An article that was recently published on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s website (MIT; news.mit.edu) is titled “Why researchers should step out of the lab.” It tells the story of an MIT doctoral student whose research was focused on developing…
Air Products signs agreement for coal-to-syngas facility in China November 13, 2017 — Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) and Shaanxi Future Energy Group Co. (SFEC) signed an agreement for a $3.5-billion coal-to-syngas production facility to be built in Yulin…
Significant workforce-related hurdles remain in place for CPI companies, but signs of progress are emerging For the past several years, companies in the chemical process industries (CPI) have been grappling with three consequential workforce issues that have also plagued other…
Deciding whether to put a project on the fast track entails risks. Some observations are presented here to help minimize risks and maximize profits Time is money!” my mother used to tell me, whenever she caught me reading comic books…
The Chemical Activity Barometer (CAB), a leading economic indicator created by the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com), notched another solid increase over October’s reading both on a three-month moving average (3MMA) basis and an unadjusted basis. The CAB…
The preliminary value for the September CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; most recent available) increased compared to the previous month’s value for the fourth consecutive month. The Equipment, Construction Labor and Buildings subindices all increased in September from August values.…
The following are recently published titles relevant to the chemical process industries (CPI) Sustainable Water Management and Technologies, Vol. 2: Sustainable Water Technologies, By Daniel Chen, Taylor and Francis Group, 2017, 828 pages, $279.95. What Every Engineer Should Know About…
This column is based on “Calcium Hypochlorite Production via Sodium Method – Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/calcium-hypochlorite-production-cost. Calcium hypochlorite, Ca(OCl)2, is among the few metal hypochlorites that is stable enough to be…
Plant Watch Inovyn starts up KOH plant in Belgium October 13, 2017 — Inovyn (London, U.K.; www.inovyn.com) announced the completion of its new potassium hydroxide (KOH) production facility at its Antwerp/Lillo site in Belgium. The new plant uses membrane technology…
The Specialty Chemicals Market Volume Index fell 0.3 percent in September, reflecting the lingering effects of Hurricane Harvey on market volumes, according to the American Chemistry Council (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com). The decline follows a virtually flat performance in August.…