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Lab Testing

Bringing our products to your process

 

Let’s partner to develop new processes or experiment with existing processes in new formats.  Leverage our experience in transforming materials using evaporation, distillation, drying or blending.

Our 10,400 square foot lab is available to help you discover new methods for your processing challenges. To date, over 9,000 successful tests have been performed in our lab, many providing new methods of processing, and all providing economical solutions for our valued customers.

Our envelop for operating allows for temperatures as low as -20 degrees F to as high as 650 degrees F.  By the various combinations of steam jet air ejectors and vacuum pumps, absolute pressures can be obtained down to 2-3mm HG. This varies with the equipment involved and other operating factors.

The lab has its own workshop, located within its confines, so that mechanical modifications can be quickly made without loss of time.

Lab specifications:

  • Offices and Glassware Laboratories, 1,200 square feet
  • Pilot Plant and Main Laboratory, 9,200 square feet having:
    • 1,000 square feet of floor space, with 35 foot headroom
    • 8,200 square feet of floor space, with 18 foot headroom
  • 30HP process boiler, allowing for steam pressure to 100 PSIG
  • Two large refrigerators with temperature controlled storage (32 degrees to 40 degrees Farenheit) for storing limited quantities of materials and samples (up to six 5-gallon pails). Arrangements with local cold storage warehouses provide large scale refrigerated storage facilities. This service is provided on a fee basis.
  • Motivair 55,000 BTU/h chiller for low temperature cooking media requirements
  • A Syltherm heater is available for high temperature use up to 650 degrees F.

Pilot Testing

The pilot plant equipment installed in the work areas is of the smallest feasible design to yield indicative results suitable for scale up to commercial size equipment. All necessary allied accessory items are available. Auxiliary items such as condensers, stainless steel kettles, pumps, product flakers, etc., are maintained within the laboratory at all times.

The feasibility test is the first step in determining the right equipment to be used in the design process. If data does not already exist in our extensive product files, the feasibility of processing a material can be determined with quantities as small as one gallon of liquid or ten pounds of solid material. Feasibility tests are conducted at no charge to the customer. If a process appears feasible, pilot testing can be conducted to obtain heat transfer and other engineering data needed for the design process. The cost of process equipment is quoted to customers with a process guarantee upon successful completion of pilot testing.

The glassware and analytical laboratories are equipped with necessary instruments, glassware and reagents for the determination of moisture, PH, viscosity, screen analysis and general analytical test work. Refractometers are available, as well as a microscope with polarizing attachment for crystallographic examinations.

Arrangements can also be made to rent from outside sources other equipment items that may be required for a particular pilot plant process. Components such as filters, mills, special agitators and high shear dispersers can be obtained on a rental basis.

Evaporator &

Distillation Testing

Evaporator Testing

  • Stainless steel, vertical, long-tube evaporator with various tube diameters (1″, 1.5″ and 2″) and tube lengths (10′,15′ and 20′). Unit may be operated as a recirculating long-tube falling film or as a down-flow evaporator.
  • Stainless steel, horizontal, submerged tube, forced circulation evaporator containing 2.8 square feet of heating surface.
  • Mechanically agitated thin film evaporator – 2.0 sq.ft.
  • Stainless steel RFC (rising film) or RRFC evaporators:
    • One (1)- 7.84 ft2, having six 1″ OD 18 ga. tubes, 5′-0″ long each (3 per pass)
    • One (1)- 15 ft2, having ten 1-1/2″ OD 18 ga. tubes, 4′-0″ long each (5 per pass)
    • One (1)- 39 ft2, having ten 1-1/2″ OD 18 ga. tubes, 10′-0″ long each (5 per pass)

Plate Evaporators/Strippers

  • PPS 150, up to ten square feet of heating surface can be accommodated, using size 01 plates, complete with separator, condenser and decanter. The unit can be used as an evaporator, stripper, or stripper with steam and/or nitrogen injection. “Micro” unit same as above without decanter.

Distillation Column

  • 6″ diameter, 29′ high stainless steel distillation column. The tower contains a 10-foot section of structured packing (stripping section), a feed port located at the center of the column and an additional 10-feet of structured packing as a rectifying section.

Dryer & Flaker Testing

Dryer/Flaker Testing

  • 6″ x 8″ atmospheric and vacuum, single double and twin drum dryers, equipped with cast iron and chrome plated drums
  • 24″ x 24″ single, double and twin atmospheric drum dryers, equipped with cast iron and chrome plated drums. Stainless steel feed accessories available.
  • 12″ x 18″ vacuum double drum dryer (with stainless steel enclosure/hopper).
  • 24″ x 42″ single drum dryer with chrome plated drums and four application rolls.
  • Stainless steel 2′ diameter by 4′ long jacketed vacuum rotary dryer complete with dry dust collector.
  • Small laboratory size A-1 vacuum shelf dryer with cast iron casing and stainless steel product tray.
  • 3′ diameter pan dryer (crystallizer) with stainless steel construction that may be used as a pan filter-dryer.

Flakers

  • 6″ x 8″ laboratory size flakers; single and double; with cast iron or chrome plated smooth drums and stainless steel and cast iron grooved drums. Applicator or agitator roll available.
  • 24″ x 24″ single drum flaker with independent temperature and speed control on the drum and applicator or agitator roll. Cast iron, chrome plated, smooth stainless steel drum and cast iron grooved drums available.

Kettles

  • One 1-Gallon stainless steel kettle with double motion agitator and electric heating mantle, for high temperature operation.

Blender Testing

List of Available Test Lab Equipment

  • 3.5 ft3 (99 liter) Tubular Vacuum Dryer, ultra-tight vacuum, 500 °F heating capability.
  • 2 ft3 (57 liter)Solids Processor, vacuum and heating packages, modifiable to operate at pressure.
  • 0.25 ft3 (7 liter)Mini-processor, portable unit with self-contained packages.
  • 8 inch continuous liquid/solids Zig Zag.
  • 10 cm continuous liquid/solids Zig Zag.
  • Blendmaster laboratory model with full functioning capabilities.
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