Buried piping — especially lines carrying hydrocarbons — shoulders many more risks in terms of plant safety and environmental protection than aboveground piping does. Leaks in buried pipes are much harder to detect and, yet, are no less catastrophic. Ironically,…
A new rotary gas compressor technology designed by OsComp Systems (Cambridge, Mass.; www.oscomp-systems.com) incorporates advantages of reciprocating piston pumps into a hybrid rotor compressor. With a carefully optimized interior geometry, the new compressor can achieve near-isothermal compression with a large-volume…
A simplified and streamlined new process for producing purified terephthalic acid (PTA), trademarked as Compress PTA and co-developed by The Dow Chemical Co. (Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) and Davy Process Technology (DPT; London, U.K.; www.davyprotech.com), requires 15% lower capital spending, 20%…
In recent years, a number of factors have further emphasized the importance of solvent selection in the chemical process industries (CPI). These include the increasing regulatory scrutiny leveled on industrial solvents, and an effort by CPI companies to reduce the…
The range of synthetic biology tools available for manipulating microbial metabolic pathways has expanded significantly in the past decade, opening new routes to chemical products. But the development challenges associated with strain development, as well as scaling up effective fermentation…
Aerzen Maschinenfabrik GmbH (Aerzen, Germany; www.aerzen.com) has commercialized the first rotary lobe compressor, the Delta Hybrid, which combines the technologies of both a rotary lobe blower and a screw compressor. This union reduces the energy consumption by up to 15%…
One of the biggest factors hindering widespread adoption of polymer exchange membrane fuel-cells (PEMFCs) is the high price of the platinum metal needed to catalyze the reduction-oxidation chemistry in the fuel cell. In a step toward reducing platinum content, a…
Measurement of fluids’ viscosity in the chemical process industries (CPI) can represent a useful “product dimension” for manufacturers. Understanding a material’s flow characteristics is valuable in predicting several parameters relevant to many CPI processes, including pumpability, pourability, performance in a…
Polymeric piping systems have been used in well-defined segments of the chemical process industries (CPI) for decades. They have proven their sustainability to manage almost any chemical load up to temperatures of 100°C in the moderate pressure region ( p…
Carbon Sciences Inc. (Santa Barbara, Calif.; www.carbonsciences.com) has filed a patent application surrounding its process for converting carbon dioxide and methane into liquid fuels. The patent application focuses on the design of the company’s novel chemical catalyst, among other aspects…