Conceptual capital-cost estimates are important for assessing the economic viability of proposed projects, but their usefulness depends on understanding how to appropriately apply the estimates Capital cost estimates are a crucial step in order to make prudent decisions regarding any…
Advanced level measurement devices enhanced with intelligence solve CPI challenges Chemical processes often require handling media that is corrosive, flammable, explosive or toxic with wide ranges in temperature and pressure and characteristics that include steam, dust, foam, turbulence and condensation.…
The demand for “green” methanol as a low-carbon fuel is rising, making it a valuable commodity, as well as a promising avenue for waste-carbon utilization, especially since it can be readily produced from “stranded” carbon sources, such as flare gas.…
The push toward decarbonization is driving an increased interest in electrochemical processes. Here, the authors share their experience in industrializing these processes The field of electrochemistry offers a disruptive methodology to revolutionize the chemical process industries (CPI) by electrifying processes.…
This article made available to you by: Previously used process equipment can offer significant cost advantages in capital construction projects, but there are important questions to consider before pursuing pre-owned equipment Many misconceptions persist in the marketplace about secondhand equipment.…
A new demonstration plant is upcycling gypsum (calcium sulfate) — a material that is typically challenging to dispose of — at a metal-refining site using a process that combines salt-splitting electrolysis, caustic direct-air capture (DAC) and mineralization. Travertine Technologies, Inc.…
Plant Watch Evonik breaks ground on specialty-amine production plant in Nanjing November 11, 2024 — Evonik Industries AG (Essen, Germany; www.evonik.com) has broken ground on its plant expansion for specialty amines in Nanjing, China. The Nanjing plant specializes in producing…
Eighty years ago, in 1944, Dr. Hans Müller from Winterthur, Switzerland filed a patent application for a device designed to process liquid substances at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property in Bern. Liquids prone to fouling on heated surfaces,…
Scientists at the Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL; Upton, N.Y.; www.bnl.gov) and collaborating institutions have engineered a highly selective catalyst that can convert methane into methanol in a one-step reaction. The system could help make better use of “stranded” natural gas…
Henry Kister shares lessons learned from troubleshooting distillation towers This conversation started in a course I was presenting in Sydney, Australia. I was about 15 minutes into my presentation when a delegate from a major petroleum refinery stopped me. “How…