Tailored Solutions: Why Custom Trials Matter for Challenging Industrial Feeds

Introduction: Every Feed Is Unique, Every Solution Custom

In industrial process development, no two feedstocks are identical. Variations in chemical composition, impurities, physical properties, or sensitivity mean that off-the-shelf solutions often cannot guarantee optimal performance. This is where Sulzer’s lab and pilot services excel by providing custom-tailored validation trials that test your specific feed materials under realistic conditions and help design robust, efficient separation processes.

Why Custom Trials Are Essential for Real-World Industrial Feeds

While simulation and literature data provide valuable insights, they cannot fully capture complex interactions such as:

• The impact of unique impurities or by-products on yield and product quality

• Unexpected phase behavior or unknown vapor-liquid or liquid-liquid equilibria

• Effects of temperature or shear sensitivity on feed stability and separation efficiency

• Performance under batch or multi-feed operations where feed variability is high

  
  

Sulzer’s pilot services offer customer-specific trial protocols where actual feed samples are processed in flexible lab and pilot units.

This approach uncovers critical performance variables, optimizes process parameters, and provides investment-grade validation data.

Sulzer’s Lab and Pilot Services: Flexibility and Expertise

With decades of experience and over 1,000 completed pilot tests, Sulzer’s lab and pilot services provide:

• Access to versatile equipment, including distillation columns, evaporators, extractors, and reactors, in both glass and stainless steel configurations

• Advanced instrumentation that allows real-time tuning of operating conditions such as temperature, pressure, feed ratio, and residence time

• Analytical support using GC, HPLC, titration, and other techniques to precisely characterize streams and measure purity, concentrations, or impurities

• The ability to switch between batch and continuous modes for maximum application flexibility

This comprehensive setup enables Sulzer to co-develop the right trial design with you and rapidly adapt to evolving project needs.

Practical Examples Where Custom Validation is Critical

• Variable or Impure Feedstocks: Testing bio-based materials, waste-derived chemicals, or multi-source petroleum streams to ensure robust operation despite feed variability

• High-Specification Products: Pharmaceutical intermediates or food additives needing tight control on color, odor, and contaminant levels

• Novel or Green Processes: Biopolymers, specialty solvents, or alternative-energy feedstocks where conventional data is insufficient

• Complex Phase Behavior: Unstable emulsions, foaming systems, or feeds with solids requiring detailed phase separation and flow behavior validation

  
  

The Customer Journey: From Sample to Commercial Solution

1. Initial Consultation: Sulzer experts assess your feed composition, project goals, and validation requirements.

2. Protocol Design: Custom test plans are developed, defining suitable equipment, operating windows, and analytical targets.

3. Lab and Pilot Testing: Your real feed is processed, with flexible adjustments made for optimal data capture.

4. Data Interpretation and Reporting: A comprehensive report summarizes findings, identifies potential risks, and recommends process parameters.

5. Next Steps: The validated data supports pilot scale-up, process licensing, or direct plant design with confidence.

   
   

Conclusion: Sulzer’s Custom Lab and Pilot Services Deliver Confidence and Success

When dealing with challenging industrial feeds, a one-size-fits-all approach is insufficient. Sulzer’s lab and pilot services provide tailored, customer-centric validation trials that deliver trustworthy, scalable data built on processing your actual feedstocks minimizing risk, maximizing process performance, and accelerating your commercial project timelines.

Ready to harness Sulzer’s lab and pilot expertise for your unique challenges?

Contact our team today to design your custom validation trial and unlock your process’s full potential.