The barrier-management approach to process safety can help organizations better understand and proactively address the risk inherent in their operations Facilities in the chemical process industries (CPI) have many barriers in place to prevent or limit the effects of a…
The CO2 electrochemical reduction reaction (CO2RR) has intrigued scientists for decades as a way to make fuel and chemicals from the greenhouse gas CO2. Prior research identified copper as a CO2RR catalyst, and has revealed the active sites where electrocatalysis…
Pneumatic conveying uses air to either push (positive pressure) or pull (negative pressure) solid material through a conveying line. The characteristics of the solid materials being conveyed play a significant role in how the pneumatic conveying system is designed and…
The momentum continues for sustainability projects, as successful sustainability programs are found to be essential for business success Last month, this column discussed the continuing momentum of sustainability…
Operations are planned to start up soon at a first-of-its-kind recycling demonstration plant in Monthey, Switzerland. Employing a proprietary reaction technology developed by DePoly S.A. (Sion, Switzerland; www.depoly.co), the plant is set to treat up to 500 tons/yr of polyethylene…
For novel process technologies, each development stage brings new safety obligations. This guide provides a practical framework for navigating safety responsibilities from early R&D to commercialization Developing new process technologies — especially those involving hazardous materials or operations at high…
A new gasification process designed for the disposal of biosolids is also capable of destroying per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminants, which are typically very resistant to conventional treatment processes. Aries Clean Technologies (Franklin, Tenn.; www.ariescleantech.com) recently validated its fluidized-bed…
A “plug-and-play” microbial technology enables the recovery of additional copper from low-grade ores when used alongside traditional sulfuric-acid heap-leach methods. Working synergistically within the existing heap-leach infrastructure, the unique microbial communities that have been cultivated by Endolith (Westminster, Colo.; www.endolithmining.com)…
Thin-film polymer membranes have been very effective for industrial-scale desalination of seawater, but have not been used for separation of liquid hydrocarbon mixtures because oil-separation membranes tend to absorb oil components and swell, which eliminates their size-sieving ability to separate…
Rotary kilns, essential in catalyst production, require diligent maintenance. Key considerations are presented here Rotary kilns are essential to catalyst production, facilitating the thermal treatment conditions necessary to help ensure that catalysts can meet performance expectations as efficiently as possible.…