Many industrial processes involve phenol, but its toxic nature means that it must be effectively removed from waste streams prior to any subsequent biological treatment steps. Phenol can be removed via evaporation, but this method is quite energy-intensive. Alternatively, the…
Microplastic pollutants in wastewater are notoriously difficult to treat, and can stem from many common sources, ranging from personal-care products to textiles. A new treatment technology developed by a team of researchers from Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS;…
Last month, Lanxess AG (Cologne, Germany; www.lanxess.com) inaugurated a new plant in Lillo/Antwerp, Belgium to reduce the nitrous oxide emissions that are generated during the production of caprolactam. The €10-million investment breaks down approximately 500 metric tons (m.t.) of N2O…
Thermal oxidizers are pollution-control units designed to prevent process-generated volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from entering the environment. Different technologies offer tradeoffs among initial cost, operating expense, complexity, emissions, fuel efficiency and destruction efficiency. This one-page reference provides information on selecting…
In a report 1 issued by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE; www.aceee.org), one of the key summary points is that industrial decarbonization is essential to fighting climate change. The report states that the industrial sector accounts for…
Researchers from the National University of Singapore (www.nus.edu.sg), led by associate professor He Jianzhong, have found a new strain of bacterium called Thauera sp. strain SND5, which is capable of simultaneous nitrification and denitrification and phosphate removal from wastewater. The…
Rupture disks are non-reclosing pressure-relief devices that protect vessels, such as reactors, from damaging over-pressurization (or vacuum) conditions. Temperature can affect rupture-disk burst pressures in ways that users should understand before ordering them (Figure 1). This one-page reference provides an…
By exploring strategies for process integration, such as waste-heat recovery and combined heat and power generation, plants can significantly improve their energy efficiency and reduce utility costs In a chemical processing plant, utility costs typically account for about 10 to…
The following is a list of recently published books of potential interest for CPI professionals Digital Transformation for the Process Industries: A Roadmap. By Osvaldo Bascur and PJ O’Rourke, CRC Press, 2021, 320 pages, $130.00. Data Science in Chemistry:…
New and improved catalysts and other process innovations are helping the chemical process industries (CPI) to control emissions As long as fossil fuels are used for combustion processes — not only in power plants, but also furnaces in the glass…