A process concept was proposed that included a reactive distillation step. MATRIC created an Aspen model of the process and developed a design for a pilot scale installation to evaluate the process experimentally. After construction and commissioning, the reactive distillation was run under a range of conditions to compare the results with those predicted by [...]
A concept had been proposed by a customer for production of a fuel additive derived from biomass. The process was investigated first in a small-scale stirred autoclave, which led to modifications to improve the procedure. Quantities of the product were required for performance evaluation, so the process was moved to a larger batch reactor. After [...]
A family of metal complexes was being prepared at small scale in a customer’s laboratories, but larger quantities were needed for application tests. A MATRIC team ran several tests of the synthesis and proposed an alternative procedure with a less expensive starting material. The procedure was then further modified to substantially reduce the solvent requirements [...]
A potential process was developed in the conceptual stage by a customer for conversion of carbon dioxide to organic chemicals, but the feasibility for its practical application was unknown. MATRIC formed a multifunctional team to study the concept in detail. Alternative process steps were considered, and potential process flow diagrams were constructed and analyzed. Process [...]
MATRIC undertook a project to test the performance of novel catalysts for an alkylation process at pilot scale. A fixed bed catalytic reaction system was designed and constructed, with full automation and safeguards for operating with highly hazardous materials. The unit was safely started up and operated to prove the performance of the catalysts. Multiple [...]
A product being manufactured for a specific demanding application was found to fail the specifications on an irregular basis. The process involved reactions of an initiator with ethylene oxide and propylene oxide to produce a material within a certain molecular weight range. MATRIC assembled a lab-scale alkoxylation reactor with very good control of the reaction [...]
Solvent Purification. A customer had observed that a solvent being used in a reaction of interest gave varying results, depending on the purification method. MATRIC carried out a study of the impurities present in the commercial material and the effects of a number of treatments on the product purity. Samples were then provided for testing [...]
MATRIC was approached by a customer who wanted to design and test a novel process concept for a thermal reaction that required pumping a viscous fluid at quite high temperatures under pressure. MATRIC reviewed the requirements for the specialized pump, identified a suitable design, and worked with a vendor to have the unit delivered. Meanwhile, [...]
An equilibrium-limited reaction was identified as a candidate for reactive distillation, which would potentially offer substantially reduced investment and operating costs. The separations were modeled with Aspen Plus, which helped identify several process options for reactive distillation. However, kinetic information on the rates of the catalyzed reactions involved were not known. Laboratory experiments were designed [...]
SOUTH CHARLESTON, W.Va.; May 11, 2021– Mid-Atlantic Technology, Research & Innovation Center, Inc. (MATRIC) today announced that it has named Elton Bond as chief financial officer (CFO), effective May 24, 2021. Bond will report to Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer Steven B. Hedrick and serve as a member of MATRIC’s senior leadership team. Bond joins [...]