Luke Pilots

• Research platform for biorefineries and the circular economy 
• Nutrient and organic matter cycling in biomasses
• Pilot scale testing of biogas technologies, pyrolysis and nutrient recovery technologies
• Research into process chains, manufacturing products from biomass and by-products
• Research into biogas production

Extraction and fractionation pilot enables exploration, development and testing of new, innovative solutions for the efficient use and processing of different biomasses and industrial side streams into new products.

The equipment is adaptable to different needs and the fractionation methods are scalable and environmentally friendly.

Hot water extraction

• 300 L extraction vessel
• Batch and flow-through extraction with chemical feed option 
• Can be used with water or dilute alkali solutions
• Working pressure 1-20 bar
• Temperature range 10-200 ºC

Supercritical extraction and crystallisation equipment

• Capacity 10 L (0,5-3 kg)
• With CO₂ or auxiliary solvent
• The most advanced in Finland

Membrane filtration equipment

• Two tubular modules suitable for technologies from reverse osmosis to microfiltration depending on the membrane type
  • Polyether sulfone membranes (PES) modified for ultrafiltration EM006 (6kDa)
  • For nanofiltration FCA30 membrane
     

Luke's Extrusion Center is a versatile research and pilot environment for research and testing the processing of raw materials and side streams into food and bioproducts such as biomaterials, high value-added ingredients and nutrients for cellular agriculture. Extrusion is a versatile processing method that utilizes screws, temperature and pressure to transform raw materials and side streams into new products.

Multi-screw extruder represents the latest teachnology at the Extrusion Center. This equipment is also called as a new generation bioreactor because of its wide application areas. The advantages of multi-screw extrusion over the more classical twin-screw extrusion are the higher shear forces and the larger reaction surface area between the screws and the mass to be processed. These factors allow enhanced and intensified chemical reactions.

In addition to the multi-screw extruder, the extrusion centre has two different twin-screw extruders, one suitable for food development and the other for feed and pet food development. All extruders are highly adaptable for processing a wide range of raw materials and side streams.

Multi-screw extruder

• Continuous operation
• Efficient material and heat transfer
• More precise optimisation of temperature and pressure
• Stability under reaction conditions
• Diversified development of raw materials and side streams from agriculture, food, forestry and blue bioeconomy

Twin-screw extruder

• Capacity of about 10 kg/h
• Mainly for food development

Twin screw extruder

• with a capacity of about 70 kg/h
• Mainly for feed development

• Product development hall
• FoodPilot pilot hall, for plant-based product concepts
• FoodPilot pilot hall, dairy process
• Laboratory and pilot-scale separation technology services
• Specialised technologies:
  • Extrusion technology
  • Fish oil and protein fractionation
  • egg fractionation
  • microencapsulation
  • Bioprocessing Technology Laboratory

• The platform for feed research