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Avoid Safety Pitfalls During Plant Expansion and Modification

Follow this guidance to minimize risk when adding or modifying plant equipment In 2015, construction in the chemical process industries (CPI) soared. Capital spending surged 18.4% and 255 new chemical production projects were announced, according to the American Chemistry Council…

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Liquid-Gas Coalescers: The Effects of Retrograde Condensation

Modeling and pilot testing can minimize its impact during natural-gas processing Retrograde condensation (RC) occurs in multi-component natural-gas streams at relatively high pressures (for instance, pressures above 40 barg/580 psig). The presence of condensed liquids in such systems can have…

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The Unrecognized Problems of Relocating Laboratories

Follow the guidance provided here to avoid many of the problems that can arise during the relocation of laboratory facilities The decision to move a laboratory from an existing space to a new research facility is often warranted. A merger…

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The CE Plant Cost Index: An Update

Changes in the availability of source data for the CE Plant Cost Index periodically necessitate updates to how the index is calculated The Chemical Engineering Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) is a widely used tool for comparing plant construction costs in…

Understanding New PPE Regulations

The new European Union Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation explained, and what it means for the chemical process industries The European Commission’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive 89/686/EEC is over 20 years old and is now being superseded by the…

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Chemical Supply Chains Go Digital

When it comes to managing complex global supply chains, visibility and collaboration are the name of the game. To drive it, companies are embracing digital strategies The global chemical process industries (CPI) are undergoing a major transformation brought about by…

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Improvements in DP Level Measurement

Differential-pressure (DP) level measurements are widely used in chemical and petrochemical facilities, thanks to their reliability and ease of use. Recent advances are making them even more reliable and easy to use Differential pressure (DP) level-measurement technology (Figure 1) is…

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Operating Strategies for Gas Dehydration Units

The presence of certain contaminants can wreak havoc on gas dehydration systems and other similar separation processes, but there are design measures that can help to minimize the issues caused by these substances The presence of the aromatic compounds benzene,…

Emergency Shutdown Valves: A Functional Safety Approach to Selection

The relationship between valve selection and safety certification still causes confusion. A focus on functional safety can help to elucidate Among the many varied viewpoints on the topic of emergency shutdown (ESD) valves, there are several aspects that continue to…

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Protect water tanks from corrosion and abrasion

Stonchem 444 is a spray-applied vertical lining system (photo) formulated to resist corrosion and abrasion and protect underlying substrates from a broad range of chemicals, including most petroleum-based products, salts, acids and alkalis. Approved for potable water storage tanks of…