Koch Modular Donates Pilot-Scale KARR® Column to UT Austin: A Boost for Chemical Engineering Education

Koch Modular has donated a pilot-scale KARR column to the McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin). This donation supports the department’s ongoing efforts to modernize and expand its undergraduate teaching laboratories, enhancing the practical learning experience for engineering students.

For more than 40 years, Koch Modular has been committed to supporting educational growth by collaborating with numerous academic institutions worldwide. These include the Technical University of Denmark, Syracuse University, Villanova University, the University of California, Berkeley, the University of Missouri, Miami University, the University of Cincinnati, and Georgia Tech University, among others. Donating to UT Austin reinforces Koch Modular’s commitment to enriching engineering education by providing students with hands-on opportunities to apply their theoretical knowledge.

A Hands-On Approach to Learning

The chemical engineering undergraduate teaching labs at UT Austin include numerous experiments supported by industry leaders such as Emerson, Chevron, Phillips 66, BP, Valero, and Koch Modular. These labs incorporate Problem-Based Learning (PBL) and Project-Based Learning (PjBL) approaches, enabling students to engage with real-world scenarios, tackle open-ended challenges, and undertake meaningful research projects, offering students a state-of-the-art educational environment.

“This practical experience further enhances experiential learning in our laboratories,” states Carlos Landaverde-Alvarado, assistant professor of instruction at UT Austin. “The use of the KARR column underlines how industry collaborations can improve the education of engineers by integrating real-world problems to laboratory courses, enhancing student engagement, and connecting student projects to industry applications. The addition of pilot-scale equipment to the ChE laboratories is key as we aim to create more effective links to the practice of the profession and as we help our students develop, solidify, and apply their scientific knowledge.”

Why the KARR^® Column?

The pilot-scale KARR column is a highly effective tool for technical universities, particularly in studying liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) processes. Its design provides the versatility needed to explore a wide range of LLE processes, making it an essential resource for chemical engineering programs. The column's compact size makes it suitable for laboratories with limited space, while still offering the efficiency needed to achieve numerous theoretical stages. Additionally, its low material volume requirements make it both time and cost-efficient, maximizing its educational value.

Brendan Cross, a principal extraction engineer at Koch Modular and an advocate for the donation, understands the value of students performing pragmatic extraction pilot testing as part of their undergraduate curriculum. “Giving students the ability to conduct tests using a pilot-scale KARR column enables further education on how liquid-liquid extraction processes are developed and validated. This rare opportunity not only teaches students how to use a piece of commercially utilized technology but allows them to learn how pilot testing is performed within the industry, deepening their understanding of complex chemical engineering concepts.”

Data generated from this column can be scaled up accurately, allowing for the precise design of commercial-sized KARR columns. This makes the KARR column not only a valuable educational tool but also a practical asset for industrial applications.

Collaboration Driving Progress

Marisa Meier, an associate director of alumni and corporate relations at UT Austin, highlights the importance of strategic partnerships. “Collaboration between industry and academia is crucial for driving progress in STEM,” she states. “By combining academic research with industrial expertise, we can achieve advancements that benefit both sectors and society at large.”

Koch Modular’s donation is a testament to the company’s commitment to advancing STEM education by providing essential resources to future engineers. This contribution, alongside the support of other industry partners, underscores the importance of collaboration in advancing educational excellence and innovation.

Through initiatives like this, Koch Modular continues to play an instrumental role in equipping students with the skills and knowledge they need to excel in a rapidly changing field.

About Koch Modular

Koch Modular has successfully designed and constructed modular systems for the global chemical processing industry for over 25 years and has over 40 years of process engineering experience. Specializing in mass transfer, Koch Modular supports innovative technology companies on their pathway from concept to commercialization, providing pilot testing and process conceptualization services, process design package development, detailed engineering, and modular constructed systems. To learn more, visit kochmodular.com.

Media Contacts

Emily Steinhauer
CG Life
esteinhauer@cglife.com