Pilot Plant

A state of the art unit

You name it, we do it!

Our production facility in Delden includes a multi-purpose pilot plant for scale-up activities and the production of quantities up to a batch size of 1'000 kg. Companies interested in starting-up a business, scaling-up existing activities, or customized manufacturing of specialty products can profit from this state-of-the-art unit for (semi-)batch production. A permit for using many types of hazardous chemicals is available and we can support with respect to further permits, supply chain, maintenance, etc.

Contact Person

Pietro Alfarano

Pietro Alfarano
Group Leader Product Management

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    Available technologies

    The permit on the pilot plant allows a broad range of reactions, including:

    • Polymerization
    • Amidation
    • Phosphatation
    • Sulphitation
    • Esterification
    • Neutralization
    • Quaternization

    Alkoxylation, while not being part of the pilot plant permit, is carried out on-site.

    The pilot plant is partly automated. The operation is controlled from a control room where a PLC interface is installed. Manual activities such as filling and emptying the vessels are mainly not automatised. The pilot plant complies to ATEX regulations. The building ventilation is 5 times the volume per hour. The floor and part of the walls are tiled, which makes it suitable for high hygiene standards. The site has a Kosher certificate and can be used for Kosher applications also. Halal is also possible on request.

    Available raw materials

    The site in Delden and the facility have the permit to handle a broad range of chemicals, including hazardous ones such as:

    • Hexamethyl di-isocyanate
    • Methyl chloride and benzyl chloride
    • Dimethyl sulfate
    • Acrylic acid and methacrylic acid
    • Caustic soda, sulphuric acid, and hydrochloric acid
    • Amines and anhydrous ammonia
    • Phosphorous pentoxide
    • Styrene and xylene
    • Ethanol and isopropanol
    • Vinyl acetate

    The four pilot plant's reactors

    The pilot plant is equipped with 4 reactors: three made of stainless steel and one glass-lined reactor.

    All reactors are connected to a blow-down system.

    Separation techniques such as distillation, fractionation, Dean-Stark, and filtration are available.

    Reactor materialStainless SteelStainless SteelStainless SteelGlass
    Max filling volume (mᶟ)0.20.51.00.5
    Max viscosity (m⋅Pas)50050020'0003'000
    Max design temperature (°C)350350150200
    Max design pressure (bar)10540.6 (vessel)
    OtherDistillation columnDistillation column
    The reactors are connected with cooling water on the jacket and in some cases heat exchanger. Chilled water can be used in cases where a temperature of 5 °C or higher is required. Steam is used for heating up to a maximum temperature of 185 °C. Compressed air of 6 barg is available and nitrogen with a maximum pressure of 7 barg. A vacuum unit can lower the pressure in the vessels to <10 mbara. The sewers are connected to the waste water treatment.

    Reactors technical details

    Reactor volume0.25 m3
    Max filling level0.2 m3
    Max design pressure10 barg
    Min design pressure-1 barg
    Max design temperature350 °C
    AgitatorCage, 1.1 kW
    120 - 600 N/min
    Baffles4
    Jacket max steam pressure12 barg
    Jacket cooling / tempered water5 - 80 °C
    Distillate receiver0.03 m3
    Condenser 16.38 m2
    Condenser 24.15 m2
    Pressure relief valve10 barg