Technical & Practical
Extending the Life of Legacy Rotary Dryers
Rotary dryers are often in operation for many decades after their initial commissioning. This article provides a decision framework to consider whether to upgrade, repair or replace an aging rotary dryer Rotary dryers are fundamental to ensuring product quality and…
Bulk-Solids Storage and Flow: Silos and Stockpiles
This article provides guidance on the selection and sizing of silos and stockpiles in bulk-solids-handling operations, and clarifies misconceptions surrounding gravity-reclaim storage systems for bulk-solids materials Gravity-reclaim systems for bulk-solids handling rely solely on gravity to withdraw material from storage…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Net Positive Suction Head: NPSHa versus NPSHr
Net positive suction head (NPSH) is a crucial topic for the design, selection and operation of pump systems in chemical process industries (CPI) facilities. This one-page reference provides information about NPSH available (NPSHa) and NPSH required (NPSHr). Hydrostatic pressure Hydrostatic…
VOC Control: Solvent Recovery Versus Oxidation
Regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) are commonly used for abatement of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), but in some cases, solvent-recovery systems can realize significant economic and environmental benefits In the field of industrial air-pollution control, the regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) is…
Falling Films in Vessel CIP Applications
Applying an understanding of flow regimes and turbulence to clean-in-place (CIP) processes can optimize CIP cleaning efficiency, reducing water, solvent, energy and chemical use, while maintaining cGMP cleaning performance For vessels and bioreactors in bioprocessing applications, designing clean-in-place (CIP) cycles…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Comparing Steam and Heat-Transfer-Fluid Utility Systems
While modern steam systems trace their history to James Watt’s steam engine in 1776, heat-transfer-fluid (HTF) systems are more recent, dating to 1926 with the use of diphenyl oxide as a heat recovery agent in power plants [1]. This one-page…
Lithium Hydroxide Production: How Does Electrolysis Stack Up on Cost?
The growing demand for lithium, driven by the rapid expansion of electric vehicles and energy storage systems, has intensified interest in more sustainable and economically viable refining technologies that permit domestic refining capacity. Electrolysis-based lithium refining presents a promising alternative…
Chemical-Resistant Polymers in Corrosive Applications
Fluorinated plastics can be used as internal linings in process-equipment components for highly corrosive applications in chemical processing, and material development has allowed conductivity and compliance with food-contact applications The industrial production of chemicals forms the foundation for a wide…
Tower Doctor: Should a Doctor Diagnose by a Hunch?
Henry Kister shares lessons learned from troubleshooting distillation towers The C2 splitter tower is the final step in ethylene plant distillation. It separates a high-purity ethylene top product (typically a few hundred ppm ethane impurity) from the ethane recycle bottoms.…
Electrolysis at Scale: Unlocking Sustainable Lithium Hydroxide Production
Electrolysis-based lithium refining presents a promising alternative to conventional approaches, offering benefits related to reduced reagent consumption and effluent production, higher-purity products and an improved environmental footprint Electrolysis, a process that uses electric current to drive non-spontaneous chemical reactions, has…