Plant layout is as important a part of process plant design as it ever was, but it is rarely taught as part of chemical engineering courses While process plant layout is a critical aspect of chemical process industries (CPI) operations,…
Be vigilant about parallel pumping conditions that can lead to catastrophic failures During my career, I have seen several massive centrifugal pump failures caused by pump users attempting to operate pumps in parallel without the proper equipment review, procedural review…
Users should consider both options when selecting a DP device. Understanding the differences can help make the decision for a given set of process conditions Differential pressure (DP) measurements are used in many branches of the chemical process industries (CPI)…
JGC Corp. (Yokohama, Japan; www.jgc.com) has been awarded the contract for the construction of a Methionine production facility for Sumitomo Chemical Company, Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan; www.sumitomo-chem.co.jp). This new plant, which will be constructed alongside Sumitomo Chemical’s existing factory located in…
Babcock & Wilcox Enterprises, Inc. (B&W; Charlotte, N.C.; www.babcock.com) says that its Denmark-based subsidiary, Babcock & Wilcox Vølund A/S (B&W Vølund), has been awarded a contract for nearly $40 million to design a waste-to-energy boiler for Shenzhen Energy Environmental Engineering…
The American Chemistry Council’s (ACC; Washington, D.C.; www.americanchemistry.com) Global Chemical Production Regional Index (Global CPRI) shows that the fourth quarter started on a soft note, with the index for October showing no gain or loss on a three-month moving average…
Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Dallas, Tex.; www.jacobs.com) has received a contract to complete a feasibility study for a propane dehydrogenation (PDH) plant located at the existing Borealis AG (Vienna, Austria; www.borealisgroup.com) production site in Kallo, Belgium. As part of the…
Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG; Cornwall, U.K.; www.wmftg.com) has acquired Aflex Hose Limited and its subsidiary Aflex Hose USA LLC (Aflex) through its parent company Spirax-Sarco Engineering plc, for £61.4 million (around $77 million). Aflex, based in Halifax, England and…
Air Products (Lehigh Valley, Pa.; www.airproducts.com) and Grupa Azoty Zakłady Azotowe Kędzierzyn S.A., part of Grupa Azoty (Tarnów, Poland), the second largest producer of mineral fertilizers in the European Union, have signed a long-term contract for the delivery of oxygen…
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI; Tokyo, Japan; www.mhi-global.com) has received an order for supply of systems to support a large-scale polyethylene production train for ExxonMobil's Beaumont Polyethylene plant. The new production train is slated to be completed in 2019, and…