Latest News
Proactive Dust Control Using Advanced Technologies
Integrated solutions include monitoring, collection and control to help manage complex risks Dust control is essential for safety, operational efficiency, product quality and regulatory compliance in the chemical process industries (CPI). Many of the materials handled in chemical facilities are…
Focus on: Pipes, Tubes and Fittings
Reducing wear on pneumatic conveying lines This company’s Smart Elbow® serves to deflect high-speed solid material in pneumatic conveying lines, thus minimizing abrasion and wear on the surface of the pipe. The design is an alternative to a traditional sweep…
Facts At Your Fingertips: Design Considerations for Electric Process Heaters
Process electrification is gaining interest as a solution to industrial CO2 emissions, which account for 20% of total CO2 emissions in the U.S. [1]. Several technologies are emerging for electric process heating, including electrode steam boilers and high-temperature heat pumps,…
Method for improving mechanical properties of carbon-fiber-reinforced composites
Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer composites are attractive materials for applications requiring lightweight, strong components, such as aviation and automotive. However, their performance has been partially limited by the bonds between the polymer matrix and the embedded carbon fibers. Now, researchers at Oak…
Selection of Pressure Regulators
Selecting pressure regulators can be complicated because many different types exist and each has specific functionalities. Presented here is guidance for evaluating pressure-control needs based on process conditions, and for selecting the best regulator Delivering consistently on-specification products is a…
The shifting workforce landscape
A recent Wall Street Journal article [1] described numerous job postings in which employers bluntly describe that they expect employees to hustle and work long hours. The article quotes, for example, a listing that says “If you’re looking for work-life…
Low-carbon cement formulated for additive manufacturing of residential housing
Manufacturing traditional cement for concrete is responsible for a sizeable (~8%) portion of overall global CO2 emissions. Meanwhile, anthropogenic global warming is driving the need for housing structures capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds and wildfires. The cement technology company Eco…
Improving the stability of edible oils without additives
In the catering industry, refined cooking oils (those that have undergone a process to remove lower-boiling-point impurities) are used and re-used in frying. Despite the refining process, high temperatures cause the oils to oxidize, creating polar compounds that degrade the…
Stable nanobubbles promote cleaner effluents from dairy processing
Wastewater from dairy processing facilities can be extremely challenging to treat — not only does the effluent usually contain high volumes of solids, minerals and organic matter, these loads can vary widely from hour to hour. A large cheese-processing facility…
New material sets a world record for the fastest lithium-ion conductivity
A patent-pending material developed at the Technical University of Munich (TUM; www.tum.de) has achieved the fastest-ever conductivity of lithium ions, and is now poised to significantly improve the efficiency of future solid-state batteries. Solid-state batteries, often seen as a more…