Resurrecting MSLRP The Diagnosing, Documentation, and Demonstration Of Miniaturized Sequential Liquid Lignin Recovery and Purification

Author

Robert Booth Whiting Lowery Jr, Clemson UniversityFollow

Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Engineering (MSE)

Department

Chemical Engineering

Committee Chair/Advisor

Dr Mark Thies

Committee Member

Dr. David Bruce

Committee Member

Dr. Eris Davis

Abstract

A pilot plant designed for the Sequential Recovery and Purification of Liquid Lignin was downsized to perform optimization and minor adjustments at a reasonable time and operational cost. Multiple failed runs proved the need for a redesign, and an analysis was performed to solve the newly discovered scaling issues.

Operators identified several common failure points of the mSLRP and theorized several methods to rectify them. This included a rework of both procedural elements, the physical construction of the pilot plant, and the actual code and control of the pilot plant’s operating system, LabVIEW.

Runs were attempted, and eventually, the corrective measures were proved successful, marking the first successful runs of the mSLRP since its downsizing. Liquid Lignin was obtained in a fraction of the time and cost the original design would have required. A complete run was logged, including a clean-up that did not require the disassembly of the SLRP. Further analysis demonstrated that the Liquid Lignin was of a higher purity than its previous iteration.

Comments

Segments of this work have been redacted for non-disclosure purposes. For more information contact Dr. Mark Thies or Robert Lowery.

Recommended Citation

Lowery, Robert Booth Whiting Jr, "Resurrecting MSLRP The Diagnosing, Documentation, and Demonstration Of Miniaturized Sequential Liquid Lignin Recovery and Purification" (2025). All Theses. 4483.
https://open.clemson.edu/all_theses/4483