Allyl chloride (3-chloropropene; Figure 1) is primarily used almost exclusively as a chemical intermediate in the production of epichlorohydrin. A three-carbon epoxide, epichlorohydrin is used in the manufacture of epoxy resins prevalent in coatings, adhesives, and plastics. Epichlorohydrin is also…
Light hydrocarbons in storage tanks can vaporize and vent to the atmosphere, creating harmful emissions. An optimized vapor-recovery unit can effectively and economically reduce such emissions In the chemicals, petroleum refining and natural gas industries, storage vessels are used to…
Often, operational problems in steam systems are misattributed because the system’s steam quality is not closely monitored. A clear understanding of steam quality can help to better address these issues Steam quality describes the proportion of saturated steam (vapor) in…
Ethylene is used almost exclusively as a building block — it is the largest-volume petrochemical produced worldwide (Figure 1). Production of ethylene grew rapidly in the middle of the 20th century, when oil and chemical companies began separating it from…
In a data-overloaded environment, companies may struggle to fully reap the benefits of Industry 4.0 technologies. Understanding data utilization can help transform process datasets into decision-making assets The chemical process industries (CPI) have been realizing for some time that information…
Following this approach to assessing health, safety and environmental risks can steer engineers to consider more inherently safe process options earlier in process synthesis During process synthesis in the chemical process industries (CPI), engineers make decisions that determine the inherent…
Flexible intermediate bulk containers (FIBCs), sometimes known as bulk bags, are widely used in the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, food, agriculture and other chemical process industries (CPI) sectors, to transport and store dry, flowable bulk-solid materials, such as granules, powders, grains, clays,…
When designing a regenerative thermal oxidizer, engineers should not overlook the high-cycle valves that control process air and help maintain efficiency Regenerative thermal oxidizers (RTOs) are regularly utilized in the chemical process industries (CPI) to collect and control air-pollution emissions…
The versatile nature of gear-pump technology allows operators to handle multiple fluids in multiple applications Pump technology can be traced as far back as the B.C. era, when ancient Egyptians used a shadoof to move water from one source (in…
Filtration is arguably the most common unit operation in the chemical process industries (CPI). Filtration processes can be divided into three broad categories: cake filtration, where the incoming slurry contains enough solid material to form a cake on the filter…