The system is able to simulate the major pretreatments in a batch-wise process. The capacity of a batch (feed basis) at the bench scale unit is approximately 4 kg biomass. With these batch sizes, the required amount of sugars for subsequent testing in lab fermentors up to 10 L (after hydrolysis) is possible.
The bench scale unit is a flexible 2-stage system located in an ATEX environment, enabling a large variety of chemical and/or physical pretreatment processes, e.g. acidic and alkaline treatment, liquid hot water, ammonia, SO2, organosolv, ionic liquids, oxidizing agents, steam explosion (catalysed/uncatalysed).