Adding flare-gas recovery units at strategic locations of an olefin plant can not only reduce emissions, but will save money as well Although gas flaring is necessary at some chemical process industries (CPI) plants or facilities, more and more efforts…
Alternative designs for pressure relief systems may offer investment cost savings Pressure relief systems for the chemical process industries (CPI) are essential to prevent a process system, or any of its components, from being subjected to pressures that exceed the…
Hydrogen (H2) is an important chemical feedstock, mainly applied in the manufacture of ammonia and methanol, and for hydroprocessing operations in petroleum refineries. Also, since H2 is an energy carrier, it has been considered for stationary power and transportation applications.…
A practical step-by-step guide for reducing future tube failure Forced outage of a direct-fired heater is the worst nightmare for any operator in a petroleum-refining or petrochemical plant. Since fired heaters are not replaceable by spares, forced outage in many…
Catalysis is among the most important chemical phenomena in industrial chemistry, as well as in many biological and research fields. This one-page reference provides a review of several of the fundamental concepts underlying catalysis. Catalyst basics A catalyst interacts with…
The decanter centrifuge is an important piece of equipment for sludge volume reduction prior to thermal drying. Understanding centrifuge operation helps manage drying energy costs Consecutive mechanical dewatering and thermal drying are integral parts of sludge management, lowering the sludge…
Material- and energy-balance models can help to identify potential opportunities The processing of mined minerals in aboveground facilities relies on several energy- intensive unit operations, such as comminution, screening and material transport. Crushing operations typically produce a wide distribution of…
Vacuum drying can be a useful tool for solid products that are heat-sensitive. Here are some guidelines for the selection and use of various types of vacuum dryers Drying is an essential unit operation in a variety of chemical process…
Enzymes are proteins synthesized in living cells that act as biocatalysts for specific reactions. However, enzymes must be applied under mild conditions, since they lose their catalytic activity when subjected to heat, organic solvents or strong acids and bases. Enzymes…
This type of tank is often preferred to cylindrical tanks when space is limited. Follow this guidance to calculate the relevant dimension and ensure safe construction With the increasing age of many chemical process plants, a challenge often arises when…