Pilot Plant for the Large Scale Synthesis of Sols

A pilot plant for the synthesis of inorganic and organic-inorganic hybrid sols has been set up. It consists of three reactors of capacities 100 l, 20 l and 10 l with storage vessels of various capacities (from 30 l up to 200 l) attached to the respective reactors. Known quantities of the precursors or reactants can be transferred from the storage vessels into the reactors. Small additions of chemicals can be precisely controlled through suitable dosing systems, provided. The reactors can be operated in the temperature range -5oC to 150oC. The plant is equipped with sophisticated process controls and safety mechanisms for efficiently producing large volumes of sols. The prepared sols can be collected in receivers and transported for coating, curing and densification.