Technical & Practical
Cost Engineering: Time Value of Money
Deciding whether to put a project on the fast track entails risks. Some observations are presented here to help minimize risks and maximize profits Time is money!” my mother used to tell me, whenever she caught me reading comic books…
Cost Engineering: Integrating Technology and Economics
The Process Synthesis Model presented here is a methodology that integrates technology and economics, thereby improving process design and reducing costs Broadly, the chemical process industries (CPI) are comprised of companies in the chemical, petroleum refining, pharmaceutical, household and personal-care…
Technology Profile: Bio-acrylic acid production from glucose
This column is based on “Bio-Acrylic Acid Production from Glucose – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/acrylic-acid-production-cost. Acrylic acid is a moderately strong carboxylic acid, primarily used in the production of emulsion and…
Powder and Bulk Solids Handling: Particle Size and Distribution Analysis
The size and size distribution of particles are important determining factors in the design and operation of many process operations involving dry particles and powders. Follow this guidance to understand the impact of these key characteristics Bulk solids are dry…
Facts at your Fingertips: Filter Aids
Cake filtration is a common operation across many sectors of the chemical process industries (CPI). In cake filtration, the solid being filtered acts as a screen so that particles of the suspension are retained by the medium, resulting in the…
Emergency Shutdown Valves: A Functional Safety Approach to Selection
The relationship between valve selection and safety certification still causes confusion. A focus on functional safety can help to elucidate Among the many varied viewpoints on the topic of emergency shutdown (ESD) valves, there are several aspects that continue to…
Keeping Your Power Plant Cool
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…
Technology Profile: Calcium Hypochlorite Production (sodium method)
This column is based on “Calcium Hypochlorite Production via Sodium Method – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/calcium-hypochlorite-production-cost. Calcium hypochlorite, Ca(OCl)2, is among the few metal hypochlorites that is stable enough to be…
Protect water tanks from corrosion and abrasion
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…
Minimizing Leakage on Heat-Exchanger Girth Flanges
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…