Petrochemical Pilot Plants: a Historical Perspective

This presentation will cover trends in pilot plants and demonstration units from the 1940's through present, including petrochemical process development, fluid catalytic cracking, penicillin, and unit operations such as Oldershaw columns and rotating disc contactors, and pilot scale reactors. Considerations of scale required for commercialization throughout this era, including increasing use of modeling tools and theoretical analysis vs. direct demonstration, will be discussed.