General guidelines for selecting the appropriate power-plant cooling system are presented here The main purpose of a power plant is to convert a source of energy into electric power. Most power plants rely on heat as the energy source (thermal…
Stonchem 444 is a spray-applied vertical lining system (photo) formulated to resist corrosion and abrasion and protect underlying substrates from a broad range of chemicals, including most petroleum-based products, salts, acids and alkalis. Approved for potable water storage tanks of…
This column is based on “Vinyl Acetate from Acetic Acid and Ethylene — Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/vinyl-acetate-production-cost. Vinyl acetate (vinyl acetate monomer; VAM) is an important vinyl ester, primarily used in…
The components of air (Table 1), especially nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2), are critical for many modern industrial processes. Primary metals production, chemical manufacturing, gasification processes, clay, glass and concrete production, welding and other processes depend on O2 from air,…
New industry standards aimed at reducing fugitive emissions have necessitated updates to valve-testing procedures and a renewed focus on high-performance sealing and packing technologies While reducing fugitive emissions is a leading concern in the fight against climate change, emissions continue…
Thermal distortion in heat-exchanger internal components can lead to leakage, but several design measures can be taken to mitigate these concerns Leakage of bolted flange joints results in additional costs at any facility in the chemical process industries (CPI), and…
Spectrometric technology can assess many critical characteristics about products, but it has limits. It can be challenging to determine when the line has been crossed Within the technology category of analyzers, spectrometers provide a broad range of analytical capabilities and…
With proper planning, spills can be managed properly and the risk of secondary events — which may be more dangerous and costly — can be reduced Spills are probably one of the biggest problems any laboratory or pilot plant operation…
This column is based on “Acetic Acid Production from Methanol – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/acetic-acid-production-cost. Acetic acid (also known as ethanoic acid) is a carboxylic acid found as dilute solutions in…
The design of vacuum systems deserves careful attention — there are multiple facets that affect efficiency, operability and cost Understanding vacuum and designing vacuum systems can be difficult, and there are many unique aspects that an engineer must take into…