Technical & Practical
Facts at your Fingertips: Air Separation Processes
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,…
Valves: Emissions Standards and Current Practices
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…
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…
Spectroscopy: Interpreting Measurement Data
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…
Technology Profile: Acetic Acid Production from Methanol
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…
An Overview of Vacuum System Design
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…
Odor Issues and Solutions for Wastewater Treatment
Increasingly, wastewater treatment plants must address odors due to volatile contaminants. This guide provides an overview of odor causes and possible remedial actions Processes and applications that emit odor-causing air contaminants are common across many sectors of the chemical process…
Facts at your Fingertips: Heat-Transfer Fluid Selection
Heat-transfer fluid selection can be intimidating when considering the long-term impact on costs and operability. The right fluid will provide optimal performance and lifecycle costs, while freeing engineers for other assignments. Most engineers do not routinely consider fluid selection, so…
Smart Water-Management Strategies: The Time is Now
Considering water-management strategies as a central component of infrastructure design at industrial facilities will unlock cost savings throughout the operation Mounting water shortages and resulting regulations across the globe are fueling the need for seamless and smarter water-management methods —…
Spill Containment: An Often-Overlooked Hazard in Research
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…