C3g-Batch or Continuous

Question 1

What is a batch process?

Answer 1

A manufacturing process which only operates at certain times

Question 2

What is a continuous process?

Answer 2

A manufacturing process which runs all the time

Question 3

What are batch processes mainly used for?

Answer 3

Production of pharmaceutical drugs

Question 4

What are continuous processes mainly used for?

Answer 4

To produce chemicals such as ammonia

Question 5

What are the advantages of batch processes?

Answer 5

• flexible since different products can be made using the same equipment
• start up costs are low (small scale)

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of batch processes?

Answer 6

• labour intensive since equipment needs to be set up and manually controlled for each batch and cleaned out at the end
• tricky to keep the same quality from batch to batch

Question 7

What are the advantages of a continuous process?

Answer 7

• production never stops (dont have to set up constantly)
• runs automatically (only have to interfere when something goes wrong)
• quality of product is consistent

Question 8

What are the disadvantages of a continuous process?

Answer 8

• start up costs are huge

- it isnt cost effective to run at less than full capacity

Question 9

What are the factors that affect the cost of making and developing a pharmaceutical drug?

Answer 9

• research and testing
• labour costs
• energy costs
• raw materials
• time taken for development
• marketing

Question 10

Why do pharmaceutical drugs need to be tested?

Answer 10

To make sure they are safe to use

Question 11

Why is it expensive to make and develop new drugs?

Answer 11

• highly paid scientists for research and development
• time consuming trials
• energy and raw material costs

Question 12

What are the two ways the raw materials for pharmaceutical drugs can be made?

Answer 12

• synthetically

- extracted from plants

Question 13

How are chemicals extracted from plant sources?

Answer 13

1. crush plant
2. boil to dissolve in a suitable solvent
3. separate by chromotography
4. extract the chemical you want

Question 14

Why is it important to manufacture drugs to be as pure as possible?

Answer 14

Impurities poison catalysts

Question 15

What substances have a specific melting point and boiling point?

Answer 15

Pure substances

Question 16

What substances have a low melting point and high boiling point?

Answer 16

Impure substances

Question 17

What substances wont be separated by chromotography?

Answer 17

Pure substances move as one blob