Chemical Engineering
Observing particle concentrations and velocities inside a fluidized bed
Fluidized beds are used in a variety of industries for combustion, drying, catalytic cracking and other processes. However, the process that occurs inside a fluidized bed is extremely complex and — due to a lack of effective measurement techniques —…
Impact of Particle-Size Control on Bulk-Solids Flow Behavior
Crushing and screening of solids are essential to many solids-handling processes, but engineers must be mindful about how those actions will affect flow behavior of the bulk material When it comes to processing bulk solids, (particle) size matters. Almost all…
Tower Doctor: Can the Cure be as Bad as the Illness?
Henry Kister shares lessons learned from troubleshooting distillation towers During a course that I was presenting in Houston one year, a participant asked me the following at the end of one of the sessions: “Do you have experience with BX-type…
Materials of Construction for the CPI
The proper selection of materials of construction is crucial. The example presented here shows how to use standards to help narrow down the options Since the late 1800s, a steady body of pressure technology codes and standards have been under…
McDermott selected for petrochemical expansion project by IOCL
McDermott International Inc. (Houston) has been awarded a project management consultancy (PMC) and engineering, procurement, and construction management (EPCM) contract for the Naphtha Cracker Expansion (Phase II) polypropylene expansion and new ethylene derivative unit project from Indian Oil Corp. Ltd.…
BASF and Huntsman announce separation of joint MDI production in China
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) and Huntsman Corp. (The Woodlands, Tex.), together with their Chinese partner companies – Shanghai Hua Yi (Group Company), Sinopec Shanghai Gaoqiao Petrochemical Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co., Ltd. – announce the planned separation of…
Air Products to increase production capacity at its LNG equipment-manufacturing facility in Florida
Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.) announced it will be making a significant investment to meet industry demand with increased winding capacity at its liquefied natural gas (LNG) equipment manufacturing facility located in Port Manatee, Florida. Air Products expects that this…
Toray Advanced Composites to expand manufacturing plant in California
Toray Advanced Composites, developer and producer of advanced thermoplastic and thermoset composite materials, announced the planned expansion of its Morgan Hill, Calif. plant operations. The new facility will add 74,000 square feet (6,800 square meters) to the existing campus facilities.…
Fluor awarded more than $1 billion in life sciences contracts
Fluor Corp. (Irving, Tex.) has been awarded a $487 million biotech expansion project in Denmark and is also mobilizing resources in the central U.S. for the first phase of a new life sciences production facility valued at $574 million. Fluor…
BASF completes carve-out of mobile-emissions catalysts and precious-metals services businesses
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) has completed the carve-out of its mobile emissions catalysts and precious metal services businesses and named the separate legal entity BASF Environmental Catalyst and Metal Solutions (ECMS). The company’s intention to carve out the entity was…