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Technical & Practical

Milling in the Pharmaceutical Industry

Milling active ingredients combines equipment selection, material characterization, and process characterization, with the aim of improving and controlling the properties of the solid crystalline drug substance. These topics are discussed here Milling is a common technique used for the reduction…

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Wastewater Treatment: Three Steps to Achieving Discharge Compliance

To ensure that wastewater discharge meets all compliance requirements, plants should adopt a multi-tiered approach, rather than assuming that the downstream treatment facilities can handle all potential contaminant loads Most industrial manufacturing facilities are required to meet strict limits on…

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Safety Relief Valves: Installation and Maintenance

Using proper installation practices and adhering to maintenance schedules helps ensure reliable operation of safety-relief valves Safety-relief valves are critical components of any pressurized system. In fact, a functioning safety-relief valve could be the most important piece of equipment on…

Facts At Your Fingertips: Lifecycle Cost Analysis Basics

When evaluating capital projects in the chemical process industries (CPI), there are many scenarios in which there are important differences between the alternatives in terms of capital, operations and maintenance and decommissioning costs. In these cases, decisions must be made…

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Lessons Learned in the Classroom: Tower Pressure and Capacity

Henry Kister shares lessons learned from troubleshooting distillation towers In my courses, I discuss the effect of column operating pressure on flooding and capacity. There are two counteracting effects: The volatility effect increases in importance at higher pressures and for…

Selection Guide for Solids-Drying Systems

Information provided here offers a basic primer on the features and functions of dryer types, with a focus on fluidized-bed dryers, for moisture control in industrial operations The ability to control the moisture of solid materials while drying plays a…

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Rotary Drying: Developing a Process in a Test Setting

Testing not only illustrates proof of process and provides other critical assurances, but it also reveals the parameters necessary to reliably yield consistent results Drying is an integral tool in pretreating and finishing bulk solids, which helps producers to meet…

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Facts At Your Fingertips: Gas Dispersion in Liquids

Injecting gases through a diffuser into a liquid is an important aspect of many operations in the chemical process industries (CPI). Important applications include dissolving reactant gases into a liquid phase for further reaction (such as in hydrogenation, oxidation, ozonation),…

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Scrolling or Pushing? Choosing the Right Type of Filtration Centrifuge

Understanding the working principles of scrolling and pushing centrifuges can help when deciding which type to use. Feed properties and other factors also play a role When looking for a proven solution for mechanical dewatering, you will most likely come…

Facts At Your Fingertips: Heat-Transfer Fluid System Venting

Heat transfer fluids (HTFs) provide heating and cooling of process equipment, including reactors, autoclaves, distillation columns, reboilers, mixers and dryers. HTF system designs should provide for effective system venting, both of residual water at startup and of degradation products during…