The Importance of Laboratory and Pilot Testing for Separation Processes

Frequently minor changes made to existing separations processes can adversely affect product quality. Separation processes involving unusual components, extremes of temperature, pressure, or composition do not often have sufficient data needed for proper engineering design, process modeling, and scale-up. Laboratory and pilot testing can answer critical questions as to fouling, trace contaminant removal, and production of ultra-high purity materials in currently used separation processes - increasing confidence in the process performance.

How and when laboratory and pilot testing is recommended will be discussed along with how this relates to modeling separation processes in commercially available process simulators, typical economics and time requirements, and review of several example cases.