Liquid density is important to engineers throughout the chemical process industries (CPI). Knowledge of liquid density is required in the design of storage vessels. In hazard analysis, knowledge of liquid density is required in the design of the relief valves…
Although some CPI management may not realize it, PLCs (programmable logic controllers) are the brains behind many operations in the chemical process industries (CPI). A malfunctioning PLC can cause lines, plants and even operations such as city bridges and water…
To ensure the health and safety of workers, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) adopted the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) in 1983. Initially designed to protect workers in the manufacturing sector, the HCS was expanded in 1987 to…
Click here for full pdf version of this article - includes all graphs, charts, tables, and author information The use of safety standards, particularly IEC 61508 [1] and IEC 61511 [2], has increased rapidly in the past several years. Along…
Click here for full pdf version of this article - includes all graphs, charts, tables, and author information  This fourth in a series of articles* on piping for process plants examines two topics that may, at first, seem to…
Click here for full pdf version of this article - includes all graphs, charts, tables, and author information Explosion prevention must be a primary objective wherever the process of transferring powders into flammable solvents is utilized, irrelevant of the…
The screening process has always been the workhorse for solid-solid separation in chemical, pharmaceutical, food, mineral processing, coal and agricultural sectors. It can be done in dry or wet mode depending on the state of the feed and…
The need to reduce production costs and optimize energy consumption makes proper pump selection more important than ever. Understanding basic pumping principles and the fluid characteristics for a given application is the starting point for selection It has been said…
Most columns shut down without fires. Yet most refineries and chemical plants at some time or another have experienced spontaneous or hot work ignitions in at least one column. When this occurs inside a column during or after…
Emergency pressure relief is a dynamic event with rapidly changing physical properties. Available utilities aren’t always capable of handling the complex calculations commonly needed in the CPI. A simplified calculation technique is presented to address the issue of valve sizing…