In
flow chemistry, a
chemical reaction is run in a continuously flowing stream rather than in
batch production. In other words, pumps move fluid into a tube, and where tubes join one another, the fluids contact one another. If these fluids are reactive, a reaction takes place. Flow chemistry is a well-established technique for use at a large scale when
manufacturing large quantities of a given material. However, the term has only been coined recently for its application on a
laboratory scale. Often,
microreactors are used.