Mobile Navigation

Technical & Practical

Member Exclusive

n-Butanol from Lignocellulosic Feedstock

The alcohol n-butanol is applied in the production of butyl acrylates to supply the coatings and adhesives industries. It is also used in plasticizers or directly as a solvent. It is commercially produced from propylene and synthesis gas (syngas) by…

Member Exclusive

Critical Connections Demand Certainty

Figure 1.  During tightening, hydraulic pressure load within a bolt should be uniformly and accurately applied to avoid gasket damage and other issues that can create leakage Common knowledge dictates that planning ahead ensures effective results, regardless of the task…

Member Exclusive

D,L-methionine production via the carbonate process

Methionine is an essential amino acid that is not synthesized by animals, so it must be obtained from their diets. Synthetic methionine is traditionally commercially available in two varieties: D,L-methionine (DLM), a racemic mixture of the two stereoisomers, and methionine…

Member Exclusive

Burner Inspection and Maintenance

Burners are mechanical devices that are utilized for mixing proper quantities of fuel and air, and also for maintaining a stable flame inside fired equipment. Burners are critical components that must be periodically maintained to ensure the reliability of fired…

Member Exclusive

November Letters Facts at Your Fingertips: Forces Acting on a Gasket

This letter is in reference to the article, Forces Acting on a Gasket [ Chem. Eng. October, 2014, p. 32a]. I need to clear my understanding on the seating stress required for the proper sealing. As per the article, seating…

Member Exclusive

Wire Meshes in Filtration

Fabricated metal-wire mesh is one of the major categories of filter media. Woven metal cloths are often used to support a filter aid coating or a bed of granular or porous material. Proper selection of wire cloth can have a…

Bulk Solids: Operating Direct-Contact Heat Exchangers

Bulk solids are frequently used as reactants, catalysts or products in chemical process industries (CPI) operations. Often, they must be heated or cooled so that they can be handled safely or processed at a desired temperature. Traditionally, heat transfer to…

Member Exclusive

Design of Experiments (DoE): Optimizing Products and Processes Efficiently

Experiments are done to quantify cause-and-effect relationships between adjustable parameters (inputs, factors, x) and the results (outputs, responses, y). They help to answer questions like: How do the ingredients and proportions of a mixture (inputs) influence its properties (outputs)? How…

Member Exclusive

Pneumatic Conveying: Optimal System Design, Operation and Control

Numerous strategies and options for both dilute- and dense-phase conveying systems are presented here   Pneumatic conveying is a ubiquitous mode of conveying bulk solids in a wide range of industries, including chemicals, plastics, grain, food, agricultural, mining, power and…

Member Exclusive

Better Filtration for the Bottom Line

Many applications in the chemical process industries (CPI) require filtration — from cleaning the air of dust, to corrosion prevention, to cleaning up incoming process water, to recovering proteins downstream. No matter the application, filtration providers are working to improve…