PSRI
PSRI (Particulate Solid Research, Inc.) is a 1971-founded, Illinois-based private consortium offering consulting, industrial-scale research, and training in particle technology and multiphase flow systems (fluidization, pneumatic conveying, cyclones, circulating fluidized beds) to enterprise petrochemical, power, chemical, and adjacent-process-industry members and clients worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What PSRI does
PSRI (Particulate Solid Research, Inc.) is a private, Illinois-incorporated international membership consortium founded in 1971 and headquartered in Chicago, operating from an 11-building, 72,000 sq. ft. research campus that includes 130-ft tall laboratories and over 10,000 SCFM of blower/compressor capacity. The organization delivers consulting, contract research, particle characterization, testing, and training services in multiphase flows with granular and granular-fluid systems, with deep specialization in fluidization, pneumatic conveying, entrainment, attrition, erosion, distributor and standpipe design, cyclone design, solids transfer, and circulating fluidized beds. PSRI's technology base comprises 50+ years of accumulated design data, proprietary correlations, models, procedures, and methods, supported by industrial-scale fluidized bed, circulating fluidized bed, pneumatic conveying, attrition, and cyclone test units outfitted with specially designed probes; this IP is transferred to member companies without royalties, restrictions, or limits. The portfolio spans 45+ granted patents, 225+ peer-reviewed publications, and approximately 300 years of cumulative consultant experience drawn from Shell, ExxonMobil, DOE NETL, KBR, McDermott/Lummus, and Texaco.
The business model rests on three revenue streams. First, recurring consortium membership fees paid by enterprise members in exchange for full access to the technology base. Second, fee-based consulting services delivered by named senior experts (e.g., Dr. Ted Knowlton, Dr. Ye-Mon Chen, Mr. C.J. Farley, Dr. Jeff Smith, Mr. Phillip Niccum, Dr. Ulrich Muschelknautz, Mr. Ronald W. Breault) to both members and non-members across process domains including FCC, polyolefins, fluid cokers, gasification, pyrolysis, TiO2 chlorination, methanol-to-olefins, sulfur capture, chemical looping, and polycrystalline silicon FBRs. Third, training revenue from the four-day Fluidization Seminar and Workshop priced at $3,000 per participant with early-bird ($300), member ($500), re-refresh ($1,000), and student discounts, delivered at PSRI's Chicago facility, on-site at client locations, or local hotels worldwide via a dedicated training.psri.org portal. Customers are primarily enterprise process companies in petrochemical refining and power/energy, with secondary penetration into chemical, mining, agricultural, pharmaceutical, food processing, and semiconductor industries; the organization claims hundreds of clients globally and reports member companies as the principal commercial anchor.
PSRI's competitive position is reinforced by deep partnerships with CPFD Software (computational particle fluid dynamics modeling, co-located with PSRI's Annual TAC Meeting) and Technip Energies (joint technical presentations on chemical process innovation), and by an annual TAC meeting ecosystem, a "Meet the Consultants" webinar series, and a multi-channel social media presence. Distribution is direct enterprise sales through consortium recruitment, consulting engagements, and training seminars, with no app, API, or digital product beyond the member portal and training portal. The company has no subsidiaries, no parent company, no public listing, and no recorded M&A, restructuring, or leadership-change activity beyond ordinary operational governance by a Board of Directors and a Technical Advisory Committee.
PSRI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PSRI
- Legal name
- Particulate Solid Research, Inc.
- Website
- https://psri.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- PSRI (Particulate Solid Research, Inc.) is a 1971-founded, Illinois-based private consortium offering consulting, industrial-scale research, and training in particle technology and multiphase flow systems (fluidization, pneumatic conveying, cyclones, circulating fluidized beds) to enterprise petrochemical, power, chemical, and adjacent-process-industry members and clients worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where PSRI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
PSRI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Membership Fees: PSRI operates as an international consortium of companies. Companies become members to access the technology base including design data, correlations, models, procedures and methods. No royalties, restrictions or limits on technology use by members.
- Consulting Services: PSRI provides consulting expertise in fluidization and particle technology through their team of experts with extensive industry experience in FCC, gasification, polyolefins, and various multiphase processes.
- Training and Seminars: PSRI offers fluidization seminars and workshops worldwide, providing design manuals, procedures, methods, and webinars. Seminar registration is $3,000 with discounts available for members and students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Fluidization Seminar Registration - Full Price |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Early Bird Discount |
| Subscription | Annual | PSRI Member Company Employee Discount |
| Subscription | Annual | Re-refresh Class Discount |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Student Discount |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
PSRI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PSRI operates as an international consortium providing consulting, modeling, contract research, particle characterization, and testing services in fluidization and particle technology. Companies join as members to access proprietary design data, correlations, models, and procedures with no royalties or restrictions. Additional revenue is generated through fee-based consulting engagements and four-day Fluidization Seminars, underpinned by industrial-scale research facilities in Chicago.
Product overview
PSRI (Particulate Solid Research, Inc.) is an international consortium offering a unified portfolio of consulting services, research facilities, and training programs focused on multiphase flows and particle technology. The core offerings include expert consulting with 300+ years of cumulative experience, industrial-scale research equipment and testing facilities spanning 72,000 sq. ft., and the Fluidization Seminar and Workshop training program. Membership programs provide access to proprietary technology base including design correlations and models without royalties. The organization serves industries including petrochemical, chemical, pharmaceutical, power and energy, mining, and food processing.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Consulting Services Expert consulting in particle technology and fluidization, providing troubleshooting, design optimization, and technical expertise for FCC units, fluid cokers, coal gasification, biomass pyrolysis, chlorinators, acrylonitrile and maleic anhydride reactors, polymers, methanol-to-olefins, chemical looping, polycrystalline silicon FBRs, bulk solids flow, and pneumatic conveying.
- Membership Programs International consortium membership providing companies with access to PSRI's proprietary technology base, design correlations, models, procedures, and methods for multiphase flow and particle technology systems, with no royalties, restrictions, or limits on member use.
- Fluidization Seminar and Workshop Four-day immersive workshop covering fluidization processes, fundamental hydrodynamics, gas distributor design, circulating fluidized beds, cyclone design, and dilute and dense-phase conveying, including hands-on demonstrations of fluidized bed units and research facility tours. Registration is $3,000 per participant with member, early bird, student, and re-refresh discounts available.
- Research Equipment and Facilities Industrial-scale contract research using fluidized bed test units, circulating fluidized bed test units, pneumatic conveying test units, particle attrition test units, cyclone test units, and specially designed probes for particle technology research.
Quantifiable outcome
- More than 200 FCC units assisted in troubleshooting, optimization, and design issues
Companies that use PSRI
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
PSRI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
PSRI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Technip EnergiescoreTechnip Energies' Weymouth R&D Center presented at PSRI's 2026 TAC Meeting. The center has been a key driver of chemical process innovation since the 1950s, with decades of expertise in developing and scaling proprietary Badger technologies such as ethylbenzene, styrene, cumene, and bisphenol A. PSRI collaboration includes joint technical presentations on process technology development.
- CPFD SoftwarecoreCPFD Software is PSRI's modeling partner. Their Barracuda Virtual Reactor Users' Conference is held in conjunction with PSRI's Annual TAC Meeting. The biennial conference provides insights into computational particle fluid dynamics and is open to all PSRI member companies at no cost. PSRI and CPFD share the same venue for their respective events to maximize attendee experience.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PSRI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- CPFD Software: CPFD Software develops computational particle fluid dynamics (CPFD) software, notably the Barracuda Virtual Reactor, which simulates particle flows in fluidized bed and multiphase systems. As PSRI's modeling partner with shared events, CPFD operates in the same particle technology domain with overlapping customer base of refiners and petrochemical engineers.
- GEA Group: GEA is a global supplier of fluid bed processors, spray dryers, and agglomeration equipment used in pharma, food, chemicals, and dairy. GEA directly competes with the equipment and process design capabilities PSRI consults on, particularly in fluidized bed applications across multiple verticals.
- Hosokawa Micron: Hosokawa Micron designs and manufactures particle processing equipment including fluidized bed processors, classifiers, mixers, and pneumatic conveying systems. They serve similar industries (chemicals, pharma, minerals, food) and directly overlap with PSRI's particle technology consulting and process expertise.
- Glatt Group: Glatt is a specialist in fluidized bed technology for pharmaceutical, food, and fine chemicals applications, offering both engineering services and equipment. Glatt's process technology consulting and particle engineering expertise directly parallel PSRI's fluidization consulting capabilities.
- Coperion: Coperion is a leading manufacturer of compounding, extrusion, and bulk material handling equipment including pneumatic conveying systems. Their products overlap directly with PSRI's pneumatic conveying test and design capabilities for industrial particle handling.
- Spraying Systems Co. Spraying Systems designs and manufactures spray nozzles, feed injection systems, and gas distributor components used in fluidized bed reactors and FCC units. Their feed nozzle and distributor products overlap with PSRI's specialty in multiphase injection, gas distributor design, and FCC feed nozzle consulting.
Broad incumbents
- Technip Energies: Technip Energies is a large engineering and technology company licensing process technologies (FCC, styrene, ethylbenzene) and operating R&D centers. As PSRI's strategic partner presenting at TAC meetings, Technip operates broadly in petrochemical process design where PSRI specializes in fluidization consulting.
- Shell Technology Centre: Shell operates large in-house R&D centers with deep FCC technology and licensing expertise (formerly employing PSRI consultants like Dr. Ye-Mon Chen). As a major energy major with proprietary particle technology capabilities, Shell is a broad incumbent whose internal research overlaps with PSRI's specialist consulting focus.
- BASF: BASF is the world's largest chemical company with internal process R&D covering fluidized bed catalysis, polyolefins, and specialty chemicals. While not a direct consulting peer, BASF operates in-house particle technology expertise that competes with PSRI's consulting offerings across multiple chemical verticals.
Others
- NETL (National Energy Technology Laboratory): NETL is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting research in energy conversion technologies including gasification, chemical looping, and fluidized bed combustion. Former PSRI consultant Ronald W. Breault was Thermal Science Team Supervisor at NETL, indicating direct personnel overlap and parallel research focus areas.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PSRI social profiles
Digital presencePSRI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PSRI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
PSRI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PSRI M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PSRI
What does PSRI do?
PSRI operates as an international consortium providing consulting, modeling, contract research, particle characterization, and testing services in fluidization and particle technology. Companies join as members to access proprietary design data, correlations, models, and procedures with no royalties or restrictions. Additional revenue is generated through fee-based consulting engagements and four-day Fluidization Seminars, underpinned by industrial-scale research facilities in Chicago.
Is PSRI a public or private company?
PSRI is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was PSRI founded?
PSRI was founded in 1971. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is PSRI based?
PSRI is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does PSRI make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership Fees are the primary driver. The others are consulting Services and training and Seminars.
Who are PSRI's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are CPFD Software, GEA Group, Hosokawa Micron, Glatt Group, Coperion and Spraying Systems Co.. Broad incumbents are Technip Energies, Shell Technology Centre and BASF. NETL (National Energy Technology Laboratory) is listed as an others.
Does PSRI have an API?
No public API is recorded for PSRI.