ANSI/ISA-18.2, Management of Alarm Systems for the Process Industries, changed the world of alarm management when first published in 2009 with the introduction of activities grouped into the alarm management lifecycle, according to ISA (Research Triangle Park, N.C.; www.isa.org). That…
Antimicrobial tubing reduces the risk of bacterial transfer Clearflo Ag-47 antimicrobial tubing (photo) is now available in an additional seven sizes, expanding its range up to 1-in. inner dia. The NSF-listed tubing protects liquids from harmful bacteria that can result…
Biomass to sugar Plans are underway to build a commercial-scale sugar-production facility that uses a novel process for converting corn stover into high-purity glucose. The 95%-pure glucose syrup produced there will be used as a raw material in the production…
The latest NFPA standard applies to many industry sectors, and aims to address the fragmented nature of the industry-specific standards currently in place On September 7, 2015, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA; Quincy, Mass.; www.nfpa.org) issued NFPA 652 (Standard…
The numerous flame sources in CPI facilities necessitate the installation of advanced flame-detection technologies Fire is a primary and very real threat to people, equipment and facilities in the chemical process industries (CPI), especially in the refining and storage of…
An overview of the tools available to reliability professionals for making their organization the best-in-class Since the 1960s, process facility operators have made concerted efforts to improve the overall reliability and availability of their plants. From reliability theory to practical…
Focusing on a ‘reliability culture,’ mechanical availability and optimum costs leads to top performance Three factors drive manufacturing performance in the chemical process industries (CPI). These factors establish an operational culture that creates maximum availability of assets (mechanical availability) at…
Mechanical seals, as required by most vessel agitators, are systems sufficiently complex to warrant a good understanding by engineers and appropriate training for operators To ensure safe and reliable agitator operation, the sealing of the rotating shaft is of fundamental…
Many factors can impact the success of mixing in chemical process operations. The design breakthroughs profiled here address some of the most commonly encountered issues The last few decades have not lacked for innovations in mixing technology. As the chemical…
This column is based on “Styrene-Butadiene Rubber Production: Cost Analysis,” a report published by Intratec Solutions that can be found at: www.intratec.us/analysis/styrene-butadiene-rubber-production-cost. Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) is an elastomer that was originally developed prior to World War II as a replacement…