Materials with the same visual appearance can now be precisely, quickly and cost-effectively sorted with the new MSort NIR (photo), which uses near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to physically analyze the material. At the beginning of the sorting process, the material flow…
Launched last month at Weftec (Chicago; October 2–4), the new Bravo chemical metering system provides improved process control with reliable, accurate and repeatable flow, and reduced chemical consumption, says the company. Bravo is an integrated, modular and scalable solution used…
The Contromat VE 450 (photo) and VE 630 (which is square shaped) handle sifting capacities between 0.15 and 0.3 m². Previously, the Contromat had been delivered without an outlet for foreign particles, which remained on the sieve and had to…
The XperLUBE system (photo) uses automotive-style solenoid injectors to deliver lubricant in precise quantities. Unlike traditional lubrication devices, XperLUBE integrates fully with modern control systems and adapts to changes in operating conditions. A key feature is the way each injector…
In addition to the requirement that neither flames nor pressure escape from the protection system, flameless venting devices should also be evaluated in terms of their venting efficiency and weight. The new Q-Ball flameless venting device (photo), which is primarily…
Microbes inhabiting the extreme environments thousands of feet below the earth’s surface possess unique properties not encountered elsewhere. A research consortium of South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (SDSMT; Rapid City; www.sdsmt.edu), University of Oklahoma (Norman) and Montana State…
For petroleum refineries, the cost of converting hydrofluoric-acid-based alkylation units to the relatively safer sulfuric-acid-based alkylation process (diagram) has been cost-prohibitive and has lacked specific economic benefits. Now, DuPont (Wilmington, Del.; www.dupont.com) has developed a low-cost approach to converting existing…
Both physical security and cybersecurity must be in place to keep chemical facilities safe from attack While almost all businesses in today’s world are concerned with security — both physical security and cybersecurity — chemical processors likely have a deeper…
A triple-layer, porous membrane system developed at the Functional Materials Laboratory at Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich (www.fml.ethz.ch) can be fashioned into evaporative curtains to cool and humidify indoor spaces, potentially decreasing the energy demand for climate-control systems. Juxtaposing opposite forces…
Advances in next-generation materials and assembly techniques have enhanced membranes’ effectiveness in numerous applications Membranes are one of the primary technologies used for separations. While they may be best known for their use in water-treatment operations, advances in membrane technologies…