Microwave (MW) assisted organic synthesis has been employed in many laboratories since more than 20 years. There is a controversy concerning the effects of MW on the kinetics of reactions since some enhancement of reaction rates have been observed. While MW heating advantages could be of interest for processes intensification, this technique has rarely been employed for large-scale productions. Scaling-up methods are rare and the existed techniques are generally empirical. The aim of our project is to propose a methodology for the extrapolation of MW reactors, using experimental reliable observations. Our research strategy has enabled us the choice of the target reaction to be carried out under MW irradiation: the esterification of acetic acid with pentanol over an acidic cation-exchange resin. A stirred reactor with MW single mode application was designed and constructed. Studies on the pilot have showed the perfectly stirred hydrodynamic behaviour of the reactor, the stability and the high heating efficiency. Moreover, no thermal gradients in the reactor have been observed. Tests in the reactor operated in batch and continuous mode, as well as in weak polar media, showed that there is no influence of MW heating on the kinetics of the target reaction. Finally, a guideline for the scaling-up of MW reactors was developed, based on the absence of MW effects on the reaction kinetics and on the control of hot zones in the reactor
