Piloting a process at a reduced scale of 1:100 to 1:500 is recommended before full commercialization for several reasons: 1) Issues not seen at the bench scale may arise at larger scales, and can be addressed more easily and cheaply at a pilot scale. Continuous operations can reveal problems not seen in limited bench tests. 2) Pilot tests allow operating parameters and equipment layouts to be optimized before building a full-scale plant, avoiding costly re-engineering later. 3) Running a pilot plant gives future operators experience handling small-scale problems that will prepare them for commercial operations.