This work outlines the pH neutralization process as a benchmark for nonline
ar control design. The typical industrial conditions for this class of proc
ess are analyzed in order to elaborate a proposal-for laboratory equipment
that closely resembles a real system and also furnishes an excellent test b
ench for verifying new control strategies. This equipment has been installe
d at National University of San Juan, Argentina: The. control-problem namel
y, the benchmark, with all of its operating restrictions is presented for r
eal applications. The benchmark representation capability is discussed. The
final goal is to define a pH region where the model has a good representat
ion capability for industrial acid-mixtures. Several experiments conducted
at the laboratory assembly demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed be
nchmark. Finally, a PID controller is presented as a reference for comparin
g the performance of tested nonlinear controllers.