Bayer MaterialScience AG (BMS; Leverkusen, Germany; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-546) has developed a new process for producing toluene diisocyanate (TDI), a precursor for making flexible polyurethane foam. Without disclosing details, BMS says the process reduces investment costs by 20–30%, and energy consumption by…
ATMI Life Sciences (ATMI; Hoegaarden, Belgium; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-549) and Pierre Guérin SAS (Mauze sur le Mignon, France; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5830-550) have formed an alliance to design, manufacture and market disposable fermentors and bioreactors. ATMI’s proprietary mixing system (which features a paddle integrated into…
Intelligent — and thorough — preparation of a process-design-basis document can make the difference between a high-quality design for a chemical-process project and a poor one. The process-design-basis document represents the owner’s instructions to the design engineering organization…
1st International Congress on Ceramics. The American Ceramic Society (Westerville, Ohio). Phone: 614-890-4700; Fax: 614-899-6109; Web: ceramic.org Toronto, Canada June 25–29  Principles of Process Safety Technology. ABS Consulting (Knoxville, Tenn.). Phone: 865-675-2580; Fax: 865-671-5851; Web: absconsulting.com Knoxville, Tenn. June…
OAPEC/IFP Joint Seminar: The Importance of Conversion Processes in Oil Refining and Their Role in the Production of Clean Fuels. IFP (Rueil-Malmaison, France). Phone: +33-147-526000; Fax: +33-147-527000; Web: ifp.fr Rueil-Malmaison, France June 20–22 16th European Symposium on Computer…
Interphex Asia. Reed Exhibitions (Singapore). Phone: +65-6789-8800; Fax: +65-6789-7711; Web: reedexpo.com.sg Singapore June 27–29 12th Annual China Chemical Industry Conference. Chemical Week (New York, N.Y.). Phone: 212-621-4978; Fax: 212-621-4970; Email: reg@chemweek.com Shanghai, China Sept. 12–14
Qatar Petroleum (Doha; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5829-542) and Norsk Hydro A/S (Oslo, Norway; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5829-543) have formed a joint venture company, Qatalum, to build and operate what is claimed as the largest, initial-phase greenfield aluminum smelter ever constructed. The smelter will have an annual…
Early next year, Nippoh Chemicals Co. (Tokyo; edlinks.chemengonline.com/5829-532) plans to build a 1,000-m.t./yr plant for producing the pharmaceutical precursor trimethyl orthoacetate (1,1,1-trimethoxyethane). The facility will utilize a continuous-flow, microreactor-based process that Nippoh Chemicals developed in cooperation with professor Jun-ichi Yoshida…
It’s an old saw, but I’ve long held that process development is very much a team effort. Developing safe, robust and scaleable chemical processes calls for close collaboration between synthesis chemists, process development engineers and pilot plant personnel.…
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…