Innovation Center & Laboratory

Laboratory and pilot tests at UIC

For the successful realisation of your project, theoretical calculations are often not sufficient. To carry out feasibility studies and pilot tests using Thin Film, Wiped Film and Short Path distillation, a well-equipped pilot plant is available to you at our UIC headquarter in Alzenau. Here, our experts individually configure suitable laboratory and pilot plants for your distillation applications in order to develop the ideal separation process.

Decades of experience, matched with accumulated knowledge, enable us to carefully plan these tests in partnership with our customers.
The maximum flexibility of our pilot plants allows us to use numerous combinations of different components (Thin Film evaporator, Short Path evaporator, rectification column, and many more) to perform your separation task at its best.

Feasibility

The basis for a successful process solution is created in our laboratory facilities. Our units, made of glass, allow us to observe product behavior (foaming, splashing, deposits, etc.) during distillation. These observations, together with initial analytical measurements, are essential to subsequent pilot testing and the resulting plant design. Small quantities of product (0,1 - 20 kg) are sufficient for these preliminary laboratory scale tests.
For feasibility studies, both short path and thin film evaporators are available, which can be operated in different combinations.
Depending on the product properties, we can equip our evaporators with different wiping systems.
Our range of services, also includes sample distillations, of course.

Laboratory Trials

Required raw material quantities: 0,1 - 20 kg

  • Determination of general feasibility
  • Determination of plant setup
  • Determination of achievable product quality and yields
  • Monitoring of product properties during distillation (foaming, fouling, etc.)
  • Small sample production runs

Pilot Trials and Scale-up

Required raw material quantities: 50 - 400 kg

Further process development and process optimization take place with the help of our pilot plants. Under real production conditions, the optimal throughput as well as the achievable quality and yield of a later large-scale industrial plant are determined here. Based on our scale-up trials, we provide you with a process guarantee for your customised plant.

  • Determination of process parameters
  • Determination of achievable product quality and yields
  • Optimization of plant setup
  • Selection of the best technical setup
  • Scale-up for industrial system or toll distillation
  • Sample production runs

Technologies

  • Thin film evaporator (glass plants with vertical or horizontal evaporator, pilot plants)
  • Short path distillators (glass and pilot plants)
  • Glass rectification column operated with a thin-film evaporator as a reboiler
  • Deodorization
  • Plants can be operated individually or in combination (one- or two-stage distillation)
  • Various discharge systems and feed pumps available
  • Various condenser and cold trap versions available incl. a washing condenser
  • Degasser

Technical Parameters and Product Properties

  • Melting points of the products up to 180 °C
  • Viscosities of the products up to 100,000 mPas at operating temperature
  • Molecular weights up to 1,000 g/mol
  • Max. heating temperature of the evaporator up to 350 °C
  • Achievable operating pressure in the thin film evaporator up to < 1 mbar
  • Achievable operating pressure in the short-path evaporator up to ≤ 0.001 mbar
  • Contract distillation of small quantities (from as little as 50 ml) possible

Analytics

A central analytical department is available. Qualified and experienced professionals are able to monitor the trials as well as the toll distillation campaigns with suitable analytical methods.

  • Capillary gas chromatography with autosampler (GC)
  • Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GCMS)
  • Headspace gas chromatography
  • High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with autosampler
  • Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) with autosampler
  • Capillary and rotational viscometers
  • Determination of different colour indices (APHA, Lab, Gardner, etc.)
  • Aqueous and non-aqueous titrations with automatic titration systems
  • Water determination according to Karl Fischer (coulometric and volumetric method)
  • Determination of melting points
  • Determination of refractive index

Entrust us with your projects and benefit from our experience and expertise

Your solution is waiting here!

Confidentiality

As your reliable partner, the strictest confidentiality of your sensitive product information is of particular importance to us. As a service provider in plant engineering, we have no production or marketing interest in your products.

 

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