A new fibrous catalyst-support material can enhance a wide range of industrial catalytic reactions, allowing higher yields and reduced coke buildup compared to pellet supports. Unifrax (Tonawanda, N.Y.; www.unifrax.com) leveraged its expertise in ceramic materials to develop the high-alumina fiber…
Construction is underway on a demonstration plant for manufacturing 1,5-pentanediol (1,5-PDO) from bio-based furfural, a platform chemical that can be derived from plant-based hemicellulose sugars. The process under construction by the company Pyran Inc. (Madison, Wis.; www.pyranco.com) offers a lower-cost…
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…
The Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition and Conference (Weftec; www.weftec.org) will be held October 18–20 at the McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago, Ill. A selection of the products and services presented at the upcoming Weftec event are highlighted here.
The MAN-LC (photo) is said to be the only digital pressure gage available with IO-Link. The device includes two configurable outputs that form part of a standard instrument and may be custom-programmed by users as desired. The display screen features…
This company’s sanitary vertical blenders (photo) are engineered for rapid homogenization and drying in delicate applications under vacuum. The design avoids the destructive effects of heat on unstable ingredients, and it promotes vaporization at lower temperatures during gentle agitation while…
Sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) are a variation on the activated sludge process in wastewater treatment. This article provides an overview of SBRs, including their history, current use and future outlook Sequencing batch reactors (SBRs) are a type of wastewater treatment…
Branson MCX Series cleaners (photo) are ultrasonic systems purpose-built for cleaning plastics injection molds. They feature side-mounted, immersible transducers and powerful immersion heaters that can provide fast and efficient cleaning. Since most plastic injection molds are rectangular, with a lot…
Successfully scaling up a mixing process involves understanding several important timescale parameters that can impact chemical reactions and equipment performance Many industrial processes are defined by rates. For example, rates of mass and heat transfer, rates of reaction and rates…
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…