How long does it take a six-tray, 4-ft dia. deisobutanizer to achieve steady state? That depends on your definition of “steady state”. Some control experts regard 95% of “ultimate value” as a good definition, but how useful is that definition?…
Many solid materials can exhibit self-heating, which — if unchecked — can progress to a fire or even explosion. And even if the situation does not get that far, it is likely to affect the output of the process, in…
The mixing-drying reactor can process substances of widely differing consistencies. The machine, which dries in a fine vacuum, is also very flexible with regard to the filling level. It is suitable for both homogenization of a mixture and also for…
The Sweco Hydrocyclone Systems provide an economical and effective method for removing solid particles in the 4 to 100+ µm range from slurries. Hydrocyclones typically make finer separations than are practical with screening separators and at significantly higher capacities, says…
I have an ongoing dispute with a longtime colleague, Bob Miller. I said he ruined my new safety boots. He said he didn’t. Bob was a young, fearless distillation engineer at a time when our extraction engineer refused to take…
DriBoss evaporation equipment is designed for mining, water-treatment and oil-and-gas applications. The efficient DriBoss wastewater evaporator is supported by company-provided services, as well as by ancillary components such as pumps, valves, controls and sensors, which are also supplied by this…
Improved understanding of crystallizer equipment and operation can aid purification efforts in the CPI Crystallization is a key purification technique for various sectors of the chemical process industries (CPI). Several approaches for industrial crystallization have evolved over time, and highly…
This new line of “top-loading” compressed air filters are designed to make element change-out faster and easier — even in the most space-challenged environments. The drain connections do not need to be disrupted during the change-out process. The proprietary, patented…
Engineers working in the chemical process industries (CPI) sometimes have to deal with aerosol contamination issues in which liquid-gas coalescers are routinely employed. For example, liquid-gas coalescers are used to protect compressors, liquid-gas contactors, turbines, low-NOx burners, metering and instrumentation…
Distillation columns are often workhorses in the chemical process industries (CPI), and at times, it is necessary to physically inspect the interior of a column. This article demonstrates what an inspection can reveal, by sharing the experience of actual fractionation-tower…