Feasibility check and scale up
Together with the customer, thermal separation processes realized with thin film and short path distillation, can be developed and optimized at the VTA test center in Niederwinkling (Germany). Several different laboratory and pilot scale units are operated in order to determine the feasibility of distillation tasks as well as to verify necessary data for a later on scale up of equipment or for process optimization.
The product quality during the trials or the toll distillation can be monitored by the VTA analytical department.
Available technologies and processes
- Thin Film / Wiped Film Distillation (horizontal and vertical)
- Short Path Distillation
- Thin Film Drying (horizontal and vertical)
- Fractionation / Rectification
- Deodorization
- Distillation of low- and high-viscosity products
Required raw material quantities: 1 – 20 kg
- Determination of the 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
Required raw material quantities: 200 – 400 kg
- Determination of process parameters
- Verification of the achievable product quality and yields
- Verification of plant setup
- Selection of the best technical setup
- Scale up for later on own industrial system or toll distillation at VTA
- Sample production runs
Analytical department
A central analytical department is available at the VTA test center and tolling facilities. Qualified and experienced professionals are able to monitor the trials as well as the toll distillation campaigns with suitable analytical methods.
Available analytical methods
- Capillary gas chromatography with autosampler (GC)
- Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GCMS)
- Thin Film Drying (horizontal and vertical)
- 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