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Facts At Your Fingertips: Understanding Energy Efficiency in a Fired Heater

Process heating systems are critical parts of chemical process industries (CPI) facilities. Unfortunately, the reliable, efficient operation of utility systems is often taken for granted, and they receive little engineering attention. This is perhaps understandable, since these systems play a…

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Pilot plant produces climate-friendly cement clinker

Concrete production is responsible for 6–9% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. “The largest contribution to that comes from the production of cement, a precursor product,” says Peter Stemmermann from the Institute for Technical Chemistry (ITC) at the Karlsruhe Institute of…

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Chementator Briefs

Tanning Agent Södra Skogsägarna (Södra; Växjö, Sweden; www.sodra.com) is investing in a production line at Värö that will create a tanning agent from tree bark. This new tannin can be used to process leather in a more environmentally friendly way,…

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Cyanobacteria mineralize CO2 into biogenic construction materials

Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS; www.ikts.fraunhofer.de) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology (FEP; both Dresden, Germany; www.fep.fraunhofer.de) are introducing an eco-friendly, biologically induced method of producing biogenic construction materials as…

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Benefiting from Nozzle Flexibility in Piping Design

The inclusion of nozzle flexibility (directional spring rate) in pipe-stress analysis results in more realistic piping reactions on pressure-vessel nozzles, whereby it will be easier to meet the limited nozzle-load capacity of the nozzles. It will surely contribute to a…

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Versatile production of biopolymers in new semi-crystalline format

Bio-based polymers, such as polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), are seeing increasing application as a more sustainable alternative to fossil-based materials. A new, flexible production platform developed by CJ Biomaterials, Inc. (Woburn, Mass.; www.cjbiomaterials.com) is now enabling the production of PHA in both…

Solids’ Characteristics and the Drying Process

Understanding material characteristics is important in designing and defining process criteria for optimal performance of rotary and fluidized-bed dryers The ability to efficiently, reliably and consistently dry bulk solids in an industrial setting relies largely on tailoring the dryer’s design…

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New bio-based concrete admixture is scaling up production

A new biomass-based liquid admixture for concrete uniquely combines the benefits of traditional performance-enhancing additives with decarbonization. Hydrous bio-graphene oxide (hBGO), developed by AlterBiota (Edwardsville, Nova Scotia, Canada; www.alterbiota.com), is a stable, high-solids dispersion that helps to improve strength and…

Certified conveyor controllers promote safety, compliance

This company has earned the UL 508A certification for its pneumatic vacuum-conveyor controls (photo). Secured to support operator safety and help speed the conveyor installation process, the certification documents conformance with the National Electric Code (NEC) standard for the safe…

Tame turbulent flows with this conditioner

The Vortab Insertion Panel (VIP) flow conditioner (photo) features a unique design that maximizes flowmeter performance with minimal pressure drop in a simple-to-install, lightweight thin-panel design that overcomes turbulent pipe-flow profiles. The Model VIP blends the proven performance and low…