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Processing & Handling

These pumps empty most liquids from drums

Michael Smith Engineers The EFS Series pump in stainless steel (photo) is the latest addition to the Finish Thompson range of drum-emptying pumps. Suitable for pumping corrosive chemicals, light oils, caustic cleaners, solvents and other liquids, the EFS pump is…

Corrosive environments do not hamper this butterfly valve

Assured Automation The FK Polypropylene Butterfly Valve Series offers superior strength and chemical resistance in highly corrosive environments. The special trapezoidal shape of the linear and serrated body cavity guarantees a bubble-tight seal while keeping break-away torque at an absolute…

Mix It Up!

  The chemical process industries (CPI) are looking for ways to decrease and control costs, and mixing operations are not exempt from this belt tightening. But because mixing is vital to most chemical processes, it can’t be eliminated. As a…

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Shedding Light on Microreactors

Traditionally, most students have learned about chemical reactions in laboratories using test tubes, beakers and flasks. Those who have gone on to discover and develop new products have typically done so using these batchwise techniques. This mind-set has continued through…

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New condenser design for Claus tail gas slashes refrigeration duty

Last month, at the AIChE Spring Meeting in Chicago, Henry Kister, director of Fractionation Technology at Fluor Corp. (Aliso Viejo, Calif.; www.fluor.com) presented a patent pending process (U.S. Patent Application WO/2011/016797) that promises to cut energy demand and capital costs…

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A step toward industrial production of perillic acid

Last month, Brain AG (Zwingenberg; www.brain-biotech.de) and Dechema e.V. (Frankfurt am Main, both Germany; www.dechema.de) began a collaboration in the biotechnological production of perillic acid — a patented natural monoterpene owned by Brain, with promising applications as a bioactive compound…

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Making a polyester feedstock from coal

Ube Industries, Ltd. (UBE; www. ube-ind.co.jp) and HighChem Co. (both Tokyo; www.highchem.co.jp) will license their technologies for transforming coal-derived synthesis gas (syngas) into manufacturing ethylene glycol (MEG) — a polyester feedstock — to Qianxixian Qianxi Coal Chemical Investment Co. (Guizhou,…

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A lower-energy approach to natural gas ‘sweetening’

A new method for removing hydrogen sulfide from natural gas at ambient temperatures could allow significant energy savings compared to the current technique and increase the range of H2S concentrations in natural gas that are economically viable to extract from…

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New propylene and butadiene process could be utilized next year

By the end of this year, Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp. (Tokyo; www.asahi-kasei.co.jp) plans to complete development on two processes that utilize excess C2 and C4 fractions for producing propylene and butadiene, and if all goes smoothly, implement them by March…

These Two Motors Designs Comply with API Requirements

Two new PetroDuty motor designs are being offered by this firm — the 4th edition API-541 and 1st edition API-547. These new motor designs have been specifically developed to satisfy or exceed the strict requirements set forth by the American…