The Lubrizol Corp. (Wickliffe, Ohio; www.lubrizol.com) has announced that Eric R. Schnur, currently executive vice president and chief operating officer, has been named president, effective immediately, and will become chairman and chief executive officer on January 2, 2017. James L.…
Amec Foster Wheeler (London, U.K.; www.amecfw.com) announced the award of a contract for the engineering and material supply of a steam reformer heater for hydrogen production for the JSC Orsknefteorgsintez refinery at Orsk, Russia. The heater will be based on…
Umicore N.V. (Brussels, Belgium; www.umicore.com) has reached an agreement to sell its Zinc Chemicals business unit to OpenGate Capital, a U.S.-based private equity firm with a focus on developing a broad portfolio of high-quality industrial activities. The transaction places an…
KBR, Inc. (Houstson; www.kbr.com) announced today it has been awarded a license and basic engineering design contract by a confidential client for a grassroots Distill-Max Stabilizer Column at Shandong Province in China. Under the terms of the contract, KBR will…
The Hungarian subsidiary of Messer Group (Bad Soden, Germany; www.messergroup.com) has finalized the purchase of Air Liquide Hungary Ipari Gáztermelő Kft. with the approval of the competition authority. Messer Hungarogáz Kft. will thus take over some 50 employees, as well…
Hexcel Corp. (Stamford, Conn.; www.hexcel.com) has made a strategic investment in Oxford Performance Materials (OPM). OPM produces thermoplastic, carbon-fiber-reinforced 3D printed parts for commercial aerospace and space and defense applications. Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President Nick Stanage said, “Aerospace adoption…
SABIC (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com) has signed a Project Development Agreement (PDA) with Shenhua Ningxia Coal Industry Group Co. (SNCG), a subsidiary of Shenhua Group Corp., effective May 30, 2016. The PDA relates to the two parties’ potential joint development…
Cooling-tower motor A new electric motor for driving cooling-tower fans features a design that prevents current from flowing through the shaft bearings, allowing longer lifetime and less maintenance. The TEAO motor, made by Marathon Motors Corp. (Wausau, Wis.; www.marathonelectric.com) also…
A major part of field work lies in troubleshooting problems: finding out why a system is not operating the way it is intended. This article provides guidelines for effective troubleshooting and contains many practical examples of their successful use Effective…
When vortex formation limits outflow from a tank, consider a disc-type vortex breaker Chemical engineers have long said that, while it is easy to get liquid into a tank, it can be difficult to get liquid out. Large line sizes…