New bio-based polyimides (PIs) that withstand temperatures up to 390°C — the highest ever reported for a bioplastic — have been developed by Tatsuo Kaneko at the Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST, Nomi City; www.jaist.ac.jp), in collaboration…
What do you look for in a job? It is an interesting question, and one that has received more attention in recent years as employers, who are struggling to find and attain the “right” person for a particular job, realize…
A new thermoset polymer has been discovered by researchers at IBM Research Almaden (San Jose, Calif.; www.research.ibm.com). The new material, polyhexahydrotriazine (PHT), has a very high Young’s Modulus (up to 14 GPa, compared with a Young’s Modulus of 4 GPa…
May Technology Profile I would like to ask the following questions and offer the following comments regarding the May 2014 Technology Profile (Ethanol from the Direct Gasification of Biomass, p. 43). • What is the overall yield of ethanol (in…
Compressors for specialized chemical process industries (CPI) applications — particularly high-pressure applications (involving large- and medium-sized machines) and those calling for small compressor units — present particular challenges to system designers and operators. This article discusses a variety of engineering…
This company has simplified transitions to its modular pipework system by introducing adapter flanges, which are available in square or round form. The new adapters are welded onto the machine outlet or inlet ports. Matching counter flanges from the company’s…
The WMP (welded muffled plug) rupture-disc assembly is a single-use unit that is threaded into a pressure system. Designed to relieve the pressure of the process media in an overpressure condition, the unit protects equipment, personnel and the environment from…
Cost estimation is a critical dimension of project planning in asset-heavy industries such as the chemical process industries (CPI). Construction cost indices are useful tools in cost estimation and are used to compare plant construction costs from one time period…
This company has developed a new IO-Link master for its Simatic S7-1200 controller, based on the current IO-Link specification V1.1. The IO-Link master connects field devices to the controller via IO-Link. The field device parameters are automatically backed up in…
Ensuring the security of industrial control systems (ICS) can be a daunting and complex task, requiring expertise and experience in several areas from a variety of contributors. The rapid pace of improvements to both technology and practice adds to the…