|  Sept. 29, 2026
Picking the familiar candidate feels like the low-risk choice in high-hazard facilities, but it can leave capable people stuck in a "not ready" holding pattern.
Continue
Chemical Processing Distilled
Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates

Industry News

Editorial credit: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com
Westlake’s sign at their headquarters in Houston, Texas, USA.
165,000-metric-ton-per-year facility in Cologne will shut in the first quarter of 2027 as Westlake consolidates production at lower-cost German sites.
Sept. 29, 2026
The new training center combines virtual reality, driving simulators and site-specific operational training to improve workforce safety competency across the chemical manufacturing...
Sept. 29, 2026
More than 400 shipments have supplied imported ethane to the Scottish petrochemical complex since the first Dragon Ship arrived in 2016.
Sept. 28, 2026
BASF has expressed interest in acquiring Evonik, but union leaders warn that such consolidation must prioritize investments and job protections, especially as both companies are...
Sept. 28, 2026

Comical Processing

Are you ready to get your captions on? Jerry King has created another funny Comical Processing cartoon.
Sept. 8, 2026
Congratulations to Louisa Nara for understanding the assignment!
July 15, 2026
Congratulations to Richard Davis for penning the winning caption -- kudos!
May 20, 2026
Congratulations to Chuck Lewis for writing the funny caption for Jerry King's cartoon.
March 25, 2026

Utilities/Energy

DOE funding for the Seadrift reactor has reached $2.1 billion and NRC's safety review is underway, though experts warn thin supply chains and workforce gaps could slow the wider...
Sept. 8, 2026
Hyperscale campuses are drawing grid capacity and water permits in the same communities where chemical plants have operated for generations. A side-by-side look at power demand...
Aug. 31, 2026
Part 4 of this series shows how RO membranes strip nearly all dissolved ions from makeup water, cutting the risks that softening alone leaves behind.
Aug. 4, 2026
Energy management software and energy storage protect facilities from power outages and enable efficient use of renewable power.
July 27, 2026

Workforce & Training

With nearly 1.2 million energy and chemical workers needing upskilling by 2033, producers are deploying video-based training, spatial digital-twin interfaces and AI copilots to...
Sept. 14, 2026
As AI and automation take over sensory and physical tasks, plant operators are shifting from solo task work to collaborative activities — and the judgment calls only humans can...
Aug. 10, 2026
Decades of guidance on alarm management exist. So why are control rooms still drowning in noise?
June 12, 2026
Sponsored
An augmented reality training company is applying a decades-old educational framework to industrial workforces and says most organizations are stopping too soon.
May 1, 2026

Environmental

The EPA is proposing to rescind and delay regulations on certain PFAS chemicals, citing technicalities and cost savings, sparking debate over public health protections and industry...
June 15, 2026
Ship & Shore Environmental CEO has spent her career turning environmental compliance into a competitive advantage.
June 9, 2026
From microplastics and greenwashing claims to conflicting state recycling labels, a surge in scientific research and legal action is reshaping the risk landscape for every stakeholder...
May 13, 2026
The federal government says Minnesota's effort to hold Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries and the American Petroleum Institute liable for climate damages illegally encroaches on federal...
May 5, 2026

Economics

ICIS's Al Greenwood explains why ethane-fed commodity producers are cashing in while specialty chemical makers struggle to pass on higher costs.
Aug. 19, 2026
Dow, BASF and Methanex all topped forecasts for the week of July 22–29, while Solvay stumbled on soda ash weakness — with the fragile US-Iran ceasefire and thinning Hormuz traffic...
July 31, 2026
What does the Supreme Court’s decision on Trump's IEEPA tariffs mean for the chemical industry?
Feb. 20, 2026
Toyota Tsusho acquires a 25% share in LG Chem’s Gumi cathode facility to boost North American battery supply.
Sept. 9, 2025

Learning Resources

Sponsored
Chemical plant safety demands smarter alarms, updated data and passive defense.
Sept. 22, 2026
Sponsored
Introducing intelligent steam tracing and thermal management solutions
Sept. 21, 2026
Sponsored
A practical guide to containment, reliability and lifecycle performance in demanding chemical services.
Sept. 18, 2026
Sponsored
Simplicity is key for safe operation in hazardous areas
Sept. 2, 2026

Process Safety With Trish & Traci Podcast

Process Safety w/Trish & Traci
Trish Kerin breaks down the self-checks, cold-eyes reviews and hard truths that keep a process safety program honest when the government isn't watching.
Sept. 15, 2026
Process Safety w/Trish & Traci
On this episode of Process Safety with Trish and Traci, forensic engineer Dr. Sean Brady joins Trish Kerin and Traci Purdum to revisit Piper Alpha, the 1988 North Sea platform...
Aug. 25, 2026
Process Safety w/Trish & Traci
Safety engineer Valerie Stakes joins Trish Kerin and Traci Purdum to unpack burnout, boundaries and the emotional toll of a job built on protecting everyone else.
July 14, 2026
Process Safety w/Trish & Traci
Trish Kerin breaks down the runaway reaction that triggered a mass evacuation in Orange County, California, and explains what facilities handling reactive chemicals can learn ...
June 16, 2026

Chemical Processing Distilled Podcast

Chemical Processing Distilled
An Eastman Chemical veteran-turned-leadership coach explains why technical excellence doesn't translate to leadership skill — and how organizations can close the "broken rung"...
Sept. 11, 2026
Chemical Processing Distilled
This month, we cover the U.S. Chemical Safety Board's final report on the fatal Aug. 11 explosion at U.S. Steel's Clairton Coke Works, Argonne National Laboratory's progress on...
Aug. 28, 2026
Chemical Processing Distilled
From steam trap sprawl to a phenol plant that ignored 400x the recommended organic carbon limit, Brad Buecker walks through why condensate return demands real chemistry — and ...
Aug. 21, 2026
Chemical Processing Distilled
KROHNE's Al Dhanji breaks down how tube shape affects pressure drop, wear and long-term energy costs — and what to evaluate when specifying a Coriolis meter.
Aug. 14, 2026