Sulzer’s Test Centers in Switzerland and Singapore: Global Reach for Local Process Innovation

Introduction: Sulzer’s Test Centers Deliver World-Class Pilot and Analytical Capabilities

Operating at the forefront of industrial separation technology, Sulzer’s lab and pilot test centers located in Allschwil, Switzerland, and Singapore offer state-of-the-art facilities that enable customers worldwide to validate and optimize mass transfer processes. These facilities serve as critical hubs for pilot plant testing, process development, and scale-up support across diverse industries including chemical, pharmaceutical, and sustainable manufacturing.

By combining extensive pilot plant capabilities with sophisticated analytical laboratories, Sulzer’s test centers provide robust, realistic data and insights needed for confident plant design and regulatory compliance, backed by Sulzer’s long-standing expertise.

Comprehensive Pilot Plant Facilities Across Key Unit Operations

Sulzer’s test centers encompass a full range of pilot-scale equipment covering:

• Distillation and Absorption: Columns in glass (30, 50 mm diameters) and SS316L stainless steel (100, 250 mm), including spinning band designs. Capable of up to 100 theoretical stages with internals such as structured packing (Katapak) and slit trays. Operating range up to 320 °C, 16 bar, and throughputs of 1–200 kg/h.

• Evaporation: Falling film, wiped film, and short path evaporators in glass and stainless steel variants, with surface areas from 0.025 to 1.2 m². Operate at temperatures from 20 to 320 °C and pressures from 0.01 to 1000 mbar, accommodating throughputs from 0.5 to 200 kg/h.

• Liquid-Liquid Extraction: OptimEXT™ extraction columns including Kühni agitated columns, Sulzer packed columns, and mixer-settlers available in glass and stainless steel with diameters up to 150 mm and volumes up to 80 liters. These operate up to 100 °C and handle throughputs up to 300 kg/h.

This equipment diversity supports robust testing of process variables such as internals type, stage number, reflux ratio, feed location, operating pressure, and flow modes (batch or continuous), enabling tailored validation for each client’s unique process.

Advanced Analytical Laboratories Ensuring Precision and Quality

Supporting the pilot plant testing is a comprehensive analytical laboratory infrastructure equipped with:

• Gas chromatography (GC, FID, TCD, GC-MS) and headspace analysis for detailed compositional profiling

• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV or refractive index detection

• Spectroscopic analysis (UV-VIS), ICP-OES for trace element detection

• Acidimetric and Karl-Fischer titration for water content and acid/base quantification

• Measurements of pH, conductivity, refractometry, density, viscosity, and surface tension

• Moisture and solid content analysis via thermogravimetric methods

These capabilities ensure that every pilot trial is accompanied by accurate characterization and quality control, essential for process optimization and performance guarantees.

Why Partner with Sulzer’s Lab and Pilot Test Centers?

• Global Reach with Local Support: Two strategically located facilities offering consistent methodologies and operational standards across continents.

• Comprehensive Technology Coverage: From distillation to extraction to evaporation, all major separations can be thoroughly tested and optimized.

• Customized Testing Programs: Tailored trial designs using customer feed materials ensure real-world relevancy and predictive scale-up data.

• Experienced Teams: Skilled process engineers and chemists collaborate closely with clients, interpreting results and guiding next steps.

• Performance Guarantees: Data from pilot trials provide the validated basis for engineering design, capital budgeting, regulatory approvals, and final performance warranties.

  
  

Conclusion: Accelerate Development and Minimize Risk with Sulzer’s Test Centers

Sulzer’s lab and pilot test centers in Allschwil and Singapore combine cutting-edge pilot plant equipment with advanced analytical services to offer unparalleled support for process development and scale-up. By partnering with Sulzer, clients gain access to trusted technologies, expert knowledge, and reliable data that transform pilot results into successful commercial plant operations.

Contact Sulzer today to learn how our test centers can provide the technical foundation your project needs to move efficiently from concept to commercialization with confidence.