Process Engineering Lab Equipment: Complete Setup Guide for B.Tech and M.Tech Chemical Engineering

Process Engineering Lab Equipment: Complete Setup Guide for B.Tech and M.Tech Chemical Engineering

A chemical engineering process lab is the most complex and capital-intensive lab in a technical university. It involves large-scale equipment that demonstrates industrial unit operations at bench or pilot scale — distillation, absorption, heat exchange, fluid mechanics, mass transfer, and process control. Setting up this lab correctly, with equipment that can run the full curriculum and satisfy accreditation requirements, requires a more systematic planning approach than most other engineering labs. This guide covers the full equipment requirement, the key specifications to specify in your BOQ, and what AICTE/NBA and ABET assessors look for.

Core Process Engineering Lab Equipment — B.Tech Chemical Engineering

The AICTE model curriculum for B.Tech Chemical Engineering specifies the following lab experiments — each requires dedicated apparatus:

Apparatus	Experiments Covered	Key Specification
Distillation Column (Sieve/Packed Bed)	Distillation efficiency, reflux ratio, tray efficiency, McCabe-Thiele analysis	Borosilicate glass column, 50–100mm dia, 4–8 stages minimum
Absorption Column	CO₂/air absorption, packing height, mass transfer coefficient (KGa)	50–75mm diameter, 600mm packing height, glass or acrylic construction
Extraction Column (Liquid-Liquid)	Liquid-liquid extraction efficiency, distribution coefficient	25–50mm diameter, Oldshue-Rushton or pulsed column design
Fluidized Bed Dryer	Drying rate, moisture content measurement, particle classification	100mm bed diameter, variable air velocity
Rotary Dryer	Drying kinetics, heat and mass balance	150mm drum diameter, variable rpm, temperature control
Evaporator (Single/Double Effect)	Evaporation rate, steam economy, BPR calculations	Steam heated, 2-litre evaporation capacity minimum
Filtration Unit (Plate and Frame / Leaf)	Filter medium resistance, filtration rate, cake compressibility	Pressure filtration to 2 bar
Mixer-Settler	Solvent extraction, mass transfer in agitated systems	250ml settler volume, variable impeller speed
Centrifuge (Lab scale)	Separation efficiency, centrifugal force, Sigma factor	3000 rpm minimum, 250ml capacity
Flow Measurement Apparatus (various meters)	Orifice, Venturi, Rotameter, Pitot calibration	Same as standard fluid mechanics hydraulic bench
Heat Exchanger Trainer (Shell-and-Tube + Double Pipe)	LMTD, NTU-effectiveness, heat duty, fouling factors	Counter/parallel flow switching, digital temperature readout
Process Control Trainer (PID)	PID controller tuning, closed-loop response, Ziegler-Nichols method	Temperature or flow control loop, PC/software interface

This list represents a minimum 12-station process lab. For an NBA-compliant lab with a 30-student batch (maximum 5 students per station), you need 6 stations for the primary experiment apparatus, with the remaining apparatus at 2–3 stations each. Full configuration for a 30-student batch requires approximately 18–24 apparatus units, depending on experiment rotation scheduling. See our process engineering lab equipment guide for a full catalogue of available apparatus.

M.Tech Chemical Engineering — Advanced Process Lab Equipment

M.Tech programmes require research-grade apparatus beyond the undergraduate curriculum. Advanced process lab additions for postgraduate programmes:

• Spray Dryer — inlet air temperature to 300°C, 1.5 kg/hr water evaporation capacity minimum, for advanced drying research
• Reactive Distillation Column — jacketed glass column with catalyst packing, for esterification or transesterification studies
• Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Lab — software licences for ANSYS Fluent or COMSOL; pairs with physical apparatus for model validation
• Membrane Separation Unit — ultrafiltration or nanofiltration module, for water treatment or pharmaceutical research
• Pilot-Scale Bioreactor — stirred tank, 2–10 litre working volume, pH/DO monitoring, for bioprocess engineering programmes
• Gas Chromatograph — for product analysis from distillation and reaction experiments

NBA and ABET Requirements for Chemical Engineering Process Labs

NBA evaluates chemical engineering labs under Programme Specific Criteria 5 (Laboratory Facilities). The assessment checks that lab equipment supports the outcomes mapped in the programme’s CO-PO matrix. For a B.Tech Chemical Engineering programme, the lab outcomes that process equipment directly supports include:

• CO-PO 5: Ability to use modern tools and equipment for unit operations
• CO-PO 4: Ability to conduct experiments and analyse results using mass and energy balance
• CO-PO 3: Design of unit operations within realistic constraints

ABET General Criterion 6 requires that laboratories “support the attainment of student outcomes.” For chemical engineering programmes, this means demonstrating in the SAR that each CO is supported by specific lab experiments, and that the apparatus for those experiments is operational. See our full guide to NBA and ABET lab equipment requirements for the documentation structure needed for both frameworks.

Space and Utility Requirements for a Process Engineering Lab

Process engineering apparatus is physically larger and requires more services than most other engineering lab equipment. Before procurement, confirm your lab space can support:

Apparatus Type	Typical Floor Space	Services Required
Distillation Column	1.5 x 1.5 m + overhead clearance (2.5m height)	230V single-phase power; water supply and drain; ventilation
Absorption Column	1.0 x 1.0 m + overhead (2.0m height)	230V power; compressed air or CO₂ supply; drain
Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger	1.5 x 0.8 m	230V power; hot and cold water supply; drain
Fluidized Bed Dryer	0.8 x 0.8 m	230V power; adequate ventilation
Process Control Trainer	0.8 x 0.6 m table-top	230V power; PC interface (USB or Ethernet)
Full 30-student process lab	Minimum 120 sq.m	Dedicated power panel; emergency ventilation; eyewash station

Process engineering labs require compressed air supply (for control valve trainers and gas absorption columns), adequate drain capacity for water used in continuous-flow experiments, and forced ventilation for any distillation or solvent extraction experiments. These utility requirements should be confirmed with your facilities team before finalising the equipment procurement BOQ. See our guide to preparing a BOQ for lab equipment procurement for how to capture utility requirements in the tender document.

Budget Planning for a Process Engineering Lab

Process engineering apparatus is significantly more expensive per unit than standard mechanical engineering lab equipment, due to the complexity of the apparatus and the materials (borosilicate glass, PTFE fittings, instrumentation). Typical indicative cost ranges:

Apparatus	Indicative Cost Range (USD CIF, per unit)
Distillation Column (glass, sieve tray)	$3,000 – $8,000
Absorption Column	$2,500 – $6,000
Liquid-Liquid Extraction Column	$2,000 – $5,000
Fluidized Bed Dryer	$3,000 – $7,000
Evaporator (single effect)	$2,500 – $5,500
Process Control Trainer (PID)	$2,000 – $5,000
Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchanger	$1,500 – $3,500

A complete process engineering lab for a 30-student B.Tech Chemical Engineering batch — covering all AICTE experiment requirements, with calibration documentation and installation — typically costs USD 60,000 – 120,000 CIF, depending on the number of stations and specification grade. CE-certified process engineering apparatus from India offers significant cost advantages without compromising compliance. See our full engineering lab equipment cost guide for methodology on building a procurement budget.

Get a Process Engineering Lab Quotation from Scientico India

Scientico India’s ProzessiX process engineering range covers the full B.Tech and M.Tech Chemical Engineering curriculum — distillation, absorption, extraction, drying, evaporation, filtration, and process control. All apparatus is CE-certified and supplied with calibration certificate, experiment manual, and warranty documentation.

Email [email protected] with your institution name, country, programme, student batch size, and accreditation body. We return a full BOQ with CIF pricing, HS codes, and installation requirements within 48 hours. See our quality certifications page and FAQ for documentation and export process details.