Advances in catalytic cracking technologies are improving efficiency, product selectivity and environmental emissions. Optimum performance, reliability and flexibility of fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) units is essential for the continued competitiveness of refineries and their ability to meet market…
After years of investment in enterprise business systems and plant floor automation, the manufacturing community has finally turned its full attention to connecting these two distinctly different, yet intimately related aspects of the manufacturing enterprise, says Kevin Roach,…
This latest rise in petroleum prices is in the news because of its impact on the consumer, particularly the automobile-driving (or SUV-driving) consumer. Geopolitical tensions triggered by some oil-producer nations have been helping to fuel that price rise, and these…
Fundamental to the chemical process industries (CPI) — whether specialty or bulk chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food products, minerals processing, environmental protection or other products or activities — is the need for mixing. The wide variety and complexity of mixing…
Liquids are accumulated and stored in tanks of various shapes and sizes throughout the chemical process industries (CPI). A small number of companies have made the design, fabrication and erection of these vessels their specialty. Initially, however, it…
Typical process utilities include electricity, process steam, refrigerants, compressed air, cooling water, heated water, hot oil, process water, demineralized water, municipal water, and river, lake, or ocean water. For preliminary cost estimates, waste disposal cost can also be…
Hydrogen is widely employed for hydrogenation and other purposes in chemicals manufacture, petroleum refining and other chemical process industries (Hydrogen: The Real Action Is Today, CE, February, pp. 28ff), and it holds promise as a fuel. However, this…
At present, around 540 billion Nm3 of hydrogen is produced worldwide, and the trend is upward (Hydrogen: The Real Action Is Today, CE, February, pp. 28ff). The numerous chemical-process and other industrial applications of this colorless, odorless gas…
Sodium-ion monitoring can prevent steam-turbine corrosion Studies have shown that sodium is one of the most significant contributors to corrosion within turbines, and that such corrosion leads to cracking, embrittlement and ultimately, turbine failure. The Orion Ionplus 2111LL low-level sodium…
For any of us who have kept up in recent years with the business news (happenings at Enron and some major Wall Street firms, say), it seems safe to assume that, nowadays at least, ethical behavior and personal honesty are…