Testing steam-trap stations can be very easy if the plant provides the correct equipment, training and commitment to the steam-system management program When it comes to testing steam traps, a frequently asked question is, “what is the best method?” The…
Sar-Gel Blue (photo) is a new nontoxic water-finding paste. It provides a reliable way to detect phase-separated water in fuel or equipment tanks containing gasoline, gasoline/ethanol blends (up to 15% ethanol), diesel, jet fuel, fuel oil, biodiesel and other water-incompatible…
When transferring stored bulk-solids materials from hoppers, bins and silos, flow stoppage can occur because of bridging or arching at the vessel outlet. Hopper outlets must be large enough to prevent cohesive arches or stable ratholes from developing. Determining the…
The Transic100LP oxygen transmitter uses tunable diode laser spectroscopy (TLDS) for repeatable and drift-free measurements, independent of process or sample gas flow, temperature and pressure. The device has no moving parts, and its optical components demonstrate durability, even when faced…
The Philadelphia Wellington heavy-duty workboot (photo) is built to withstand tough work environments, while also keeping feet comfortable. The Philadelphia Wellington features a full-grain, waterproof leather to help resist the damaging effects of many chemicals, including oleic acid, urea, sodium…
This company has upgraded its Thermec range of enhanced polymers, with the introduction of a cost-efficient product based on polyether ether ketone (PEEK), blended with a solid polymeric lubricant. The new material has been specially developed to replace polyamide-imides (PAI),…
This company has introduced three new models to its Laboport series of laboratory pumps — the N 96, N 820 G and N 840 G (photo). These new diaphragm pumps expand upon the Laboport pump design with oil-free, non-contaminating, chemically…
Several strategies for improving energy consumption and process control in evaporation processes are presented here In industrial evaporation, a heat source (usually condensed steam) is used to concentrate a material through the removal of a liquid solvent. There are several…
Plant Watch Braskem begins commercial production at La Porte PP plant September 11, 2020 — Braskem America (Philadelphia, Pa.; www.braskem.com) launched commercial production at its new polypropylene (PP) production line in La Porte, Tex., which has a production capacity of…
This column is based on “Sodium Chlorate Production – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/sodium-chlorate-production-cost. Sodium chlorate (NaClO3; also known as chlorate of soda) is an odorless inorganic salt with colorless crystals and…