(707d) Best Practices for Reducing the Cycle Time and Cost of Piloting

DuPont's commitment to being a market-driven science company requires a continued renewal of our corporate innovation processes both to adapt to changing market dynamics and to maintain a competitive advantage versus other world-class science companies. The cycle time and cost of piloting have long been recognized as key enabling factors in the development and commercialization of new technology, and two years ago DuPont initiated a corporate study focusing on the transfer of new technology from the lab to commercial plant. This study culminated in creation of a new center-of-excellence within DuPont, the DuPont Center for Process Innovation, to support the development and leveraging of corporate best practices for process innovation.

This paper will provide an overview of best practices that have been developed within DuPont over the years for reducing the cycle time and cost of piloting new technology. These best practices cover the span of project activities from technology selection through to plant operation, focusing on the differential needs and considerations of pilot plants versus commercial plants. The authors will share learnings from their experiences in the design, construction, and operation of pilot plants relating to bio-based chemicals and materials, flurochemicals, and various polymerization processes. Key topics that will be discussed include: deciding what technology to pilot and why, risk management and contingency planning, engaging external partners for process development, tailoring the amount of design development to the project needs, and using process simulation models to support pilot plant operation.