Seals are assemblies of elements that prevent the passage of a solid, liquid, gas or vapor from one system to another. When a seal allows leakage of material, failure has occurred. This guide provides an overview of common seal types…
Demanding application requirements coupled with improved downstream control devices and enhanced instrument diagnostics have led to major changes in process-valve monitoring and control. Factors driving these changes in the chemical process industries (CPI) include the need for lower plant operating…
A pressure-swing-adsorption (PSA) system for hydrogen purification that operates at "tens of cycles per minute," versus one cycle every 4 – 10 min for conventional PSA, will have its first commercial-scale demonstration at an ExxonMobil refinery in France. Developed by…
The standard temperature range for waste-rubber pyrolysis has been reported as 480 – 1,740ºF. Within 480 – 750ºF, shredded tire scrap decomposes into increasing amounts of gases and oil; and above 750ºF, oil and solid char yields can decrease relative…
The blood-cholesterol-lowering effects of beta-glucan — the soluble oat fiber — is well known, but up to now it has been difficult to obtain beta-glucan-rich fractions that are feasible for food applications, according to VTT Technical Research Center (Espoo, Finland,…
This week, Plast-O-Matic Valves, Inc. (Chem Show, New York; Booth 1018) debuts an all-thermoplastic, air-operated pinch valve with a newly designed sleeve element. With an open tubular-sleeve element to control flow, the Series HSA pinch valves provide an open flow…
The technology — now being demonstrated at the company’s booth with its lab-scale version (LabRAM) — generates acoustic waves via the resonant vibration of a simple, mechanically driven agitator. At an 11:00 a.m. press conference today, Resodyn Acoustic Mixers Inc.…
The ability of titanium dioxide to absorb ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) solar radiation has been increased 25% by researchers at the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory (Upton, NY; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6900-534). This could lead to improved…
Metabolic Explorer (Metex; Clermont-Ferrand; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6900-535) and IFP (Rueil-Malmaison, both France; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6900-536) signed an agreement last month to accelerate the scaleup of Metex’s proprietary technology for producing 1,3-propanediol (PDO). The biological-based process uses glycerin — a byproduct of biodiesel production (CE,…
Asahi Kasei Finechem Co. (Osaka, Japan; edlinks.chemengonline.com/6900-538) has commercialized a new type of catalyst for performing asymmetric oxidation reactions. The catalyst is based on ligands having the structure of a chiral-bis-hydroxamic acid (CBHA; diagram), which was first developed by Professor…