|  Nov. 3, 2026
A thinning tank wall was flagged three times before it ruptured and killed 11 people. Traci Purdum revisits David Strobhar’s column on managerial decision-making, his case for...
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Chemical Processing Distilled
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Industry News

BASF plans a semiconductor materials site in China, while Evonik completes a €52 million silicone expansion in Germany amid an unresolved takeover approach.
Nov. 3, 2026
Funding will go to ramping up Kingsport methanolysis capacity and a second U.S. plant.
Nov. 2, 2026
The company plans to restart 165,000 b/d of light, sweet crude processing by year-end 2027, with potential for later heavy, sour crude processing.
Nov. 2, 2026
Shell and Exxon Mobil posted sharply higher refining profits while their chemical units earned less. Eastman and Olin pointed to pricing, feedstock costs and plant operations....
Oct. 30, 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

Cleaner makeup water means little if impurities sneak back in with returned condensate. Carbon dioxide, oxygen and process contaminants can corrode equipment, foul boilers and...
Oct. 5, 2026
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

Workforce & Training

The deaths of 11 workers at a Washington paper mill show that human error isn't confined to the control room. An industry ombudsman could give dissenting voices a place to be ...
Oct. 9, 2026
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

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

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Your pressure data might be lying: PRV emissions, NPSH traps, and unreliable property values.
Oct. 22, 2026
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Black Powder can damage critical pipeline equipment and drive up maintenance costs. Learn how accurate diagnostics and properly selected filtration can protect downstream assets...
Oct. 20, 2026
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Three troubleshooting stories: parallel pressure paths, a cycling water pump, and leaky valves.
Oct. 16, 2026
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Controlling the fuel gas to air ratio of your industrial burner, steam generator or process heater represents a key fact to make the operation energy efficient and ensure the ...
Oct. 15, 2026

Process Safety With Trish & Traci Podcast

Process Safety w/Trish & Traci
AI can catch weak signals and clear away admin work, but every output still needs a human to check it.
Oct. 13, 2026
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

Chemical Processing Distilled Podcast

Chemical Processing Distilled
Scale, microbes and operator inattention can quietly degrade out-of-the-way cooling systems. A water treatment veteran shares the warning signs and the costly lessons he’s learned...
Oct. 16, 2026
Chemical Processing Distilled
Schneider Electric's Thomas Kwan explains why chemical plants should map their loads before buying software, and why "the optimizer decides" isn't an operating philosophy.
Oct. 2, 2026
Chemical Processing Distilled
In September's Distilled News, a federal appeals court strikes down the EPA's methylene chloride ban, three chemical makers agree to pay $455 million over PFAS, and BASF and Kemira...
Sept. 25, 2026
Chemical Processing Distilled
SAMCO’s Brad Buecker explains how RO can slash boiler blowdown and corrosion risk — and why water quality, not just equipment, determines whether the switch pays off.
Sept. 18, 2026