Technical & Practical
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers: The Design Cycle
Following this step-by-step approach will ensure that the heat exchanger will perform as required when finally fabricated Shell-and-tube heat exchangers are among the most commonly used equipment in the chemical process industries (CPI), especially in petroleum refineries and chemical manufacturing…
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…
Particle-sizing technology selection
Size range is a defining consideration when it comes to choosing a particle-sizing technology for your product or process. However, whether measuring droplets or powders, on plant or in the laboratory, for quality control (QC) or to troubleshoot – there…
Managing Small and Medium-sized Capital Projects
A real-life example is provided to show how to stay on program and within budget Over the past few years, much has been written in the trade press about how to manage large, $1- billion-plus plant-construction and expansion projects in…