SETD Laboratory Resources

This setup is a chemical looping combustion (CLC) and in-situ CO₂ capture reactor, designed for experimental studies on solid-fuel and gas-fuel conversion processes under controlled atmospheres. The horizontal tubular furnace provides uniform heating for the reactor tube, allowing operation at high temperatures (typically 600–1000°C) to facilitate oxygen carrier redox reactions and CO₂ capture in a single system. Integrated with precise gas delivery lines, flow meters, and pressure gauges, this setup enables the introduction of reactant gases like methane, syngas, or CO₂ for in-situ capture and conversion, while the effluent gases can be analyzed downstream for combustion efficiency and carbon capture performance. It is commonly used for material testing, oxygen carrier cycling stability, and developing low-emission energy systems.

The equipment shown is the VIVTEK Instruments MCR-100, a laboratory-scale microwave pyrolysis reactor designed for the thermochemical conversion of biomass, plastics, and other organic feedstocks into valuable products such as bio-oil, syngas, and biochar. The reactor utilizes microwave energy to provide rapid and uniform heating, which enhances reaction kinetics and energy efficiency compared to conventional heating methods.Key features of the MCR-100 include:

• Touchscreen interface for precise control of temperature, reaction time, and power settings.

• High-efficiency microwave cavity and integrated quartz reactor tube for effective heat transfer and process stability.

• Temperature control and monitoring system to maintain consistent reaction conditions and ensure reproducibility.

This is a UV-Vis spectrophotometer, a fundamental analytical instrument used to measure the absorbance and transmittance of light by liquid or solid samples across the ultraviolet (UV) and visible (Vis) spectrum, typically between 200–800 nm. It operates by passing light of varying wavelengths through a sample and detecting how much light is absorbed, enabling the quantification of molecular concentration based on Beer-Lambert’s law. Widely applied in material characterization, reaction monitoring, and environmental analysis, this instrument is crucial for analyzing catalysts, adsorbents, or liquid products from processes like CO₂ capture and conversion, offering quick and non-destructive analysis of species such as metal ions, organic compounds, or functional groups.

This is The Jitterbug™ orbital shaker incubator, a compact benchtop instrument designed to provide controlled shaking and mixing of liquid samples in microplates or small vials. With adjustable speed and temperature settings, it enables uniform agitation, which is essential for biochemical reactions, cell culture incubation, enzyme kinetics studies, and catalyst suspension preparation. The orbital motion promotes proper mixing and aeration, ensuring homogenous sample exposure during reaction or incubation. It's especially valuable in labs for catalyst pre-treatment, adsorption studies, bio-reaction enhancement, or any process requiring controlled agitation to maintain sample uniformity.

This is a lab-scale hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) reactor, an advanced high-pressure, high-temperature system designed to convert wet biomass, plastics, or organic waste into bio-crude oil and valuable chemicals under subcritical or supercritical water conditions. Operated typically between 250–374°C and at pressures up to 200 bar, it allows researchers to simulate industrial hydrothermal processes on a laboratory scale, enabling precise control of reaction conditions such as temperature, pressure, residence time, and stirring speed to optimize product yields and study reaction mechanisms. This setup is crucial for sustainable fuel research, waste valorization, and developing carbon-neutral energy pathways.

This setup consists of an ozone generator, an oxygen concentration controller, and a reaction chamber, designed for controlled ozone exposure experiments or advanced oxidation processes. The oxygen concentrator ensures a stable and high-purity oxygen feed to the ozone generator, which converts molecular oxygen into ozone gas using a high-voltage electrical discharge. The generated ozone is then introduced into the sealed chamber, where it interacts with target materials or pollutants for applications such as surface modification, sterilization, oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or catalyst testing under oxidative environments. This integrated system allows precise control over gas composition and ozone concentration, enabling reproducible experiments for both research and industrial process development.

This setup is a  biomass pyrolysis reactor designed to thermochemically convert organic biomass into valuable products such as bio-oil, syngas, and biochar in the absence of oxygen. Operating typically between 400–600°C, the reactor rapidly heats biomass feedstocks like agricultural waste, wood chips, or algae to decompose their complex polymers (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) into smaller volatile compounds and solid carbonaceous residues. This reactor setup enables precise control of parameters such as heating rate, residence time, and carrier gas flow, which are crucial for optimizing product yields and properties.