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Processing & Handling

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Making crude oil from coal, without mining or combustion

An underground coal-to-liquids (UCTL) technology is undergoing pilot testing at Oak Park, near Melbourne Australia, where a metric ton of brown coal is expected to yield about one barrel of oil suitable for use as refinery feedstock on an oil-parity…

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Dewatering enzymes boost ethanol production efficiency

A technique that improves the efficiency of ethanol plants by lowering the cost of dewatering the byproduct stillage (a slurry of corn solids and water) from the fermentation process has been developed by scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s…

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A new heterogeneous catalyst for low-temperature VOC decomposition

Professor Yuki Taniguchi at the Chemicals Research Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan, www.res.titech.ac.jp/~gosei/taniguchi/index.html) has developed a new catalyst system that decomposes volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at lower temperatures than that required by conventional catalysts. The SILP (supported ionic liquid…

Extra protection for pumping heat-transfer fluids

The Etanorm SYT heat-transfer-liquid pump features a new VenJet venting device, which ensures that the low-boiling fractions or water vapor do not get near the plain bearing or mechanical seal. The new pump features several design improvements. For example, the…

Chemical-resistant tubing with higher pressure rating

This company is replacing its Tygon 2075 tubing line with the Tygon 2375 Ultra Chemical Resistant Tubing, providing an improved pressure rating, outstanding chemical resistance and superior flexibility. A clear non-DEHP high-purity tube, Tygon 2375 can be disposed of safely…

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Making Pump Maintenance Mandatory

One of the key components in the operational success of chemical process industries (CPI) facilities is the transfer pump. These pumps must handle a wide variety of materials under a broad range of operating conditions. These diverse operational conditions may…

A booster for quick, precise control of large valves

In most process control applications, larger valves tend to be fitted with pneumatic actuators that provide significant positioning forces. In these situations, the positioner is used to precisely position the valve by filling the actuator with the corresponding amount of…

A new catalyst for making SNG from biomass  

H.C. Starck GmbH (Goslar, Germany; www.hcstarck.com) and Clausthaler Umwelttechnik-Institut GmbH (Cutec; Clausthal-Zellerfeld, Germany; www.cutec.de) have joined forces to successfully develop a completely new generation of catalysts and process technology for the production of substitute natural gas (SNG) from biomass as a…

These plastic tanks can handle 50,000 gal

Large-volume polypropylene and polyethylene storage tanks from this company are available in capacities from 100 to 50,000 gal. The ready-for-installation tanks are made by extruding polypropylene or polyethylene around a steel drum mold. They are manufactured in various thicknesses, according…

These seals are for demanding applications

Metcar mechanical seal rings and seal faces are manufactured using highly engineered carbon-graphite materials for demanding high-speed or high-load applications. The seal rings are ideal for sealing liquids, such as water, hot water, acids, alkalis, fuels, heat-transfer fluids, liquefied gases,…