This column is based on “Benzene Production from Pygas,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/benzene-production-cost. Benzene is the simplest and most important industrial aromatic hydrocarbon. It is a versatile petrochemical building block, and is an…
While some aspects of burner management systems may seem intuitive, overcoming misconceptions in their specification and design will help to elevate overall safety Boilers, burners, furnaces and fired heaters, along with any other fuel-burning equipment, are considered high-risk areas within…
Better upfront planning and management can lead to safer, more productive processes throughout every phase of operation A standards-based approach to process safety — one that actively addresses risks across a plant’s lifespan — can lead to safer chemical processes,…
Designing a new solid-liquid filtration process or optimizing an existing one requires consideration of a number of factors aside from the type of filter that will be used. This one-page reference reviews two groups of considerations: one related to equipment,…
This article describes an approach that uses data analytics for finding and addressing root causes of process deviations that reduce energy efficiency in key plant utility systems, and shares three case examples Discussion about climate change has been taking place…
This article provides a comparative study of two approaches to protect ASME semi-elliptical pressure tanks from overpressure in the event of a fire Calculating the wetted surface area is a crucial step to protect American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME)…
Cybersecurity is no longer a far-fetched concept relegated to science fiction or conspiracy theories. It is a major and growing global risk across all industry sectors Given the increasingly central role of digital technologies, data and connectivity, cybersecurity is widely…
This column is based on “Acetaldehyde Production from Acetylene,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/acetaldehyde-production-cost. Acetaldehyde (also known as ethanal) is an industrially important, highly reactive aldehyde, mainly used as chemical intermediate in the production…
The kilogram is the last of the SI units (International System of Units) still defined by a physical object, rather than defined in terms of universal fundamental constants of nature. However, this will change in November 2018, as a multi-year…
When multiple operators, co-owners, co-operators and third-party contractors are all managing different engineered systems at the same location, extra care is needed to manage potential environmental issues that may arise The obligations facing facilities throughout the chemical process industries (CPI)…