What scale and equipment configuration is used in bitumen emulsion research and pilot plants?

Pilot plants are designed to replicate production physics at smaller throughput while enabling rapid formulation changes. They typically include small heated bitumen tanks, an aqueous phase dosing skid with accurate metering, a lab scale or pilot colloid mill with adjustable rotor speed and gap, and small product tanks with controlled agitation. Instrumentation for temperature, pH, and flow ratio is essential, along with sampling ports for droplet size and stability checks. The scale is usually chosen to produce enough material for application trials and accelerated aging tests, not just laboratory jars. A good pilot setup also allows swapping emulsifiers and additives without contamination.