Chemical Engineering and Allied Processes Research Centre (CEAP-RC)

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING AND ALLIED PROCESSES RESEARCH CENTRE (CEAP-RC)

Kenya has abundant organic resources such as gums, essential oils and resins from plants such as myrrh, opopanax, frankincense, aloe vera and eucalyptus trees, which can be used to make organic-based compounds for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and agrichemicals industries. Organic-based compounds are environmentally friendly and pose less danger to plant and animal ecosystem and have low carbon foot prints. CEAP-RC develop processes and value added-products from basic chemicals, specialty chemicals and consumer chemicals, that are responsive to sustainable production and consumption practices.

Research and Development Activities

  • Bioprospect, develop and transfer technologies for extraction of bioactive compounds from natural products and their application in leather, textile, cosmetics, agrichemicals, nutra-pharmaceutical and biofuels industries; and for development of household and industrial cleaning agents.
  • Process development (laboratory – pilot plant - commercialization), plant designs, optimization and scaling-up of industry processing aids - such as for leather, textile, cosmetics - from natural products.
  • Provide entrepreneurs with technical knowledge and skills to enable them develop market-ready products and services. Clients receive support on product formulation and design, standardization, packaging and certification. The training can be individualized, in groups, and on/off-site KIRDI premises. Capacity building programmes are in cosmetic, soap, detergent, oil and essential oil extraction, and animal feeds technologies.

 

 

 

Key Facilities in CEAP-RC

  • CEAP has specialized equipment for separation techniques (chromatography), uv visualizer and distillation equipment.
  • Assorted pilot production equipment such as stainless-steel jacketed reaction vessels, soap plodder, oil press, distillation vessel, bench  and  industrial weighing scales, disc mill, ribbon mixer, pilot mixer and stainless steel settling vessels.