Reactor Equipment

Our laboratory contains a scale-up facility with high-pressure reactors ranging from 5 mL to 20 L in volume with most pretreatment and enzyme mimetic work done in sandbath controlled 45 mL stainless steel tubular reactors. Instrument capabilities include liquid chromatographs (Waters, Ranin, and LDC, all with auto-injectors) for sugar, protein, and fermentation product analysis. Compositional analysis of the DDGS and other fibers is in a laboratory set up to follow the NREL standard laboratory procedures and has handled all previous samples on related projects. LORRE facilities include wet-bench facilities, molecular biology laboratories, fermentors up to 20 L, incubator-shakers, freezedriers, and cold sample storage. The Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department has a well-equipped machine shop capable of fabricating high-pressure fittings as needed for the research. The Engineering Computer Network of the Schools of Engineering at Purdue University provides the capabilities required for carrying out modeling and data analysis.

Equipment

• High Pressure Reactors: 300 mL and 20 L Autoclave Company high pressure reactors; 2 L Parr high pressure reactor for carrying out processing of biomass materials.
• Steam Generators: Small and large generators capable of generating up to 50 psig and 300-psig steam, respectively.
• Size Attrition Equipment: Laboratory Wiley mill, large-scale refiner (a device that shreds cellulosic materials).
• Sand Baths: Tecaml laboratory scale (approximately 4 L volume) for carrying out high temperature reactions (up to 260 C).
• Padder: Atlas Laboratory wringer for derivatizing textile fabrics and fibers (threads).
• Furnace: Rapid temperature type high temperature furnace.