A clean-in-place (CIP) system is among the largest users of consumables at a hygienic processing plant. Presented here are tips for reducing the consumption of water, chemicals and time in CIP operations In many industries there is a burgeoning awareness…
Changes in the availability of source data for the CE Plant Cost Index periodically necessitate updates to how the index is calculated The Chemical Engineering Plant Cost Index (CEPCI) is a widely used tool for comparing plant construction costs in…
All chemical process industries (CPI) operations involving combustion need to be concerned with the emission of combustion products, due to their potential environmental and health impacts. This one-page reference provides information about several of the most common combustion byproducts from…
This column is based on “Isopropyl Alcohol Production from RG Propylene – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/isopropyl-alcohol-production-cost. Isopropanol (isopropyl alcohol) is among the most commonly produced lower alcohols — ranked third in…
Areas of recent activity for pressure-relief systems include new calculation methods and updates to existing codes and standards. Included here is an overview of recent developments and a look at the results from a recent study of pressure-relief system deficiencies…
Several methods are available for sizing two-phase pressure-relief valves (PRVs). Here, the API 520 homogeneous direct integration method is compared to a potentially simpler alternative that does not require integration Two-phase pressure-relief valves (PRVs) have been studied by many researchers.…
The new European Union Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Regulation explained, and what it means for the chemical process industries The European Commission’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Directive 89/686/EEC is over 20 years old and is now being superseded by the…
This column is based on “Cyclohexane from Benzene and Hydrogen – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/cyclohexane-production-cost. Cyclohexane is a relatively stable cycloalkane, present in crude oils in concentrations of 0.1–1.0%. This cycloparaffin…
When wearing single-use protective gloves, sweat can create health and safety issues. Presented here is a look at the causes of the problems and possible solutions A great many situations across the chemical process industries (CPI) require quality hand protection,…
The concept of tray stability can apply to bubble caps and be used as an alternative method to determine the minimum efficient capacity of these devices. A new stability correlation for bubble-cap trays is proposed and checked against FRI data…