Scale up of Chemical Reactions

This Note provides some basic guidance on safety issues raised by the scale up of chemical reactions from laboratory scale to full sized commercial plant. The RSC believes that chemists should be fully aware of the safety problems associated with the scale up of chemical processes and should contribute to the scale up procedure in order to ensure the health and safety of all persons involved. Guidance is, therefore, provided, for members who either manage laboratories or are employed in laboratories where the scale up of chemical reactions is undertaken.

The Note assumes familiarity with basic terms such as 'risk' and 'hazard'. The Note is intended to be an introduction rather than a full or definitive guide. Readers are urged to obtain more detailed information and/or expert advice if this is required.