Stirred tanks are common throughout the chemical process industries (CPI), used as batch reactors and continuous-flow reactors, as well as for physical processing of product formulations in which no chemical reaction is occurring. In all cases, fluid mixing — in…
In continuous processes, the properties and quality of the products depend on the residence time of different feed substances, and feed materials may not spend the same amount of time in a reactor. When designing equipment for continuous processes, it…
Drying can be defined as the vaporization and removal of liquids from a solution, suspension or other solid-liquid mixture to form a dry solid. Drying occurs as a result of the vaporization of liquid by supplying heat to wet solid…
Hydrogen requires careful handling. It is colorless, odorless and highly flammable across a broad range of concentrations. As the lightest gas, it rises quickly and can accumulate in hard-to-detect areas. Without proper precautions, even a small leak can lead to…
Chemical recycling refers to a set of technologies that convert plastic waste into raw materials by breaking down long polymer chains into shorter molecules (monomers), enabling the creation new chemicals, fuels or virgin-quality plastics. Key chemical recycling methods for plastics…
Storing energy to smooth the intermittency of wind and solar power can be accomplished in a number of ways, including mechanical (pumped hydro, flywheels, compressed air and others), thermochemical (phase-change materials and molten salts, for example), chemical (conversion of electricity…
Process electrification is gaining interest as a solution to industrial CO2 emissions, which account for 20% of total CO2 emissions in the U.S. [1]. Several technologies are emerging for electric process heating, including electrode steam boilers and high-temperature heat pumps,…
Pneumatic conveying uses air to either push (positive pressure) or pull (negative pressure) solid material through a conveying line. The characteristics of the solid materials being conveyed play a significant role in how the pneumatic conveying system is designed and…
Industrial fermentation using bacteria, yeast and other microbes to produce specific products has the potential to reduce future dependence on fossil-fuel-derived chemicals. To further the economic viability of industrial fermentation processes, engineers have turned to genetic modification to stimulate production…
Actuators are attached to the control mechanism of a valve to replace a manual lever or handle, and they control the position of a valve (open, closed or specific position) remotely and automatically. In industrial applications, numerous types of actuators…