Processing & Handling
Highly selective adsorbent tackles complex sulfur species
To meet strict sulfur specifications and reduce emissions, amine scrubbing and caustic treatment are frequently used to remove hydrogen sulfide from gas and liquid streams, but these methods are not effective for handling more complex organo-sulfur compounds, such as thiophenes…
Methaforming process offers lower-cost naphtha upgrading for refiners
Petroleum refiners looking to upgrade low-octane naphtha have an additional option using a process that increases the higher-octane iso-paraffins and aromatic compounds at lower costs than currently available alternatives. Most refiners currently upgrade naphtha by hydrotreating followed by isomerization and…
Protein engineering yields animal-free leather
A new fermentation-based technology aims to create leather materials from yeast rather than animal skin. Developed by Modern Meadow (Nutley, N.J.; www.modernmeadow.com), the process feeds sugar feedstock to yeast cells that have been engineered to create collagen. Some additional enzymes…
A new hydrotreating catalyst
Hydrotreating is an important petroleum refining process in which sulfur and other contaminants are removed in the manufacture of transportation fuels. At the recent annual meeting of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM), Honeywell UOP (Des Plaines, Ill.; www.uop.com)…
Removing H2S from crude petroleum on-site
Hydrogen sulfide occurs naturally in petroleum reservoirs, but must be removed from crude oil prior to transportation from drilling sites to storage tanks at petroleum refineries. H2S is corrosive to storage tanks, pipelines and railcars, and without proper treatment, can…
Petroleum Refinery Responsiveness: Issues Discussed at 2018 AFPM Annual Meeting
Responsiveness and adaptability — in the face of shifting market forces, new regulatory policy and natural disasters, among others — framed the discussions of U.S. petroleum refiners at the AFPM annual meeting Responsiveness and adaptability for U.S. petroleum refiners emerged…
A Spotlight on Catalyst Supports
Fundamental research, using a huge arsenal of analytical and material-characterization tools, is yielding new and improved catalyst supports Readers of this magazine certainly understand the importance of catalysts in the chemical process industries (CPI), where they are used for speeding…
Technology Profile: Propylene Oxide Production
This column is based on “Propylene Oxide from Propylene and Chlorine – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/propylene-oxide-e11a. Propylene oxide (PO) is a highly reactive commodity compound that serves as a starting material…
The Future of Project Execution
Watch this video to see how digitalization can stop your refining and petrochemicals projects from running late and over budget.
Lithium Battery Demand Drives Process Evolution
An explosion in battery demand has fostered a welcoming environment for innovations in sourcing and processing lithium and cobalt The drive for higher capacity and enhanced performance from lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), in conjunction with skyrocketing demand for electronic devices and…