Detailed plans for handling hazardous materials should be a central part of any chemical plant’s disaster preparedness plan Over the past year, many chemical facilities managed to overcome extreme circumstances. One instance of an extreme event was the winter storm…
Managing the risk from combustible dust explosions involves a number of strategies for preventing explosions, as well as isolating, venting and suppressing explosions if they occur. Complying with applicable NFPA standards is a pathway toward minimizing risk Combustible dust explosions…
The Joukowsky equation is often relied upon to determine the maximum possible fluid pressure inside a pipe, but there are certain scenarios where this equation does not return the expected conservative result for overpressurization We engineers love our formulas. Especially…
Physical adsorption phenomena play a critical role in many separation and purification processes, including separations of industrial gases, purification of gases, moisture removal from fluids, water purification and others. Adsorption is a surface phenomenon in which a fluid (gas or…
There are several technologies used in the disposal of landfill gas (LFG). Here are some key elements that can guide engineers in designing an optimized LFG processing plant People generate trash. Trash is stored in landfills. Landfills contain bacteria, which…
Caprolactam (Figure 1) is a cyclic amide widely used as a chemical intermediate. The main forms of caprolactam are molten (liquid) and flakes. At ambient temperatures, it is a white, hygroscopic, crystalline solid. Almost all caprolactam is used as monomer…
Developments in laser technology and significantly increased computing power are making process analyzers available for new applications and even for closed-loop control Process analytical technology (PAT) has undergone rapid development in recent years. Further developments in laser technology, the miniaturization…
Combining process analytical technology (PAT) and the cloud for next-level productivity Process analytical technology (PAT) enables manufacturing and processing companies to continuously enhance their competitiveness in an increasingly fast-paced and demanding market (see part 1, “Process Analytical Technology Advances,” pp.…
Taking a modular approach to capital projects offers a pathway for companies to be proactive, rather than reactive, as they manage project risk in the time of COVID and potential similar disruptions in the future It has been more than…
The National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA; Quincy, Mass.; www.nfpa.org) NFPA 652 (Standard on the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust) creates a single, unified combustible-dust standard that applies to “all facilities and operations that manufacture, process, blend, convey, repackage, generate, or handle…