Chemical Engineering
Tower Doctor: Can the Cure be as Bad as the Illness?
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…
Materials of Construction for the CPI
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…
Standard Operating Procedures are Critical for Boiler and Steam Operations
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…
Digitalization progress and hurdles
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…
Facts At Your Fingertips: In-Service Heat-Transfer-Fluid Testing
Regular heat-transfer-fluid monitoring can prevent fluid problems that lead to equipment failure, costly downtime and repairs. Parameters to watch include viscosity, acid neutralization number, moisture, solid or residue content, thermal degradation and flash point. This one-page reference provides information on…
New heating method tackles PFAS contamination on spent treatment media
There are several established technologies to remove per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from water, including membranes and adsorbents. However, such purification media can pose disposal challenges due to the potential for further PFAS contamination stemming from the spent media. Now,…
This fiber technology could revolutionize building construction
With the Texoversum (photo), Reutlingen University (Germany; www.reutlingen-university.de) has put into operation a training and innovation center for the textile industry that is unique in Europe. The almost 2,000-m2 textile-like façade of the new building combines the innovative power of…
New adsorbent removes radioactive cesium ions from nuclear wastewater
One of the major byproducts of the nuclear fission process used for power generation is 137Cs, a radioactive isotope of Cs that has a half-life of 30 years and is often removed from nuclear-power-plant wastewater via selective adsorption using ion…
A biomimetic process to make soft fibers for smart textiles
For intelligent textiles to function effectively, they need to be strong, stretchable and electrically conductive. However, fabricating fibers that possess these three properties has been challenging. Drawing inspiration from how spiders spin silk to make webs, an international team of…
McDermott selected for petrochemical expansion project by IOCL
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.…