Mobile Navigation

Environment, Health, Safety & Security

CSB releases new safety video on combustible-dust explosion based on 2017 Wisconsin explosion

The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB; Washington, D.C.; www.csb.gov) released a new safety video on its investigation into the fatal combustible dust explosions and fires at the Didion Milling facility in Cambria, Wisconsin, that occurred on May…

Selecting Blue-Ammonia Technologies

Ammonia manufacturing with carbon capture (blue ammonia) has emerged as the most practical near-term option for deep decarbonization of ammonia production. Evaluated here are eight technology configurations for decarbonization strategies with blue ammonia production Ammonia is increasingly viewed as an…

Improving PFAS Remediation Performance

A PFAS-remediation project using sustainably manufactured granulated activated carbon for drinking water demonstrates how PFAS adsorption performance can be combined with reduced costs and environmental impact As thousands of public water systems across the country make plans to reduce per-…

Member Exclusive

Advanced Seals Enhance Safety and Reliability

Premium solutions prevent seal failure caused by extreme chemical process conditions Seals and gaskets are mission-critical components in the chemical process industries (CPI), where seal failure can have catastrophic consequences. While the corrosive and aggressive media and extreme operating conditions…

Protecting Process-Plant Operations from the Impacts of Lightning

Editor’s note: The following is a question-and-answer conversation between Chemical Engineering magazine senior editor Scott Jenkins and Sean Carpenter, solutions analyst at Lightning Eliminators & Consultants, Inc. (LEC), a leading provider of lightning protection solutions. Chemical Engineering’s questions appear below…

Increasing the Safety and Efficiency of Ammonia Sampling

From fertilizer and petroleum to textiles and plastics, production of vital commodities around the world relies on the use of anhydrous ammonia. Operators of chemical plants and petroleum refineries are well acquainted with both the handling hazards of the compound…

Member Exclusive

Method for breakdown and removal of siloxanes from fluids garners patent

Siloxanes — synthetic chains of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms — are widely used in personal care products, soaps, pharmaceutical formulations and other products, but are notoriously difficult to manage in production- and waste-fluid streams. Current approaches, including flaring and…

Member Exclusive

Nickel-based catalyst could allow recycling of mixed polyolefin waste

Among the major challenges facing efforts to chemically recycle common waste plastics is that many methods require a pure stream of a single type of polymer to be effective. Now, researchers at Northwestern University (NU; Evanston, Ill.; www.northwestern.edu), led by…

Member Exclusive

Modern SIS: Balancing Safety with Process Availability

Advanced safety-instrumented system features minimize complexity, downtime and costs Chemical process plants must be vigilant when it comes to preventing accidents that have the potential to harm people, assets and the environment. While safety instrumented systems (SIS) reduce risks, they…

Member Exclusive

Enabling Clean Ammonia: Practical Lessons from a Full Plant Conversion

Low-carbon ammonia is an attractive driver for decarbonization of many product chains. Here are some practical insights from a legacy plant that was updated for cleaner ammonia production Ammonia production is under growing scrutiny as decarbonization becomes a global imperative.…