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Chemical Engineering

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Chem Chronicles: The first patent holder in the U.S. was a ‘Pott Ash Maker’

Robert Fulton, Eli Whitney, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford — these are some of the larger-than-life figures who spring to mind when reflecting on the history of innovation and invention in the U.S. But the first person in American history to…

Electrification of Industrial Facilities

Manufacturing complexes may benefit from using more electricity instead of steam and fuel gas for their energy needs. Improved energy efficiency, lower emissions, higher reliability and debottlenecking of utility systems may be achieved Electrification is a popular buzzword when energy…

Energizing the CPI

The first issue of this publication in September of 1902, then titled Electrochemical Industry, contained this statement from professor C.F. Burgess: “Chemical manufacturing was a number of years ago considered best developed when the processes were so simple that no…

Incremental Electrification Drives Sustainability

For decarbonization of chemical processing sites, electrification opens a new world of efficiencies and cost benefits The industrial sector is responsible for one-third of the world’s end-use energy consumption, according to data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA; Washington,…

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Patented technology captures real-time ‘hyperspectral’ images

The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M; Spain; www.uc3m.es) has patented a new system for capturing hyperspectral images — those capable of collecting information across a broad frequency range of the electromagnetic spectrum (near-infrared, mid-infrared and terahertz). The system can…

Bulk Solids Centers Support Research and Education

Bulk-solids handling is a critical aspect of many product manufacturing processes throughout the CPI, but the field is often underappreciated. Research centers that specialize in bulk-solids handling and particle technology are important resources for expanding knowledge and solving technical challenges…

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Using a ‘green’ oxidizer to degrade Kraft lignin into vanillin

The demand for vanillin vastly outstrips the natural resources of this flavoring agent. A chemical process is thus used to produce the required large quantities of vanillin from petroleum, which is far less expensive than obtaining the substance from fermented…

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Pneumatic Conveying Basics

Pneumatic conveying is a versatile method for transporting powders and other solid materials within chemical process plants. Success depends on understanding science and applying specific experience Undergraduate engineering programs include little instruction about powder handling. While there may be some…

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A customized catalyst for solid-state reactions

Chemists at Hokkaido University (Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan; www.global.hokudai.ac.jp) and the Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery have developed what is said to be the first high-performance catalyst specifically designed and optimized for solid-state, mechanochemical synthesis. The new approach was…

What Manufacturing Sites Can Learn from Municipalities About Water Loss

Accurate water-monitoring technologies support short- and long-term sustainability goals in both municipalities and the industrial sector In recent years, São Paulo, Cape Town and other major world cities have come dangerously close to running out of water, and the criticality…