Solids Processing is a technology that heavily relies on empiricism and thus requires laboratory and pilot plant research, development, and demonstration.
MATRIC is unique in being able to provide a full range of laboratory services for solids processing, in addition to consulting.
MATRIC has the capability to investigate various types of crystallization, solid/liquid separation including centrifugation and filtration, and vacuum and convection drying.
Services
MATRIC provides custom services to meet the client’s specific needs.
Services include the capability for conducting laboratory and/or pilot scale precipitation, crystallization, and product recovery studies suitable for scale-up
to commercial operation.
MATRIC also has synthesis and reaction capability to produce reaction product in lieu of the client supplying representative material.
We can operate on a scale that provides product samples of sufficient size to facilitate product testing and evaluation.
MATRIC can undertake projects potentially involving crystallization that begin with the reaction steps and proceed through crystallization and on to downstream processing operations. This capability has been of high value to clients developing new products and processes.
MATRIC can develop a detailed investigation of factors affecting particle size, habit and quality.
Equipment
MATRIC has a wide variety of specialized equipment suitable for developing solids processing systems.
- Standard crystallizers: Jacketed glass crystallizers suitable for cooling or evaporative crystallization ranging from 5 to 50 liters volume.
- Falling film crystallizers: A variety of glass falling film crystallizers ranging from one-two inch diameter are available for specialized studies.
- Solid/liquid separation equipment: Walton pressure filter, top and bottom vacuum test leafs, gyrotesters, laboratory perforate basket and disc centrifuge, 14 inch basket, variable speed centrifugal filter, and 10 inch constant speed peeler centrifuge.
- Dryers: Atmospheric and vacuum tray dryers and an ABBE roto-cone vacuum dryer.
- Other supporting equipment: Jenike and Peschl shear testers, Sartorious moisture analyzer, National microscope with MOTIC imaging software.
Experience
MATRIC is pleased to have highly experienced scientists and engineers with an extensive record of success in solids processing activities. Some of our staff members include:
Dr. Charles Moyers has more than 40 years of experience in separations and solids processing technology. He led the solids processing technology group in Union Carbide for 20 years, supporting the needs of all of the businesses in the corporation. He has taught AIChE courses in Crystallization Operations for 20 years and Principles of Drying for 15 years. He is the author of numerous patents and publications, including sections on Melt Crystallization and Solids Drying in the 7th edition of Perry's Chemical Engineering Handbook.
James Withrow has a long record of achievement in the solids processing area. For more than thirty years he supported Union Carbide's Engineering and R&D functions by providing design, testing and consulting services in the area of Solid Processing Technology, specializing in solid-liquid separation and solid-handling systems. He served as supervisor of the Solid Processing Technology Laboratories to provide testing services to the corporation in all areas of solid processing, including handling, drying, crystallization and solid-liquid separation. He developed design criteria and provided plant support in the solid processing areas. He performed and supervised performance of laboratory and/or pilot-scale tests to obtain scaleup data to size filters and centrifuges for production facilities.
Marty Weirick has more than 30 years of experience in chemical and processing applications in Union Carbide, Dow Chemical, and MATRIC. He has participated in the design of solids processing facilities, assisted with startup and troubleshooting in production facilities, and led vendor testing of solids processing equipment. His experience includes combustible dust safety, pneumatic conveying, mechanical conveying, storage, dust collector design, centrifugation optimization, solids drying, solids degassing, dilute and dense phase pneumatic conveying, grinding, screening, and blending.
Recent Projects
Recent activities in our laboratories cover a broad range of studies. Some highlights are listed here.
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Developed technology to purify a bio-derived product by crystallization. Scaled up the process to produce hundreds of pounds of pure crystalline product per month.
Patent applications have been filed on this technology.
- Demonstrated batch, semi-batch, and continuous crystallization processes for this product.
- Investigated a range of drying technologies to identify the most efficient, effective, and scalable process.
- Evaluated melt crystallization as an alternative technology for this product.
- Successfully demonstrated a unique isomerization/crystallization process for another bio-derived product.
- Investigated melt crystallization as a means to purify this bio-derived product.
- Studied effluent from a biodigester and evaluated a number of approaches to separating the components of this stream.
- Tested a number of approaches for solid-liquid separation of mixtures obtained in processes being developed in a biorefinery process. Identified and demonstrated technology that permits more economical scale-up of the process.
- Improved a process involving solid precipitation to enhance development of particle size and improve separations.
- Evaluated the effects of various treatments on wet solids flow and shear properties.
Contact Us
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