The ORLEN Unipetrol Group (Prague, Czech Republic) has commissioned a new production unit for dicyclopentadiene (DCPD), which will expand its product portfolio. DCPD, a liquid hydrocarbon, has a broad range of applications in the automotive industry, construction, electrical engineering, medicine,…
Fluor Corporation (Irving, Tex.) announced today that the company was awarded two reimbursable engineering, procurement and construction management contracts by BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany) for the ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol and infrastructure, offsites and utilities packages as part of the company’s…
Technip Energies (Paris) has been awarded a large contract for the proprietary equipment supply for INEOS Olefins Belgium NV’s 1,450,000 ton/yr ethane cracker in Antwerp, Belgium. This latest award is in line with the company's early engagement strategy and consolidates…
LyondellBasell (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) announced it has acquired Colortech da Amazonia, a manufacturer of color concentrates, additive masterbatches and mineral-filled compounds located in Manaus, Brazil. “As a well-respected producer of masterbatches, compounds and additives in Brazil, Colortech da Amazonia is…
Condensing industrial refrigerants in cryogenic processes is a major contributor to energy consumption and has a direct impact on the production output of the facility. By condensing at lower temperatures, the Wet Surface Air Cooler allows for increased condensing capacity…
October 2022: The following are recently published books that may be relevant for professionals working in the chemical process industries (CPI). Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Manufacturing: Nondestructive Creation. By Girish Malhotra, deGruyter Press, 2022, 317 pages, $94.99 (e-book). Keys to Improving…
When evaluating capital projects in the chemical process industries (CPI), there are many scenarios in which there are important differences between the alternatives in terms of capital, operations and maintenance and decommissioning costs. In these cases, decisions must be made…
Milling active ingredients combines equipment selection, material characterization, and process characterization, with the aim of improving and controlling the properties of the solid crystalline drug substance. These topics are discussed here Milling is a common technique used for the reduction…
Henry Kister shares lessons learned from troubleshooting distillation towers In my courses, I discuss the effect of column operating pressure on flooding and capacity. There are two counteracting effects: The volatility effect increases in importance at higher pressures and for…
Using proper installation practices and adhering to maintenance schedules helps ensure reliable operation of safety-relief valves Safety-relief valves are critical components of any pressurized system. In fact, a functioning safety-relief valve could be the most important piece of equipment on…