From Data to Investment: How Validation Trials Support Reliable Process Scale-Up

Introduction: The Critical Role of Validation Trials in Process Scale-Up

Scaling a chemical or separation process from laboratory concept to full industrial plant requires more than theory it demands robust, validated data that investors, engineers, and operators can trust. Sulzer’s IntecH lab and pilot validation trials deliver precisely this foundation, bridging the gap between pilot demonstrations and large-scale commercial confidence.

Successful scale-up relies heavily on validated data to quantify yields, energy efficiency, impurity rejection, contaminant behavior, and equipment performance under realistic conditions. Without such data, project stakeholders face uncertainty that can inflate costs, cause design oversights, or delay commissioning.

Generating Investment-Grade Data Through Pilot Validation

Quantifying Performance Metrics

Sulzer’s trials provide extensive, reliable datasets covering:

• Mass and energy balances: Confirming expected feed conversion, waste production, and energy needs

• Product quality and purity: Ensuring the process meets or exceeds commercial specifications

• Process robustness: Testing sensitivity to feed variability and operating conditions

• Scale-up factors: Data-driven extrapolation of process parameters from pilot to commercial scale

  
  

Minimizing Technical and Financial Risk

These datasets reduce risk by:

• Providing evidence to validate simulation and engineering assumptions

• Uncovering unforeseen bottlenecks or side reactions early

• Enabling realistic scheduling and budgeting based on pilot-derived cycle times and throughput rates

• Supporting regulatory filings, audits, and performance guarantee contracts

  
  

Example: Scaling a Sustainable Biorefinery Process

A recent Sulzer-supported project the IMPRESS innovative biorefinery demonstrated how pilot validation accelerates sustainable manufacturing. Pilot trials at Sulzer’s Allschwil IntecH center developed and optimized a downstream purification train employing advanced distillation and crystallization technologies. This critical data enabled project partners to confidently proceed with an industrial-scale demonstration plant in the Netherlands, producing renewable-based glycols to exacting purity standards for chemical manufacturing.

Collaborative Workflow from Pilot Data to Investment Decision

1. Data Acquisition: Operations teams run pilot trials under tightly controlled, scalable conditions. Data is collected in real time and through thorough sample analysis in Sulzer’s advanced laboratories.

2. Analysis & Interpretation: Multidisciplinary experts analyze trial results, comparing outputs to targets and refining process models.

3. Reporting & Recommendations: Comprehensive technical reports detail findings and suggest optimized process parameters for commercial design.

4. Stakeholder Review: Data packages support discussions with investors, engineers, and regulatory authorities, providing transparent evidence for risk assessment and funding decisions.

5. Scale-Up Engineering: Validated data underpins detailed engineering designs, equipment procurement, and commencement of construction or modular plant fabrication.

   
   

Why Sulzer’s Validation Trials Provide Unique Value

• World-Class Facilities: Modern pilot plants in Switzerland and Singapore replicate industrial operations closely, accommodating diverse technologies and feedstocks.

• Expert Team: Experienced process engineers and chemists provide tailored test designs and real-time problem solving.

• Global Support & Track Record: Over 1,000 successful trials and decades of experience backing proprietary technology and customer projects worldwide.

• Integrated Engineering: Sulzer seamlessly transfers pilot-proven processes to commercial plants, minimizing scale-up surprises and downtime.

  
  

Conclusion: Making Investment Decisions with Confidence

In today’s capital-intensive process industries, detailed validation trials enable stakeholders to make informed, confident investment decisions.

Sulzer’s IntecH lab and pilot validation services deliver the necessary data and analysis that reduce technical risk, optimize design, and accelerate commercialization.

Whether launching innovative bio-based processes or revamping refining operations, partnering with Sulzer ensures your project mobilizes on a foundation of trusted science and proven process data, ultimately safeguarding your investment and achieving reliable, profitable plant operation.

Interested in advancing your scale-up project with Sulzer’s pilot validation expertise? Contact our team to discuss your specific needs and arrange a tailored trial.