ISOPROPANOL Cepsa Química, S.A. (Palos de la Frontera, Huelva, Spain; www.cepsa.com) is constructing the first production plant to produce isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol), from renewable or circular materials, which the company says will make it the most competitive, innovative and environmentally…
It is well known that mercury is not only toxic, but is also highly mobile. As a result, Hg emissions from both industrial processes (gold mining, combustion of fossil fuels, cement production, waste incineration and more), as well as natural…
When a sliding interface experiences a coefficient of friction (CoF) below 0.01, the situation is said to have superlubricity. In the past, superlubricity has been limited to the microscale in controlled environments, and to ceramic surfaces with polar-fluid lubrication. Now,…
Fluidized beds are used in a variety of industries for combustion, drying, catalytic cracking and other processes. However, the process that occurs inside a fluidized bed is extremely complex and — due to a lack of effective measurement techniques —…
Crushing and screening of solids are essential to many solids-handling processes, but engineers must be mindful about how those actions will affect flow behavior of the bulk material When it comes to processing bulk solids, (particle) size matters. Almost all…
Henry Kister shares lessons learned from troubleshooting distillation towers During a course that I was presenting in Houston one year, a participant asked me the following at the end of one of the sessions: “Do you have experience with BX-type…
The proper selection of materials of construction is crucial. The example presented here shows how to use standards to help narrow down the options Since the late 1800s, a steady body of pressure technology codes and standards have been under…
An overview on the importance of standard operation procedures (SOPs) and how to write them Today, it is necessary to have standard operating procedures (SOPs) for steam and condensate systems, boilers, deaerators and even steam process units (Figure 1). An…
At the 7th Connected Plant Conference, held June 25–28 in New Orleans, (CPC; www.connectedplantconference.com), attendees heard about significant progress made toward the digital transformation in the chemical process industries (CPI) along several fronts. However, complex challenges remain as organizations seek…
McDermott International Inc. (Houston) has been awarded a project management consultancy (PMC) and engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract for the Naphtha Cracker Expansion (Phase II) polypropylene expansion and new ethylene derivative unit project from Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.…