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• The characteristics of a plug flow reactor include the following
• The reactants in a plug-flow reactor flow throughout the reactor in a continuous flow with little to no mixing.
• The reaction in PFR occurs when the reactants move with the reactor length
• The concentration of reactants changes with the reactor’s length and the rate of reaction is generally higher at the entry.
• These reactors are frequently used for reactions wherever a high amount of change is necessary and wherever the reaction speed is not responsive to absorption changes.
• The residence time within the PFR is normally short.
• The biofilm forms close to the air-liquid interface simulating environments such as the oral cavity, wet rock surfaces, and shower curtains.
• This type of reactor generates a consistent biofilm in low shear that can be utilized like the static glass coupon reactor to check microbicide effectiveness.
• The biofilm of this reactor is analyzed easily with different methods like viable plate counts, determination of thickness & light microscopy.

The plug flow reactor advantages include the following. :

• The PFR advantage over CSTR is that this reactor has a low volume for a similar space-time & conversion level.
• The reactor needs less space & that the quantity of conversion is high within PFR as compared to CSTR for a similar reactor volume.
• This reactor is used frequently to decide the gas-phase catalytic kinetics process.
• These reactors are very effective in handling reactions & for a large group of “typical” reactions effect within higher conversion rates for each reactor volume as compared to CSTR (Continuous Stirred-Tank Reactors)
• The reaction in PFR occurs when the reactants move with the reactor length.
• These reactors are frequently used for reactions wherever a high amount of change is necessary and wherever the reaction speed is not responsive to absorption changes.

The plug flow reactor disadvantages include the following :

• In a PFR, exothermic response performance is hard to control due to the broad range of temperature profiles.
• For a PFR, maintenance & operational expenditures are costly as compared to the CST.
• Temperature control is difficult for a reactor.
• Hot spots occur in the reactor whenever used for exothermic reactions.
• It is hard to control because of composition & temperature variations.