A strategic approach to asset and alarm management will reduce alarm fatigue, mitigate risk and support more effective response On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig (owned by Transocean and operated by BP) killed…
Seemingly small component changes can make a large impact on the productivity of electrochemistry systems, such as electrolyzers used for producing “green” hydrogen. For example, a new coating technology developed by Oxford nanoSystems Ltd. (OnS; Abingdon, U.K.; www.oxfordnanosystems.com), when applied…
Sealed and gas-purged decanter-centrifuge systems can be effective for separating Class I, Div. 1-, or Class I, Div. 2-rated solvents and hazardous materials Traditionally, solids and liquids have been separated by filtration or with press equipment. While these methods are…
Optimizing electrical conductivity in next-generation batteries depends on carefully controlling process variables, such as mixing, particle-size distribution and temperature. Presented here is a discussion of how these process variables affect battery performance In the evolving landscape of energy storage technologies,…
When updating equipment protection systems in a plant, it often pays to think long term. Today’s protection systems can do more than avoid catastrophic failure — they are the foundation of an enterprise-wide predictive maintenance program Chemical process industries (CPI)…
A significant contributor to the cost, energy consumption and carbon footprint of silver production is in the refining steps to remove, recover and recycle zinc from Parkes Crust silver-zinc intermetallic compounds. A fundamental redesign of the silver process to improve…
This article examines the application of reinforcing pads for strengthening nozzles in pressure vessels and the impact of the geometric gap that exists between the pad and the vessel shell Many common forms of nozzle connections in technological applications are…
Tire recycling The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG; Tokyo, Japan; www.mcgc.com) has demonstrated chemical recycling of end-of-life tires (ELTs) using the coke ovens at its Kagawa Plant (Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture). The company is able to feed crushed ELTs as raw…
Onsite recycling proved cost-effective for an aerospace supplier. With real-time feedback and control, a new automation upgrade takes process efficiency to the next level Throughout the chemical process industries (CPI), efficient and affordable approaches to wastewater treatment are of paramount…
Facility monitoring, LED lighting and low-impact cleaners help reduce carbon footprint at chemical process industries (CPI) facilities It is not always possible to refine a process to help reduce a facility’s carbon footprint; however, embracing some newer trends in more…