When updating equipment protection systems in a plant, it often pays to think long term. Today’s protection systems can do more than avoid catastrophic failure — they are the foundation of an enterprise-wide predictive maintenance program Chemical process industries (CPI)…
Tire recycling The Mitsubishi Chemical Group (MCG; Tokyo, Japan; www.mcgc.com) has demonstrated chemical recycling of end-of-life tires (ELTs) using the coke ovens at its Kagawa Plant (Sakaide City, Kagawa Prefecture). The company is able to feed crushed ELTs as raw…
A strategic approach to asset and alarm management will reduce alarm fatigue, mitigate risk and support more effective response On April 20, 2010, an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig (owned by Transocean and operated by BP) killed…
Industrial electrolysis involves passing a direct electric current through an electrolyte to elicit a range of chemical reactions. Electrolyzers are key pieces of technology for producing many important industrial chemicals. This one-page reference reviews the basic general operation of an…
Last month, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE, www.energy.gov) announced that two Energy Innovation Hub teams would receive a total of $125 million ($62.5 million to each team) in funding over five years to “seed and accelerate next-generation technologies beyond…
This article examines the application of reinforcing pads for strengthening nozzles in pressure vessels and the impact of the geometric gap that exists between the pad and the vessel shell Many common forms of nozzle connections in technological applications are…
Seemingly small component changes can make a large impact on the productivity of electrochemistry systems, such as electrolyzers used for producing “green” hydrogen. For example, a new coating technology developed by Oxford nanoSystems Ltd. (OnS; Abingdon, U.K.; www.oxfordnanosystems.com), when applied…
Optimizing electrical conductivity in next-generation batteries depends on carefully controlling process variables, such as mixing, particle-size distribution and temperature. Presented here is a discussion of how these process variables affect battery performance In the evolving landscape of energy storage technologies,…
There are many categories of air contaminants that may be encountered in industry, from volatile organic compounds to aerosols to viruses, as well as a range of particulate matter and ultra-fine particles, which also vary greatly in size and properties.…
Onsite recycling proved cost-effective for an aerospace supplier. With real-time feedback and control, a new automation upgrade takes process efficiency to the next level Throughout the chemical process industries (CPI), efficient and affordable approaches to wastewater treatment are of paramount…