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…
The topic of carrying out process engineering calculations in the most effective manner can be considered in these four ways: 1. The purpose of the calculation 2. The content of the calculation 3. The method used to carry out the…
CUI — that acronym should be enough to capture your attention. All chemical process industries (CPI) plants are aging — and some are aged, especially in the U.S. and Europe. Corrosion under insulation (CUI) should be regarded as a silent…
Gear units play a critical role in a diverse array of chemical process industries (CPI) facilities, to match the speed of a selected driver with the speed of the driven equipment. Today, they are used extensively in pumps, turbines and…
Ethanol is widely produced by fermentation of sugars from agriculture feedstocks, such as corn and sugarcane. In order to meet growing energy requirements, several lines of research have focused on cellulosic ethanol production, where some type of lignocellulosic biomass, such…
A recent book by Lieberman [1] stresses that to combat the environmental crisis that our planet is facing, it is essential to make existing units work adequately and efficiently. Equipment that malfunctions or limps along limits production and does not…
Working in close proximity to the high pressures and temperatures commonly found in the chemical process industries (CPI) is cause enough for concern over a person’s wellbeing; but working in close proximity to chemicals that are considered toxic, hazardous or…
Milling is a mechanistically driven process that breaks solid material into smaller pieces. Selection of the optimal mill is a daunting task that often leaves engineers relying on vendor suggestions to decide which mill is right for their job. This…