This vibratory feeder is ideal for feeding fragile materials The new line of K3 vibratory feeders (photo) features a unique, patent-pending drive system combined with an advanced control package, resulting in gentler product handling, higher accuracy and quicker product changeover…
Properly specifying process control valves for a plant project is critical to achieving efficient and effective processes. This one-page reference discusses key considerations for specifying control valves. Valve specification Process engineers should take the following aspects into consideration when specifying…
Adipic acid (hexanedioic acid; Figure 1) is among the most important aliphatic dicarboxylic acids, with about 2.5 billion kg produced annually. It is isolated as odorless, colorless crystals with an acidic taste. Adipic acid undergoes the reactions of carboxylic acids,…
This overview presents guidance for the safe design of piping systems that are used for the distribution of hydrogen gas Hydrogen gas is a very volatile fluid that has a high propensity to leak. This is a very dangerous and…
Special considerations must be made for loading expensive solid catalyst materials into fixed-bed and tubular reactors Most units in the chemical process industries (CPI) use complex and expensive heterogeneous catalysts aimed at improving reaction performance. Although sometimes overlooked, the solids-handling…
The spread of COVID-19 opened the world’s eyes to the weakness of much of its infrastructure and drove home the important role operators and engineers play in keeping manufacturing plants running. These unsung heroes were challenged with the difficult logistics…
Nitrogen (N2) makes up 78% of ambient air (20.95% of air is oxygen). N2 is an inert (non-flammable) gas used in industrial plants to prevent undesirable chemical reactions from occurring. Nitrogen is the most common inert gas used in the…
Detailed plans for handling hazardous materials should be a central part of any chemical plant’s disaster preparedness plan Over the past year, many chemical facilities managed to overcome extreme circumstances. One instance of an extreme event was the winter storm…
Physical adsorption phenomena play a critical role in many separation and purification processes, including separations of industrial gases, purification of gases, moisture removal from fluids, water purification and others. Adsorption is a surface phenomenon in which a fluid (gas or…
Caprolactam (Figure 1) is a cyclic amide widely used as a chemical intermediate. The main forms of caprolactam are molten (liquid) and flakes. At ambient temperatures, it is a white, hygroscopic, crystalline solid. Almost all caprolactam is used as monomer…