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Technical & Practical

NFPA 652: Standardizing Combustible Dust Standards

The latest NFPA standard applies to many industry sectors, and aims to address the fragmented nature of the industry-specific standards currently in place On September 7, 2015, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA; Quincy, Mass.; www.nfpa.org) issued NFPA 652 (Standard…

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Insulating Heat-Transfer-Fluid Piping

Heat-transfer-fluid (HTF) system piping is insulated to reduce heat loss and prevent worker contact with hot surfaces. Insulated piping minimizes the effects of changes in ambient temperature to help ensure precise control of process temperature. Proper design of the HTF…

Monitoring Flame Hazards In Chemical Plants

The numerous flame sources in CPI facilities necessitate the installation of advanced flame-detection technologies Fire is a primary and very real threat to people, equipment and facilities in the chemical process industries (CPI), especially in the refining and storage of…

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Characterize Bulk Solids to Ensure Smooth Flow

To minimize problems associated with handling all types of bulk solids, engineers must adopt a systematic approach to characterizing the flow and mechanical properties of the materials under a variety of operating conditions Bins, hoppers, feeders, and conveyors handle bulk…

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Supply Chain Challenges and Solutions

Transportation is vital to the CPI, so here are some tips to keep your products moving as the market for hazardous-materials shipping continues to tighten All shippers strive to keep costs under control while simultaneously running smooth, efficient and time-sensitive…

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Methanol Production from Natural Gas

This column is based on “Economics of Methanol Production from Natural Gas,” a report published by Intratec Solutions. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/products/methanol-production-processes. Methanol (methyl alcohol) is an important chemical commonly used as a solvent, as a starting material…

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Organic Chemical Functional Groups

Chemical functional groups are critical determinants of the properties and reactivity of compounds. The following provides a review of the structures of common organic functional groups, along with some notes and examples. Alkyne. Acetylene is used as a fuel for…

Biological Wastewater Treatment: Maintaining the Needed Microorganism Population

Activated sludge processes are inherently complex. Proper system design, operation and maintenance are essential to adequately break down target organic materials Since its discovery more than 100 years ago in 1914 by Ardern and Lockett [ 1 ], the activated…

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Materials Management — Evolving the Process for an Evolving Marketplace

The case examples presented here show that proper planning, communication and execution of tasks can add value and reduce unintended negative consequences for many capital-intensive projects Materials management means something different to different groups of people. For the engineering and…

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Aniline Production from Nitrobenzene

This column is based on “Economics of Aniline Production from Nitrobenzene,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/products/aniline-production-processes. Aniline, also known as amino benzene or benzenamine, is an aromatic amine with the formula C6H5NH2. It is…