This Week's Top Stories

Consider State-Based Control

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Particles From Piping Pose Pump Problems

Magnetic separators remove black powder to improve performance. Read more...

Comical Processing: You Write The Cartoon Caption

Chemical Processing introduces "Comical Processing," featuring drawings by award-winning cartoonist Jerry King. Read more...

U.S. Lead in Science and Engineering Erodes

Biennial report points to gains particularly by Asian countries. Read more...

Leadership Focus Podcast: CFATS

Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) are now in the process of implementation. Listen to this podcast the learn about the challenges of becoming compliant. Read more...

Best Practices in the Chemicals Industry Webcast

This on-demand Webcast will help improve operational efficiency, safety and compliance within the chemicals industry. Read more...

Quick Poll: Condition Monitoring

Take the anonymous survey now. Read more...

Just Posted

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New Feedstock Beckons for Transportation Fuels

Biomass-based material provides alkenes via simple route.

What's On Your Mind?

Quick online polls can provide a variety of insights.

Industry News More »

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Ask the Experts More »

Chemical Reaction BlogMore »

Critical Topics

Energy Efficiency

Energy EfficiencyReducing energy consumption and your plant's environmental impact is a hot topic. Creative thinking in your energy efficiency projects will give you the competitive edge during these tough times.

Drive up energy efficiency

The constant-speed approach to AC motors made a lot of sense when energy was cheap and drives technology was in its infancy. With their latest advances, adjustable speed drives can provide one of the best energy efficiency options for a plant.

Consider Three Ways to Energy Efficiency

Now’s the time to make radical changes in funding energy projects

It’s time for a design check

Pay closer attention to energy efficiency and impose standards.

Special Report: Energy Efficiency

Reducing energy consumption and your plant’s environmental impact is a hot topic. In this Special Report we take a look at the organizational obstacles to avoid, how to enroll your employees in the quest, and the steps you need to take in order to manage your energy costs. We also delve in to practical energy efficient applications such as recovering exhaust heat in air conditioned facilities and the use of carbon synchronous belts.

Energy Savings Pick up Steam

More attention to steam systems and trap monitoring provides big benefits. At most chemical plants, plant management and operators face increasing pressures to improve the energy efficiency of their processes, so they should see how they can save on steam.

Plant Optimization

Plant OptimizationYou can't manage what you can't measure. And what you don't measure will never improve. Enter plant optimization. Gathering data to improve operations offers a competitive advantage.

Avoid Costly Design Mistakes

Common errors keep plants from getting the most reliable and suitable vessels

Avoid costly materials mistakes

Common oversights keep plants from getting the most reliable and suitable vessels.

Avoid costly fabrication mistakes

Common oversights keep plants from getting the most reliable and suitable vessels

Pursue the perfect plant

Look into creating the “perfect plant” by integrating product and operational management into your environment. This provides the ability to respond faster and minimize impact to the business and bottom line, driving increased yields, asset utilization and order fulfillment.

Pilot plants: destined for development

Pilot plants are on the verge of an unprecedented evolution. Read about the 10 factors that'll impact the design, construction and operation of these next-generation units.

Green Technology

Green TechnologyThe chemical industry is starting to unwrap the potential benefits of “going green."

Renewable Feedstocks are in the Bag

Chemical firms show growing interest in bio-based production.

Environmental Protection

Environmental Protection by Dave Russell, president, Global Environmental Operations Inc.

Chemical industry sees green

Developments target economics, not just environmental benefits. While pollution prevention was the original goal of green chemistry, today’s efforts promise to have a substantial economic impact.

Special Report: Chemical Industry Sees Green | Bio-Based Fuels and Feedstocks

For years the industry has been “talking green.” But what real strides have been made? Will a Presidential Executive Order compel the industry to speed up efforts to actually go green?

Defining "Green Chemicals"

As the Industrial Water Treatment Program Manager at the federal installation, I am interested in resorting to "green chemicals" in the chemically treating all the boilers, cooling towers and closed loop systems at this installation. Is there a clear definition of what constitutes "green chemicals?" Does that vary from state-to-state, region-to-region, and who has the final word on what is or isn't "green chemicals?"

Feedstock change is hot and poppin’

Corn, other renewable resources garner increasing interest and investment. Read here about the progress that is being made in discovering a new generation of feedstock.

Water & Wastewater Treatment

Water & Wastewater TreatmentWastewater treatment is a critical process for chemical plants. Keeping on top of how to recycle and reuse will ensure you get the most of your water-treatment operations.

Act Before There’s Not a Drop to Drink

Ground water protection is the responsibility of everyone including the chemical industry. An energetic group of state and federal ground water agencies, industry, environmentalists and other stakeholders, however, has made it a key area of their focus. The Ground Water Protection Council (GWPC) is a nonprofit Section 501(c)(6) organization dedicated to promoting and ensuring the use of best management practices and “fair but effective” laws regarding comprehensive groundwater protection.

Expect More Water Regulation Everywhere

EPA gets tough on arsenic levels in drinking water

What’s on tap for water?

This increasingly precious resource is attracting more attention

Better water technology is on tap

The drought in many parts of the U.S. so far this summer points out the preciousness of water supplies. There’s greater demand for waste-minimization and recycle-and-reuse technologies as well as more awareness of utility usage and the impact of life-cycle costs on water-treatment operations. Here’s a look at new technologies that will help.

Optimize Water Use

Four major drivers are spurring increasing interest in optimizing water use.

Workforce & Operator Performance

Workforce & Operator PerformanceBoosting worker performance benefits the bottom line. Understanding what operators need is critical to your site's success.

Operators Get More Help

Efforts aim to provide insights and tools to boost performance.

Fitting the Workplace to the Worker

Process Industry Control Rooms Would Be Designed a Whole Lot Differently if Air-Traffic Controllers Were Working in Them

Operator Performance Takes Center Stage

Industry/university alliance aims to address human factors in process control.

Help Your Operators

Automating procedures within control systems can serve to make your operators more effective and more consistent. With studies showing more than 40% of all plant incidents stemming from some form of human error, it makes sense to give automation a larger role in day-to-day operations.

An Alert Operator Is a Safe Operator

Maintaining a good work environment can contribute to a safer plant

White Paper Library

Automation & IT

Measurement of Oxygen Concentration in Blanketing and Inerting Operations

Gaseous oxygen measurement with amperometric sensors is the most direct and easiest solution for oxidation and explosion protection.

Unwelcome oxygen Tank blanketing is the process of filling the headspace in storage vessels and reactors with an inert gas to prevent its contents from exploding, degrading or polymerizing and to protect equipment from corrosion. A blanketing system is normally designed such that it operates under higher than atmospheric pressures, therefore preventing outside air from entering the vessel. As oxygen and moisture in the air can be undesired in numerous processes and applications, blanketing is done in a wide range of industries, varying from (petro)chemical to food and beverage, pharmaceutical to pure water.

Special Report: Prepare For The Economic Recovery

Whether we are headed toward an economic rebound or continuing with the current economic downturn, specialty chemicals manufacturers should take steps now in order to get or keep a competitive edge. But what steps should specialty chemicals manufacturers take? This Special Report will discuss actionable strategies including: Reducing costs while maintaining quality and compliance; Committing not just to "lean manufacturing" but to "lean supply chain" strategies; Implementing "agile manufacturing" practices.

More Automation & IT white papers...

Design & Simulation

ChemicalProcessing Special Report: Pilot Plants

Read about the 10 factors that will impact the design, construction and operation of these next-generation pilot plant units.

Learn about new pilot plant development methods.
Understand the role operational guidance plays in successful pilot plant development.

Design and Rating Shell and Tube Heat Exchangers

This 30-page paper discusses the basic design, construction and performance of shell and tube heat exchangers.

More Design & Simulation white papers...

Environmental, Health & Safety

The Green Solution

The ever present emphasis on technological efficiency is just one of several forces behind the pressure on companies to "go green" despite a trying economy. The ultimate criterion that determines whether a motor is truly green is energy efficiency. Technology, long the key to efficiency, can help resolve this issue.

Measurement of Oxygen Concentration in Blanketing and Inerting Operations

Gaseous oxygen measurement with amperometric sensors is the most direct and easiest solution for oxidation and explosion protection.

Unwelcome oxygen Tank blanketing is the process of filling the headspace in storage vessels and reactors with an inert gas to prevent its contents from exploding, degrading or polymerizing and to protect equipment from corrosion. A blanketing system is normally designed such that it operates under higher than atmospheric pressures, therefore preventing outside air from entering the vessel. As oxygen and moisture in the air can be undesired in numerous processes and applications, blanketing is done in a wide range of industries, varying from (petro)chemical to food and beverage, pharmaceutical to pure water.

More Environmental, Health & Safety white papers...

Fluid Handling

Spray Gas Quench Design Considerations

The use of spray nozzles to rapidly cool or quench gas streams is an essential application in many industrial processes, such as chemical reaction vessels, incineration, and power plant absorber gas inlet. An optimized spray quench design requires engineering analysis of the operating environment, spray nozzle performance and process reliability. This technical paper describes the design considerations for spray gas quench systems such as nozzle selection, process control, system configuration and reliability. Application of this knowledge can result in a gas quench system that operates efficiently and reliably with reduced vessel size, reduced atomization energy consumption, and minimized downtime, to achieve capital and operational cost savings for your process.

Peristaltic Pumps: A Simple Solution for Abrasive and Corrosive Chemicals

Finding the right pump for metering abrasive and aggressive chemicals can be challenging. The pump of choice needs to withstand harsh chemicals, accurately meter, and be simple to maintain and operate. More and more process engineers are turning to peristaltic pumps to solve their pumping problems, reducing life cycle costs and driving gains in process efficiency.

More Fluid Handling white papers...

Powder & Solids

How Well Do You Know Your Dust?

The collection and testing of dust samples is a long-established practice used by many powder and bulk processors to make informed dust collection decisions. Dust testing protocols have not changed markedly in recent years. The importance of dust testing, however, has changed, and the implications are significant. While knowing your dust has always been good practice, it is rapidly becoming a necessity in today's regulatory climate.

This article will review two separate types of testing: (1) explosibility testing, which is used to determine whether a dust is combustible; and (2) bench testing, which pinpoints numerous physical properties of the dust. Both categories of tests are needed to determine the best dust collection system for your application and whether explosion venting equipment must be part of that system.

Chemical Processing Special Report: Conveyors

No matter what industry you’re in, chances are you use some form of conveying. Whether it be pneumatic, flexible screw, aeromechanical or other, different conveyors are required to handle different products. But which conveyor is best suited for your operation? Despite the fact that conveyors have been around for almost a hundred years, this question still baffles many industries. In order to choose the right conveyor for your operations, you need to consider your conveyor's use - production, processing, packaging, and you need to consider your business objectives - improve operations? reduce labor?

In this special report, we look at the different types of conveyors, discuss the use of tubular bag conveyors, and provide 10 tips to prevent a variety of common problems that could occur with pneumatic conveyors.

More Powder & Solids white papers...

Reaction & Synthesis

Properly Model and Control Batch Reactors

This paper covers key aspects for modeling and design of batch reactors, including: heat-up and cool-down performance, sensitivity analysis for reactor parameters, boil-up rate predictions, thermal stability under exothermic conditions, control system design and loop tuning parameters, condenser rating, and process emissions predictions.

Maximize Returns from Precious-Metal-Bearing Catalysts

Many catalytic reactions rely on platinum, palladium and other precious metal catalysts. When the activity of the catalyst declines to the point that it must be replaced, the used catalyst can be sent to a refiner to recover precious metal. This 8-page paper discusses the variouis factors that should be considered when using a refiner.

More Reaction & Synthesis white papers...

Reliability & Maintenance

SPECIAL REPORT: Condition Monitoring

An exciting trend in the world of CMMS is the increasing sophistication of condition-based maintenance (CBM) features and functions vendors offer and maintenance professionals actually use. This Special Report covers:

* Six steps to condition-based maintenance
* Bolster your condition monitoring toolbox
* Protect your condition-monitoring program from the recession guillotine
* Go beyond condition monitoring

Dust Explosion Protection using Flameless Venting

This 18-page white paper explores a new option – flameless venting – which has recently been developed for dust explosions and is being actively marketed as an alternative to vent ducting.

More Reliability & Maintenance white papers...

Security

White Paper: Ten Tips for Completing a Site Security Plan

Working on your Site Security Plan (SSP)? The next stage in the Chemical Facility Ant-Terrorism Standard (CFATS) compliance process requires covered facilities to submit a SSP. Given the importance of the SSP, covered facilities should address a number of factors while they complete this step in the CFATS regulation. Download this complimentary whitepaper now: Ten Tips for Completing your SSP.

Understanding CFATS: What It Means to Your Business

The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard (CFATS) is intended to establish a baseline level of security for facilities considered to pose high risk to the general population in the event of a terrorist attack. Download this whitepaper now to learn how you can be CFATS compliant.

More Security white papers...

Separations Technology

Continuous Pressure and Vacuum Filtration and Washing of Organic Cellulose and Biomass Products

Organic cellulose and biomass filtration, washing and drying is very unpredictable and even minor differences in feedstock,washing or cake moisture requirements can require a different process solution. Both vacuum and pressure operations can provide equivalvent process results. On-site testing is required to determine the optimum filter selection.

A Review of Filter Press Basics and Issues

Filtration experts, over the years, have discussed filter presses and have indicated that soon they would be a thing of the past; the last filter press would be replaced by more modern equipment. This article discusses the perceived shortcomings of the filter press as well as the batch or continuous filtration alternatives to replace them.

More Separations Technology white papers...

Utilities & Energy

The Green Solution

The ever present emphasis on technological efficiency is just one of several forces behind the pressure on companies to "go green" despite a trying economy. The ultimate criterion that determines whether a motor is truly green is energy efficiency. Technology, long the key to efficiency, can help resolve this issue.

How Automated Water Jetting Improves Tube Bundle Cleaning Efficiency

Heat exchanger efficiency is a critical factor in processing productivity, and tube bundles must be kept clear of deposits to maintain that efficiency. Automated high-pressure water jetting systems, with flexible or rigid lances, remove deposits 75% to 90% faster than manual methods and are more operator-friendly.

More Utilities & Energy white papers...

Career Center

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Browse our content library, enlist the help of a trained career coach or simply ask an expert for career advice.

Video & Audio

Leadership Focus: Mixing

Mixing abounds at most chemical plants. Problems can arise that undermine processing. Identifying and addressing such issues are essential to remain competitive.

Traci Purdum, senior digital editor, talks to Dave Dickey, senior consultant, MixTech Inc., to unearth mixing best practices.

To download or share this podcast, click the menu button.

Leadership Focus Podcast: CFATS

Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) are now in the process of implementation. Traci Purdum, Chemical Processing's senior digital editor, talks to David Moore, president and CEO of AcuTech Consulting Group, about the challenges of becoming compliant, lessons learned, and how to address underappreciated issues.

Leadership Focus Podcast: Cyber Security

Each year the damage to critical infrastructure from network incidents and cyber attacks is measured in the billions of dollars.

Traci Purdum, senior digital editor, talks to Eric Byres, chief technology officer of Byres Security Inc., to understand the risks and learn how to mitigate them.

To download or share this podcast, click the menu button.

More multimedia...

Perspectives

Ask the Experts

Ask the ExpertsWe've assembled a roster of leading authorities in many fields to help you address technical issues. Pose a question or browse previous questions to find the answers you're looking for.

Recent Mixing question...

Q:

I'd like to construct a computer controlled Agitation Experimental Module for students.

The tank Volume can be 1 L up to 10 L. The liquid viscosity can be water up to lubricant Oil SAE 140. We can do it with the presence or absence of baffles. We can do it with different impellers, different position of impellers. The speed will be near to 2000 rpm.

Could you please advise what kind of electro-motor I should use? Can I use 3-phase inductive motor 2800 rpm (2-pole), 1-HP power? How about the torque? Please suggest also how to calculate.

A: Click here to read the answer...

Editors' Corner

Help Us Break A Record

We are nearing record-breaking responses for the 2010 Salary and Job Satisfaction Survey. The survey is open a few more days. If you haven't participated, now's the time! And you could win an 8GB iPod Touch just for taking part. Click here to take the survey
Traci Purdum, Senior Digital Editor
tpurdum@putman.net.

Solutions Centers

The Optimized Plant

The Optimized Plant

Sponsored by Honeywell

Honeywell can help sustain the life of your assets and maximize the operational performance of your plant or mill.

Solutions for the Chemicals Industry

Solutions for the Chemicals Industry

Sponsored by SAP

Measure your performance against your peers and discover which functional areas you can improve. Includes manufacturing, supply chain, R&D, regulatory compliance (ie REACH), and customer management.

Business Performance

Business Performance

Sponsored by Honeywell

Improve performance and increase profitability with integrated, comprehensive solutions that protect your people, process and assets, while reducing costs and improving productivity.

Vital Resources

How Well Do You Know Your Dust?

Knowing your dust is rapidly becoming a necessity in today's regulatory climate. This article will review two separate types of testing: (1) explosibility testing, which is used to determine whether a dust is combustible; and (2) bench testing, which pinpoints numerous physical properties of the dust.

White Paper: Ten Tips for Completing a Site Security Plan

The next stage in the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard compliance process requires covered facilities to submit a Site Security Plan. Download this complimentary whitepaper now: Ten Tips for Completing your SSP.

Take Part In CP Panel Discussions

Our Panel Discussion Series will gather experts to address important trends that will impact your chemical facility. As a registered audience member, you can ask questions during these 60-minute webcasts. See what discussions we have planned.

Understanding CFATS: What It Means to Your Business

The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standard (CFATS) is intended to establish a baseline level of security for facilities considered to pose high risk to the general population in the event of a terrorist attack. Download this whitepaper now to learn how you can be CFATS compliant.

How Automated Water Jetting Improves Tube Bundle Cleaning Efficiency

Heat exchanger efficiency is a critical factor in processing productivity, and tube bundles must be kept clear of deposits to maintain that efficiency. Automated high-pressure water jetting systems, with flexible or rigid lances, remove deposits 75% to 90% faster than manual methods and are more operator-friendly.

Get a Sneak Peak At Powder Show 2010

Preview what The International Powder & Bulk Solids show has to offer. The show touts it will provide leading educational sessions structured with extensive input from leading powder and processing experts.

SPECIAL REPORT: Condition Monitoring

An exciting trend in the world of CMMS is the increasing sophistication of condition-based maintenance (CBM) features and functions vendors offer and maintenance professionals actually use.

Special Report: Prepare For The Economic Recovery

Whether we are headed toward an economic rebound or continuing with the current economic downturn, specialty chemicals manufacturers should take steps now in order to get or keep a competitive edge.

Spray Gas Quench Design Considerations

An optimized spray quench design requires engineering analysis of the operating environment, spray nozzle performance and process reliability. This technical paper describes the design considerations.

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