example sentences

  1. The resin is made in a batch process, and each batch takes about nine hours.

  2. Moving from a batch process to continuous production would cut our labor costs.

Common collocations

  • batch reactor
  • batch time
  • batch record
  • batch-to-batch variation
  • run a batch
  • continuous processA way of producing in which feed enters and product leaves without stopping, usually for months at a time at nearly constant conditions.
  • reactorA vessel or piece of equipment where a chemical reaction is carried out under controlled temperature, pressure and mixing.
  • scale upTo take a process that works in the lab or a pilot plant and design it to run at a much larger, commercial size.
  • steady stateThe condition in which temperatures, pressures, flows and compositions at every point in a process stay constant over time.

More terms: Process Fundamentals and Balances

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: