Processing & Handling
Chementator: Super-oleophobic materials promise revolutionary membranes
A team of researchers from MIT’s (Cambridge, Mass.; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7369-540) chemical and mechanical engineering departments, in association with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.), has developed oil-repellent surfaces with likely separations and safety applications for the…
Chementator: Pumping hot oil
PCM (Paris, France; edlinks.chemengonline.com/7369-541) has introduced what is claimed to be the world’s first all-metal progressing cavity pump (PCP). PCM Vulcain is capable of pumping extremely hot (350°C) and viscous fluids, making it particularly suitable for the thermal recovery of…
Newsfront: Cleaning up with Catalysts
As long as the chemical process industries (CPI) have existed, catalysts have been backstage supporting, if not leading, their progress. And, as much of the chemical industry’s current research efforts center around producing cleaner products, such as transportation fuels and…
Engineering Practice: Corrosion Resistance Using Rock and Glue
Low-cost, corrosion-resistant castings are being produced using epoxy and mineral aggregates Stainless steel, painted and plated cast-iron and steel structures are being replaced at a fraction of the cost with high-precision polymer castings (PPCs). PPCs can usually be cast to…
Engineering Practice: Seal-Fluid-Circulation Devices: Understanding the Differences
Knowing the options in fluid-circulation designs helps in the selection process Over the past few decades, hundreds of seal geometries and a fair number of seal categories have evolved. Recently, the distinction between single- and dual-mechanical seals has been brought…
Focus on Mixers
Less "Balling" of Dry Powder with This Mixer Outfitted with three independent agitators, the Triple Action Disperser promises a low energy and fast method for mixing high-quality dry powders into liquid dispersions. Its design allows for a controllable vortex and…
Chementator: Using Living Plants to Synthesize Metallic Nanoparticles
Metallic nanoparticles are usually produced by wet chemical methods, often using toxic and flammable substances, or by physical methods such as evaporation and laser ablation. A group from the Laboratory for Sustainable Technology, School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, at…
Avoiding Seal Failure
Seals are assemblies of elements that prevent the passage of a solid, liquid, gas or vapor from one system to another. When a seal allows leakage of material, failure has occurred. This guide provides an overview of common seal types…
Feature Report: Advances in Valve Position Monitoring
Demanding application requirements coupled with improved downstream control devices and enhanced instrument diagnostics have led to major changes in process-valve monitoring and control. Factors driving these changes in the chemical process industries (CPI) include the need for lower plant operating…
Chementator: A Rapid-Cycle PSA System Economically Recovers H2
A pressure-swing-adsorption (PSA) system for hydrogen purification that operates at "tens of cycles per minute," versus one cycle every 4 – 10 min for conventional PSA, will have its first commercial-scale demonstration at an ExxonMobil refinery in France. Developed by…