What to Expect in a Sulzer Lab or Pilot Validation Project

Introduction: A Clear, Customer-Focused Lab and Pilot Services Journey

Sulzer’s lab and pilot services are designed to provide transparency and reliability throughout your process validation journey. Understanding what to expect during a lab and pilot validation project helps you better plan, reduces uncertainty, and maximizes the value from every stage of your technology development.

Step 1: Initial Consultation and Project Definition

The process begins with a detailed consultation where Sulzer’s experts work with you to:

• Define your process goals, performance targets, and critical success factors

• Assess feedstock availability and sampling requirements for realistic testing

• Select the relevant separation technologies distillation, evaporation, liquid-liquid extraction, absorption, etc. to be piloted

• Agree on scope, timelines, and deliverables

This step ensures the project is tailored to your unique needs and aligned with your commercialization objectives.

Step 2: Laboratory-Scale Feasibility Tests and Data Collection

Sulzer’s lab and pilot services start with bench-scale or laboratory tests to quickly evaluate:

• Physical properties of your feedstock (e.g., vapor-liquid or liquid-liquid equilibria, density, viscosity)

• Small-scale evaporation, extraction, or reaction tests using minimal material

• Early determination of the feasibility of your process concept

These rapid screenings identify potential challenges early and guide pilot trial design.

Step 3: Pilot Plant Trials with Real Feedstocks

With lab-scale data in hand, the project advances to pilot plant testing where:

• Scaled-down equipment simulates industrial process conditions (temperature, pressure, flow rates)

• Both stationary and mobile pilot units can be deployed depending on project needs

• Key variables such as internals, reflux ratio, feed location, and phase ratios are optimized

• Your actual feed materials are processed to generate practical, reliable data

This stage is critical to proving process performance and generating engineering design parameters.

Step 4: In-Depth Sampling, Analysis, and Reporting

Throughout pilot trials, Sulzer’s labs perform detailed analysis on:

• Product purity and composition

• Impurity removal efficiency

• Energy and mass balances

Comprehensive reports combine raw data, interpretative insights, and practical recommendations to support your scale-up and investment decisions.

Step 5: Decision Support and Next Steps

Based on pilot results, Sulzer provides:

• Clear go/no-go recommendations for commercial scale-up

• Guidance on equipment sizing, process optimization, and risk mitigation

• Options for further validation, modular pilot plant deployment, or direct move to engineering design

Close communication ensures you are fully informed and supported at every phase.

Why Choose Sulzer’s Lab and Pilot Services?

• Experience and Expertise: Over 1,000 successful pilot tests worldwide

• Comprehensive Capabilities: From lab measurements to pilot plants with advanced analytics

• Customized Solutions: Tailored protocols for your feedstock and process goals

• Flexible Deployment: Mobile and stationary pilot units for maximum project adaptability

• Trusted Partnership: Clear communication and technical support for confident decisions

  
  

Conclusion: Empowering Your Process Development with Sulzer

Sulzer’s lab and pilot services provide a structured, transparent, and collaborative approach to process validation. Knowing what to expect helps you prepare effectively, minimize risks, and accelerate technology commercialization.

Ready to experience Sulzer’s lab and pilot services? Contact our experts to discuss your validation project and take the next step toward successful scale-up.