The HiClave is a high-pressure autoclave and chemical reactor system manufactured by JUCHHEIM Laborgeräte GmbH. It is designed for laboratory and pilot-plant use, covering working pressures up to 500 bar and temperatures up to 500 °C. The system is available as a standalone high-pressure vessel or as a complete reactor package including a set-down device, stirring system, and heating/cooling unit.

The HiClave is manufactured exclusively by JUCHHEIM Laborgeräte GmbH, based in Germany. Every unit is 100% produced in Germany, using certified materials with full material traceability. All welding is performed using certified TIG procedures in accordance with PED (Pressure Equipment Directive).

Yes. The HiClave can be supplied as a complete system that includes the pressure vessel, set-down device, stirring system (magnetic or magnetically coupled overhead stirrer), heating/cooling unit, gas and liquid supply lines, and all necessary instrumentation. Beyond the standard configurations, JUCHHEIM builds plant solutions tailored to specific process requirements.

The HiClave is available in volumes from 25 ml up to 1 litres, making it suitable for both laboratory R&D and pilot-plant (miniplant/technikum) scale-up. Larger units use LabClave or ProClave Systems up to 300 Liters. HiClaves can also be integrated into continuous flow setups or parallel reactor arrangements for systematic process development. JUCHHEIM also builds fully custom pressure vessels and reactor systems for technical-scale applications.

Yes. The HiClave can be supplied as a complete system that includes the pressure vessel, set-down device, stirring system (magnetic or magnetically coupled overhead stirrer), heating/cooling unit, gas and liquid supply lines, and all necessary instrumentation. Beyond the standard configurations, JUCHHEIM builds plant solutions tailored to specific process requirements.

The HiClave is rated for working pressures up to 500 bar. This makes it suitable for demanding high-pressure synthesis, hydrogenation, and supercritical processes that exceed the capabilities of standard laboratory autoclaves, which are typically limited to 100–200 bar.

The HiClave can operate at temperatures up to 500 °C. This high-temperature capability, combined with the 500 bar pressure rating, allows the system to be used in extreme-condition processes such as hydrothermal carbonisation, supercritical reactions, and high-temperature polymerisation.

HiClave reactors are available in volumes ranging from 100 ml to 200 litres. This range covers benchtop laboratory experiments at small scale through to miniplant and pilot-plant processes. Custom volumes outside this range can be discussed with JUCHHEIM directly.​

The HiClave supports both magnetic stirrers (seal-free, suitable for higher-pressure applications) and magnetically coupled overhead stirrers (suited to higher-viscosity media and larger volumes). The choice of stirrer depends on the process medium, required mixing intensity, volume, and pressure/temperature conditions. JUCHHEIM can advise on the appropriate stirring solution for your specific application.

The HiClave vessel head can be equipped with multiple connections for gas feeds, liquid feeds, sampling valves, temperature sensors, pressure transducers, and other instrumentation. The exact number and configuration of ports depends on the vessel size and the process requirements; JUCHHEIM configures each system to the customer's specification.

The HiClave is available in stainless steel, Hastelloy (nickel-base alloy), PTFE/PFA-coated versions, and tantalum-coated versions. This range covers the majority of corrosive chemical environments encountered in industrial R&D, from moderately aggressive organic acids to highly corrosive halogenated media and strong mineral acids.

Hastelloy (typically C-276 or C-22) is the preferred material when the process involves strong mineral acids (hydrochloric, sulphuric, hydrofluoric), halogen-containing media, or oxidising chloride environments that would cause pitting or stress-corrosion cracking in standard stainless steel. For less aggressive media — aqueous systems, many organic solvents, and moderate conditions — stainless steel is adequate and more cost-effective.​

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PTFE and PFA liners (inlays) or coatings provide a chemically inert barrier between the process medium and the metal pressure-bearing wall. This is particularly valuable when working with strong oxidising acids, fluorinating agents, or media that must remain completely metal-free (e.g., certain catalyst screening or pharmaceutical intermediate synthesis). PTFE/glass liner inserts can also simplify cleaning and cross-contamination prevention.

Yes, the HiClave is available with tantalum-coated wetted surfaces. Tantalum offers exceptional resistance to nearly all mineral acids at high concentrations and temperatures, including hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid at elevated temperatures where even Hastelloy may be insufficient. It is a premium option typically specified for the most aggressive process environments.

Yes. JUCHHEIM uses 100% certified materials — all steels and weld filler materials carry material test certificates. This provides full traceability in line with the requirements of PED 2014/68/EU and the expectations of regulated R&D environments in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries.

The HiClave is suited to a broad range of high-pressure reactions: extraction, digestion, hydrolysis, hydrogenation, hydrothermal carbonisation, development of hydrogen storage technologies, and polymerisation (radical, cationic, anionic, and coordinative). It is also used for numerous other high-pressure syntheses where elevated pressure is required to drive reaction equilibria, increase solubility of gases, or achieve supercritical conditions.

Yes. The HiClave is routinely used for laboratory and pilot-plant hydrogenation with hydrogen gas at pressures up to 500 bar. When operating with hydrogen, all components — vessel, valves, fittings, and tubing — must be rated for H₂ service and inspected for hydrogen embrittlement resistance. JUCHHEIM configures the gas supply system and safety features accordingly. Appropriate safety provisions (ventilation, gas detection, pressure relief) must be implemented in the laboratory.

Der HiClave trägt die CE-Kennzeichnung gemäß europäischer Druckgeräterichtlinie 2014/68/EU (DGRL). Die Fertigung erfolgt mit zertifizierten Schweißverfahren (WIG-Schweißen / PED) für Edelstähle und Nickelbasislegierungen. Alle Werkstoffe sind durch Zeugnisse nachgewiesen. Damit erfüllt der HiClave alle gesetzlichen Anforderungen für den Betrieb als Druckgerät in Europa.

Yes. Catalyst baskets are available as an accessory for the HiClave, allowing solid catalysts to be held in the reaction zone while keeping them separate from the liquid phase. This makes the system well suited to heterogeneous catalyst screening, hydrogenation catalyst evaluation, and reaction kinetics studies under realistic temperature and pressure conditions.

Yes. Every HiClave pressure vessel manufactured by JUCHHEIM is CE-certified in accordance with the Pressure Equipment Directive PED 2014/68/EU. This mandatory European certification confirms that the design, materials, fabrication, and testing meet the essential safety requirements for pressure equipment placed on the EU market.

JUCHHEIM uses certified TIG (Tungsten Inert Gas) welding procedures qualified in accordance with PED requirements for stainless steels and nickel-base alloys (Hastelloy). Certified weld procedures and qualified welders ensure the integrity of all pressure-retaining welds. All production takes place in Germany under quality-managed conditions, with full documentation available on request.

Yes. The HiClave is available as both single-reactor systems and parallel reactor plants. Parallel configurations allow multiple reactions to run simultaneously under identical or independently varied conditions, significantly accelerating process development, catalyst screening, and design-of-experiment (DoE) studies. JUCHHEIM designs the parallelisation and shared infrastructure (gas/liquid supply, data acquisition) to suit the number of reactors required.

The HiClave system can be equipped with a set-down device for safe reactor handling, magnetic stirrers, magnetically coupled overhead stirrers, heating and cooling systems, gas supply and liquid supply systems, PTFE liners, glass liners (inlays), and catalyst baskets. Custom instrumentation — temperature sensors, pressure transducers, mass flow controllers, and data acquisition systems — can also be integrated depending on process requirements.

As a manufacturer with a fully integrated production facility in Germany, JUCHHEIM Laborgeräte GmbH offers service, maintenance, and replacement parts for all HiClave systems. Since all components are manufactured and certified in Germany, replacement parts and technical support are available directly from the manufacturer—without having to go through international distributors.