Have you ever heard someone say, “The job is a lot easier if you have the right tools?” Having the right tools is critical to the success of craftsmen, such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers and the like. The same holds…
Propylene is the second most important intermediate in the petrochemical industry after ethylene, and its global demand is dominated by the production of polypropylene. However, the growing use of natural gas from shale deposits as a raw material for steam…
Pressure vessels are common in the chemical process industries (CPI) and they range widely in size and complexity. Process engineers may be tasked with inspecting a new pressure vessel or with witnessing hydrostatic testing of a vessel. In addition, engineers…
Corrosion and deposition in boilers, steam turbines and many types of process equipment are among the most expensive causes of outages in utility and industrial steam plants. Deposits and scale buildup on heat-transfer surfaces reduce efficiency, and when allowed to…
Dust is a critical consideration in the chemical process industries (CPI) from both a process safety standpoint — as a potential fire and explosion hazard — and from an occupational safety standpoint — as a potential worker exposure hazard. Reinforcing…
By making it easy to detect heat anomalies, thermal cameras and infrared thermometers support preventive and predictive maintenance Rising temperatures and rapid or excessive heat buildup are useful markers for determining the operational health of many types of machinery and…
Testing in filtration processes is critical for determining the properties of solids being filtered and the ease or difficulty of the filtration. In addition, laboratory testing is important in specifying filter media, filter aids, filter area, cake space needed and…
A plant turnaround is always challenging in the chemical process industries (CPI). But with proper planning and reliable procedures in place, last-minute time crunches and failures can be prevented. When haste combines with faulty methods, costly problems result. This article…
Olefin dimerization is a reaction where two molecules of a monomer combine to form a dimer. It can be utilized to produce normal butenes from ethylene, which can be provided by a steam cracker. Dimerization of ethylene is generally applied…
When the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised the U.S. Hazard Communication Law, U.S. 29 CFR 1910.1200, in May of 2012, it set off an avalanche of change in the environmental, health and safety (EH&S) circles of American…