Mixing and blending of bulk solids is common in pharmaceutical and food manufacturing, specialty chemicals, explosives, fertilizers, glass and ceramics, detergents and resin industries. This column provides information on batch versus continuous blending mechanisms. Batch versus continuous Batch blending processes…
Whether to remove solid contaminants from a liquid or separate a solid product from a solvent, solid-liquid (S-L) separation is a common unit operation across the chemical process industries (CPI). This one-page reference provides an overview of S-L separation methods,…
Properly selected and executed sampling techniques are essential for assessing, controlling and mitigating internal corrosion of pipes and other assets in the chemical process industries (CPI). Key data for evaluating an asset or piping system for internal corrosion include the…
Agglomeration is a natural phenomenon in which solid particles stick to each other or to surfaces. When unwanted, agglomeration can cause problems, such as caking, buildup or lumping, but it is also an important particle-size enlargement process widely used in…
Determination of pH is a critical and ubiquitous operation whenever water is used in the chemical process industries (CPI). This one-page reference provides a review of pH chemistry and information on pH measurement equipment in CPI applications. Chemistry of pH…
Distillation is a critical separation tool for many applications in the chemical process industries (CPI), and the intelligent design of a distillation column can have a large impact on eventual process performance and efficiency. This reference sheet outlines the design…
Combustion in industrial burners is a critical operation in the chemical process industries (CPI) for supplying thermal energy for heat transfer, fluid heating, steam generation, distillation, endothermic chemical reactions, metal melting and others. Burners are mechanical devices utilized for mixing…
A handful of compounds derived from natural gas and crude petroleum are converted into a vast array of industrial petrochemicals. Starting materials for most petrochemical intermediates include synthesis gas, ethylene, propylene, butadiene and BTX (benzene, toluene, xylenes). This one-page reference…
Heat-transfer-fluid (HTF) system piping is insulated to reduce heat loss and prevent worker contact with hot surfaces. Insulated piping minimizes the effects of changes in ambient temperature to help ensure precise control of process temperature. Proper design of the HTF…
Chemical functional groups are critical determinants of the properties and reactivity of compounds. The following provides a review of the structures of common organic functional groups, along with some notes and examples. Alkyne. Acetylene is used as a fuel for…