This column is based on “Bio-Butanediol Production from Glucose,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/butanediol-production-cost. Butanediol (BDO) refers to all butylene glycol isomers. The most common isomer — 1,4-butanediol — is a versatile intermediate chemical…
Petroleum refineries must meet increasingly stringent levels for sulfur content in fuel, but the conventional hydrodesulfurization approach requires high-pressures and temperatures. Alternative Petroleum Technologies Corp. (APT; Reno, Nev.; www.altpetrol.com) has piloted an oxidative desulfurization technology, known as Sulfex, that can…
Increased reliability, chemical compatibility and containment of sealing solutions are priorities for chemical processors Seals and gaskets may seem like an afterthought in the grand scheme of chemical processing equipment, but if you’ve ever been faced with unexpected — and…
Equilibrium data and related information gathered from a liquid-liquid extraction laboratory “shake test” can provide information for process feasibility and column-type selection in the scaleup of liquid-liquid extraction processes Most chemical engineers have had the experience of dealing with problematic…
This article provides a comparative study of two approaches to protect ASME semi-elliptical pressure tanks from overpressure in the event of a fire Calculating the wetted surface area is a crucial step to protect American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME)…
This column is based on “Benzene Production from Pygas,” a report published by Intratec. It can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/benzene-production-cost. Benzene is the simplest and most important industrial aromatic hydrocarbon. It is a versatile petrochemical building block, and is an…
Around 70% of all chemical products use chlorine in their manufacturing process. At the same time, the production of this important base chemical is one of the most energy-intensive processes in the chemical industry. In order to change that, thyssenkrupp…
As chemical plants look for ways of maintaining operational excellence and productivity at a reduced cost, naturally they will look at new instrumentation technologies that will give them a leading edge over competitors. When it comes to gas measurement, the…
In a first-of-its-kind endeavor, a hydrogen-fluoride-based alkylation unit producing linear alkyl benzene (LAB) is being converted into a solid-bed alkylation unit that employs UOP’s (Des Plaines, Ill.; www.uop.com) Detal-Plus alkylation technology for LAB. LAB is used in the production of…
The complex demands of oil-and-gas production often require the development of customized chemical technologies, and CPI companies are rising to meet these challenges The oil-and-gas and chemical process industries (CPI) are interconnected in that the oil-and-gas sector provides many of…