Tailored Solutions: Why Custom Trials Matter for Challenging Industrial Feeds
- cemnar0
- Jul 29
- 2 min read
Introduction: Every Feed Is Unique, Every Solution Custom
No two industrial feedstocks are exactly alike. Variations in composition, impurity levels, and physical properties mean that standard process recipes often fall short especially for critical or innovative applications.
Sulzer’s IntecH lab and pilot validation trials are designed to address these unique challenges with made-to-measure protocols and fully adaptable test rigs, ensuring that the final process is robust, efficient, and precisely fit for purpose.
Why Custom Trials Are Essential for Real-World Challenges
Lab or literature data, while valuable, cannot always predict:
How a specific impurity might affect yield or product quality
Whether a unique solvent system will achieve the necessary phase separation
How heat- or shear-sensitive components will behave during scale-up
Custom validation trials using actual customer feeds—under controlled but realistic process conditions—are therefore essential to:
Uncover potential bottlenecks and hidden incompatibilities early
Accurately optimize process parameters like temperature, pressure, phase ratio, or energy input
Deliver trustworthy, investment-grade results that will translate to the ultimate full-scale plant
Sulzer’s Approach: Full Flexibility in Lab and Pilot Facilities
At Sulzer’s IntecH centers in Switzerland and Singapore, customers gain access to extensive, versatile equipment and expertise:
A wide variety of pilot columns, evaporators, extractors, reactors, and crystallizers in glass and stainless steel—configurable for each trial
Highly automated controls for precise variation and logging of test parameters
Quick changeover between batch and continuous operation, solvent systems, and feed types
Real-time analytics (GC, HPLC, titration, and more) for instant feedback on each run
Whether you need to assess a new bio-based solvent, validate a proprietary catalyst, or trial a blend with unusual impurity content, Sulzer’s team co-develops the right protocol with you.
Example Applications Where Custom Validation Is Critical
Impure or variable feedstocks (e.g., multi-source waste streams, bio-based chemicals)
Highly selective separations (such as pharmaceutical intermediates or food-grade additives)
Sensitive, high-value products (where color, aroma, or purity must be preserved)
Novel chemistries or green processes (e.g., biopolymers, circular economy materials, low-carbon fuels)
By simulating these scenarios up front, Sulzer’s trials help:
Select the optimal technology (distillation, extraction, evaporation, crystallization, etc.)
Generate data for engineering, quality assurance, and regulatory purposes
Minimize risk and lay the groundwork for rapid, cost-effective scale-up
The Customer Journey: From Sample to Solution
Collaboration: Sulzer’s experts review objectives, composition, and project requirements with your team.
Protocol Design: A tailored testing plan is created—sometimes requiring unique column or evaporator configurations, or multi-step pilot schemes.
Trial Execution: Tests are run with your actual samples. Critical parameters are tuned in real time for best results.
Data Analysis & Reporting: Quantitative and qualitative outputs (yield, purity, impurity removal) are rigorously analyzed.
Next Steps: Sulzer provides actionable recommendations for full-scale design, process optimization, or further R&D.
Conclusion: Only Custom Validation Delivers True Commercial Confidence
In today’s complex process industry, off-the-shelf validation rarely provides the certainty required for investment and operational excellence.
Custom lab and pilot validation trials with Sulzer are the ultimate solution for challenging industrial feeds proving feasibility, optimizing design, and ensuring commercial success the first time.
Ready to solve your separation challenge? Contact Sulzer’s validation team to discuss a custom trial tailored to your unique feed and objectives.
