Pfizer needed a safer, more efficient way to produce anhydrous tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) for continuous flow oxidation in the synthesis of an IRAK4 inhibitor. Conventional batch drying and azeotropic methods carried real explosive decomposition risk and generated significant waste — making them impractical at manufacturing scale.
The Solution
Ardent developed a continuous pervaporation process using a custom perfluorinated polymer membrane to remove water from TBHP in real time. The skid-mounted system processed up to 100 mL/min continuously, reducing water content to below 0.15 wt% without concentrating peroxide to hazardous levels.
Results
Waste reduced by more than 15-fold compared to batch processing
Eliminated the need to inventory large quantities of anhydrous TBHP, removing the primary explosion risk
Fully continuous, end-to-end process reduced manual handling and supported multi-ton manufacturing campaigns
Membrane pervaporation bypasses the azeotropic limitations and safety constraints that make conventional drying difficult for reactive intermediates. For Pfizer, it meant a process that was safer, leaner, and scalable from development through commercial production.
