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Tower Doctor: Can the Cure be as Bad as the Illness?

Henry Kister shares lessons learned from troubleshooting distillation towers During a course that I was presenting in Houston one year, a participant asked me the following at the end of one of the sessions: “Do you have experience with BX-type…

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New solvents derived from biomass

Last month, Circa Group A/S (Oslo, Norway; www.circa-group.com) applied for patents for two new solvents for CO2 capture processes. The solvents, named Furatech:1 and Furatech:2, were developed over the last 12 months as part of the company’s platform molecule, levoglucosenone…

Digitalization progress and hurdles

At the 7th Connected Plant Conference, held June 25–28 in New Orleans, (CPC; www.connectedplantconference.com), attendees heard about significant progress made toward the digital transformation in the chemical process industries (CPI) along several fronts. However, complex challenges remain as organizations seek…

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A biomimetic process to make soft fibers for smart textiles

For intelligent textiles to function effectively, they need to be strong, stretchable and electrically conductive. However, fabricating fibers that possess these three properties has been challenging. Drawing inspiration from how spiders spin silk to make webs, an international team of…

Easy-to-operate level-measuring devices

The new generation of Micropilot 80 GHz radar sensors (photo) — FMR60B, FMR62B, FMR63B, FMR66B and FMR67B — are suited for challenges when measuring points that are not easily accessible, located in dusty areas and harsh environments with extreme process…

Focus on Analyzers

A self-calibrating process-development Raman system The PTRam analyzer (photo) is a high-performance, precise, rugged and reliable Raman system featuring self-calibration and automated performance validation to ensure validity of every measurement. The system features long-lasting laser stability for consistent results, a…

Two pressure transmitters at the same measuring point

For a pharmaceutical manufacturer, this company developed a customized product to measure significantly varying pressures from a single measuring point. The solution was to use two pressure transmitters from the Pascal CV3 series, each covering different measuring ranges and both…

A new electrolyzer module for this simulation software

This company recently released an electrolyzer module in the new version of its ProSimPlus software (photo). By combining this module with other equipment from the ProSimPlus library, users can simulate the entire process of H2 production via electrolysis of water…

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Minimizing the Effects of VOCs and Reactive Gases on Industrial-Grade LED Lighting

Chemical plants should not overlook the potential problems that can arise from damaged or malfunctioning lighting fixtures It is no secret that many chemical plants and industrial sites are prone to harsh environmental conditions that can wreak havoc on equipment…

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Standard Operating Procedures are Critical for Boiler and Steam Operations

An overview on the importance of standard operation procedures (SOPs) and how to write them Today, it is necessary to have standard operating procedures (SOPs) for steam and condensate systems, boilers, deaerators and even steam process units (Figure 1). An…