High-resolution x-ray diffraction Based on the Medipix2 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the PIXcel is designed for sensitive, high-resolution x-ray diffraction applications. Consisting of over 65,000 pixels, each 55 x 55 microns in size and with individual readout circuitry, it delivers…
A good understanding of the reaction chemistry is needed for a safe process design It is a fact that safety-related incidents do occur in the chemical process industries (CPI). These incidents have, in part, led to increased attention to reactive-chemical…
A 360° feedback report is a way for employees to learn how they are perceived by direct reports, colleagues, managers, customers, and strategic business partners — hence the term 360° because it generates a "full circle" of information concerning…
Mergers and Acquisitions Siemens acquires Chemitreat Group to expand water-treatment technology March 3, 2008 — Siemens announced that it has acquired the Singapore-based private limited Chemitreat Group to expand the water-treatment business in South East Asia. Chemitreat will become part…
European Union (EU) proposals for emissions trading and renewable energy will hurt chemical producers unfairly, according to Cefic, the European Chemical Industry Council (Brussels; www.cefic.be). Without world agreement on emissions trading, a one-sided restriction could even harm Europe’s ability to…
This is an important year for any company that makes, uses, buys or sells chemicals or products containing chemicals. On June 1, 2007, the European Union’s (EU) Regulation on Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemical substances (REACH) came…
On Dec. 18, 2006, the European Union (EU) passed a new law creating a single integrated system for the registration, evaluation and authorization of chemicals, which is known as REACH. Described as the most important EU regulation in the last…
An understanding of instrumentation is valuable in evaluating and troubleshooting column performance Instrumentation is critical to understanding and troubleshooting all processes. Very few engineers specialize in this field, and many learn about instrumentation through experience, myth and rumor. A good…
The batch reactor is the workhorse of the fine chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Within it, many different unit operations are performed such as chemical reactions, bioreactions, crystallization, distillation and dissolution. Despite their significance to the industry, batch reactors have been…
Tube plugging is probably the most frequently used maintenance and repair technique for the tube side of an exchanger. This article provides information on how to locate the positions of tube failures and discusses why it is important to know…