Technical & Practical
Technology Profile: Benzene Production from Pyrolysis Gas
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…
Avoid Common Mistakes When Specifying Burner Management Systems
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…
Reduce Risk and Cost with a Lifecycle Approach to Process Safety
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,…
Facts at your Fingertips: Filtration Process Design
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,…
Calculate the Wetted Surface Area of Pressure Vessels
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)…
Experimental Methodologies to Verify Distillation Simulations
Presented here are practical considerations concerning the equipment and methods used for experimental verifications of simulations The use of process simulation tools for modeling distillation columns is invaluable for designing plant-scale columns. However, it can be difficult to know if…
Gas Detection as a Risk Mitigation Technique
There are many differences between gas detection systems used for process monitoring and those used for protecting the safety of personnel Some types of gas detectors keep an eye on production processes. Others, relying on a number of different technologies,…
Technology Profile: Acetaldehyde Production from Acetylene
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…
Facts at your Fingertips: Redefining the Kilogram Standard
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…
Protecting Sensor Data Transmitted Wirelessly: A Grounds-Up Approach
Do not assume security is extensive enough to protect your critical data and processes. Take a layered security approach using different tactics to establish best practices for protecting network data Almost daily, the headlines tout the latest data breach that…