LyondellBasell unveils glass distillation lab At SJC’s CPET

LyondellBasell recently unveiled a world-class glass distillation lab at the LyondellBasell Center for Petrochemical, Energy, and Technology (CPET) at San Jacinto College.

"This training facility is truly one of a kind," said Dr. Brenda Hellyer, chancellor of San Jacinto College. "The way that we partner with companies in our communities, like LyondellBasell, is important to the success of our students and to the success of the petrochemical industry."

San Jacinto College's partnership with LyondellBasell goes back many years, from the development of CPET and its curriculum to supplying volunteers who serve on steering committees and beyond.

"For years, the challenge has been in developing the workforce of the future," said Michael VanDerSnick, senior vice president of Americas Manufacturing for LyondellBasell. "A partnership between higher education and industry was the solution, and our creation of a uniquely designed glass lab truly is the centerpiece of that partnership."

The LyondellBasell glass distillation lab is a scaled model distillation plant that shows the chemical and physical processes taking place within a chemical plant. The plant is designed to be a hands-on training tool for the next generation of operators, teaching process technology and instrumentation.

What differentiates LyondellBasell's glass distillation plant from others is the model incorporates the mechanics of an entire distillation facility, while other process technology programs have only single pieces of distillation equipment as a teaching tool. A key benefit of the glass lab is the transparency. Students will view vaporization, heat transfer and condensation, which are all involved in the distillation process.

"There is nothing like this lab anywhere in the world," said Jim Griffin, associate vice chancellor and senior vice president of CPET. "Our students will have the opportunity here to learn hands-on using innovative technology in a one-of-a-kind facility."

The glass distillation plant began as a vision to improve student readiness and incumbent worker knowledge, and was exclusively designed and built by the LyondellBasell construction team, which consisted of Channelview training personnel and site operators.

"Work on the glass distillation plant began in May 2019, with a team of eight fulltime employees moving on campus in mid- 2020," VanDerSnick said. "That is approximately 14,000-plus man-hours to date."

Instructors will be trained by the LyondellBasell construction team, and students will be able to have access to the lab as early as this summer.

For more information about San Jacinto College, visit www.sanjac.edu or call (281) 998-6150.