Detection of gases is a critical task in many chemical process industries (CPI) facilities to avoid hazards to personnel and to the environment. Gases may present risks of explosion, flammability, toxicity, environmental pollution and displacement of breathable air. This one-page…
As new regulations take effect, familiar refrigerants are being phased out and a variety of next-generation materials and processes are being introduced Agreed upon in October 2016 after negotiations from over 170 nations, the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol…
Proper gas sampling is essential to meet operating and regulatory objectives Flares are used extensively in chemical process industries (CPI) facilities and petroleum refineries, to combust flammable hazardous gases. When designed and operated properly, they provide a proven mechanism to…
Sound levels in a plant or in a lab are often high enough to be distracting, and sometimes they are high enough to create health and safety concerns for workers in the immediate area. We've published a noise level calculator…
December 2015 marked a landmark international agreement to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in order to limit the rise in global temperatures to less than 2°C above pre-industrial temperatures. This agreement, made at the 21st Conference of the Parties to…
Plant layout is as important a part of process plant design as it ever was, but it is rarely taught as part of chemical engineering courses While process plant layout is a critical aspect of chemical process industries (CPI) operations,…
Be vigilant about parallel pumping conditions that can lead to catastrophic failures During my career, I have seen several massive centrifugal pump failures caused by pump users attempting to operate pumps in parallel without the proper equipment review, procedural review…
Early in 2016, OSHA (the Occupational Health and Safety Administration) announced its “final rule” regarding respirable crystalline silica. This rule has been under consideration since 2013. The final ruling reduces the permissible exposure limit (or PEL) for workers in businesses…
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA; www.epa.gov) has finalized a rule adding a hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) category to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) list of reportable chemicals. This action will expand the scope of chemicals subject to TRI reporting and provide…
Water is both a life-giving source and a potentially devastating force. Citing this range of water’s power during the opening session of Weftec (New Orleans; September 24–28; www.weftec.org), New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu described how the city has triumphed over…