Latest News
Fully autonomous modules produce carbon-neutral synthetic natural gas
Rivan Industries (London, U.K.; www.rivan.com) has deployed its first full-scale modular synthetic natural gas (SNG) system, marking a milestone in autonomous fuels production at scale. Powered by a 1-MW solar array, the SNG system’s only inputs are rainwater and CO2,…
Effect of Orientation on Heat-Exchanger Performance
The importance of heat-exchanger orientation on process operations is illustrated using a real-world case study from an ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol plant The flow dynamics associated with the presence of both a liquid and a gas (or vapor) phase inside a…
Downcomer Backup Flooding: In Search of the Truth
Correctly identifying flood mechanisms that limit throughput in a distillation column is central to maximizing capacity and debottlenecking. Guidelines for diagnosing the mechanism are described in Ref. 1. This column recounts a case of downcomer backup flooding. Backup from frothy…
New technique for recycling composite materials breaks down thermoset to recover fibers
Poly(dicyclopentadiene), or pDCPD, is a thermoset plastic often used with fiberglass or carbon fibers to make high-strength, lightweight composite materials. Such composites are difficult to recycle practically, leaving environmentally harmful incineration as the most common end-of-life scenario. Now, a team…
Root-Cause Failure Analysis of Heat Exchangers: From Postmortem to Prediction
This practical framework can help engineers transition their heat-exchanger diagnostics from after-the-fact investigation to continuous, chemistry-aware forecasting Chemical producers are pushing the limits more than ever. In addition to extending turnaround intervals from 3–5 years to 7–9 years, ethylene producers…
Editor’s Page: Hazardous Waste Management
Hazardous waste management is often discussed in the context of environmental and public health impact, and rightly so; those areas are important. But recently, an interesting report took a look at hazardous waste management from a different angle: its impact…
Business News: November 2026
Plant Watch MOL Group opens first biomethane plant in Szarvas, Hungary October 14, 2026 — MOL Group Plc. (Budapest, Hungary; molgroup.info) inaugurated its first biomethane plant in Szarvas, Hungary. As a result of the investment of more than HUF 2.7…
Upcycled steel byproduct sequesters phosphorus and sulfur in wastewater digesters
To inhibit fouling and H2S formation, chemicals like ferric chloride, ferric sulfate and aluminum sulfate are often used to reduce the concentration of phosphorus and sulfur in digesters at wastewater treatment facilities. While effective at isolating sulfides and phosphates, these…
Focus On: Weighing
These low-profile scales are hygienic The PHD779 series (photo) is a set of floor scales designed for hygienic operations. The low-profile platforms of the PHD779 units alleviate the most common challenges associated with floor scales, the company says. With in-process…
How AI-Powered Visual Inspection is Reframing Industrial Hygiene
From PPE compliance to spill detection and dust accumulation, smart inspection and monitoring systems are giving real-time visibility into industrial hygiene hazards that manual inspections routinely miss Many use cases for industrial artificial intelligence (AI) have been documented in recent…