May 2016

May
2016
www.chemengonline.com
Combustible
Dust Standards
Facts at Your
Fingertips:
Insulating Heat-
Transfer Piping
Focus on Pipes, Reliability and

Tubes and Fittings Maintenance
Developments
in Petroleum
Mixing: Refining
Protecting Industrial
Control Systems
Innovative Designs Monitoring Flame
and Agitator Seals
page 42
Hazards
Circle 04 on p. 94 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-04
May 2016 Volume 123 | no. 5
Cover Story
42 Part 1 Mixers: Four Innovations Worth a Closer Look
Many factors can impact the success of mixing in chemical process
operations. The design breakthroughs profiled here address some of the most
commonly encountered issues
50 Part 2 Reliable Operation and Sealing of
Agitators Mechanical seals, as required by most vessel
agitators, are systems sufficiently complex to warrant a good
understanding by engineers and good training for operators
In the News
7 Chementator
Making complex silicone parts by 3-D printing; Syngas-to-lipids
process demonstrated; A joint effort to enable the production of
sulfur-enhanced urea at large scale; Microbes make a meal of
PET; Extremophilic algae selectively recover precious metals from
solution; and more
14 Business News
TCV begins construction of new liquid polybutadiene plant in France; Vertellus 42
completes expansion for DEET insect repellent; Linde to build air-separation
unit in Malaysia; Startup of new purified terephthalic acid line in China; Praxair
signs contracts with glassmaker; and more
16 Newsfront New Developments Take Shape for U.S.

Petroleum Refiners Process safety strategies, water use and alkylation
were among the topics figuring prominently at the 2016 AFPM meeting
22 Newsfront Protecting Your Industrial Control 50
System A holistic and proactive approach to cybersecurity can help
protect your industrial control system from hackers
Technical and Practical 16

38 Facts at your Fingertips Insulating Heat-Transfer
Fluid Piping This one-page reference provides information about
insulation used for heat-transer fluid systems
40 Technology Profile Styrene-Butadiene Rubber via

an Emulsion Process This column describes a process for making
65
styrene-butadiene rubber using an emulsion-based approach
58 Feature Report Part 1 Equipment Reliability Trends

of Top Performers in the CPI Focusing on a “reliability culture,”
mechanical availability and optimum costs leads to top performance
65 Feature Report Part 2 Integrated Risk-Management

Matrices An overview of the tools available to reliability professionals for
making their organization the best-in-class
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MAY 2016 1

70 Environmental Manager Monitoring Flame Hazards
In Chemical Plants The numerous flame sources in CPI facilities
necessitate the installation of advanced flame-detection technologies
74 Solids Processing NFPA 652: Standardizing
Combustible Dust Standards The latest NFPA standard applies
to many industry sectors, and aims to address the fragmented nature of the
industry-specific standards currently in place
Equipment and Services

28 Focus on Pipes, Tubes and Fittings
Antimicrobial tubing reduces the risk of bacterial transfer; Corrugated sleeving
protects tubing; Sorbent tubing aids in the analysis of trace organics; Flow-
70
modeling software addresses piping issues; and more
32 New Products
Radar measurement with 79 GHz technology; A metering pump for low-pressure
ranges; This high-speed separator also discharges quietly; Mixing, coating and
drying with high-performance mixers; Laboratory dryer simulates production
steps; and more
74
I-1 Show Preview IFAT 2016 The International Trade Fair for Water,
Sewage, Waste and Raw Materials Management will be held May 30–June 3 in
Munich, Germany. Here is a small selection of products at the IFAT exhibition
Departments
5 Editor’s Page Communicating in acronyms
Like many fields, the chemical process industries are awash in acronyms. While
28 useful tools, abbreviations need to be understood to be effective
96 Economic Indicators
Advertisers
79 Gulf Coast Special Advertising Section
32 90 Hot Products
92 Product Showcase
93 Classified
94 Reader Service
95 Ad Index
I-1
Chemical Connections
Follow @ChemEngMag on Twitter
Join the Chemical Engineering Magazine
LinkedIn Group
Visit us on www.chemengonline.com for Latest News,
Webinars, Test your Knowledge Quizzes, Bookshelf
and more
Coming in June
Look for: Feature Reports on Filtration; and Pressure Relief; A Focus
on Sensors; A Facts at your Fingertips on Industrial Reactions;
News Articles on Heat Exchange Equipment; and Glass Manufacturing;
New Products; and more
Cover Photo: Photo of planetary mixer courtesy of Charles Ross & Son Company
Cover Design: Rob Hudgins
2 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MAY 2016

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Editor s Page
PUBLISHER ART & DESIGN
Communicating in acronyms
MICHAEL GROSSMAN ROB HUDGINS
Vice President and Group Publisher Graphic Designer
mgrossman@accessintel.com rhudgins@accessintel.com
L
anguage evolves. As the needs of the users change, language
EDITORS PRODUCTION adapts to meet those needs. One way to adapt is to add new
DOROTHY LOZOWSKI SOPHIE CHAN-WOOD words. “Selfie,” for example, now a well-known word, has only
Editor in Chief Production Manager
dlozowski@chemengonline.com schan-wood@accessintel.com been in popular use for a few years. Additional examples of
INFORMATION new words come to mind rather quickly, such as emoji, and pho-
GERALD ONDREY (FRANKFURT)
Senior Editor SERVICES tobomb; and some old words have taken on new meaning — for
gondrey@chemengonline.com
CHARLES SANDS example, tweet.
Director of Digital Development
SCOTT JENKINS csands@accessintel.com The popularity of texting (itself a rather recent word, shortened from
Senior Editor
sjenkins@chemengonline.com CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
text messaging) has brought with it a seemingly whole new language
MARY PAGE BAILEY SUZANNE A. SHELLEY
— the abbreviated word form of acronyms. There are numerous re-
Assistant Editor sshelley@chemengonline.com sources online to help those of us who are not regular “texters” to sort
mbailey@chemengonline.com
CHARLES BUTCHER (U.K.) through the maze of acronyms such as AFK, BRB and TTYL (away
cbutcher@chemengonline.com
AUDIENCE
DEVELOPMENT
from keyboard, be right back, talk to you later).
PAUL S. GRAD (AUSTRALIA) But acronyms are not new. When a group of words is used often,
SARAH GARWOOD pgrad@chemengonline.com
Audience Marketing Director whether in personal communications or in business, we find ways to
sgarwood@accessintel.com
TETSUO SATOH (JAPAN)
tsatoh@chemengonline.com
shorten it. Some acronyms were in common use long before technol-
JESSICA GRIER
Marketing Manager
ogy allowed for the popularity of texting, such as FYI and ASAP (for
jgrier@accessintel.com JOY LEPREE (NEW JERSEY) your information, as soon as possible).
jlepree@chemengonline.com
GEORGE SEVERINE And in business situations, trade-specific acronyms abound. Terms
GERALD PARKINSON (CALIFORNIA)
Fulfillment Manager
gseverine@accessintel.com
gparkinson@chemengonline.com like SEO (search engine optimization) may be well-known across mul-
tiple business segments, while other terms may be known only within
JEN FELLING a specific area.
List Sales, Statlistics (203) 778-8700
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EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD The abbreviated CPI

JOHN CARSON HENRY KISTER In the chemical process industries (CPI), we commonly come across
Jenike & Johanson, Inc. Fluor Corp.
numerous acronyms — FEED, PSV, HAZOP, PSM, PFD, FCC and
DAVID DICKEY GERHARD KREYSA (RETIRED) P&ID to name a few (front-end engineering and design, process
MixTech, Inc. DECHEMA e.V.
safety valve, hazard and operability study, process safety manage-
MUKESH DOBLE
IIT Madras, India
RAM RAMACHANDRAN(Retired) ment, process flow diagram, fluid catalytic cracking, and piping and
The Linde Group
instrumentation diagram). Most chemical engineers would probably
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recognize these acronyms and know what they mean in their industry.
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Others, however, may have different ideas as to what they stand for.
When I type PFD into my browser, for example, the top responses are
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about personal flotation devices.
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Even within the CPI, various sectors and experts in their fields use
abbreviations that may not be immediately recognized or known to
CIRCULATION REQUESTS:
Tel: 847-564-9290 many chemical engineers. Examples might include MBBR, CCS and
Fax: 847-564-9453
Fullfillment Manager; P.O. Box 3588, PSA (moving-bed biofilm reactor, carbon capture and storage, pres-
Northbrook, IL 60065-3588
email: chemeng@omeda.com
sure swing adsorption). Sometimes meanings can become clear
through context, but not always. Experts in specific subject areas are
ADVERTISING REQUESTS: SEE P. 94
For reprints, licensing and permissions: Wright's Media, 1-877-652-5295, often surprised to learn that the acronyms they commonly use are not
sales@wrightsmedia.com
well-known to all chemical engineers, and in fact, might have a differ-
ACCESS INTELLIGENCE, LLC ent meaning in another sector of the CPI.
DON PAZOUR SYLVIA SIERRA Acronyms and abbreviations are great tools for fast communication.
Chief Executive Officer Senior Vice President,
Customer Acquisition and Retention We have to keep in mind, though, that the main purpose of language
HEATHER FARLEY is communication. If the recipient of our acronyms and abbreviations
Chief Operating Officer ALISON JOHNS
Senior Vice President, Digital Development doesn’t understand them, then we have failed in
ED PINEDO
Executive Vice President MICHAEL KRAUS that endeavor.
& Chief Financial Officer VP, Production, Digital Media
& Design
MACY L. FECTO In this issue
Exec. Vice President, STEVE BARBER
Human Resources & Administration Vice President, This issue covers a broad range of topics, includ-
Financial Planning and Internal Audit
JENNIFER SCHWARTZ
ing mixer designs, agitator seals, petroleum refining,
Senior Vice President & Group Publisher
Aerospace, Energy, Healthcare
GERALD STASKO
Vice President/Corporate Controller
reliability, flame monitoring, dust hazards, cyberse-
curity for industrial control systems and much more.
ROB PACIOREK
Senior Vice President, We hope you enjoy it. ■
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www.accessintel.com
Dorothy Lozowski, Editor in Chief

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Chementator
Making complex silicone parts by 3-D printing
Edited by:
T
he field of additive manufactur-
ing (AM) — often referred to as Gerald Ondrey
3-D printing — has seen explosive
growth in recent years (Chem. Eng., BIOMASS TO SUGAR
February 2015, pp. 20–23). In AM, no tools Plans are underway to build
or molds are required to shape the desired a commercial-scale sugar-
part; instead, the workpiece is built up in production facility that uses a
successive layers. While the technology has novel process for converting
evolved over the last 25 years, the main ma- corn stover into high-purity
terials used have been photopolymers and glucose. The 95%-pure glu-
thermoplastics, says Bernd Pachaly, vice cose syrup produced there
president, Innovation Silicones at Wacker will be used as a raw mate-
Silicones (Berghausen, Germany; www. rial in the production of bio-
based chemicals. The plant,
wacker.com). “Up to now, there is no full-
to be located in Sarnia, Ont.,
stop [3-D printing] technology for elasto- will be owned and operated
mers, and in particular, silicones,” he says. by Comet Biorefining (Lon-
Because of silicones’ unique properties, don, Ont.; www.cometbiore-
such as thermal resistance, flexibility (also fining.com), and will produce
at low temperatures), transparency, bio- 60 million pounds per year of
compatibility and more, Wacker — together glucose when it comes on-
with a local prototyping specialist — began line in 2018.
a development project for silicone 3-D To convert corn stover to
printing in the second quarter of 2014, tak- that allows the droplets to flow together be- glucose at low cost, Com-
et’s technology focuses on
ing a holistic approach to develop material, fore they are exposed to ultraviolet light, which
separating the three com-
hardware and software. This year, Wacker activates the curing. Software controls the ponents of biomass (cel-
plans to commercialize its 3-D technology droplet size and the avoidance of bubbles. lulose, hemicellulose and
under the tradename, ACEO. The company The voxels and layers of silicone produce a lignin) and producing highly
already has second-generation prototype homogeneous material that does not differ reactive cellulose. The
systems capable of “printing” complex much from injection-molded silicone. But in company has developed
parts from silicone with extremely precise contrast to injection molding, the 3-D-printed a proprietary, two-stage
contours. The devices are used for fur- parts can be extremely complex, says Pach- activation process that is
ther process and material development. aly. “For complex shapes with overhangs and used to convert reactive
A third-generation printer is already on its hollow structures, the technology makes use cellulose into glucose at
significantly lower enzyme
way. Five production units are planned for of a support material, which is used during
loading than traditional pro-
Burghausen. The 3-D technology will be printing to enable the product design. After cesses, Comet says. The
launched at the K-Show (October 19–26; printing, the support material is removed by highly reactive cellulose
Düsseldorf, Germany). dissolving it in water.” The company be- generated by the activation
Wacker’s patent-pending technology lieves the technology will find applications process requires less post-
(photo) is based on a ballistic dosing of sili- in the medical field, for example for printing processing than compara-
cone “voxels” (3-D pixels), explains Pachaly. individualized orthoses or hearing aides that tive chemical approaches,
The silicone’s viscosity is adjusted in a way combine hard and soft materials. Comet adds, which lowers
production costs.
The Comet technology
also requires a smaller fa-
Syngas-to-lipids process demonstrated cility footprint than related
technologies, which lowers
R
esearchers at the Massachusetts a second bioreactor, where it is converted capital costs and helps re-
Institute of Technology (MIT; Cam- aerobically into lipids by an engineered duce feedstock transporta-
bridge, Mass.; www.mit.edu) have oleaginous yeast, Yarrowia lipolytica, the tion costs, since facilities
demonstrated a two-stage pro- research team explains. The MIT group’s can be located closer to bio-
cess to convert synthesis gas (syngas) into integrated, continuous, bench-scale reac- mass catchments, the com-
lipids that can be used in biodiesel pro- tor system produced 18 g/L of C16 to C18 pany says. The technology is
duction. Eventually, such a process could triacylglycerides directly from synthesis feedstock-flexible, with the
be used to convert waste gases from steel gas. Although the productivity of the over- ability to process the agri-
cultural residues corn stover
mills into liquid transportation fuels. In the all system still needs to be optimized, the
and wheat straw, as well as
first stage of the process, an anaerobic integrated system demonstrates the fea- wood chips.
bioreactor converts a mixture of CO2, CO sibility of substantial net fixation of carbon In March, Comet an-
and H2 to acetic acid, using the anaerobic dioxide and conversion of gaseous feed- nounced the receipt of a
bacterium Moorella thermoacetica. The stocks to lipids for biodiesel production,
acetic acid product is fed as a substrate to the teams says. (Continues on p. 8)
Note: For more information, circle the 56-digit number on p. 94, or use the website designation.

A patent granted for this self-diagnostic
$10.9 million grant from
Sustainable Development
technology used in boilers
Technology Canada (SDTC),
T
a government-funded sup- he Clark-Reliance
porter of cleantech projects. Corp. (Strongs-
ville, Ohio; www.
CO2 TO ETHYLENE clark-reliance.
The research group of com) has been awarded
Shouheng Sun, professor of a U.S. Patent for its Eye-
chemistry and engineering Hye SmartLevel system
at Brown University (Provi- for remote indication of
dence, R.I.; www.brown. water level for industrial
edu), has developed a new boilers. The patent rec-
composite catalyst using ni- ognizes the uniqueness
trogen-rich graphene dotted of the system’s self-
with copper nanoparticles.
diagnostic technology,
A study, published in Nano
Energy, shows that the new
which intelligently moni-
catalyst efficiently and selec- tors the condition of its
tively converts carbon diox- sensing probes. When
ide to ethylene. probe cleaning is needed
The study shows that 7-nm to remove residue and
copper particles deposited mineral build-up, the sys-
on graphene doped with tem’s smart technology
pyridinic nitrogen (an ar- notifies the control room before the probe valve life are extended because unneces-
rangement that causes ni- becomes unreliable. sary cleaning is avoided. Additionally, after a
trogen atoms to be bonded
By reliably indicating that probe cleaning blowdown, the Eye-Hye SmartLevel system
to two carbon atoms) had
a selectivity for ethylene of
is required, blowdowns to the system can has the intelligence to identify probes that
79%, significantly higher now be performed only when needed, elimi- did not get fully cleaned and have remained
than other approaches. nating nuisance inspections and blowdown unstable and need to be replaced, further
frequency while reducing personnel expo- simplifying maintenance while improving
CH4 TO METHANOL sure to hazardous areas. Probe life and system reliability.
Chemists at ETH Zurich
(www.chem.ethz.ch) and
the Paul Scherrer Institute A joint effort to enable the production of
(PSI; Villingen, both Swit- sulfur-enhanced urea at large scale
zerland; www.psi.ch) have
S
found a new, direct way to hell Thiogro (www.shell.com/ of the sulfur within the crop season.
convert methane into meth- sulphur/thiogro) and Uhde Fer- The advantages of Shell’s technology have
anol — a first step to utilizing tilizer Technologies (UFT; www. been combined with the features of UFT’s FB
natural gas instead of flaring
uhde-fertilizer-technology.com), granulation process, where the granulation
it. The process is based on
a copper-zeolite-catalyzed
part of thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions AG mode is accretion instead of layering. The
reaction. Up to now, this (Essen, Germany), have established a part- elemental sulfur liquor is finely dispersed in
cyclical reaction had to be nership to integrate UFT’s fluidized-bed (FB) the urea melt before the solution is fed to the
conducted at various tem- granulation technology with Shell’s Urea-ES granulator. Just as in the normal urea granu-
peratures. Activating the (enhanced sulfur) technology, which was lation, the Urea-ES particles grow collectively
catalyst requires very high introduced in May 2015. Recently, the two through the solidification of tiny droplets on
(up to 450°C) temperatures, companies successfully granulated Shell- the seed material. The result is a very hard
but the reaction of CH4 and developed Urea-ES emulsion in UFT’s FB granule, far superior in quality to granules
O2 to form methanol can- granulation pilot plant in Leuna, Germany. produced through layering or agglomeration-
not be carried out at tem-
Combining the two technologies will enable based processes. This slow accretion pro-
peratures significantly higher
than 200°C, otherwise any
the largest urea plants in the world to process is unique in permitting the water present
methanol formed will be duce granulated sulfur-containing urea. in the urea solution to be thoroughly stripped
combusted. As a result, the Urea-ES technology seeks to provide vital on a continuous basis, resulting in an end
reactor has to be heated and sulfur nutrient to soils by incorporating ele- product having a “remarkably low” moisture
cooled repeatedly. For this mental sulfur into urea, the world’s most com- content, say the companies.
reason, this approach has monly used fertilizer. Shell Thiogro’s patented The bulk of the heat of crystallization,
never moved from the labo- technology emulsifies micron-sized particles which is released as the Urea-ES solidifies,
ratory into production scale. of elemental sulfur evenly throughout urea. is removed by evaporating the water in the
The Swiss researchers have This is in contrast to existing elemental-sulfur- urea solution. This method of heat release
demonstrated that this reac-
containing urea technologies, which typically reduces the amount of ambient air required
tion can now be performed
at a constant temperature of
coat urea in a layer of elemental sulfur. The for cooling, and the evaporation is highly ef-
microscopic size (under 40 µm) of the sulfur ficient because it takes place directly on the
(Continues on p. 10) particles in Urea-ES promotes the oxidation granule surface.
Natural film for food packaging
A
novel food-packaging material that is free from
chemical additives and that can slow down fun-
gal growth — doubling the shelf-life of perish-
able foods — has been developed by research-
ers from the National University of Singapore (www.nus.
edu.sg). The researchers used chitosan, a natural and
biodegradable polymer derived from the shells of crus- Where can you find all your
taceans. Chitosan has several properties that make it
especially suitable for applications in food technology.
CPI solutions in one spot?
It is biocompatible, non-toxic, biodegradable and has
good film-forming ability.
The researchers, led by associate professor Thian Eng The Chemical Processing Industry covers a
San, combines fortified natural chitosan-based compos-
ite film with grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) — an antioxi- broad range of products such as petrochemical
dant that possesses strong antiseptic, germicidal, anti- and inorganic chemicals, plastics, detergents,
bacterial, fungicidal and antiviral properties. paints, pulp & paper, food & beverage, rubber
Thian and associates worked for three years to create a
composite film that prevents the growth of fungi and bac-
and many more. Chemical Engineering
teria and also has mechanical strength and flexibility com- magazine is uniquely suited to cover this
parable to polyethylene (PE) film commonly used for food worldwide market.
packaging. The composite film also blocks ultraviolet light,
which also contributes to slowing down the degradation
of food products. Laboratory experiments showed that
the shelf-life of bread samples packaged with chitosan-
based GFSE composite films was twice as long as those
packaged using synthetic packaging films.
The research is supported by the A*STAR Singapore
Institute of Manufacturing and Technology (www.a-star.
edu.sg/simtech) and the Food Innovation & Resource
Centre of Singapore (www.firc.com.sg).
Microbes make a meal of PET
R
esearch groups at Keio University (Hiyoshi;
www.bio.keio.ac.jp/labs/kmiyamoto) and Kyoto
Institute of Technology, in collaboration with
Teijin Ltd. and Adeka Corp., have discovered a
bacterium that can degrade and assimilate poly(ethylene
terephthalate) (PET), and have clarified the decomposi-
tion mechanism. This is said to be the first observation of
the biodegradation of PET, which had been deemed to
be highly stable and resistant to microbial degradation. Written for engineers by engineers, Chemical
PET is used extensively in plastic products around Engineering delivers solid engineering essentials
the world, and its accumulation in the environment has and developing industry trends to keep its readers
become a global concern. Because the ability to enzy-
matically degrade PET has been thought to be limited abreast of everything they need to keep their
to a few fungal species, biodegradation is not yet a vi- facilities running smoothly.
able remediation or recycling strategy.
By screening natural microbial communities exposed
to PET in the environment, the researchers isolated a
novel bacterium, Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6 (found Missing archived issues or what
near Sakai, Osaka), which can metabolize PET as its
major energy and carbon source. When grown on to share Chemical Engineering
PET, this strain produces two enzymes, PETase and
MHETase, capable of hydrolyzing PET and the reaction with your colleagues?
intermediate, mono(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalic acid
(MHET). Both enzymes are required to enzymatically
Visit www.chemengonline.com/
convert PET efficiently into its two environmentally be- chemical-engineering-magazine
nign monomers, terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. for more information.
The researchers believe the biological route offers a
viable PET-recycling alternative to existing thermal-deg-
radation methods, which need more energy. 27584

Design-of-experiments approach optimizes
200°C by operating at a high pressure of 36
bars, instead of under 1 bar, as previously
metal-grinding fluids
used. “Working at a constant temperature
A
makes this a much easier process to im- design-of-experiments (DoE) perform traditional fluids, which are
plement in industry,” says Patrick Tomkins, approach has resulted in bet- usually built off of existing products,”
ETH Zurich master student and first author ter-performing fluids for metal explains Dave Slinkman, senior vice
of the study, published in Angewandte grinding, cutting and machin- president for global research and
Chemie International. ing applications. These fluids serve technology at Houghton.
The researchers were also able to show to lubricate cutting surfaces, remove Key criteria include lubricity profile,
that, at the atomic level, the reaction in heat, prevent corrosion and carry emulsion stability, anti-foaming quali-
the new low-temperature/high-pressure away fine particulates that can distort ties, corrosion-resistance and bio-
method takes place at different active machined surfaces. In recent years, stability (preventing odor issues and
sites of the copper-zeolite catalyst. Be- machining practices have required extending product life). In addition,
cause a different reaction pathway is
higher-performance fluids that comply Slinkman says, the fluids are optimized
involved, the researchers are now inves-
tigating the possibility of performing the
with stricter environmental, health and for EHS performance. They are free of
reaction using catalysts that had not been safety (EHS) mandates. potentially regulated substances, such
considered before. In an effort to meet the modern per- as boron, formaldehyde-releasing
formance demands of metalworking agents, secondary amines, chlorine,
CO2 SCRUBBING fluids, Houghton International Inc. phenols and nitrites.
Linde Gases, a division of The Linde Group (Valley Forge, Pa.; www.houghton- In April, Houghton introduced its
(Munich, Germay; www.linde.com), has intl.com) developed an optimization first product developed using the
launched a mobile technology to economi- platform based on DoE that resulted DoE platform. Known as Hocut 4440,
cally remove CO2 from early flowback natu- in fluids with breakthrough perfor- the new fluid is designed for use with
ral gas. The new mobile gas-cleanup unit mance in several key criteria for wa- iron-based metals, including cast
(MGCU) uses an innovative membrane ter-miscible metalworking fluids, the iron and steel. It is a semi-synthetic,
technology to remove up to 98% of the CO2 company says. “By optimizing the water-miscible formulation and pro-
in the production stream. It was designed to desirable properties in a systematic vides good lubrication and excellent
improve production-well economics, with an
way, using DoE, we were able to ar- cooling for titanium grinding opera-
(Continues on p. 11) rive at metalworking fluids that out- tions, Houghton says.
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Extremophilic algae selectively recovers
emphasis on enhanced productivity or
precious metals from solution estimated ultimate recovery (EUR),
reduced environmental footprint and
sulphuraria selectively recovers Au3+
T
he research group of Ayumi Mi- improved economics in the field.
noda at the University of Tsukuba and Pd2+ from 0.6 M nitrohydrochlo- Natural gas typically contains trace
(Japan, plmet.biol.tsukuba.ac.jp) ric acid (royal water) waste-metal so- amounts of CO2. But when a well
has discovered that the cellular lution, which contains other metal is fractured with energized fluids
surface layer of the sulfothermophilic ions (68 ppm Fe2+/3+, 380 ppm Cu2+, containing CO2 to boost recovery,
red algae, Galdieria sulphuraria, can ef- 6 ppm Pt4+, 61 ppm Au3+, 59 ppm the early flowback gas may exceed
ficiently adsorb gold and palladium ions, Ni2+, 7 ppm Sn2+, 18 ppm Pd2+ and pipeline specifications. The most
even in highly acidic conditions. 12 ppm Zn2+). The recovery efficiency common practice is to flare off the
gas until the well cleans up enough
G. sulphuraria lives on the rock sur- is the same, even if dead algae cells
to meet specifications.
faces of sulfate springs (such as those are used. After the absorption step, “Our mobile gas cleanup unit scrubs
found in Kusatsu and Noboribetsu, the absorbed metals can be recovered CO2, so producers can monetize
Japan), under extreme conditions (low from the algae as chloride complexes, early flowback natural gas while mini-
pH and temperatures up to 56°C). The by elution with NH4Cl and NH3. After mizing flaring and greenhouse gas
researchers found that more than 90% 30 minutes, 48% of the gold and 77% emissions,” says Robin Watts, pro-
of gold and palladium ions can be ad- of the palladium is recovered from the gram manager, Well Completions,
sorbed by the algae from solutions with algae — a net recovery of 90% for both Linde North America.
concentrations in the range of 0.5 parts metals. The entire process of absorp- Mortimer Exploration Co. (San An-
per million (ppm) and strong acidic con- tion and elution takes about 1 h. tonio, Tex.) used the MGCU over a
one-month deployment to clean up
ditions (0.4 M HCl, with pH of 0.5). This With support from the New Energy
gas from one of their newly completed
low concentration is one order of mag- and Industrial Science and Technology South Texas wells. “The results were
nitude lower than the 5–30 ppm con- Organization (NEDO; Kawasaki, Japan; way better than we had even hoped,”
centration range that can be economi- www.nedo.go.jp), under the authority says Glenn Mortimer, president of
cally recovered by existing adsorption of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Mortimer Exploration Co. “With-
techniques, such as activated charcoal Industry (METI), the researchers plan to out the mobile gas cleanup unit, we
and ion-exchange resins. develop a low-cost algae system for in-
The researchers confirmed that G. dustrial use. (Continues on p. 12)
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would have incurred significant additional Making PLGA by one-step fermentation
costs with alternative solutions and lost
A
the revenue we were able to monetize by
Korean team, headed by Initially the researchers developed
eliminating flaring and selling the gas into professor Sang Yup Lee of a method for producing PLGA in en-
the pipeline.” the Korea Advanced Institute gineered E. coli. The process involved
of Science and Technology eliminating the genes responsible for
MAKING H2 IN NORWAY (Daejeon, South Korea; www.kaist. byproducts formation and enhanc-
NEL ASA (NEL; Oslo, Norway; www.nel- ac.kr), has obtained various forms ing the expression of certain genes,
hydrogen.com) — together with Sintef, of PLGA [poly(lactate-co-glycolate)] thus achieving the effective produc-
Statoil, Linde Kryotechnik, Mitsubishi from natural sources, allowing plas- tion of certain target polymers. How-
Corp. Kawasaki Heavy Industries, NTNU tics to be made in an environmentally ever, the team saw that it could not
and The Institute of Applied Energy, friendly manner. enhance the polymer content and
among others — has initiated the project PLGA is a copolymer of lactic and glycolate fraction of PLGA via further
“Hyper,” a feasibility study of the potential glycolic acid. It is biodegradable, engineering techniques. Therefore,
for large-scale H2 production in Norway biocompatible and non-toxic. It has they introduced a heterogeneous
for export to the European and Japanese
been widely used for surgical sutures, pathway to produce glycolate from
markets. “We are looking at a scenario in
which production of 225,000 tons of hy-
prosthetic devices, and in drug de- xylose and succeeded in developing
drogen could fuel as many as three million livery and tissue engineering. Up to the recombinant E. coli that produce
cars annually,” says Bjørn Simonsen, mar- now, PLGA has been synthesized by PLGA more efficiently.
ket development director of NEL. means of a catalytic ring-opening co- PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoates) syn-
Sintef Energy Research (Trondheim, Nor- polymerization of two different mono- thase was used to produce mono-
way; www.sintef.no) is the host organization mers, the cyclic dimers (1,4-dioxane- mers inside the bacteria by metabolic
and the lead research partner for Project 2,5-diones) of glycolic acid and lactic engineering, and then copolymerize
Hyper. The project is planned and financed acid. In contrast, the Korean team to improve the properties of PLGA. A
through 2019. The total project cost is es- is able to biologically produce PLGA variety of PLGA copolymers were pro-
timated at NOK20 million. It is funded by
(and several novel copolymers) from duced, with varying monomer com-
a NOK14-million grant from the Research
Council of Norway (ENERGIX), in addition to
renewable biomass by a one-step, positions approved by the U.S. Food
the contributions from the project partners. direct fermentation by metabolically and Drug Administration (FDA; Silver
engineered Escherichia coli. Spring, Md.; www.fda.gov). n
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Business News
20% by reacting natural gas with hot fluegas
LINEUP Plant Watch
TCV begins construction of new liquid to produce syngas. Praxair also signed a long-
AIR LIQUIDE polybutadiene plant in France term contract with Libbey to deliver 60 ton/d
ARCHER DANIELS April 15, 2016 — Total Cray Valley (TCV; of oxygen through a non-cryogenic, vacuum
MIDLAND (ADM) Paris, France; www.crayvalley.com) has pressure swing adsorption (VPSA) system at
begun construction of a new plant for liquid Leerdam. Both the Optimelt TCR system and
BIOSPECTRUM the VPSA oxygen plant are scheduled to start
polybutadiene in Carling, north-east France.
BOC GASES The plant will produce several thousand tons up in 2017.
per year of polybutadiene, and is scheduled to
BRILEX Vertellus completes expansion for
start production in October 2016. It is TCV’s fifth
CALGON CARBON manufacturing plant for this product line. DEET insect repellant
April 11, 2016 — Vertellus Specialties (Indianapolis,
CECA
Linde to build air separation unit in Ind.; www.vertellus.com) has expanded DEET
CHINA PROSPERITY Sarawak, East Malaysia (diethyl toluamide) production capacity at its
April 14, 2016 — Linde Eastern Oxygen Sdn Greensboro, N.C. site. From January 2016,
CLARIANT
Bhd (Linde EOX), a subsidiary of Linde Malaysia DEET capacity has increased by 80%. DEET
HOERBIGER Sdn Bhd (Bintulu; www.linde.com.my) will is widely used in mosquito and tick repellents,
INVISTA PERFORMANCE invest RM33 million (€7.4 million) to build an
and Vertellus cites recent outbreaks of the
TECHNOLOGIES air separation unit (ASU) in Tanjung Kidurong, mosquito-borne Zika virus as increasing the
Sarawak, Malaysia. The new ASU will have demand for DEET.
ITM POWER a capacity of 33 metric tons per day (m.t./d)
JACOBS ENGINEERING when it comes on stream in 2017. Startup of new purified terephthalic acid
line in China
LINDE
Clariant expands bleaching earth capacity April 8, 2016 — Invista Performance Technologies
MAOMING in Mexico (IPT; Shanghai, China; www.ipt.invista.com)
PETROCHEMICAL April 14, 2016 — Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; and China Prosperity (Jiangyin) Petrochemical
www.clariant.com) has announced a 30% Company Limited (also referred to as Hanbang
NALCO
increase in production capacity for natural Petrochemical) announced successful startup
PRAXAIR molecular sieves at its Puebla mine in Mexico. of China Prosperity’s second PTA (purified
SRF
This follows two years of engineering work and terephthalic acid) line. On-specification product
an investment in the mid-single-digit range of was achieved within 24 hours of the March
TOTAL CRAY VALLEY millions of Swiss francs (around $5 million). 14 start-up, the company says. The new line
VAN DYKE Clariant’s Tonsil bleaching earths are used to incorporates Invista’s E2R, Solvent Interchange
treat edible oils, while Tonsil Coarse Optimized and R2R technologies.
VERTELLUS (CO) grades are used to purify petrochemical
streams including aromatics and jet fuel. Linde breaks ground for Bangladesh’s
largest cryogenic air separation plant
Air Liquide to build air separation plant for April 6, 2016 — Linde Bangladesh Ltd. (Dhaka;
Sinopec subsidiary www.linde.com.bd), a member of the Linde
April 12, 2016 — Air Liquide (Paris, France; Group’s (Munich, Germany; www.linde.com)
www.airliquide.com) signed a new long-term Gases Division, has begun construction of a
contract with Maoming Petrochemical Co. BDT 1.2 billion (€14.6 million) ASU in Rupganj.
(MPCC), a subsidiary of China Petroleum & The project was announced in November 2015.
Chemical Corp. (Sinopec Corp.), to invest When completed in 2017, the Rupganj plant will
around €40 million in a new ASU with a total produce approximately 100 m.t./d of liquefied
capacity of 850 m.t./d of oxygen. Located gases, making it the largest liquid-producing
in Maoming City, Guangdong Province, the ASU in Bangladesh.
ASU will supply oxygen and nitrogen to two
ethylene-oxide plants. It will be owned and Indian company SRF to set up pilot plant
operated by ALMPCC, a joint venture between for new-generation auto refrigerant
Air Liquide China and MPCC. April 4, 2016 — SRF Ltd. (Gurgaon, India;
www.sfr.com) is to build a pilot plant to
Praxair signs contracts with glassmaker develop its own process to manufacture the
for energy savings and oxygen supply next-generation refrigerant gas HFO-1234yf
April 12, 2016 — Praxair, Inc. (Danbury, Conn.; (2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene). This will make
www.praxair.com) will supply its Optimelt SRF the first company outside the U.S. and
thermochemical regenerator (TCR) system to Europe to develop technology for HFO-1234yf,
Libbey, one of the world’s largest manufacturers the company says. HFO-1234yf is expected
of glassware and tableware. Installed on a new to find increasing use in car air-conditioning
Look for more glass furnace in Leerdam, the Netherlands, systems because it has a lower global warming
latest news on Optimelt will cut natural gas consumption and potential than HFC-134a. Honeywell and DuPont
chemengonline.com carbon dioxide emissions by approximately hold patents on HFO-1234yf.
Mergers & Acquisitions
Calgon Carbon to acquire activated carbon and filter
aids from CECA of France
April 14, 2016 — Calgon Carbon Corp. (Pittsburgh, Pa.;
www.calgoncarbon.com) has made a binding offer for the
wood-based activated carbon, reactivation and mineral-
based filtration media business of French company CECA,
a member of the Arkema group. The deal is valued at
€145.5 million ($160.1 million) and is anticipated to close
in the fourth quarter of 2016.
Clariant partners with Korean firm BioSpectrum to

source cosmetic ingredients from plants
April 12, 2016 — Clariant (Muttenz, Switzerland; www.
clariant.com) will acquire a 17% share in BioSpectrum, Inc.
(South Korea; www.biospectrum.com), which supplies
plant-derived functional ingredients for cosmetics.
Jacobs Engineering acquires cybersecurity firm Van

Dyke Technology
April 12, 2016 — Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. (Pasadena,
Calif.; www.jacobs.com) has acquired Van Dyke Technology
Group, Inc. (Van Dyke; Columbia, Md.; www.vdtg.com), a
180-person company specializing in identity and access
management, threat mitigation and other cybersecurity
solutions. Terms were not disclosed.
BOC gases and ITM Power sign hydrogen refueling

agreement for U.K. vehicle network
April 11, 2016 — BOC (London, U.K.; www.boconline.com),
a member of the Linde group, has signed an agreement
with ITM Power, an energy storage and clean fuel company,
to provide infrastructure for ITM Power’s new hydrogen
refueling stations for passenger cars. The announcement
underpins ITM Power’s plan to build a network of hydrogen
refueling stations in the U.K. The stations will use ITM
Power’s proprietary electrolyzer technology, while BOC
will contribute technology, including Linde liquid-piston
compressors and hydrogen dispensers.
Hoerbiger strengthens safety portfolio with

explosion venting specialist Brilex
April 5, 2016 — The Hoerbiger Group (Zug, Switzerland;
www.hoerbiger.com) has acquired the privately held
Brilex Gesellschaft für Explosionsschutz mbH (Brilon,
Germany) for an undisclosed sum. Brilex is a leading
provider of explosion-relief venting products. This is the
third acquisition for Hoerbiger’s new safety business, after
IEP Technologies (Marlborough, Mass.), and Newson
Gale (Nottingham, U.K.).
Archer Daniels Midland to sell its sugarcane ethanol

operations in Brazil
April 1, 2016 — Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM; Chicago,
Ill.; www.adm.com) has reached an agreement to sell its
sugarcane ethanol operations in Limeira do Oeste, in the
Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, to JFLim Participações
S.A. The transaction includes a sugarcane plantation
and an ethanol distillery, which is capable of crushing up
to 1.5 million ton/yr of sugarcane and producing 37,000
gal/yr of ethanol. n
Charles Butcher

Newsfront
New Developments Take

Shape for U.S. Refiners
Process safety strategies, water use and alkylation technology were among the topics figuring
prominently at the 2016 AFPM annual meeting
A
IN BRIEF n evolving set of issues facing pe- coming an increasingly popular method, not
troleum refiners in the U.S. figured only to mitigate human errors that are associ-
CURBING HUMAN
prominently at the annual meeting ated with accidents, but also to help improve
ERRORS
of the American Fuel and Petro- product quality, production efficiency, and
AVOIDING ABNORMAL chemical Manufacturers (AFPM; Washing- capture best practices, especially in higher-
EVENTS ton, D.C.; www.afpm.org), held in March in risk operations, such as startups, shutdowns
ALKYLATION San Francisco, Calif. Among wide-ranging and transitions.
TECHNOLOGY sessions on topics such as crude-oil sup- Procedural automation refers to the set of
ADVANCES ply, regulatory and legislative issues, fluid activities in which operator knowledge and
catalytic-cracking-unit (FCCU) operations best practices are captured and assembled
SOLID-ACID CATALYSTS
and others, the meeting featured presenta- into specific procedures that are then con-
UNIQUE ALKYLATION tions highlighting some of the many areas sistently followed to complete plant tasks.
FEEDS in which petroleum refiners are looking to Automating certain procedures can help re-
REFINERY WATER ISSUES
adapt and improve. duce operator workload and avoid human
One area of focus was process safety, errors, Fiske said.
SELENIUM REMOVAL where a number of new tools are emerging But since automating every procedure
CRUDE OIL TESTING to help reduce human errors in refinery oper- does not make practical or economic sense,
PRODUCTS ations. Meanwhile, water issues are becom- Fiske discussed how best to determine
ing more prominent for refineries, along with which procedures should be automated. He
industry in general, and the AFPM meeting suggested focusing on procedures associ-
featured a session on that topic. In addition, ated with the operations most likely to lead to
several presentations reported progress in production disruptions, and then determin-
the area of alkylation technology. ing what type of procedure automation could
mitigate the consequences of those events.
Curbing human errors Opportunities where procedural automation
In the process safety session, several presen- makes sense include low-frequency, high-
tations focused on strategies to reduce the consequence operations, such as startups
possibility of human errors in petroleum re- and shutdowns, highly complex procedures,
finery operations. Yokogawa Electric Corp.’s transitions and others, Fiske said.
(Carrolton, Tex.; www.yokogawa.com/us) Fiske also reported progress by a tech-
Thomas Fiske said data show that 42% of nical committee under the auspices of the
negative incidents in the process industries International Society of Automation (ISA;
had human error as the major cause, and Research Triangle Park, N.C.; www.isa.
deficiencies with procedures and employee org) in formulating a consensus standard
training were critical in the majority of those on procedure automation in continuous
incidents. Fiske discussed a focus on pro- processes. The forthcoming ISA Standard
cedures, the effective use of which can have 106 is in the planning stages currently, and
a major positive impact on safe and reliable the technical committee is now working on
facility operations. its second technical report. The commit-
One error-reducing approach involves the tee has already published its first technical
automation of manual procedures, a tech- report: ISA-TR106.01 on Procedure Auto-
nique pioneered by Yokogawa. Fiske said mation for Continuous Process Operations
that modular procedure automation is be- – Models and Terminology.
Avoiding abnormal events
Another approach for reducing process-operator errors
discussed at the AFPM meeting focuses on predicting
process faults more effectively to avoid abnormal pro-
cess events. Thomas Kindervater, the solution support LE ADERS IN CLE AN AIR TECHNOLOGY
manager at the Center for Operator Performance (COP;
Dayton, Ohio; www.operatorperformance.org), explained
that while process faults are a significant concern in the
chemical and petrochemical industries, the real problem
is that “process operators typically become aware of pro-
When it has to work.
cess faults only after the problem has triggered an oper-
ating alarm, forcing the operator to react to the situation
The first time...
after it has caused a deviation of the process from desired
operating conditions.” The better alternative would be for
the operator to proactively address a process fault before
every time.
it causes an operational deviation that is sufficient to trig- From Arsenic to Zirconium Tetrachloride…
ger an alarm, Kindervater said.
we scrub gasses others won’t touch!
Kindervater discussed research commissioned by the
COP and conducted by Michael Baldea and Ray Wang INDUSTRIES TANK FARM POLLUTANTS
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PT
Alkylation technology advances 8
Meanwhile, within another session on gasoline produc- PT PI PT PI

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8000 key equipment and catalyst. The Haike
K-SAAT unit is anticipated to start up
7000
in Q1 2017, KBR says.
The K-SAAT process features a
solid-acid catalyst, known as ExS-
6000
act, which is based on modifications
of commercially available zeolite cat-
5000 alysts, and is much less hazardous to
both personnel and the environment
Time (mins)
4000 than liquid-acid catalysts. These as-

pects and the lower installed cost for
3000
the K-SAAT process influenced Hai-
ke’s decision to select the K-SAAT
process over conventional sulfuric
2000
acid alkylation technologies. KBR’s
Gautham Krishnaiah, director, FCC &
1000 X5 Alkylation Technologies, says the op-
erating expenses for solid-acid cata-
X3 lyst systems for alkylation are also
0
X1 lowered because K-SAAT has lower
X2
maintenance costs and does not re-
quire refrigeration (unlike the sulfuric-
FIGURE 1. Radial plots depict multi-variable data samples using axes extending outward from a central
point, while the time dimension is represented by stacking the data samples
acid-catalyzed alkylation process). In
addition, liquid-acid regeneration and
octane number of resulting gasoline. performance expectations thus far, disposal of solid wastes (acid neutral-
Alkylate, a high-octane, low-sulfur CB&I says. Since the startup, the ization with caustic) are not required.
blendstock, offers a way to raise oc- alkylate product has demonstrated KBR has partnered with Exelus,
tane numbers. Meanwhile, another excellent quality, the company Inc. (Livingston, N.J.; www.exelusinc.
factor is the availability of inexpensive points out, including an octane com), a developer of green chemical
butanes from shale deposits in the value (RON) between 96 and 98 technologies, and now has an exclu-
U.S., making for a potentially cheap — a considerably higher RON than sive license for Exelus’ ExSact cata-
feedstock for alkylation. typical alkylate products, according lyst. The K-SAAT process employs
to CB&I. RON is considered an in- two reactors — one in the alkylation
Solid-acid catalysts dicator of the alkylate’s value as a cycle and one in the regeneration
The past several months have seen gasoline blending component. cycle or on standby. The process
the culmination of years of develop- AlkyClean technology uses Albe- uses hydrogen to completely regen-
ment for solid-acid catalysts for al- marle’s AlkyStar catalyst, a robust erate the catalyst. During this regen-
kylation that can replace liquid-acid fixed-bed zeolite catalyst. By pairing eration, the soft coke (a combination
catalyst systems using the hazardous this catalyst with CB&I’s novel reac- of highly unsaturated hydrocarbons)
and corrosive hydrofluoric and sulfu- tor scheme, the AlkyClean process and contaminants adsorbed on the
ric acids as catalysts. is able to produce a high-quality catalyst are released and purged,
At the AFPM meeting, CB&I (The alkylate product without the use of KBR’s Krishnaiah says.
Woodlands, Tex.; www.cbi.com) dis- liquid-acid catalysts, which makes The ExSact catalyst has been engi-
cussed the progress of what is said to the process inherently safer. By elim- neered to outperform liquid-acid cata-
be the world’s first commercial-scale, inating the need for post-treatment, lysts and other solid-acid catalysts on
solid-acid-catalyst alkylation unit. and waste streams of acid-soluble multiple levels, says KBR’s Krishna-
The unit started up in August 2015 oils, the process offers an efficient iah. The catalyst acid sites and pore
at Zibo Haiyi Fine Chemical Co., a alkylate-production technology. For structure have been optimized to en-
subsidiary of Shandong Wonfull Pet- more information on the CB&I solid- hance product selectivity. The ExSact
rochemical Group Co. The unit em- acid catalyst alkylation process, see catalyst offers long alkylation cycles
ploys CB&I’s AlkyClean technology, Chem. Eng., April 2013, p. 11. in comparison with other solid-acid-
jointly developed by CB&I, Albemarle In February 2016, KBR Inc. (Hous- alkylation catalysts; a high degree of
Corp. (Baton Rouge, La.; www.albe- ton, Tex.; www.kbr.com) announced flexibility in terms of the feed sources
marle.com) and Neste Corp. (Espoo, the first licensing contract for its K- and components (ethylene, propyl-
Finland; www.neste.com). The unit SAAT Solid Acid Alkylation technology. ene, butylenes and amylenes can be
has a capacity of 2,700 barrels per The contract was awarded to KBR by used as the olefins). In contrast, liquid-
day of alkylate production (100,000 Dong Ying Haike Ruilin Chemical Co. acid alkylation processes cannot alky-
metric tons per year). for use at a facility in Dong Ying City, late ethylene, he says, since ethylene
The unit, located in Shandong China. KBR is supplying the technol- forms stable esters. In addition KBR’s
Province, China, has achieved all ogy know-how, basic process design, solid-acid process has a higher toler-
ance to feed contaminants, such as ity marks the beginning of a new era
moisture, sulfur, dienes, oxygenates for alkylation in the gasoline market
and nitriles. For more information on as the butane-to-alkylate movement
ExSact, see Chem. Eng. May 2011, grows around the world,” says Kevin
pp. 17–22; and Chem. Eng. January Bockwinkel, global business man-
2007, p. 11. ager for the Stratco technology.
The alkylation unit at Hengli will
Unique alkylation feeds utilize DuPont’s patented XP2 tech-
The emergence of commercial-scale nology in the Stratco Contactor
solid-acid catalyst processes for al- reactor. The XP2 technology is de-
kylation has not eliminated innovative signed to ensure the most effective
applications for liquid-acid catalyst and efficient use of the tube bundle
units, however. DuPont (Wilmington, heat-transfer area, providing sig-
Del.; www.dupont.com) is applying nificant process benefits resulting
its sulfuric-acid alkylation technology in improved alkylate product quality,
to unique alkylation feedstocks, and Bockwinkel explains.
in March announced a contract to
supply an alkylation unit to a Chinese Petroleum refinery water issues
refinery that is using a 100% butylene The AFPM meeting’s second day
stream for its feedstock. featured a session on water issues,
Jeannie Branzaru, global marketing which have emerged as a major chal-
manager for DuPont Clean Technolo- lenge for all industrial sectors. In pe-
gies says, “It’s a new era of alkylation troleum refining, significant water use
— the chemistry has been around
for a long time, but the economic
traditionally occurs with cooling tow-
ers, boilers and desalters. Although
SAFETY FIRST
conditions are now favorable for bu- water use has decreased in the past
tane-to-alkylate processing, or ‘on- few decades because of technology
purpose alkylation.’ The economics development, the need for water in
Electric actuators for industrial
for this unique processing configu- petroleum refining remains. valve automation
ration have not been there before.” “Water access issues, scarcity and
Safe, robust, precise.
Branzaru says companies are able competition occur at local, state, re-
to purchase low-value butane inex- gional and national levels,” said Larry For decades, AUMA actuators
pensively on the open market, then Close, a process engineer at Burns have excelled by their outstanding
process it in a dehydrogenation unit & McDonnel, “And this has the po-
to make isobutylene, which is then tential to significantly affect the refin- reliability throughout many
sent to an alkylation unit to make ing market.” market segments. Their capability
high-value alkylate. “Our technology Most people have heard of recent
is not limited to butanes only, how- droughts in Texas and California, for overall host system integration
ever. We are currently working on which contain the highest number of is of crucial importance for safe
alkylation unit designs that process petroleum refineries by state. How-
very high concentrations of propyl- ever, many organizations outside of and economical operation in
ene and 100% amylene (C5 olefin) those states are becoming equally process technology.
feeds as well.” concerned with looming water issues
Hengli Petrochemical Co., based in the near future, said Close.
in Dalian, China, awarded DuPont a Close discussed opportunities for For highest safety requirements
contract to supply the alkylation and water reuse at petroleum refineries,
■ SIL 3 capability (1oo2)
spent acid regeneration (SAR) tech- including the treatment requirements
nologies for its new grassroots refinery for each use. The primary sources of ■ Certiication according to
in the Changxing Island Harbor Indus- reuse water are non-contaminated
trial Zone. Installation of the new units stormwater, stripped sour water,
IEC 61508
at Hengli is currently planned for 2018 vacuum and crude-tower overhead ■ Patented fail safe functionality
with start-up anticipated in 2019. Du- water and wastewater (refinery and ■ Available in ire-proof version
Pont will employ its Stratco alkylation municipal sources), Close explained,
and MECS SAR technologies. while the primary reuse opportunities
The inclusion of the DuPont tech- are the desalter, boiler feed water
nology to the refinery complex will (BFW) and cooling tower makeup Find out more on our
allow Hengli to produce a high-quality water (CTW). automation solutions
alkylate product from a 100% isobu- “Identification of appropriate source www.auma-usa.com
tylene feed stream. “The unique feed water and reuse opportunity is based
stream available from the Hengli facil- on many factors, including required
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MAY 2016

water treatment, interconnecting pip-
ing, reliability risk to refinery process NEW PRODUCTS FOR TESTING CRUDE-OIL LAUNCHED
units, and risk to the refinery waste-
water-treatment plant,” he said.
One approach that refineries have
used to produce reuse-quality water
from refinery wastewater is mem-
brane bioreactor (MBR) technology.
A presentation from GE Water &
Process Technologies (Trevose, Pa.;
www.ge.com) discussed progress
in using MBRs with the company’s
MACarrier (membrane-accommo-
dating carrier) technology, which is a
specialized carbon-based biological
carrier that promotes nitrification, and
enhances the removal of recalcitrant
chemical oxygen demand (COD) and
other toxic compounds.
MACarrier provides a large, bacte-
ria-friendly surface area where dense In a product launch timed to correspond with the AFPM annual meeting, GE Water & Process
(Trevose, Pa.; www.ge.com) introduced new predictive-analytics software and laboratory
and strong biofilm is quickly formed,
equipment for the on-site testing of crude oil to determine how the oil might affect a petroleum
GE explains. It adsorbs and concen- refinery before processing begins.
trates the problematic recalcitrant or- GE’s CrudePLUS reduces analysis time of crude oil and can lead to streamlined operations,
ganic compounds where the biomass less fouling and increased energy efficiency, the company says. GE’s new digital solution uses
degrades the adsorbed compounds predictive analytics to improve operation and reduce carbon dioxide emissions and costs.
and regenerates the MACarrier. Data captured with CrudePLUS can lead to improved blending and desalter operations that
GE conducted a pilot study at a result in reduced oil to the refinery’s wastewater treatment plant.
“As the variability of crude oil increases and refineries adopt more aggressive blending strate-
southern Ontario refinery aimed at gies, there is tremendous value in rapid data and predictive analytics,” says Amy Ericson, global
comparing the company’s existing leader, chemical and monitoring solutions for water and process technologies at GE Power.
MBR system to an MBR system with GE also introduced its LoSALT Online and Onsite Amine Speciation software, an upgrade
MACarrier. Wastewater downstream to its LoSALT simulator software. “Previously, refinery operators could only test on-site for a
of oil-water separator and dissolved small number of amines and had to send samples away to a laboratory. GE’s new LoSALT
air filtration units was treated by an Online and Onsite Amine Speciation technology now offers refineries a more accurate, com-
prehensive and instantaneous method of testing and receiving critical data,” says Ericson.
MBR and an MBR with MACar-
GE’s LoSALT Online and Onsite Amine Speciation technology can increase protection of
rier. The study found that MBR with the crude overhead system by providing a more complete picture of the salting and corrosion
MACarrier “could achieve higher ef- potential than previously possible, says the company.
fluent quality in terms of acute toxic-
ity and the effluent could be directly ment has been explored as a means UOP’s proprietary biological growth
discharged,” while the MBR [without of achieving the low selenium levels. media, and was set up as an onsite
MACarrier], even though providing Biological treatment has the potential field trial. The system was inoculated
higher effluent quality . . . “could not to convert various forms of selenium to using nitrate-reducing cultures that
meet the toxicity requirements for elemental selenium, which is relatively were developed during a previous
discharge,” says GE. non-toxic, and can be separated from laboratory study. Organic carbon and
the wastewater streams as an inert phosphoric acid were dosed to pro-
Selenium removal solid associated with the biomass that vide nutrients for biological growth.
Another petroleum refinery wastewa- is present in the solids recovered from In order to discharge to a local mu-
ter-treatment challenge comes from the treatment process. nicipal treatment plant, the refinery
the selenium present in some crude In a paper presented by Lori Don- needed to reduce the selenium pres-
oils. The element, in its several forms ovan, an account manager with UOP ent in its final water discharge from
(selenite, selenate, selenocyanate), Industrial Wastewater Technologies a level of approximately 200 μg/L
must be removed from refinery waste- (Des Plaines, Ill.; www.uop.com), a to less than 50 μg/L. Donovan said
water because while selenium is an pilot study was discussed in which the pilot testing successfully demon-
essential trace nutrient, it can be toxic UOP’s (Honeywell) XCeed SE Biore- strated that the XCeed SE biotreat-
at high concentrations. Regulations on actor was used to remove selenium ment technology “can meet the total
selenium-release limits have become from wastewater at a refinery in the recoverable selenium target of 50
more stringent in recent years. western U.S. μg/L without the need for post-treat-
Physical and chemical methods to Using UOP’s immobilized-cell bio- ment, allowing the refinery to comply
remove selenium from refinery waste- logical-treatment technology, XCeed with local regulations.” ■
water are difficult, so biological treat- consists of a series of bioreactors and Scott Jenkins
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Newsfront
Protecting Your Industrial

Control System
A holistic and proactive approach to cybersecurity can help protect your
industrial control system from hackers
Honeywell
IN BRIEF
I
n December 2015, 80,000 homes in the
HOW HACKERS GAIN Ukraine were left without power when a
ACCESS cyber attack took down the electrical in-
frastructure. Investigations suggest that
IS THE CPI AT HIGHER
hackers used malware in conjunction with
RISK?
remote access to industrial control systems
HOW TO PROTECT YOUR to directly interact with control systems, in-
FACILITY fect workstations and servers with malware,
CYBERSECURITY damage control-system hosts on worksta-
tions and servers, and block calls to cus- FIGURE 1. The Honeywell Industrial Cyber Security Risk
SOLUTIONS
Manager specifically proactively monitors, measures and
tomer call centers that would have alerted manages cybersecurity risk for industrial plants and systems
AN ONGOING PROCESS
power companies to the outages.
A year prior, a German steel mill was the attacks are more likely to avoid traditional se-
victim of a cyber attack. Investigations re- curity tools and infiltrate the workplace. Indus-
vealed that attackers used a spear phishing trial targets aren’t necessarily secure on this
campaign — an email that appears to be fuzzy perimeter of our digital lives.”
from an individual or business known to the As processors get smarter regarding cy-
recipient, but isn’t. Instead, it’s from hackers bersecurity, so too do hackers, who realize
who want financial, personal or login infor- that the weakest link in the defense of in-
mation found on that user’s PC. The attack dustrial control systems is the humans who
was aimed at particular individuals in the interact with them. “By tricking an employee
company to trick them into opening mali- into clicking on a link via a spear-phishing
cious links. The opening of the links provided campaign, attackers can melt away defen-
hackers with login information that granted sive barriers, gain access to control systems
them access to the plant’s network and con- and immediately take over the digital world
trol systems, resulting in failure of parts of the of the plant,” warns Kling. “Once they do
plant and the inability to properly shut down that, all bets are off.”
a blast furnace, causing “massive damage” In addition, attackers can also enter a net-
to the equipment. work via malicious links embedded in ad-
Clearly, as more industrial control sys- vertisements on websites where employees
tems connect to the Internet, they are may browse, says Neil Peterson, director
becoming accessible to skilled hackers, of DeltaV product marketing with Emerson
resulting in an industrial landscape that is Process Management (Austin, Tex.; www.
open to attack, an especially scary pros- emersonprocess.com). “Hackers can buy ad
pect for chemical processors. space on a reputable website and, embed-
ded in that advertisement, can be malware.
How hackers gain access If an employee clicks the ad and your system
“As we integrate more digitalization into our is unpatched, hackers just injected malware
lives, we are increasing the attack surface onto your system and, from there, can begin
available to hackers,” says Andy Kling, direc- to take control,” he says.
tor of cybersecurity and software practices Another common point of entry is univer-
with Schneider Electric (Andover, Mass.; www. sal serial bus (USB) sticks. “People use them
schneider-electric.com). “The use of tablets, and aren’t aware that they contain malware.
smart phones and cloud storage is expanding They plug [a USB stick] into their computer
at an exponential rate and, as a result, cyber with the intention of moving data and acci-
Emerson Process Management
Software
InnovaMass.
Firewall
Internet Generic FTP
Application
Whitelisting: McAfee integrity control
McAfee ePO: Management console
McAfee Agent
Reinvented.
The revolutionary Sierra Vortex
Level 4 - local LAN iSeries has arrived.
Historian Data ePO With the new InnovaMass® iSeries
server server console volumetric or multivariable mass vortex
Firewall flow meter, your gas, liquid, and steam
Level 3 - DMZ layer measurements are now easier to
manage and more accurate for optimum
Level 2.5 cost-effectiveness. And the iSeries is
field adjustable and upgradable.
Pro plus Operator
station station
Application ePO agent
station handler
Level 2 - ACN
FIGURE 2. The DeltaV reference architecture includes the managed whitelisting protection based on the
Intel Security Application Control for DeltaV workstations
dentally infect the control system,” and production dollars, theft of in-
Peterson explains. tellectual property or endanger the
Adding to the complexity and health and safety of employees and
severity of the situation, says Vin- the environment.
cent Turmel, industrial cybersecu-
rity consultant with Siemens Indus- Is the CPI at higher risk?
InnovaMass
try Services (Alpharetta, Ga.; www. “We do see the risk for very specific is available
siemens.com), is that it’s often diffi- attacks that can occur via PCs in in the 240i inline
cult to patch or upgrade the equip- today’s automation space,” agrees model above
ment found on the operations side. Anthony Baker, security leader with and the 241i
insertion model
“On the plant floor, PCs are used for Rockwell Automation (Milwaukee, to the right with
a long period of time, so you often Wis.; www.rockwellautomation. optional probe
end up with a lot of older systems com). “Many of those attacks lever- retractor
and various levels of legacy products age known vulnerabilities in industrial

that have different protection require- control systems where owners of the
ments and a range of patches and systems have not been able to patch
protections in place,” notes Turmel. and maintain the systems used in It Has Apps.
“One of the greatest cybersecurity their production space,” says Baker. Now You Have
risks we encounter is trying to patch,
maintain and defend the PCs on the
“When we talk to our customers
about possible risks, we like to point
the Power.
plant floor. One size does not fit all out those concerning intellectual • ValidCal Diagnostics™ delivers field
validation
when it comes to protecting PCs on property because they are often not • MeterTuning™ cancels noise &
the operations technology (OT) side.” considered and are very applicable improves accuracy
In addition, equipment used for for the chemical industry in the form • Dial-A-Pipe™ changes pipe sizes in field
operations is often tied into a larger of recipes, process and information,” • Dial-A-Fluid™ measures variety of fluids
• qMix™ creates custom mixtures
system where, if you upgrade one says Baker. “However, the more sig- • Many more apps to come...
part of the system, you have to up- nificant concerns are related to the
grade all of it, which then becomes a risks associated with the integrity of Next Day Shipping.
cost issue, Turmel continues. “What their operations. If an attacker decides
An industry first! With its field
this means is that even a common to tamper with operations or equip- adjustability apps, we build to stock
virus that’s been eradicated on the ment, it may cause critical damage and ship the InnovaMass 241i insertion
IT side, can wreak havoc on the that jeopardizes production availability. model the next day.
OT side, due to the various ages of But the most significant and frighten- SierraInstruments.com/shop
equipment and operating systems ing issues include attacks that would
found on the plant floor.” impact the safety of personnel, people
“Sometimes it feels like the only in the vicinity or the environment.”
way to secure a computer after it has So, are the chemical process indus-
been connected to the network is to tries (CPI) at a greater risk for these North America / 800.866.0200
Europe / +31 72 5071400
unplug it and throw it into a lake,” types of targeted attacks than other Asia-Pacific / +8621 5879 8521/22
jokes Peterson. However, he is quick industries? “While we can’t know for
to add that cyber attacks on indus- sure how likely there is to be an at- InnovaMass.com
trial facilities are no laughing matter tack on any given plant or what type
as they may result in loss of assets of attack it might be, we do know

Indegy
that there have been recent attacks
on industrial control systems, so we
know it’s possible to gain access to
an industrial facility via the control
system and cause damage,” notes
FIGURE 3. Indegy’s cybersecurity solution comes in the form of a plug-and-play “box” that connects to a
Baker. “We also know that attacks on port on the network and, from there, provides monitoring and visibility of the controls and core technologies
a chemical facility have the potential
to affect the broad population.” access and what they might be try- important for reliable plant opera-
For this reason, the U.S. Presiden- ing to accomplish,” he says. “From tions to provide an ongoing situation
tial Policy Directive on Critical Infra- there, you conduct a vulnerability awareness of the cybersecurity pos-
structure Security and Resilience, assessment and threat modeling, ture of a control system.”
which identified 16 critical infrastruc- which becomes a guide to creating a
ture sectors in need of strengthening holistic plan that considers and pro- Cybersecurity solutions
and protection, includes the chemical tects against specific threats to your After the risk assessment, security
industry. “The chemical processing facility so you are sure you are imple- tools should be implemented, but
industry is listed as one — as a mat- menting the right tools. Then, when what types of solutions are being
ter of fact it’s first on the list — of the you have everything in place, you do offered? “There’s a whole portfolio
critical sectors of this country and, as threat-vectoring again and begin to of cybersecurity solutions and tech-
such, we have to consider that it is test your defenses. You continue to nologies available to protect indus-
likely to be part of any cyber attack add tools until you are as strong as trial control systems, ranging from
that might take place. If, how and you choose to be.” end-point protection to network pro-
where such an attack would occur The participation of industrial con- tection,” says Baldi. “The solutions
would depend upon the motivation of trol-system suppliers, such as Sie- portfolio includes both active and
the attacker, but some type of attack mens, in customer control system passive tools, tools based on known
is obviously a real risk,” advises Sch- security continues to grow in impor- malware of cyber-attack signatures,
neider Electric’s Kling. tance. All industrial control-system tools that restrict the allowed opera-
owners should build a collaborative tions and tools that are based upon
How to protect your facility relationship with their supplier, in- cyber-attack behaviors.”
“Today’s digital culture of bring your cluding becoming familiar with the Traditional tools. Traditional, signa-
own devices, higher connectivity be- supplier’s cybersecurity organization. ture-based tools such as antivirus
tween the IT and the OT networks “The key to finding a security service solutions, firewalls and deep packet
and remote and cloud connections provider is to find one that knows the inspection are still viable and advis-
can significantly increase the risk of a plant-floor space, as well as cyberse- able, but with the shear number of
cyber incident on an industrial control curity,” notes Turmel. “They will coor- attacks and new viruses created
system,” says Mike Baldi, chief cyber- dinate activities, from assessments to each year, experts suggest that
security architect with Honeywell Pro- implementation of managed services, these alone are no longer enough to
cess Solutions (Houston, Tex.; www. to monitoring or patch management, protect an industrial control system.
honeywellprocess.com). “However, to maintaining the infrastructure.” “If all you have is a signature-based
this risk can be managed by properly “Assessments should also review approach, eventually the software
implementing new technologies on policies and practices concerning isn’t going to recognize a malicious
the industrial control system and inte- Internet access to the control sys- signature and you’ll be exposed to
grating appropriate security controls tem and the use of industrial con- a cyber attack,” says Kling. Instead,
with the new technologies.” trol-system protection for removable updated versions of these tools
Determining the specific threats media, such as USB sticks, on every should be used in conjunction with
is the first step to deciding which control workstation,” suggests Em- other solutions to provide a holistic,
of these technologies should be erson’s Peterson. proactive approach.
implemented, according to the ex- Tools that assist with risk assess- Whitelisting. Whitelisting, a newer
perts. “Every facility — chemical ment are also available. “We have signature-based solution, is cur-
and otherwise — has its own target- developed our Honeywell Industrial rently being updated, improved and
rich environment,” says Siemens’ Cyber Security Risk Manager (Fig- deployed for control systems, say
Turmel. Figuring out your facility’s ure 1) specifically to address cy- the experts. Whitelisting is “supe-
threat landscape includes trying to bersecurity risk on industrial control rior to, but the opposite of antivirus
decipher who’s likely to break in and systems,” says Baldi. “The product technology,” says Emerson’s Pe-
what their intent might be.” proactively monitors, measures and terson. “With antivirus tools, there
Turmel calls this “threat-vectoring.” manages cybersecurity risk for in- are signatures that are discovered
“The first step in implementing a plan dustrial plants and systems. Through after viruses and malware become
is to work with a cybersecurity ser- an interface, it allows users to priori- known. When antivirus software
vice to determine the list of likely tize and focus efforts on managing sees those signatures, the script is
adversaries, how they would gain cybersecurity risks that are most prevented from running. Whitelist-
Bedrock Automation
hasn’t been tampered with.” documented audit trail of who made
In the past, he says, whitelisting re- what changes and when.
quired a lot of management because, Detect-and-respond. “Detect-and-
if not properly deployed, it could pre- respond” tools are another emerging
vent users from accessing their own solution. Rather than spotting mali-
system. However, Peterson says Em- cious signatures, these solutions look
erson worked to improve and thor- for and recognize unusual behaviors
oughly test a new cybersecurity so- taking place within the network (for
lution that includes whitelisting for its example, excessive login attempts
DeltaV control system that will provide at the same workstation in a short
high-level whitelisting protection with- window of time) and trigger an alarm.
out the high maintenance (Figure 2). “This secondary class of tools is
Authentication. Authentication and based upon artificial intelligence that
authorization tools are also an impor- has been available for years but is
tant piece of the puzzle, according just now being applied to the security
to Clark Case, security leader with domain to recognize a pattern,” says
Rockwell Automation. “Some control Kling. “We believe the future of cyber
FIGURE 4. Bedrock Automation’s industrial control
products, such as our FactoryTalk- defense lies in this type of tool.”
system replaces pins with an electromagnetic enabled software products, provide Experts now believe this type of
backplane (shown here), microcontrollers that are user authentication and authoriza- visibility plays a big role in protec-
secured with encrypted keys and TRNG embed- tion, a method for access-control tion. So, a solution from cyberse-
ded in all system modules including the controller,
power supply and I/O policies,” he says. Authentication curity start-up Indegy (Fort Worth,
and authorization technology pro- Tex.; www.indegy.com) monitors
ing, however, assumes everything is vides secure access to the system, control-layer activity on PLCs via the
bad, except the signatures the owner prevents unauthorized and unwanted network and on the actual control-
has deemed safe. This approach en- changes from occurring in running lers to detect cyber attacks before
sures that the file you are executing processes or files and provides a damage can occur. “Most solutions
ELIMINATE CORROSION INCREASE SERVICE LIFE REDUCE COST
Eliminate internal and external corrosion. When you

install Corzan® Industrial Systems, you can be assured
that it will reliably handle aggressive chemicals, seawater
and demineralized water at high temperatures typically
found in chemical processing plants.
Contact us for a free process suitability and technical consultation:
+1-216-447-7397 or corzan@lubrizol.com
© The Lubrizol Corporation 2016, all rights reserved. All marks are property of the The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway Company. www.corzan.com

focus on protecting the management keys and TRNG is embedded in all An ongoing process
software, but attackers can com- system modules including the con- “When it comes to cybersecurity,
promise these platforms to hide the troller, power supply and I/O (Figure the right solution won’t be a one-
changes and status of the industrial 4). All modules are encased in anti- size-fits-all approach,” says Rock-
process controllers so that every- tamper metal that is impenetrable well Automation’s Case. “The solu-
thing appears normal, but this new without metal cutting tools and au- tion will depend upon the risk. Two
approach monitors and provides vis- thentication extends throughout the facilities may have the same infra-
ibility into the critical control layer of supply chain, including third-party structure but one produces distilled
operational technology networks to software and applications. “Cyber- water and the other makes a dan-
identify threats in real time that place security ultimately comes down to gerous chemical, so the required
the safety, reliability and security of protecting the computer,” says Albert mitigations will vary greatly.”
industrial control systems at risk,” Rooyakkers, founder, CTO and vice The key is to fully understand the
says Dana Tamir, vice president of president of engineering, with Bed- process, the risks and the vulner-
marketing with Indegy. The com- rock Automation. “You must solve the abilities, and, based upon those, to
pany’s solution comes in the form of problem right at the submicron tran- identify the specific combination of
a plug-and-play “box” that connects sistor level the same way you stop a solutions needed to create a holis-
to a port on the network and, from viral contagion with a vaccine — from tic, proactive solution. But it doesn’t
there, provides monitoring and vis- the inside out. So we’ve developed end there. Selected technologies
ibility of the controls and core tech- a cybersecurity solution where all the must be installed and monitored and
nologies (Figure 3). computing elements in the system any internal, corporate cybersecurity
Protection from inside. A differ- are designed to be cyber hardened, policies needed to ensure proper use
ent approach, which protects from from waking up with a secure boot of the solutions must be enforced.
the inside out, comes from Bedrock to encryption keys that ensure that However, since hackers never stop
Automation (San Jose, Calif.; www. communications going in or out of trying to find a way in, any protection
bedrockautomation.com), which of- the machine are authenticated. Tra- must constantly be tested, updated
fers an industrial control system in ditional control systems have to wear and upgraded to thwart future meth-
which pins are replaced with an elec- armor to protect themselves, but ods of attack. Cybersecurity is not a
tromagnetic backplane, microcon- we’ve built the protection right into “one-and-done” process. ■
trollers are secured with encrypted the system,” he says. Joy LePree
THINI
LONG TERM
Prepare for Tomorrow
With so many variables it can be extremely challenging
to manage capacity to meet current demand while preparing
for uncertain futures. To get there, process equipment has
to be managed effectively; but complexities associated with
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Focus
Pipes, Tubes and Fittings

New Age Industries Antimicrobial tubing reduces Corrugated sleeving
the risk of bacterial transfer protects tubing
Clearflo Ag-47 antimicrobial tubing The ViegaPEX Ultra tubing has been
(photo) is now available in an ad- expanded to include corrugated
ditional seven sizes, expanding its sleeving (photo) for hot and cold
range up to 1-in. inner dia. The NSF- water applications where additional
listed tubing protects liquids from structural strength or protection is
harmful bacteria that can result in needed. ViegaPEX Ultra tubing car-
odors, taste transfer and illnesses, ries the industry’s highest rating for
in numerous applications such as chlorine and ultraviolet resistance. In
beverage and dairy transfer, food some applications, the corrugated
processing, water lines, medical de- sleeving allows the tubing to be pro-
vices and clean fluid transfer. Its anti- tected in exposed locations, and
microbial properties exist throughout thus is easily accessed for repairs
the tubing, not just on the inner sur- or replacement without the need to
face, says the company, improving excavate soil or chisel into concrete
protection against bacteria such as floors, says the company. The black
E. coli, listeria, Salmonella, Legion- corrugated sleeving is available with
ella, Campylobacter Pseudomonas inserted red or blue ViegaPEX Ultra
and others. The transparent tubing is tubing in 300-ft coils. Ultra tubing is
said to be especially effective in ap- rated at 100 psi at 180°F, and 160
plications where there is infrequent psi at 73°F, and comes with a 25-
use of fluids in warm or humid con- year limited warranty. — Viega LLC,
ditions, preventing thorough drying Wichita, Kan.
between uses. It uses no phthalates, www.viega.us
latex or animal-derived materials,
and conforms to NSF-51. — New Tubing products serve heating,
Age Industries, Southhampton, Pa. cooling and sanitary needs
Viega
www.newageindustries.com This company offers a large family of
tube-related products (photo), which
Sorbent tubing aids in the are available for use in refrigeration,
analysis of trace organics air conditioning, heating and sanitary
This company’s PAH Tube is a ther- applications. The product offerings
mal desorption tube that enables re- include industrial tubes in copper and
liable analysis of polycyclic aromatic copper alloys, heat-transfer systems
hydrocarbons (PAHs), to improve with finned tubes and heat exchang-
the detection of these trace organic ers, blank and coated cooling tubes,
compounds using the company’s and semi-finished associated acces-
Unity or TD-100 gas-chromatogra- sories (including turned parts, milled
phy and mass-spectroscopy ana- parts and forged parts). — Wieland-
lytical systems. PAHs are subject to Werke AG, Ulm, Germany
Wieland-Werke AG very low limits worldwide because www.wieland.de
of their carcinogenic properties, yet
they tend to be very challenging ana- Flow-modeling software
lytes to accurately detect, says the addresses piping issues
company. Existing, solvent-based The AFT Fathom modeling software
techniques that are used to analyze provides incompressible pipe-flow-
PAH levels in air are prone to loss modeling analysis and system mod-
of analytes, but the PAH thermal- eling (photo) to improve the design of
desorption tubes are said to ensure piping and ducting systems. Dynamic
the transfer of even the heaviest simulation can be used to calculate
PAHs from the sorbent-sampling pressure drop and flow distribution in
tube into the gas chromatography piping and ducting systems handling
system. — Markes International, liquids and low-velocity gases, includ-
Llantrisant, U.K. ing petroleum and refined products,
Applied Flow Technology www.markes.com chemicals, refrigerants and cryogens,
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number on p. 94, or use the website designation.
low-velocity gases, water and more. shapes, such as offset/oblique, rect- It can handle temperatures up to
In particular, the software is used to angular and double-cone types can 275°F (135°C), and provides a
size piping, pumps and control valves. also be provided upon request. Typi- broader range of chemical compat-
The program’s simulation capabilities cal materials of construction include ibility than standard rubber and ther-
help users to not only simulate system type 304 and type 316 stainless moplastic products, according to the
operation but evaluate heat transfer in steel, abrasion-resistant steel, mild company. Paraprene tubing is avail-
pipes, to determine the cause of op- steel and Hastelloy, but many other able in Series G for general industrial
erational problems. — Applied Flow materials are also available. Vari- applications, and Series F for food,
Technology, Colorado Springs, Colo. ous finishes include mechanical and beverage and dairy applications. —
www.aft.com electropolish, nickel, chrome and Parker-Hannifin Corp., Paraflex Div.,
tungsten hardfacing polymer coating Ravenna, Ohio
Resin enables piping to and glass-bead blast. — Roto-Disc., www.parker.com
withstand many temperatures Erlanger, Ky.
www.rotodisc.com Sensor enclosure approved for
piping in hazardous locations
Tubing provides enhanced This company’s design-patented
resistance to fatigue line of Explosion Proof (XP) connec-
Parprene tubing tion heads (photo), are designed for
(photo) is con- use in chemical, petroleum refinery,
structed from a power generation, pharmaceutical
specially formulated and other process-plant applica-
thermoplastic elas- tions where potentially combustible
tomer. It is designed or flammable conditions are pres-
Dow Packaging and Specialty Plastics
to withstand the ent. The stainless-steel or aluminum
Piping made from this company’s rigors of peristaltic Parker-Hannifin heads are used as electrical enclo-
proprietary Hypertherm 2399 resins pump applications. It is extremely sures where connecting instrumen-
(photo) provides a lower-cost alterna- flexible, fatigue resistant and abra- tation (such as a temperature sensor
tive to piping made from copper, steel, sion resistant, making it a good al- or a level sensor in a piping or tank
or rigid plastic, and benefits from the ternative to neoprene and rubber application), transports the measur-
material’s light weight, inherent flexibil- tubing, according to the company. ing signal from the process to the
ity, toughness and durability, corrosion
resistance, and resistance to leakage.
The resin is a certified Level 5 chlo-
rine-resistant material (ASTMF2769,
F2023) for use in piping carrying hot
and cold water. And pipes made from
Hypertherm resins are natural insula-
tors, which can help to improve the LEADING WORLDWIDE
energy efficiency of hot-water systems. IN MIXING TECHNOLOGIES
— Dow Packaging and Specialty Plas- Having advanced to world market leader, EKATO has provided
tics, Midland, Mich. their customers with more than 80 years of technical excel-
lence and experience. The companies within the EKATO GROUP
www.dow.com
offer a broad spectrum of mixing technologies.
Transition pieces ease pipe From modularly designed industrial agitators to turnkey pro-
duction plants, the EKATO GROUP provides a wide range of
connections in dry processes engineering services and custom-made solutions for the most
This company challenging customer applications. The synergies within the
EKATO GROUP ensure reliable and cost-effective solutions
offers a full that meet the highest quality standards for every application.
range of pro- This is supported by a global service network.
cess transi-
tions to con- www.ekato.com
nect piping
and other plant
Roto-Disc.
components
that may have non-matching dimen-
sions, in facilities processing dry
materials (photo). Among the many
piping, flange and duct transitions
are round-to-square pipe transitions,
adaptors and sanitary pipe/tube ex-
tenders with clamp ferrules. Transi-
Your Contact in:
tion pieces are available with flanges Europe, Tel. +49 7622 29-0, e-mail: info@ekato.com / USA, Tel. +1 201 825 4684, e-mail: usa@ekato.com
on one or both ends, as are flange-
less/weld stub transitions. Custom
Pyromation control panel. The connection heads sumption of lubricants, the condition
are designed for flexibility and ease of of the bending tools, the need for
maintenance, says the company. — machine maintenance and more. The
Pyromation, Fort Wayne, Ind. advanced software and icon interface
www.pyromation.com provide intuitive operation and high
process reality. — Schwarze-Robitec
Piping is designed for ultra- GmbH, Cologne, Germany
high-purity chemical transport www.schwarze-robitec.com
The Fluor-X high-purity fluoropo-
lymer pipe (photo) is available in a Back-pressure regulator
wide range of standard and custom serves thermoplastic pipe
lengths and diameters. The Schedule The Frank Series V86 back-pres-
40 and 80 pipe is available in a choice sure regulator (photo) is the latest
of fluorinated ethylene propylene addition to this company’s Chem
(FEP), perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA) Proline Advanced PE piping system.
and ultrahigh-purity (UHP) resins. Made from an advanced polyethyl-
This high-purity pipe is manufactured ene resin, these pressure regulators
from low-iron-extractable resins, and have the same chemical resistance
it offers excellent corrosion resistance and stress-crack resistance as the
for temperatures ranging from –100 Proline pipe and molded fittings,
to 400°F. The low extractable levels making them suitable for use in
and chemically inert nature of the water treatment and chemical pro-
fluoropolymer piping make it ideal for cess applications handling a vari-
high-purity acid and chemical-trans- ety of chemicals, including sodium
port applications, especially in semi- hydroxide, sodium hypochlorite,
conductor wafer fabrication, says the caustic soda and low-concentration
company. — Ametek Fluropolymer acids. The V86 inline regulator is
Products, Wilmington, Del. available in both inline and angled
Ametek Fluropolymer Products www.ametek.com configurations, with either butt/IR or
socket connections. — Asahi/Amer-
Corrosion-resistant coatings ica, Lawrence, Mass.
protect piping systems www.asahi-america.com
Kalpoxy corrosion-resistant coatings
(photo) are suitable for use in appli- Single-use bioreactor tubing
cations above and below water. It re- kits reduce contamination risk
lies on a unique blend of liquid epoxy The AdvantaPure Single-Use Biore-
polymer and aliphatic polyamine cur- actor Tubing Kits (photo, p. 31) are
ing agents, allowing them to displace built-to-order, single-use kits con-
water from wet surfaces, ensuring a taining tubing, filters and connectors,
permanent bond, says the company. for harvest, vent, sparge and addi-
They are solvent-free for safety, and tion lines used in benchtop bioreac-
Kalenborn Abresist incorporate Kevlar microfibers for tors. The kits arrive with components
reinforcement and viscosity manage- preassembled to provide quicker
ment. — Kalenborn Abresist Corp., turnaround time, and to ensure re-
Urbana, Ind. duced chance of cross contamina-
www.abresist.com tion. Platinum-cured silicone or Ad-
vantaFlex TPI tubing may be selected
Tube-bending machines as the tubing components in each
provide precise control kit. AdvantaFlex tubing is weldable
This company’s tube-bending sys- and heat sealable. — AdvantaPure,
tems now include an advanced con- Southampton, Pa.
trol system, the NxG 2.0 (photo), www.advantapure.com
which is said to provide improved
flexibility and increased production Pipeline connectors ease
rates for bended products. The sys- steam trap replacement
tem allows operators to bend tubes The PC3000 and PC40000 pipeline
of many materials into complex ge- connectors, equipped with single or
ometries. The control systems al- double isolation capabilities, allow
lows a variety of process parameters steam trap assemblies to be installed
to be tracked, so that realtime data or maintained without the need for
can be gathered and evaluated. For process shutdown. These pipelines
instance, integrated sensors provide connectors are ideal for the petro-
Schwarze-Robitec information on wear values, the con- leum, petrochemical and specialty
chemicals industry, and they are suit- chemicals can nest, says the com- AdvantaPure
able for manifold applications where pany. — OPW Engineered Systems,
steam traps are used on tracing and Lebanon, Ohio
line drainage. The connectors have www.opw-es.com
an ASME 600-rated forged body that
makes them suitable for use on lines Permeation tubes are designed
up to 800°F, and a shrouded piston for gas calibration standards
valve stem, which reduces the po- During gas chromatography, cali-
tential for corrosion. — Spirax Sarco, bration gas standards are used to
Blythewood, S.C. establish a reference point for analy-
www.advantapure.com sis verification. Dynacal Permeation
Tubes (photo) are small, inert cap-
Dry-disconnect couplings sules containing a pure chemical
improve product transfer compound in two-phase equilibrium
The Epsilon Dry-Disconnect Cou- between its gas phase and either
plings provide a range of design its liquid or solid phase. At a con-
and operational features that make stant temperature, the device emits
them ideal for use in critical in-plant the compound through its perme-
and railcar or tank-truck chemical- able portion, at a constant rate.
transfer operations in pharmaceuti- Accurate, stable concentrations
cal applications. They allow safe, range from parts-per-billion to high
precise handling of volatile, hazard- parts-per million, says the company.
ous and high-value pharmaceutical Rates can be certified using stan-
compounds during transfer opera- dards traceable to NIST, using ac-
tions. The design uses ball valves curate laboratory procedures, says
rather than poppets to facilitate the the company. — VICI Metronics,
opening and closing of the coupling, Poulsbo, Wash.
resulting in a straight-through flow www.vici.com n
path that creates no areas where Suzanne Shelley VICI Metronics
Improve process Superior blending in transitional

ow makes the Chemineer
performance and JT impeller ideal for high
viscosity uids
reduce energy The JT-2 impeller design promotes
blending by e iciently moving
consumption. material in one direction in the

center of the tank and the opposite
direction on the outside of the tank.
The improved ow pattern promotes
ow between impellers yielding
blend time reduction of up to 50%
compared to competitive products.
Typical applications include
polymerizations food biopharma
fermentations paint and high solids
loading slurries.
Visit www nov com mixing

to learn more.
For the nearest sales o ice
call: 1-800-643-0641
National Oilwell Varco All rights reserved

New Products
Radar measurement with and enables “plug-and-play” opera-
79 GHz technology tion. The BS-miniDRY can simulate
The Micropilot NMR81 (photo) utilizes complex processes and production
79 GHz technology to generate a nar- steps, such as drying under vacuum.
row beam angle of 3 or 4 deg. Mea- Because it is identically designed
surements are substantially more reli- as a larger, production-scaled coni-
able, even in narrow tanks, because cal screw dryer, the BS-miniDRY is
the radar beam avoids obstacles, especially suitable for scaleup and
such as baffles on the tank walls. Fur- processing of, for example, bulk sol-
thermore, measurements right to the ids and active pharmaceutical ingre-
bottom in very tall tanks are easier be- dients. It is characterized by gentle
cause the beam does not hit the tank product handling, reliable operation,
walls prematurely. The technology and works with very small amounts of
permits very long measuring ranges product. — Heinkel Drying and Sepa-
of up to 70 m. In custody transfer, the ration Group, Besigheim, Germany
Endress+Hauser
instrument measures up to 30 m with www.heinkel.de
an accuracy of ±0.5 mm, which sur-
passes the recommendations of the A metering pump for
American Petroleum Institute (API) low-pressure ranges
and the International Organization of The Ecodos diaphragm metering
Legal Metrology (OIML). Micropilot pump (photo) is mechanically driven,
NMR81 easily fulfills all API and OIML rather than hydraulically driven. Due
requirements. — Endress+Hauser, to its simple construction, it operates
Inc., Greenwood, Ind. without hydraulic oil and can also
www.us.endress.com be used for sensitive applications in
the pharmaceutical field. Fluids that
This high-speed separator also would react with hydraulic oil can be
discharges quietly metered just as safely. In principle, it
Flottweg The AC separator (photo) is said to is suitable for virtually all metering and
reach far higher speeds than other pumping tasks in the low-pressure
centrifuges, such as the decanter range. The Ecodos, as a single-drive
centrifuge. The special design of the unit with a space-saving, vertically at-
separator permits the centrifuge to tached motor, delivers a flowrate of
achieve gravitational (g) forces of up to 0.4 to 1,500 L/h per pump head and
10,000 g. Moreover, disk inserts also a maximum discharge pressure of 20
provide a larger clarifying surface. The bars. Its multiplex capability also en-
combination of an expanded clarifying ables additional areas of application,
surface and the high g forces make it for which multiple drive units with
possible to separate the finest of solid identical or different output capacities
particles or liquid mixtures efficiently. A are ideally suited, particularly for low-
particular feature of the AC separator pulsation pumping, recipe metering
is the Soft Shot discharge mechanism. and mixing tasks. — Lewa GmbH,
Unlike many discharge mechanisms in Leonberg, Germany
which the solids discharge is acousti- www.lewa.de
Heinkel Drying and Separation Group cally perceptible as a loud bang, the
Soft Shot is silent. During discharge, Mixing, coating and drying with
part of the control water stays under high-performance mixers
the piston, which means that dur- When surfaces of inorganic compo-
ing ejection, the piston cannot strike nents have to be homogeneously and
the bottom of the bowl. The solid is reproducibly coated with functional
ejected in a gentle, quiet manner. — coatings in batch processes, high-
Flottweg SE, Vilsbiburg, Germany performance universal mixers of the
www.flottweg.com Uni tec series (photo, p. 33) are said
to offer significant advantages over
Laboratory dryer simulates conventional systems. The Uni tec
production steps mixers produce a 3-D mixing vortex
The fully equipped laboratory dryer without any dead spots in which the
BS-miniDRY (photo) has a mobile and entire material to be mixed is fluidized.
Lewa compact design. It is easy to install The result is maximum homogeniza-
MTI Mischtechnik International GEA Group
tableting tech- stations to be incorporated and an
nology will be output of up to 367,200 tablets per
showcased at hour to be achieved. — GEA Group
Interphex (April AG, Düsseldorf, Germany
26–28; New www.gea.com
York, N.Y.).
Launched Detect thunderstorms well be-
last year at fore the first lightning strikes
Achema 2015, For many manu-
the Modul Q facturing facilities,
tion with minimum time and energy rotary tablet thunderstorms can
consumption. All Uni tec mixers are press (photo) play a significant
suitable for vacuum operation, which features the company’s Exchange- role in disrupting
makes it possible to perform complex able Compression Module (ECM). The operations from an
processes, such as vacuum drying new version of the ECM is even more increased risk of ig-
after coating, in a single machine. An convenient to use and offers a higher nition due to static
optional chopper avoids the formation level of containment performance. electricity, as well
of lumps. Options include spray sys- With easier access for cleaning and as lightning strikes
tems for adding fluids, double-jackets set-up operations and improved to the plant and
Biral
for temperature control, electrically functionality, the Modul Q also incor- process equipment.
heated lids and surfaces, and more. porates the Exchangeable Die Disc, Many manufacturing and storage-
— MTI Mischtechnik International which was only previously available transfer processes have to be made
GmbH, Detmold, Germany on the Performa P press. Operation- safe or halted completely when a
www.mti-mixer.de ally, the Modul Q has a bigger pitch thunderstorm is in the vicinity as
diameter and, in terms of size, will be part of the risk mitigation and safety
Tableting technology debuts in positioned between the Modul P and protocols onsite. Both cause loss
North America Modul S. The use of A-type tooling is of productivity and efficiency for the
This company’s “next-generation” now possible, which allows 51 punch plant operators. The new BTD-300
Call the Experts

for all your solids processing
Solids Mixing Applications:

Ribbon & Cone Blenders APIs ∙ Ag-Chemicals
Fluidizing Mixers
Biologics ∙ Catalysts
Sigma Blade Mixers
(also for high-viscosity mixing) Ceramics ∙ Chemicals
Food Ingredients
Size Reduction
Herbicides ∙ Minerals
Wet & Dry Size Reduction
Steel & Ceramic Lined Mills Nutraceuticals ∙ Pesticides
Jars & Jar Rolling Mills Pharmaceuticals ∙ Pigments
Polymers ∙ Powdered Metals

Vacuum Drying
Dryers & Complete Systems Proteins ∙ Resins ∙ Vitamins
Quality &
Innovation Since 1911
www.pauloabbe.com 855-789-9827 sales@pauloabbe.com

Circle 27 on p. 94 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-27 Circle 42 on p. 94 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-42

Wanner Engineering thunderstorm detector (photo, p. 33) tudes. EGM continues to present an
can provide early warning of a nearby actual measured reading, together with
thunderstorm and so ensure the an indication or configurable alarm that
safety of operating personnel while improves processes by identifying tran-
minimizing downtime. While there are sient gas entrainments. The flowmeter
existing lightning systems available, is equipped with a new signal converter
these only alert after the strikes have that features advanced device and pro-
begun, whereas the BTD-300 uses a cess diagnostics, compliant to Namur
quasi-electrostatic operating principle recommendation NE 107. It is available
that gives early warnings of overhead in a range of sizes from DN 08 to 250,
lightning risk and detects strikes as and is offered in stainless steel 316L,
far as 83 km away, says the company. Hastelloy C22 and Duplex steel UNS
In addition to lightning detection, the S31803. The Optimass 6400 operates
BTD-300 has the ability to detect the in temperatures from –200 to 400°C,
presence of electrically charged pre- and handles pressures up to 200 bars.
cipitation and strong electric fields. — Krohne, Inc., Peabody, Mass.
The Biral BTD-300 is virtually immune www.us.krohne.com
to all forms of human-made radio fre-
quency interference so false alarms Customized process vessels and
are minimized. — Biral, Bristol, U.K. mixing systems
www.biral.com This company’s pressure vessels and
integrated mixing/processing systems
Metering pumps with brass (photo) are used in production, pilot
Pope Scientific manifolds and Aflas diaphragms plants and laboratories for processing,
Since March, the Hydra-Cell Metering reacting or blending specialty chemi-
Solutions pumps (photo) are available cals, adhesives, coatings, biomateri-
with Alfas diaphragms as well as brass als recycling and more. High-quality
manifolds. Aflas is a copolymer elasto- materials, welding and finishing assure
mer that is resistant to extreme heat, integrity and validation in sanitary, ul-
acids and alkalis. It is appropriate for tra-high purity and hazardous applica-
use when pumping water or alcohol, tions. ASME stamping is standard; CE/
and in various chemical environments. PED and other certifications available.
Brass provides a lower-cost alternative Options may include various mixer
to stainless steel and Hastelloy when types, pumps, plumbing and valve
the higher discharge pressures of a manifolds, instrumentation, controls,
metallic pump head are required, the filters, lifts, heating/cooling systems,
company says. The Hydra-Cell Meter- skid mounting and other features.
ing Solutions line includes six models They are fabricated with 316L stain-
with maximum flow capacities from less steel; other alloys, such as Has-
26.5 to 894.6 gal/h and maximum telloy, finishing levels and coatings are
pressure ratings from 1,000 to 2,500 also available. Custom designed com-
psi. — Wanner Engineering, Inc., plete turnkey skid-mounted systems,
Minneapolis, Minn. from 1 to 1,000 L, are offered. — Pope
www.hydra-cell.com Scientific, Inc., Saukville, Wis.
Flexicon www.popeinc.com
A new flowmeter with entrained-
gas management and more This drum dumper is
The Optimass 6400 is said to be the first dust tight
Coriolis mass flowmeter in the world to A new Tip-Tite Mobile Drum Dumper
feature advanced entrained gas man- (photo) allows dust-free transfer of
agement (EGM), with no loss of mea- bulk materials from drums into pro-
surement with gas entrainment up to cess equipment and storage vessels.
100 vol.%. Unlike other mass flowme- It is mounted on a mobile frame with
ters, where relative movement between quick-action floor jacks for stable
gas and fluid dampens the amplitude operation anywhere in the plant. A
of the measuring tube and interferes hydraulic cylinder raises the drum
with the electronics’ capability to de- carriage which seals the drum rim
termine the actual resonant frequency, against a discharge cone, after which
the Optimass 6400 with EGM can fol- a second hydraulic cylinder tips the
low and correct for the varying ampli- carriage-hood assembly and drum,
Ametek Process Instruments
stopping at a predetermined dump 4 parts per million (ppm), or 2%, of

angle of either 45, 60 or 90 deg with the reading, whichever is greater. —
a motion-dampening feature. As the Ametek Process Instruments, Inc.,
assembly approaches its fully-tipped Newark, Del.
position, the outlet of the discharge www.ametekpi.com
cone mates with a gasketed receiv-
ing-ring inlet fitted to existing pro- A peristaltic pump for metering
cess equipment or to the lid of an and transfer applications
optional hopper with integral pneu- The new 530
matic, tubular cable or flexible screw peristaltic
conveyor, creating a dust-tight seal. ing to manufacturers using water as cased pump
Once the discharge cone is seated their primary solvent. Working with (photo) han-
against the gasket, a pneumatically- a pharmaceutical manufacturer, this dles metering
actuated slide gate valve opens, al- company carried out a production and transfer
lowing material to enter the receiv- trial using its Model 5100 HD ana- applications,
ing vessel. The unit accommodates lyzer (photo) to monitor the batch such as sur- Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group
drums from 30 to 55 gal, weighing production of a widely prescribed face coat-
up to 750 lb. — Flexicon Corp., medication whose synthesis involves ing, printing and lime addition. The
Bethlehem, Pa. the use of water as the final rinse cost-effective pump is said to offer
www.flexicon.com agent. The trial demonstrated that easier operation and greater versa-
TDLAS techniques can be used to tility coupled with high levels of ac-
Realtime monitoring of continuously monitor and control the curacy. The new 530 models meet
water-solvent drying solvent drying process online, in re- the demands of rugged and often
This company has demonstrated altime, without operator intervention remote environments, and are built
that tunable diode-laser absorption or process interruption. The Model to operate 24/7 without interruption.
spectroscopy (TDLAS) can provide 5100 analyzer can provide online, The versatile 530 range of process
the advantages of continuous pro- realtime process control of moisture pumps offers four drive options and
cess control of pharmaceutical dry- over a wide range of levels down to nine pumphead variants. The pumps
STOP BY AND SEE US AT AFPM BOOTH 642


Emerson Process Management deliver flowrates from 0.000026 to perature via the transmitter’s thermal
0.92 gal/min. The pumps can be fit- conductivity algorithm. — Emerson
ted with either continuous tubing Process Management, Austin, Tex.
pumpheads, or with LoadSure tube www.emersonprocess.com
element pumpheads for pressures up
to 101.5 psi. — Watson-Marlow Fluid A smart capacitance sensor for
Technology Group, Falmouth, U.K. level control
www.watson-marlow.com The Advanced SmartLevel capaci-
tive sensor (photo) combines stan-
Safe combustible-dust explosion dard capacitive sensing technology
isolation with this system and the patented SmartLevel tech-
Tanks, silos and equipment are usu- nology, enabling the ability to sense
ally connected by pipelines through solids and highly conductive acids
which, if an explosion occurs, fire and bases with the utmost reliability.
and the pressure spread very rapidly. The Advanced SmartLevel is housed
In addition, the intensity of the explo- in 316 stainless steel, and the PEEK
sion in connected containers is in- sensing nose provides protection
creased by pressure piling and flame against sticky and adhesive mate-
jet ignition. This sequence of events rials. This combination of housing
can be prevented by the Exkop iso- materials gives the sensor an IP69
lation system, consisting of a con- rating, and is suitable for use in au-
trol panel and one or more quench toclaves for one hour. When used
valves. The integrated elastomer seal with the proper mounting accesso-
within the quench valve closes within ries, the sensor can be used in hy-
a few milliseconds, triggered by a gienic applications. Integration into
signal from the company’s Explo- control systems is fast and flexible
sion Panel, Q-Rohr-3, Q-Box II, an with either discrete outputs or with
infrared signal, or pressure or tem- IO-Link communication. — Balluff,
perature sensors. The quench valve Inc., Florence, Ky.
can be safely put back into opera- www.balluff.com
tion again at the press of a button.
The company recently introduced A sanitary cone mill for sticky,
the new and improved Exkop isola- fragile materials
tion system, which expands to range The Model CM540 Sanitary Cone Mill
of applications of its predecessors to (photo) delivers gentle, low-energy
include ST 2 dusts, reduced explo- size reduction while achieving even
sion pressures of up to 2 bars and particle distribution with minimal
larger diameters. — Rembe, Inc., fines. It is suitable for de-lumping of
Charlotte, N.C. dried or hygroscopic materials that
www.rembe.us have agglomerated due to damp-
ness or compaction, for intermedi-
Measure process temperatures ate sizing of “wet mass” product
Balluff without a thermowell for improved drying and granulation
The Rosemount X-well Technology prior to tableting, and for regrinding
(photo) is a surface-sensing tempera- of out-of-spec tablets to be reintro-
ture-measurement solution that elimi- duced to the tableting process. Its
nates the need for thermowell process smooth, moderate action alleviates
penetration when measuring process traditional milling problems of prod-
temperatures in pipe applications. uct build-up, dust and heat gen-
This device provides an accurate and eration, enabling it to process fatty,
repeatable internal process tempera- heat-sensitive, sticky, moist or fragile
ture measurement, while eliminating products. Conical screens can be
possible leak points and simplifying changed rapidly, and are offered with
specification, installation and main- apertures from 150 micron for fine/
tenance. Rosemount X-well Technol- dry de-agglomeration, up to 25 mm,
ogy is available in the Rosemount 648 including square and rectangular
Wireless Temperature Transmitter and perforations for wet granulation. —
Rosemount 0085 Pipe Clamp Sensor Kason Corp., Millburn, N.J.
Assembly. These components work www.kasonkekgardner.com n
Kason together to calculate process tem- Gerald Ondrey
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CRITICAL PROJECT EXECUTION FOR THE REFINERY AND PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES
Facts At Your Fingertips
Insulating Heat-Transfer-Fluid Piping
Department Editor: Scott Jenkins
H
eat-transfer-fluid (HTF) system TABLE 1. KEY PROPERTIES OF COMMON PIPING INSULATION TYPES
piping is insulated to reduce Insulation type Temperature use range Absorbent? Price
heat loss and prevent worker Fiberglass 0 to 1,000°F (–18 to 538°C) Yes Low
contact with hot surfaces. Insulated Mineral wool 0 to 1,400°F (–18 to 760°C) Yes Low
piping minimizes the effects of chang- Calcium silicate 80 to 1200°F (27 to 650°C) Yes Medium
Cellular glass –450 to 800°F (–268 to 427°C) No Medium
es in ambient temperature to help en-
sure precise control of process tem- most probable explanation is that a fiberglass and so on, may be used.
perature. Proper design of the HTF slow exothermic oxidation reaction On vertical runs of lines of pipe
system and its insulation is required between hydrocarbon-type heating where occasional sources of leaks
to reduce the risk of fire as a result of fluids and the air inside the voids of can develop at flanges and valves,
fluid leakage into insulation. the insulation starts at about 500°F. install protective, tight-fitting caps
Such a reaction is believed to occur below flanges and valves to divert
Types of insulation for the following reasons: any fluid leakage to the outside of
The main insulation materials used • A large heating surface area the insulation.
for HTF system piping are fiberglass, exists within the insulation Install valve stems horizontally to
mineral wool, calcium silicate and • Formation of low-flash-point help avoid stem leakage from enter-
cellular glass. Table 1 lists some im- oxidation products, resulting ing the insulation.
portant properties to consider when from exposure to air On those sections of lines where
choosing insulation. • Temperatures can rise within greater numbers of control valves
Fiberglass and mineral wool are the saturated insulation mass and instrument fittings present high-
fibrous materials produced in simi- due to poor heat dissipation er leakage risk, install cellular glass
lar processes. Thermal conductiv- conditions insulation or metal-shielded insula-
ity is similarly low for both materials. Tests indicate that fiberglass, min- tion to minimize or eliminate any fluid
Calcium silicate insulation is formed eral wool and calcium silicate insula- saturation of the insulation system.
by drying a calcium silicate slurry tions are more subject to this prob- Consult your company’s insulation
in a mold, yielding a material with a lem, since they can absorb large supplier and insurance company for
slightly higher thermal conductiv- amounts of leaking fluid with greater additional suggestions on reducing
ity than fiberglass or mineral wool. surface area of liquid-air contact. fire hazards. n
These three materials have open, air- Cellular glass insulation resists
filled channels, which can wick leak- saturation by heat transfer fluid and, References
ing fluid into the insulation. therefore, may be a safer insulation to 1. “Systems Design Data,” Publication No. 7239193C,
Cellular glass insulation is formed use. Cellular glass normally is more Solutia Inc., subsidiary of Eastman Chemical Co.,
by heating a glass powder mixture, costly for most applications because September 2002.
which melts and expands, leaving of its higher installation cost and its 2. “Liquid Phase Design Guide,” Publication No. TF-04,
5/14, Eastman Chemical Co.
tiny, sealed glass cells throughout the tendency to crack when thermally
3. Controls Southeast Inc., “Insulation,” from www.csiheat.
material. It is impermeable to leaking shocked. Cellular glass is suggested com/csi_university/insulation.aspx, accessed January
fluid and has a thermal conductivity for use around flanges and other ar- 2016.
similar to calcium silicate. eas where leaks are likely to occur,
while lower-cost insulation materials Author
Insulation design may be used for pipe racks and all- The content for this edition of “Facts at Your Fingertips” was
supplied by the Eastman technical support team. If you have
Insulation should be installed to cover welded runs of piping. additional questions or comments, please email Eastman at:
all piping and other exposed surfaces team.therminol@eastman.com.
of the HTF system where heat loss Tips to reduce risk of fire Disclaimer: Although the information and recommenda-
can occur. Free online calculators can Install and maintain a leak-free piping tions set forth herein are presented in good faith, Eastman
be used to determine required insula- system when combustible heat-trans- Chemical Co. and its subsidiaries make no representations
or warranties as to the completeness or accuracy thereof.
tion thickness for most processes. fer fluids are being used. Reduce the No representations or warranties, either express or implied,
number of flanges and incorporate or merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose or of
Fire safety adequate flexibility of piping. Use sug- any other nature are made hereunder, and nothing herein
waives any of the seller’s conditions of sale. Eastman and
Fires have occurred in insulation ma- gested piping specifications. If a leak Therminol are trademarks of the Eastman Chemical Co. or
terials that have been soaked with or- develops, remove the insulation and its subsidiaries.
ganic heating fluids at apparent tem- contain and control the HTF until the
peratures of 500 to 600°F, which is leak can be repaired.
Facts At Your Fingertips
well below the autoignition tempera- On horizontal runs of pipe with Sponsored by:
ture of most commercial HTFs. While welded joints and proper flange fit-
the exact mechanism by which such tings, the standard high-temperature
fires occur is not fully understood, the insulation, such as calcium silicate or
WHEN IT COMES
TO MAINTENANCE,
LESS IS MORE.
In your industry, the more you produce, the better. However, this can
also lead to more maintenance, more downtime and more headaches.
That’s why, at Eastman, we specialize in keeping you up and running with
our advanced Therminol heat transfer luids. And with our industry-deining
Total Lifecycle Care® Program, you can count on us being there throughout the
system’s lifecycle. To learn more about our TLC Program and what the
Eastman Therminol team can do for you, go to Therminol.com or call
1-800-426-2463 in North America. In Europe, call 32.2.746.5134.
© 2014 Eastman Chemical Company or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. As used herein, ® denotes registered trademark status in the U.S. only.
Technology Profile
Styrene-Butadiene Rubber via an Emulsion Process
By Intratec Solutions
S
tyrene-butadiene rubber
Styrene
(SBR) is an elastomer that
was originally developed prior
to World War II as a replace- Butadiene SBR Polymerization
Crude C4s Butadiene Plant SBR
ment for natural rubber. SBR is used Plant
for manufacturing vehicle tires, but is Butadiene recycle
also used in other applications, such
n Raw material n Process n Main product
as: adhesives, flow modifiers for other
FIGURE 2. This figure shows an integrated industrial complex, including a butadiene plant and an SBR plant
elastomers, footwear, pharmaceutical
and food-contact articles, and even
chewing gums. butadiene. Residual butadiene vapors on data from the first quarter of 2014.
are sent to a butadiene-recovery step, The scope of this analysis assumes
The process while the degassed latex is pumped to an eSBR plant located inside a petro-
The following paragraphs describe a a steam-stripping column. chemical complex that also contains a
cold emulsion-polymerization process In butadiene recovery, water is re- butadiene plant (Figure 2).
for SBR production from butadiene moved from the stream and recovered The total capital investment esti-
and styrene. SBR grades generated butadiene is recycled to the butadiene mated to construct a plant in the U.S.
in this type of process are usually re- plant. In the butadiene plant, butenes with the capacity to produce 140,000
ferred to as emulsion SBR (eSBR). are separated, so the recovered butadi- metric ton per year (m.t./yr) of eSBR is
Figure 1 presents a simplified flow ene can be reused in the eSBR plant. about $230 million. The capital invest-
diagram of the process, showing the In the steam-stripping column, re- ment includes fixed capital, working
main pieces of equipment. sidual styrene monomer is stripped by capital and additional capital require-
Polymerization. Styrene and butadi- contacting the latex with steam enter- ments. The production costs (costs
ene are mixed with an emulsifier and ing the bottom of the column. Stripped associated with plant operation,
demineralized water to form the emul- styrene is recycled to the polymeriza- product sales, administration, R&D
sion that will be fed to the polymer- tion, while the latex is transferred to the activities and depreciation) are about
ization reactors. The polymerization coagulation section of the process. $2,700/m.t. of eSBR produced.
occurs in a connected series of con- Coagulation, drying and finishing. This column is based on “Styrene-
tinuously stirred, jacketed tank reac- In the coagulation step, the latex co- Butadiene Rubber Production: Cost
tors. To maintain a low reaction tem- agulates and becomes small crumbs Analysis,” a report published by In-
perature, all reactors are cooled using suspended in water. The coagulated tratec Solutions that can be found
ammonia refrigeration. crumbs are then sent to a drying at: www.intratec.us/analysis/styrene-
Downstream, a “shortstop” agent is stage, where they are dewatered. The butadiene-rubber-production-cost. n
mixed with the emulsion to stop the resulting crumb stream, containing Edited by Scott Jenkins
reaction at the desired conversion less than 10 wt.% moisture, is dried
stage and avoid gel formation. The with continuous belt dryers. After dry- Editor’s Note: The content for this column is supplied by
shortstopped latex is transferred to ing, the rubber is pressed into bales, Intratec Solutions LLC (Houston; www.intratec.us) and edited
the monomer-recovery section. weighed, film-wrapped and boxed. by Chemical Engineering. The analyses and models presented
are prepared on the basis of publicly available and non-
Monomer recovery. The latex gener- confidential information. The content represents the opinions
ated in the polymerization reactors is Economic performance of Intratec only. More information about the methodology for
preparing analysis can be found, along with terms of use, at
directed to blowdown tanks and sub- An economic evaluation of the pro- www.intratec.us/che.
sequently flashed to recover unreacted cess described was conducted based
1. Polymerization reactors
Butadiene plant 2. Butadiene flash
(for additional 3. Steam stripping
purification/out 4
of scope)
4. Butadiene recovery
5. Coagulation
6. Drying
Emulsifier, catalyst 5 6 7 eSBR 7. Baling and packaging
Butadiene and other chemicals 8. NH3 refrigeration system
9. Cooling tower
Styrene 10. Steam boiler
3
Water Waste NH3 8
NH3 water CW Cooling water
NH3 NH3
CW 9 ST Steam
1 1 1
2 ST ST 10
Shortstop agent
FIGURE 1. This figure shows a diagram of SBR production from styrene and butadiene via a cold emulsion process
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© 2016 Team Industrial Services
Mixers: Four
Innovations Worth a
Closer Look
Many factors can impact the success of mixing in chemical process operations. The design
breakthroughs profiled here address some of the most commonly encountered issues
All photos provided by Charles Ross & Son Company
Christine
Banaszek
Charles Ross &
Son Company
IN BRIEF
FOUR RECENT
ADVANCES IN MIXER
DESIGN
PLANETARY DISPERSERS
POWDER-INDUCTION
MIXERS
ULTRA-HIGH-SHEAR
ROTOR-STATOR MIXERS
VERTICAL BLENDER-
DRYERS
CLOSING THOUGHTS
T
he last few decades have not lacked FIGURE 1. This planetary disperser is equipped with two
for innovations in mixing technology. helical, planetary stirrers, four saw-tooth blades (two on each
high-speed shaft), a removable sidewall scraper arm, and a
As the chemical process industries bottom scraper (attached to one of the stirrers)
(CPI) have made great strides in
developing novel raw materials, enhanced and commercial production. While many of
value-added formulations and improved the solutions commonly take the form of
processes — in response to ever-changing strategic modifications applied to prevailing
consumer preferences and legislation — the technologies, there are others that ultimately
science and art of mixing has continued give rise to more drastic innovations and thus
to evolve, too, to meet the demands of mod- become a new mixer category all their own.
ern production. As with most novel devices and ideas, mix-
Mixer manufacturers have needed to ing innovations do take time to spread and
quickly adapt and respond to real issues that gain widespread usage, some more than
are encountered, from research and devel- others. In this article, we review four specialty
opment (R&D) all the way through scaleup equipment designs that provide a range of
processing and operational advantages over
traditional mixers. While they may not yet be
considered standard workhorses (and are
often are known only within specific indus-
try sectors), they are worth a closer look by
most CPI operators, because of the univer-
sal benefits they offer.
Four recent advances in mixer designs

1. Planetary dispersers. The classic high-
speed disperser, also sometimes called a
dissolver, is a popular mixing tool used in
the manufacture of paints, inks, coatings,
adhesives, plastics and other applications. It
is economical, simple to operate and usu-
ally equipped with a saw-tooth blade, which
works well for straightforward, powder wet-
out and dispersion applications. However,
its efficacy is significantly diminished once
the product viscosity exceeds 50,000 cen-
tipoise (cP).
And, a high-speed disperser can easily
raise product temperature due to frictional
heat. In a viscous batch, when not enough
material is able to flow toward the blade,
localized heating sets in. Eventually, colder
materials near the vessel periphery can be-
come stagnant. This further contributes to
poor mixing, and increases the risk of prod-
uct degradation due to overheating in the
vicinity of the high-speed blade.
The addition of an anchor agitator, de-
signed to sweep the vessel walls and pro-
mote bulk flow, can improve the disperser’s
rheological limitation, but only to a certain ex- revolving around the vessel. A more basic FIGURE 2. The agitators in this
tent. As viscosity climbs to around 500,000 version, with just one planetary stirrer and 300-gal planetary disperser
are lifted out of the vessel
cP and higher, such a multi-shaft mixer con- one disperser, can be considered, as well. via a dual-post hydraulic lift,
figuration — one that combines a disperser Both sets of agitators are independently allowing complete access for
and an anchor — will ultimately begin to suf- controlled, so flow patterns and shear rates cleaning and maintenance
fer, as a result of inadequate product turn- can be fine-tuned as the product undergoes
over and uneven heating. changes in rheology and other physical char-
Manufacturers familiar with the above sce- acteristics throughout the mixing cycle. In a
narios could learn from the battery industry, planetary disperser, the concern of localized
where many producers have standardized overheating is reduced to a large extent, be-
their operations using planetary dispers- cause the sawtooth blades do not turn from
ers for producing viscous, electrode pastes a fixed location. Just as importantly, two
and similar materials with high solids con- other agitators are essentially “feeding” the
tent. These are hybrid mixers that deliver dispersers with product from all other areas
simultaneous planetary agitation and high- of the vessel. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
shear dispersion. scrapers can be added for the sidewalls and
Planetary dispersers are highly efficient at tank bottom, as well, for even tighter tem-
incorporating large amounts of dry ingredi- perature control.
ents into a liquid, even if the fluid is thick or Compared to double planetary mixers
tacky to begin with. The most robust config- and sigma-blade mixers — which apply
uration of this style of mixer consists of two a lower-speed kneading action and thus
low-speed planetary stirrers, and two high- rely on elevated viscosity in order to effectively
speed shafts, each equipped with multiple, disperse agglomerates — planetary dispers-
saw-tooth disperser blades (Figure 1). All ers deliver very high levels of shear over
four agitators rotate on their own axes, while a wider viscosity range and are better

tently results in a final product with a 7–8
Hegman grind.
The company has since installed 40- and
100-gallon planetary dispersers with in-
terchangeable vessels and accompanying
discharge systems. The new production
method is essentially a “one-pot” process,
which is more streamlined and capable of
significantly greater output in less time, com-
pared to the former approach.
2. Powder-induction mixers. As many pro-
cess engineers and operators can attest,
poor-quality dispersions occur even when
the application has a relatively low viscosity
and is relatively easy to agitate. Stubborn ag-
glomerates, “fish eyes” (that is, partially hy-
drated clumps of powder characterized by a
tough outer layer that prevents the complete
wetting of particles within the interior por-
tion), and floating powders are a frustrating
sight that can take several hours of mixing
to remedy. Unfortunately, it does not take
a large amount of solids to create this type
of bottleneck.
Consider the case of fumed silica, carbom-
ers, cellulose gum (CMC), starch, alginates,
pectin, xanthan gum, carbon black and other
FIGURE 3. This illustration able to accommodate extreme fluctuations hydrophobic or low-surface-energy solids.
shows how a powder-induc- in consistency. Dispersing powders like these into water,
tion mixer works. The liquid
stream (blue) enters the mixer
Adding to their functionality and efficiency, solvent, resin or other liquids is typically
and immediately encounters the “change can” design of planetary dis- time- and energy-consuming. To aid wet-
the powder addition. Drawn persers allow the use of multiple vessels for ting, chemical surfactants and dispersants
by a powerful vacuum, free- semi-continuous production. Upon comple- are typically utilized, allowing manufacturers
flowing powders (yellow) are
injected into the liquid and tion of a mix cycle, the agitators are lifted to continue relying on existing and legacy
instantaneously mixed under completely out of the finished product so mixing equipment with reasonable success.
high shear. The resulting the vessel can be wheeled away to a dis- However, the option to upgrade to a better
dispersion (green) is expelled
centrifugally through the sta-
charge station (Figure 2). Another vessel is method of powder dispersion should not be
tor openings at high velocity then rolled into position under the mixer to overlooked as an opportunity to sharpen
immediately begin the next batch. competitive advantage.
Case history snapshot 1. A manufacturer of Thanks to innovations in rotor-stator tech-
structural adhesives was previously batch- nology, sub-surface induction has become
ing one of its formulations in open ves- arguably the best technique for handling
sels equipped with high-speed dispersers. hard-to-disperse powders — provided
After mixing, the product required further the dispersion has a maximum viscos-
processing in a three-roll mill, to achieve a 6 ity no greater than 10,000 cP (Figure 4).
Hegman grind.1 Today’s powder-induction mixers are ca-
Testing revealed that vacuum mixing in pable of pumping liquid while simultane-
a planetary disperser produces a superior ously drawing powders and dispersing
finished product, which no longer requires them into the fluid stream (Figure 3). After
additional milling. The much-improved ma- inducting all of the dry ingredients, the mixer
terial turnover throughout the mixing cycle, continues to recirculate the product until
coupled with vacuum conditions, consis- the desired level of dispersion or dissolu-
tion has been achieved, usually in just a few
1. A Hegman grind gage is one method for determining the pres- tank turnovers.
ence of coarse particles or agglomerates in a dispersion. The
gage resembles a flat block of steel with grooves machined into
When used in conjunction with, or in lieu
it, decreasing in depth from one end of the block to the other. of, top-entering agitators like propellers, tur-
The Hegman scale ranges from 0 to 8, with numbers increasing bines, paddles or anchors, a powder-induc-
as the particle size decreases. A value of 0 Hegman correlates
to approximately 100 microns, while a value of 8 Hegman is tion mixer virtually eliminates the occurrence
equivalent to 0 microns. of floating powders, excessive dusting and
Reliable. Safe. Cost Effective.
Eliminate the mechanical issues

of traditional dp systems
Utilizing a design with two pressure sensor modules connected to a single
transmitter, the Deltabar FMD71/72 electronic dp system dramatically reduces the
need for maintenance. Electronic dp also addresses problems associated with the
use of impulse lines and capillaries, such as clogging, icing, leaks and condensation.
Measurement dri is almost completely eliminated, resulting in response times up
to 10 times faster than traditional systems. With both ceramic and metal sensors
available, the FMD71/72 o ers reliable, safe and cost e ective measurement in a
diverse range of conditions.
• Reliable - eliminates traditional mechanical issues resulting in greater

measurement accuracy, process availability and reliability
• Safe - minimized safety risks thanks to the new system architecture and design
• Cost Effective - lowest total cost of ownership thanks to reduced installation
time, maintenance, downtime and spare parts requirements
Learn more about this technology: www.us.endress.com/electronic-dp
Endress+Hauser, Inc
2350 Endress Place
Greenwood, IN 46143
info@us.endress.com
888-ENDRESS
www.us.endress.com
erator assumes all three functions of the
pump, eductor and mixer in a compact
machine that is simpler to use and far
more reliable than the prior approach.
Case history snapshot 2. At a chemi-
cal plant, fumed silica dispersions
were being made in a 4,000-gal tank
equipped with a propeller agitator vessel
and a rotor-stator mixer in the recircula-
tion line. An oily liquid with surfactant
was charged into the tank and heated
to 110°F, followed by fumed silica pow-
ders, which were added slowly and de-
liberately, one bag at a time. The batch
took several hours to complete, even
with the recirculation mixer providing
some level of shear.
By simply swapping its regular, inline
rotor-stator mixer with a newer model
capable of powder induction, the com-
pany was able to cut down the cycle
FIGURE 4 (above). Combining this powder- persistent fish eyes. Other processing time to under two hours, and reduce
induction mixer with a work bench eases
material handling. This mobile system
advantages include greatly reduced operator exposure to airborne particles.
pumps liquid from a tank, while simulta- mixing times, less rework and waste, The powder-addition step is especially
neously drawing powders from a built-in and increased operator safety. more convenient — operators no longer
hopper. The resulting mixture is pumped The design breakthrough of today’s have to climb the mezzanine carrying
by the mixer back into the tank and recir-
culated until dispersion is complete newer powder-induction mixers is par- bags of fumed silica.
ticularly valuable because it has re- 3. Ultra-high shear rotor/stator mix-
moved the need for eductors and aux- ers. Ultra-high-shear mixers are super-
iliary pumps. In earlier designs, solids close-tolerance rotor-stator devices (Fig-
were combined with the moving liquid ure 5) designed for very high tip speeds
stream in an eductor by means of the (upwards of 11,000 ft/min, which is three
Venturi effect, and then mixed further to four times that of conventional rotor/
down the line. These systems worked stators). What makes them an essential
to some extent but were often tempera- innovation is their ability to produce very
mental and prone to clogging. They also fine dispersions and emulsions, which
required constant attention by an expe- previously could only be made in colloid
rienced operator in order to maintain mills, media mills and high-pressure ho-
a careful balance between the pump, mogenizers. Such machines are popu-
FIGURE 5 (below). Shown here are some eductor and mixer. lar in certain industries, but are known
examples of the rotor-stators used in The latest iteration of the powder-infor their notoriously low throughput,
modern ultra-high shear mixers. The com-
bination of high tip speed and extremely duction mixer utilizes a modified rotor- high energy consumption, costly main-
close tolerances between the interlocking stator that creates a powerful vacuum, tenance and long downtimes.
channels subjects the product to intense which draws powders directly into the Many of the companies currently using
shear in a single pass. The gap between high-shear zone, where they are in- ultra-high-shear mixers have switched
adjacent surfaces of the rotor and stator
is adjustable, allowing operators to fine- stantaneously dispersed into the liquid to this technology because of applica-
tune shear levels and flowrates stream. In essence, the rotor-stator gen- tions that require intense mixing, but

actually tend to degrade when exposed to FIGURE 6. The agitator move-
excessive shear. In other words, ultra-high- ment and material flow pat-
tern shown here for a vertical
shear mixers offer a “sweet spot” of intensity blender-dryer provides favor-
necessary for particle- or droplet-size reduc- able results for many
tion beyond what regular single- and multi- applications. Product is
heated through contact with
stage rotor-stator mixers can deliver. the jacketed sidewalls. The
At the same time, they are not exact drop-in vacuum-rated cover may
replacements for high-pressure homogeniz- also be jacketed to avoid
ers, but offer an alternative strategy for cer- condensation
tain applications, including pharmaceutical,
cosmetic and food emulsions, fine pigment
dispersions, electronic inks and specialty
coatings, to name a few. Manufacturers reap
the advantages of lower equipment cost,
significantly higher production capacity,
faster changeover and easier maintenance.
Sanitary models, which can be cleaned
and sanitized in place, also make ultra-high
shear mixers a very practical option for sen-
sitive applications.
Case history snapshot 3. A pharmaceutical
company uses several ultra-high-shear mix-
ers to produce a topical emulsion made up
of a slightly thickened aqueous phase and
a smaller-quantity oil phase. The aqueous
phase is charged into a recirculation vessel
and the mixer is started up. Once the mixer
has ramped up to the operating speed, the
oil phase is added to the tank at a controlled
rate, as the emulsion recirculates with the
aid of a pump. Within minutes, a tight dis-
tribution with submicron median droplet size and low horsepower makes the vertical
is achieved. blender an extremely efficient dryer. With
4. Vertical blender/dryers. When drying a very low footprint requirement, the verti-
to very low moisture levels, conventional cal blender/dryer is especially practical for
ovens and tray dryers are often left to run large batch volumes up to 500 ft3 or even
continuously for many hours, perhaps even larger, as long as the plant has enough
overnight. Vacuum ovens and tray dryers ceiling height.
offer better drying rates compared to their As opposed to ovens and tray dryers
atmospheric counterparts, but agitated vac- where product is stationary and relies on
uum dryers can be even more efficient. In convection for heat transfer, the materi-
fact, combining mixing and drying in a single als inside a vertical blender are heated via
simultaneous operation may offer substan- conduction. The layer of product in direct
tial improvements to production rate and contact with the heated sidewalls is con-
energy consumption. stantly renewed, and under vacuum condi-
Recognizing the potential savings from tions, this continuous but gentle turnover of
lower operating costs and faster drying, materials accelerates drying without affect-
more and more manufacturers throughout ing bulk density or generating an excessive
the CPI are upgrading to agitated vacuum amount of fines.
dryers. One of the most reliable systems Another great benefit of the vertical blender
available is the vertical blender/dryer, which is that it can accommodate a wide range of
features a slow-turning auger screw and a feed forms, from free-flowing powders and
conical vessel (Figure 6). The motion of the pellets to wet granules and paste-like ma-
auger screw gently lifts materials upward terials. The low-impact blending mechanism
and reintroduces them to the center of the also makes it well-suited for delicate, abra-
batch. As it orbits around the vessel, the sive and high-purity applications.
screw also nudges product near the top One particular innovation that is an essen-
to cascade slowly back down. The com- tial feature of the modern vertical blender is
bination of thorough mixing, deep vacuum the fully top-supported screw agitator. With-

FIGURE 7. Vertical blenders ing. This three-step process took 24 hours
are easily scalable and avail- to complete.
able in many standard sizes
from 1 to 500 ft3. Shown here
Simulation trials confirmed that the dry-
is a 350-ft3 model, with a ing and curing stages could be done in a
cone height measuring 14.5 ft vacuum-rated, vertical blender/dryer. Tem-
perature at each stage is easy to control
and maintain accurately, while the constant
agitation prevents agglomerates from form-
ing, therefore eliminating the downstream
milling step.
The company ultimately installed a verti-
cal blender/dryer designed for 29.5 in. Hg
vacuum and operating temperatures up to
500°F. Heating oil is circulated through a
100-psig stainless steel jacket around the
vessel and cover.
Closing thoughts
Innovations in mixing and blending will con-
tinue to emerge as long as users and equip-
ment manufacturers remain open to new and
unconventional solutions. There is certainly
room to grow considering the many pro-
cessing objectives that mixing accomplishes
throughout the CPI — from simple dissolu-
tion, suspension and particle-size reduction,
to homogenization, emulsification, drying
and a host of chemical reactions.
Mixing is a very application-specific opera-
tion that should be approached empirically,
out a bottom support bearing to get in the because the raw materials and their interac-
way, finished product is quickly and com- tions under certain operating conditions af-
pletely discharged out of the steeply angled fect mixing performance. Hence, the most
conical vessel. The blender requires very successful mixing strategies are often those
little maintenance as there is no packing that were grounded on practical experience
gland in the product zone, which also simpli- — and not just theoretical calculations. Pro-
fies cleanup. cess engineers, R&D scientists and man-
Among agitated dryers, the vertical blender agers are encouraged to take advantage
is one of the most economical because of of testing opportunities, whether through
its low horsepower-to-volume ratio. For in- in-house trials using rental equipment, or
stance, it consumes up to 50% less power spending a day or two at a mixing labora-
than a comparable ribbon blender. It is also tory. By partnering with a reputable mixer
the most flexible in terms of batch size. manufacturer, companies from any field can
Given the geometry of the cone, the vertical leverage decades of industry experience to
blender can operate efficiently with batches solve their operating issues and fuel their
as small as 10% of the maximum capacity, own innovations. n
whereas a blender with a horizontal trough Edited by Suzanne Shelley
generally needs to be at least 30–40% full
in order to mix properly. Furthermore, the Author
vertical blender is not sensitive to the order Christine Banaszek is an application engi-
of addition and positioning of raw materials neer at Charles Ross & Son Companny (710
Old Willets Path, Hauppauge, NY 11788;
(Figure 7). Phone: 631-234-0500; Email: cbanaszek@
Case history snapshot 4. A plastic manufac- mixers.com), a manufacturer of specialty mix-
turer used to dry thermoplastic resin pow- ing and blending equipment She received her
B.S.Ch.E. from the University of the Philip-
ders (reducing moisture from 35% to less pines – Diliman, where she also subsequently
than 1%) in a V-cone tumble blender and served as instructor of chemical and environ-
mental engineering. She has published many
transfer them to trays for curing in an oven. articles and whitepapers in mixing and blending technologies, ap-
The powders were then milled to disperse plications and best practices.
agglomerates that re-formed during cur-
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Part 2
Reliable Operation and

Sealing of Agitators
Mechanical seals, as required by most vessel agitators, are systems sufficiently
complex to warrant a good understanding by engineers and appropriate
training for operators
FIGURE 1. The forces
T
Bernd Reichert o ensure safe and reliable agitator
on the components of
EKATO operation, the sealing of the rotating an agitator — including
shaft is of fundamental importance. the seal — result mainly
Depending on the operating condi- from the hydraulic loads
IN BRIEF tions — such as pressure, temperature and on the impellers
AGITATOR SEAL speed — various sealing principles may be

SYSTEMS COMPARED used. A comparison of their characteristics
with the requirements for mixing shows that
BASICS OF MECHANICAL
SEALS
mechanical seal technology offers many
advantages over other sealing methods. In
BARRIER FLUIDS particular, when hazardous substances are
MATERIALS OF being mixed or an explosive atmosphere
CONSTRUCTION is present, the use of a mechanical sealing
system is almost mandatory, especially if the
SUPPLY SYSTEMS
mixing vessel operates at elevated pressure
CONTINUOUS FLOW and temperature.
SYSTEMS
PRESSURE Agitator seal systems compared

COMPENSATORS A reliable mechanical design for an agitator
(Figure 1) must take into account the hydrau-
lic loads on the impellers, which in turn cre-
ate the torques and bending moments that
exert mechanical loads on agitator compo-
nents such as the shaft, bearing and gear-
box. Secondary loads, such as oscillations,
vibrations and noise emissions also play im-
portant roles.
Shaft seals can be divided into two main
groups: radial and axial seals. The main dif-
ference between these two groups is the di- very suitable for agitator applications. Axial
rection in which the contact forces act. displacements have to be compensated with
Typical types of radial shaft seals include elastic elements. Mechanical seals belong to
radial sealing rings, lip seals and stuffing the group of axial shaft seals. Below, some
boxes. Here, the sealing effect is provided by examples of each type of seal are discussed
radial forces, and the length of the cylindrical in more detail (see also Figure 2).
sealing gap is in the axial direction. Although Stuffing boxes. Historically, stuffing-box
radial seals are relatively insensitive to axial packings are the oldest type of sealing ele-
displacement, radial shaft deflections lead to ment. The term “stuffing box” originates from
higher sealing forces on one side, which may early steam ship construction. The passage
cause leakage and accelerate wear. for the shaft through the hull was sealed with
In contrast, the sealing forces in axial shaft oil-soaked rags that were stuffed into the
seals act in the axial direction. This results gap between the shaft tube and the housing.
in a horizontal sealing surface with a con- The first mixing vessels were often equipped
centric circular cross-section. Owing to their with a stuffing box.
design, axial shaft seals are relatively insensi- Lip seals. In mixing applications, the working
tive to radial shaft deflections and are thus principle of lip seals can be in either the radial
or the axial direction. Cup collars, which pro- Stuffing box Cup collar Shaft lip seal Hermetic seal Mechanical seal
with canister
vide axial sealing, can be shifted to different
positions along the shaft. A cup collar whose Pressure
lip runs along the surface of the mounting Temperature
flange can protect surrounding equipment Speed
from steam or other vapors inside the mix-
Radial deflection
ing vessel, though it works only for vessels
Hazardous products
operating at atmospheric pressure. Radially
acting lips — usually made from a modified Explosion protection
polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) material — are Service life
also used to seal mixing vessels. These shaft Capital expenditure
lip seals, however, must be equipped with
n Very good n Good n Satisfactory n Poor n Unsuitable
relatively complicated bearings to limit shaft
deflections within the seal housing to about
0.01 mm. This is the only way to operate the seals and 10–50 mL/d of liquid for side-entry FIGURE 2. Of the various
lips reliably at pressures of up to 6 bars. mechanical seals. This means that the ves- technologies used for agita-
tor sealing, mechanical seals
Hermetic seals. To hermetically seal a mix- sel is not technically tight, in contrast to dou- typically score best in terms
ing vessel using only static seals, the me- ble-acting mechanical seals. Therefore, this of the balance of process and
chanical energy required at the impellers seal design cannot be used when hazardous economic factors
must be transmitted through the wall of the materials are to be mixed.
closed vessel. The input torque of a mag- Although dry-running mechanical seals
netic drive is transmitted to the shaft through do not need seal-liquid supply systems and
a canister using permanent magnets. their corresponding monitoring devices, the
Mechanical seals. Mechanical seals with seal rings are subject to relatively high wear.
dynamic sealing elements are regarded as The service life is therefore much lower than
technically tight when pressurization of the that for liquid-lubricated mechanical seals.
seal liquid is able to maintain a positive pres- Nevertheless, dry-running mechanical seals
sure gradient between the seal liquid cham-
ber of the mechanical seal and the product
in the vessel. Most mechanical seals used
with agitators have two pairs of sealing rings:
two rotating and two stationary rings (Fig-
ure 3). These pairs of rings form an enclosed
space — the seal chamber — that can be filled
with seal liquid. The contents of the vessel
can be reliably sealed against the surround- Readco Continuous Processors
ings by applying pressure to the seal liquid. are ideal for the Chemical, Cosmetic, Pigment,
If the seal-chamber pressure is controlled
Food and Pharmaceutical Industries.
so that it is always higher than that inside the
vessel, the product inside the vessel cannot Features and Benefits:
get past the mechanical seal. However, the Shorter Cycle Time
unavoidable leakage of seal liquid past the Product Consistency
inboard sealing rings will enter the vessel, Lower Energy Consumption
while leakage past the outboard pair of seal- Fewer Process Steps
ing rings will enter the surroundings. Customized Paddle Arrangement
The design principles of mechanical seals
can be divided into single- and double-act- The SC Processor can be utilized to reclaim liquid
ing seals. Another differentiating feature is solvents, reduce moisture content, increase the
the type of seal-ring lubrication: dry-running, viscosity of material suspensions, or transform slurries
gas-lubricated or liquid-lubricated. into dry powders.
Single-acting mechanical seals. The key
design feature of single-acting mechanical
seals is that they have only two seal rings.
This means they have only one interface and
no seal-liquid chamber. A key characteristic
of single-acting mechanical seals is that they
www.readco.com
can leak into the surroundings of the ves- 800-395-4959
sel. The leakage rates are generally not high: sales@readco.com
about 10–100 mL/hr of gas for dry-running

can achieve service lives of a year or more
under appropriate operating conditions.
Liquid-lubricated single-acting mechani-
cal seals can achieve much longer service p
lives, where the nature of the product allows
pB pS
them to be used. Many applications involve
suspended solid particles that — depend-
ing on their hardness and particle-size dis-
tribution — can greatly influence the service
life of the seal rings. These seals are gen- ~1 μm
erally equipped with two seal rings made

from abrasion-resistant silicon carbide (SiC).
However, the use of two hard materials is not
ideal with respect to sliding friction. In this Sliding face
case, it is usually better to use a softer ma-

terial for one of the faces, accepting higher FIGURE 4. As the seal fluid cools and lubricates the seal
wear in return for lower friction. faces, it creates a hydraulic force that tends to open the gap
Double-acting mechanical seals. Double-
acting liquid-lubricated mechanical seals
are the most common type for mixing ap- Basics of mechanical seals
plications, where they can be used under A mechanical seal system, as shown in Fig-
nearly all operating conditions. They are ure 3, has several components. Alongside
also available in gas-lubricated variants, in the mechanical seal cartridge itself are the
which a continuous supply of gas into the hydraulic components (such as a pressure
seal chamber maintains a seal gap of a few compensator), and the rest of the installa-
micrometers, thus preventing wear of the tion, comprising the pipework, instrumen-
seal rings. The characteristic feature of a tation and mountings. Some applications
double-acting mechanical seal is its seal- also include a seal-liquid refilling system. As
fluid chamber that can be filled with seal liq- a consequence, in most mixing systems,
uid or gas, thus separating the interior of the reliable sealing depends on the complete
vessel from its surroundings. mechanical seal system. Careful selection
Figure 2 shows how the various types of of suitable hydraulics and installation com-
seals discussed above score against pro- ponents is just as important as the design of
cess parameters such as temperature and the mechanical seal itself.
pressure, plus broader criteria like cost and The function of a mechanical seal is es-
service life. It is obvious that mechanical sentially governed by the mechanisms taking
seals offer many advantages over the other place in the gap between the rotating and
types. Particularly if hazardous or explosive the stationary seal rings. As Figure 4 shows,
FIGURE 3. A complete me-
chanical seal system typically materials are being mixed, a mechanical seal the seal interface can be imagined as a very
includes the seal cartridge is practically mandatory. A hermetic seal with narrow annular gap across which the seal
itself, a seal liquid supply tank a canister in combination with a mechani- faces are in partial contact. Full solid contact
and pump, a pressure com- cal seal is used for applications requiring would be ideal from the perspective of avoid-
pensator with position sen-
sors to monitor leakage, and the highest safety, such as hydrogenation or ing leakage. On the other hand, a pure fluid
automated isolation valves phosgenation reactions. film — with no solid contact — minimizes fric-
tional forces, wear and heat generation. The
Control Storage tank design of the seal ring must therefore take
system
Solenoid valve into account both aspects, and thus always
LSLL
represents a compromise. This condition is
LSL known as mixed friction: the seal faces are in
LSH partial contact, yet thanks to lubrication they
Mechanical seal
LSHH
also are able to slide over each other.
The physical and chemical processes tak-
ing place within the sealing gap of a me-
chanical seal are difficult to describe theo-
retically. Some processes, such as blistering
Seal liquid
Seal liquid on seal faces, are not yet completely under-
Pump
stood because it is hard to take measure-
Pressure compensator
ments at the seal interface. The key vari-
ables influencing the sealing and frictional
Short heat trap
characteristics of seal rings are the various
axial forces, which operate in both the FIGURE 5. To ensure reliable operation,
A2 =  (r22 – r32 ) pressure loads on the seal rings create
opening and closing directions. As Fig-
a closing force that should be somewhat
ure 4 shows, the pressure between the greater than the opening force
seal faces pushes the seal rings apart, pB > pO
whereas the hydraulic pressure on the
rings (Figure 5) pushes them together. r3
The ratio of these forces governs the
efficiency of the sealing function and r1
how easily the seal rotates. The clos-
ing forces must be slightly higher than
A1 =  (r22 – r12 )
the opening forces; otherwise, there is
a risk that the gap will open suddenly
and the seal will start to leak. r2
The ratio between the closing forces ps
and the opening forces is described
mathematically by the hydraulic balance
ratio K (Figure 5):
(1)
pB
With the assumption of a linear pres-
sure drop across the sealing interface cooling and sealing. It must also meet
(Figure 4), the closing and opening certain secondary conditions, such as
forces will balance when K = 0.5. In compatibility with the product and, if
practice, optimum performance is ob- necessary, conformity with the specifi-
tained when the value of K lies between cations of the U.S. Food and Drug Ad-
0.6 and 0.9. ministration (FDA).
The hydraulic balance ratio K is also Figure 6 compares barrier fluids used
used to characterize mechanical seals in mixing applications with respect
as unbalanced or balanced. Unbalanced to their suitability for various tasks. It
mechanical seals have K > 1, whereas is clear that the demands of lubrica-
balanced seals have K < 1. Unbalanced tion and cooling may conflict. Water
seals are expedient for simple operating cools efficiently, but lubricates poorly,
conditions, such as low pressures and whereas the reverse is true for min-
low agitator speeds. Here, the high hy- eral oils and pure glycerin. A mixture of
draulic balance ratio, with closing forces glycerin and water can be a success-
dominant, provides good sealing effi- ful compromise: the glycerin lubricates,
ciency without thermally overloading the while the water phase cools. For this
mechanical seal. In more-difficult oper- reason, glycerin/water mixtures should
ating conditions, such as high pressures always be used if possible. Unfortu-
and high agitator speeds, only balanced nately, not all products tolerate a glyc-
mechanical seals can be used. erin in-leakage of several milliliters per
So far we have ignored the closing day, though it is technically possible to
force contributed by the springs that collect the leaked barrier fluid and keep
form part of every mechanical seal. This it away from the product. FIGURE 6. For many applications, a
mixture of glycerin and water yields the
force is generally equivalent to a pres- Especially when water or organic sol- preferred balance of properties for the
sure of 1–2 bars. This is important at vents are used as barrier fluids, special barrier fluid
low operating pressures, but can confi-
dently be neglected at vessel pressures Barrier fluid Lubrication Cooling Circulation Product FDA compliance
above 10 bars. Nevertheless, even compatibility
high-pressure mechanical seals require Water
springs to keep them closed while they
Mineral oil 20 cSt
are unpressurized.
Glycerin 100%
Barrier fluids Glycerin/water

Another essential factor influencing Synthetic oil
the function of a mechanical seal is
the choice of barrier fluid. This liquid n Very good n Good n Satisfactory n Poor n Unsuitable
has three main functions: lubrication,

Modules Pressure Refilling unit Cooling Emergency Flushing Thermo- Forced
Application compensator supply system siphon circulation cal seal is regarded as being technically tight
criteria
High pressure when the pressure in the seal chamber is al-
High temperature ways higher than the vessel pressure. The
High agitator speed supply of seal liquid is thus of primary impor-
Many agitators
or vessels
tance to safety. The seal liquid also lubricates
Fluctuating pressure the seal interface. The tasks required of the
Unreliable cooling supply system include:
water supply
Pressure maintenance. Alternatives for
Corrosive products
Incrustations
pressure maintenance are continuous flow
Toxic products systems and pressure compensator ar-
Long shutdown time rangements (discussed further below).
Unqualified
Cooling. The physical processes tak-
personnel ing place in the seal interface and at the
Particularly advantageous Possible seal faces are very sensitive to high tem-
Generally used Not Recommended
peratures. If critical values are exceeded,
FIGURE 7. This matrix aids the cooling measures may be necessary to dis- this may cause localized areas to dry out,
choice of the various modules sipate the greater frictional heat. Compro- resulting in hotspots and greater shear
typically associated with
seal-liquid supply systems, mises of this kind in the choice of barrier stresses on the surfaces of the seal rings.
according to their suitability fluid generally shorten the service life of the The sealing function is compromised as
for different applications seal rings. soon as the surface structure has been
destroyed (blistering). Heat conducted to
Materials of construction the seal from the vessel, and generated by
Modern seal rings made of SiC, graphite, or friction at the seal interface, must therefore
SiC/carbon graphite composites can handle be continuously removed. Continuously
nearly all sealing tasks. O-rings are nearly operating cooling systems are extremely
always made of fluorocarbon (FKM/FPM) important for reliable operation. Cooling
rubber such as Viton, which withstands a systems for mechanical seals must be de-
wide range of temperatures and chemical signed so that the seal rings, O-rings and
environments. The most demanding require- barrier fluid are not thermally overloaded.
ments for chemical resistance require per- The weakest link in this chain is usually
fluoroelastomers (FFKM). Most of the other the barrier fluid, because it evaporates if
components of mechanical seals are made the temperature of the seal faces is too
of stainless steel. high. Without the cooling and lubrication
provided by the barrier fluid, the seal faces
Supply systems will rapidly suffer damage and drastically
Supply systems ensure that the mechanical reduced service life. Long-standing experi-
seal operates safely and reliably. A mechani- ence at EKATO indicates that, irrespective
of the type of barrier fluid, the temperature
should not exceed 80°C.
Flushing. In many processes, corrosive or
abrasive substances contaminate the sur-
faces of the seal rings. To protect them, the
rings can be flushed with a compatible liquid.
Emergency supply. In the event of an un-
expected increase in the leakage rate due
to damaged seal rings, the normal system
may not be able to supply enough barrier
fluid to keep the seal rings cooled and lu-
bricated. To maintain the positive pressure
difference between the mechanical seal and
the vessel, and thus maintain the lubrication
function, a backup seal liquid (often water)
is circulated through the mechanical seal at
a higher flowrate. This allows the reactor to
continue operating for a certain time after
leakage has increased.
FIGURE 8. This arrangement Seal liquid refill system. An outstanding
makes use of a thermosiphon characteristic of mechanical seals is their very
to circulate and cool the seal
fluid without the need for a small leakage rate, even at elevated vessel
pump pressures. A leakage rate of only 20–50 mL/d
can be expected during normal agitator oper-
ation at vessel pressures up to 70 bars. Nev-
ertheless, it is advisable to monitor the leak-
age rate continuously and refill the system
automatically when needed. This is especially
important in continuous mixing processes.
Figure 7 shows the support systems rec-
ommended for various operating conditions.
Continuous flow systems

Water cooling systems and circulation pumps
are not very popular because the necessary
pipework and pumps increase the capital
outlay. They also consume water and elec-
tricity, and require extra maintenance.
Fortunately, simple sealing tasks do not
require these additional elements if we ex-
ploit the thermosiphon effect to circulate the
seal liquid, and natural convection in the sur-
rounding air for cooling (Figure 8). Hot liquid If the thermosiphon effect is insufficient to FIGURE 9. Shown here is a
has a lower density than cold liquid, so it remove the generated heat quickly enough, forced-circulation system
serving several mechanical
rises into a storage vessel mounted above the seal liquid must be circulated with a seals
the seal. Natural cooling of the liquid storage pump. Natural convection cooling with air
vessel then sets up a circulation through the must also be replaced or supplemented by
seal. The storage vessel can also be cooled forced cooling with liquid, for instance cool-
with a water jacket instead of air. A supply of ing coils in the storage vessel.
compressed gas is required to pressurize the The resulting forced circulation cooling
storage vessel. system (Figure 9) can only operate reli-
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FIGURE 10. A pressure pressure to follow the vessel pressure. A
compensator allows the seal- pressure compensator is a hydraulic cyl-
liquid pressure to track just
above the vessel pressure inder in which a piston acts as a divider
p S > pB between two fluid chambers (Figure 10).
AS
The lower face of the piston is subjected
to the vessel pressure pB, while the seal-
liquid pressure pS acts on the upper face.
The area of the lower face (AB) is shown by
Seal liquid
chamber the yellow circle in Figure 10; the upper face
pS
has a smaller area (AS) because the piston
AS rod occupies some of the top surface, as
AB the red “dougnut” in Figure 10 shows. The
AB
pB
force balance is:
(2)
Because AB/AS > 1, pS > pB. The area of the

piston rod is arranged so that the pressure in
the seal liquid is always higher than the ves-
Process area
sel pressure by the required differential.
As Figure 3 shows, the lower chamber
ably if it is equipped with suitable monitor- of the pressure compensator is connected
ing instruments, such as flowmeters and to the headspace of the vessel via the seal
temperature sensors. The most important flange. The upper chamber is connected to
component in terms of safety is the pres- the seal-liquid chamber. This arrangement
sure control valve. This ensures that the ensures that the pressure in the seal-liquid
pressure in the seal-liquid circuit is always chamber automatically follows the vessel
greater than the vessel pressure. The usual pressure (Figure 11).
arrangement is to set the seal-liquid pres- The inboard pair of seal rings is gener-
sure at a fixed value 10% above that of the ally regarded as particularly critical be-
maximum vessel pressure. cause these rings are directly exposed
Also important to safety is an accumu- to the process, and so bear the brunt of
lator. If the circulation pumps should fail, corrosion, erosion and high temperatures.
for instance following a power failure, the Under varying operating conditions, such
high pressure in the seals is maintained by as those found in batch processes or dur-
valves. During this time, the accumulator ing commissioning, a pressure compen-
ensures that the pressure in the seal-liquid sator can reduce wear on these rings by
circuit remains higher than in the vessel, dropping the seal-liquid pressure to the
and also supplies more seal liquid to re- minimum safe value.
plenish leakage. Pressure compensator systems are gen-
FIGURE 11. Shown here is a erally equipped with a manually controlled
comparison between pres- Pressure compensators pump for refilling. An automatic refill system
sure correction via a pressure An alternative to setting the seal-liquid pres- is recommended if there is more than one
compensator, and constant
pressurization with a continu- sure at a fixed value is to use a pressure agitator (Figure 12) to exclude possible er-
ous flow system compensator. This allows the seal-liquid rors by operating personnel. Position moni-
toring of the pressure-compensator piston
60 (Figure 3) provides very sensitive monitoring
Pressurized barrier fluid
of the leakage behavior of each individual
50
seal. This enables countermeasures to be
40 started in good time if premature failure of
Pressure, bar
Barrier fluid with

pressure compensator the seal is imminent.
30
20 Summary
Vessel In most mixing systems, reliable agitator
10
sealing requires a complete mechanical
0 sealing system. As well as the mechanical
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 seal itself, auxiliary equipment is needed to
maintain an adequate flow of fluid at the
Operating time, h
correct temperature and pressure to cool
design of the mechanical seal itself. The
sealing function of the vessel can only be
guaranteed and maintained if the complete
system is correctly selected, installed and
maintained.
When a mixing system is being commis-
sioned, support and training for the equip-
ment operators are very important to allow
work to proceed rapidly and without prob-
lems. Once the plant is up and running, train-
ing and support are often the cornerstones
needed to ensure high availability of the
complete mixing system. ■
Edited by Charles Butcher
References
EKATO the Book (2012): Handbook of Mixing Technology, 3rd edi-
tion, EKATO GmbH, ISBN 978–3-00–038660–2.
Author
Bernd Reichert is a Senior Mechanical Engi-
FIGURE 12. This automatic refill system serves 24 mechanical neer at EKATO Rühr- und Mischtechnik GmbH
seals (Hohe-Flum-Strasse 37, 79650 Schopfheim,
Germany; E-mail: bernd.reichert@ekato.com).
He is head of the Sealing Technology group
and lubricate the seal faces. Careful selec- within EKATO’s R&D department. Reichert
holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engi-
tion of hydraulic and other components neering from the University of Applied Sci-
is thus just as important as the reliable ences Konstanz (Germany).

Feature Report
Performance Trends of
Top Performers in the CPI
Focusing on a ‘reliability culture,’ mechanical availability and optimum costs
leads to top performance
T
Jeff Dudley hree factors drive manu- % people actively
engaged in the culture LeadeReliability
HSB Solomon facturing performance
Associates in the chemical process
industries (CPI). These Chaos
factors establish an operational
IN BRIEF culture that creates maximum Resilient
availability of assets (mechani- Freedom to act
CULTURE CONTINUUM
cal availability) at an optimum
CULTURAL PRACTICES cost. Results from the “Interna-
Active
AT THE TOP tional Study of Plant Reliability
MECHANICAL
and Maintenance Effectiveness” Proactive
AVAILABILITY (RAM Study), conducted by the
author’s employer [1], show that Reactive time
MAINTENANCE COSTS top performers focus on all three
REDUCED HUMAN & of the following factors: Most cultures stop here
BUSINESS RISK • A reliability culture
• Mechanical availability Managers thrive Leaders develop Leaders thrive
• Optimum cost Leadership transition

The RAM Study uses an over- FIGURE 1. This graph of the “culture continuum” shows that, as manag-
all metric that incorporates the ers shift to a leadership style, freedom to act and reliability are positively
impact of all three factors and is impacted
known as the RAM Effectiveness achieved — but in reality has the most dra-
Index (RAM EI).* Organizations with top- matic and lasting impact: a reliability culture.
quartile (Q1) RAM EIs (referred to here as top
performers) have many common traits, no Culture continuum
matter what product they are producing and It is interesting to examine the dynamic be-
regardless of the scale of their production op- tween freedom to act and reliability as an or-
erations or the age of their facilities. Industry ganization moves from left to right along the
trends show that top performers come from culture continuum (Figure 1). The RAM Study
all sectors of the CPI: They include users of has shown that, as top-performing organiza-
continuous and batch processes, manufac- tions move to the right on this continuum,
turers of commodity and specialty products, they increase their profitability as they be-
and organizations both large and small. The come more reliable. Creating a “LeadeReli-
same is true for second-, third-, and fourth- ability” culture (the culture farthest to the right)
quartile RAM EI organizations (called “other has the greatest impact on performance and
performers” here, or Q2, Q3 and Q4) — can ultimately drive top performance in the
these also exhibit a mix of processes, prod- other two areas.
ucts and sizes. Culture, in this context, is defined as the
* The RAM Effectiveness Index is The study clearly shows that neither pro- behaviors and processes an organization
a measure of the dollar value lost cess, nor product, nor age correlates with top practices and the extent to which they are
because of unreliability and inef-
ficiency. A RAM EI of 5 says that
performance. So what does? The answer is prevalent throughout the organization as a
you are losing 5% of your plant the three attributes mentioned earlier — a reli- whole. Based on my personal observation,
replacement value (PRV) due to ability culture, mechanical availability, and op- the types of cultures in the industry today
lack of plant availability and are
either under- or over-spending to timum cost. Of these three attributes, one is span a wide continuum. Inside each dif-
provide that availability. by far the least understood — and most rarely ferent facet of the continuum are prevalent
behaviors and work processes that is planned, scheduled and com- this softer side of culture and leader-
define the segment. These vary- pleted to plan, at a very high fre- ship is hard for non-top-performing
ing behaviors and work processes quency. Many of the jobs that are organizations to grasp. These non-
have a dramatic impact on the over- planned and scheduled, if they’ve top-performing organizations want
all performance and reliability of the been done before or are part of an the same high mechanical avail-
organization and impact bottom-line equipment strategy, can be found in ability top performers enjoy, but are
performance in a significant way. a pre-planned job library. Prepara- often looking for the “silver bullet”
Observations from the study show tion for work is detailed. Often, the that allows delivery of that perfor-
that unless the culture is developing materials needed to complete a job mance. Their understanding of what
behaviors and work practices com- are delivered to the jobsite before it takes to generate this outcome is
monly found in the mature proactive the craftsperson arrives and work centered on cost, and they assume
or early resilient culture (see Figure begins. These planned and sched- that the right cost structure will re-
1), top performance is unachievable. uled jobs are typically completed as sult in high mechanical availability.
planned. Any deviations from the plan Top-performing organizations realize
Cultural practices at the top or schedule are treated as an un- that high mechanical availability and
What are some of the behaviors and planned event and are investigated, low cost are lagging indicators that
practices top performers display on a with the results of the investigation result from their efforts to establish a
daily basis to drive top performance? being used to prevent recurrence. reliability culture.
Proactive. The organizations are, Reliability. The most significant thing The following discussion will ex-
first, intentionally proactive in much top-performing organizations have amine industry trends resulting from
of what they do. They are focused on
leading indicators, they use foresight
to analyze data, and they use their Reliability is not an asset issue, but instead is the result
analyses to predict outcomes. Once of people’s behaviors. Individuals create reliability or the
they have predicted an outcome, they
focus on anything that would appear lack of it.
to be abnormal — in other words,
anything that could change the ex- discovered is that asset and equip- organizations focusing first on creat-
pected or predicted outcome. When ment reliability are an outcome of the ing top-performing cultures.
abnormalities are detected, action is true driver of reliability. They under-
taken to understand why these ab- stand that total reliability is driven by Mechanical availability
normalities have occurred. This new the way people in the organization Loss of mechanical availability (that
information is then used to remedy the perform their work, and that this per- is, downtime) in production facilities
situation and drive it back to normal formance has an impact on all other can generally be categorized into six
or to adjust the predicted outcome. things. Reliability is not an asset distinct groups. Some downtimes
The culture is always encouraging issue, but instead is the result of are proactive in nature, while others
employees to learn from experience people’s behaviors. Individuals create are reactive. The six common causes
and then use the knowledge gained reliability or the lack of it. The focus of downtime are as follows:
to improve performance. of top-performing organizations is on • Routine maintenance (both
Maintenance abnormalities. Top training and educating each member planned and unplanned)
performers use key process variables of the organization and ensuring that • Turnarounds (extended down-
to monitor, with foresight, any abnor- everyone understands the need to times that are scheduled at least a
malities that occur in the process, and constantly and consistently meet year in advance)
they use key process indicators to en- their commitments. When this is ac- • Short overhauls (a short produc-
sure they are staying on track over the complished, reliability is achieved. tion outage, typically less than a
long term. Both short- and long-term The results. When this type of cul- week in length, that occurs with
performance are important to the de- ture is put into place, the final result some level of planning done less
livered results. Top performers are not in a top-performing organization is than a year in advance)
short-sighted and do not make deci- the following: • Rate-reduced operation (running
sions that could negatively impact the • High customer loyalty an asset at less than its 30-day
future performance of their assets. • Engaged employees maximum rate due to a mechani-
When particular abnormalities • An improved level of profitability cal, instrument or electrical issue)
can’t be remedied, proactive plans The entire focus is on minimizing • Regulatory (running at reduced
are made to address the abnormal the impact of unplanned events by rates or total outage due to regu-
state as a whole in order to bring it detecting abnormal situations pro- latory issues)
back to normal. Abnormalities are actively and addressing them before • Operations (running at reduced
not ignored and then allowed to be- disruption can occur. rates or loss of production due to
come normal, which is a trait of non- While the existence of these be- an operations or process issue)
top-performing organizations. haviors and work processes is the All of these categories prevent
Planning. The vast majority of work leading indicator of top performance, the asset from running at optimum

Production Downtime Regulatory & Operations Total Work Hours by Geography
Q3 and Q4 organizations
use more contractor labor
Downtime, percent of year
Value of downtime
Percent of PRV
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Turnaround Short overhaul Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Equipment failure Rate reduction Downtime Rate reduction Rest of world North America
Q1 = Top performers
Q1 = Top performers
FIGURE 2. This plot of the average mechanical FIGURE 3. This graph of the average operations FIGURE 4. This graph of the average total work
downtime (by cause) shows an increase in down- downtime (by cause) shows an increase in down- hours (by geography) shows that there is geo-
time in all areas as overall reliability performance time in rate reduction and shutdowns as overall graphic similarity and downtime increases as
decreases (PRV = plant replacement value) reliability performance decreases overall reliability performance decreases
performance or from running at all, ers a distinct advantage. Other indi- of emergency work is lower for all
but the quantities of downtime in cations of proactive work performed three types and, for fixed equipment,
each category provide a window tell even more about why top per- much lower. Why would this be? In
into the performance and culture of formers perform as well as they do. many facilities, affixed equipment is
the organization. As mentioned, turnarounds and treated differently than rotating and
For example, top performers (Q1) short overhauls are typically planned. I&E equipment. Often, fixed equip-
use turnarounds and short overhauls For top performers, the majority of ment is installed and then left as a
to do a large majority of their work. their reactive downtime is planned as utility. By “left as a utility” I mean that,
All turnarounds and most short over- well. Other performers, in contrast, after installation of the fixed equip-
hauls can be scheduled, planned and spend many hours on routine, rate- ment, which in many cases occurred
executed, and are therefore proactive reduced, regulatory, and operations- years in the past, the equipment is
in nature. The degree of planning and related downtime. Even the mainte- essentially forgotten although, when
scheduling and the type of execu- nance performed during downtimes needed, it is expected to function as
tion reflects the culture of the orga- by these other performers is done in it did when installed. For many or-
nization. And the amount and type of a much more reactive fashion. ganizations, this expectation is not
work done during these outages also Top performers use planning and backed up by robust maintenance of
tells the culture story (Figure 2). In al- scheduling for the majority of their the equipment. As a result, vibration,
most all cases, top performers use work. Because of the proactive work corrosion, erosion and other mecha-
proactive outages as an insurance they have done during their extended nisms cause unexpected failures that
policy for when they are in normal op- outages, they have much less emer- require emergency work. Top per-
eration. Because they see the work gency work to do in addition to their formers experience these types of fail-
as an “insurance policy,” they rarely routine maintenance work. Routine ure on fixed equipment less frequently
limit the scope and level of work they maintenance is something that oc- because they have robust methods
perform during these outages. curs in all organizations, but how it is for ensuring their fixed equipment is
The main focus of top performers handled is a strong indication of the well maintained and functions as ex-
during outages is to perform the work culture of the organization. Seventy pected for long periods of time.
necessary to allow all of the assets percent of the work done by top per- The following methods of non-de-
to operate from startup until the next formers (Q1) is planned and sched- structive testing are often used:
planned outage. The focus, in other uled — and only a small percentage is • Predictive inspection
words, is on proactively limiting the done as emergency work (Figure 5). • Painting programs
number of unplanned events. As a re- Another interesting trend is ap- • Use of non-invasive inspection
sult of this focus, top performers (Q1) parent when it comes to the type of techniques (thermography, sonic
have much lower rates of downtime equipment top performers use to do and so on)
in the areas of mechanical failure, rate their work. There are three types of • Corrosion under insulation (CUI)
reduction, and regulatory and oper- equipment families in most manufac- programs
ations-related downtime (Figure 3). turing facilities, namely: • Use of non-insulation alternative
Figure 4 shows the significant reduc- • Rotating heat shielding
tion in downtime top performers (Q1) • Fixed These methods also allow foresight
experience both in North America • Instrumentation & electrical (I&E) into predictive failure modes and are
and the rest of the world. Not only is the total work of top per- used to allow proactive replacement
So a combination of significantly formers lower on all types of equip- of potentially faulty equipment on a
fewer hours worked and a high level ment than for other performers but, planned basis if it is discovered.
of proactive work gives top perform- as shown in Figure 6, the percentage These are some of the trends that
Percent by Hours — All Equipment Families Emergency Work by Equipment Family their culture drives planning, sched-
uling and permanently solving prob-
lems rather than just repairing them,
they drive their cost to a low level.
Percent of maintenance spend
It is true that cost and mechanical
Percent of work done

reliability are related, but if cost is used
as the driver, the long-term reliability
of the assets will suffer and mainte-
nance costs will go up (Figure 7).
Top performers are not the organi-
zations with the lowest maintenance
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
spending; the lowest-spending orga-
Emergency Non-emergency Predictive and Rotating Fixed I&E nizations are RAM EI performers that
Preventive
FIGURE 6. This graph of percent of emergency work
may have reached Q2 but are typically
Maintenance
by equipment family for all quartiles shows that top found in Q3 or Q4 because their cost-
FIGURE 5. This graph of percent of maintenance performers (Q1) have a lower percentage of work in focus-only mentality has negatively
spend by work order type shows that, while all equipment categories than other performers
non-emergency work percentage is relatively flat impacted their mechanical availability.
throughout the industry, top performers (Q1) do a mum cost performance. It is impor- Figure 8 shows that the area with
lower percentage of emergency work and a higher tant to use the phrase “optimum the greatest difference in spending
percentage of predictive and preventative work cost performance,” because cost for top performers compared to other
are present in the industry when it is the result and not the driver. Top performers is routine maintenance.
comes to production downtime; now performers, as stated above, do not This is of course expected, as indi-
let us look at the trends regarding minimize the quantity of work based cated in the discussion above. Top
maintenance costs of top performers. on cost, and they do not overspend performers work many fewer hours
to get some incremental perceived than other performers, and as a re-
Maintenance costs improvement in mechanical avail- sult, also spend much less on materi-
It is easy to see how planned work ability. They spend the exact amount als. Since their routine maintenance
and many fewer hours of total work necessary to achieve the desired work is typically planned and not
allow top performers to reach opti- level of mechanical availability. Since emergency work, one would expect

Labor and Materials Spending for All
Maintenance Categories
Percent of PRV
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
Capital Turnaround Routine Total
FIGURE 8. This graph of labor and materials spend
for all maintenance-spending categories shows
that top performers (Q1) spend the least amount in
FIGURE 7. Shown here is a conceptual representation of all categories
the relationship between maintenance-cost focus and re- least under circumstances that lead
liability focus. Reliability focus is the path to profitability
to safe work.
their spending in this area to be lower to drive home the point that cost for Let’s take a look at the data re-
and, as discussed further below, it is. top performers is truly a result of their vealed earlier in this article to see
We also can surmise from what cultural approach to their work. Their why top performers are generally
we said about mechanical availability focus on reliability drives mechanical also the safest, most reliable and
that top performers have less fixed availability, which determines how even the most environmentally reli-
equipment cost than other perform- much they spend. able performers.
ers and that they spend less money RAM EI Q4 performers can be
on reactive work. Reduced human & business risk characterized as follows:
The RAM Study annualizes turn- Data from the RAM Study also point • They work twice as many hours
around costs, and while on an an- to two significant areas of importance as top performers
nualized basis, those costs are the for any organization: Human risk and • They work at least double the
second most significant cost, they business risk. percentage of unplanned work
are still lowest for top performers. Limiting human risk. The interesting • They have a percentage of emer-
Even though this is the case, top thing about human risk — how safe gency work 2.5 times higher than
performers do not predetermine the your employees are — is that it actu- that of top performers
amount they will spend on each turn- ally could be called human reliability. Considering all of these high-risk
around prior to understanding what If the employees of an organization activities together, one can see how
needs to be done. The low annual- are safe, then they are demonstrat- Q4 performers potentially have much
ized turnaround cost is due to the ing human reliability because they higher human risk. Q2 and Q3 per-
sustainability of the top-performing are practicing the appropriate be- formers also work more hours, per-
culture. Top-performing organiza- haviors to keep themselves safe on a form less planned work, and have
tions are not afraid to spend signifi- continuous basis. If you think about a higher percentage of emergency
cantly more on a specific turnaround employee safety in relation to the work than top performers — so they
than the average — if it is needed to top performers’ definition of reliabil- too see higher human risk. Safe work
minimize unplanned events before ity, you will realize that reliability, like and planned work correlate to injury-
the next scheduled downtime. They safety, is generated by an organiza- free work and lower human risk.
also do not overspend in the areas of tion’s people. If employees constantly Limiting business risk. What cre-
inspection and testing, because their and consistently meet their commit- ates business risk in a manufacturing
ongoing data collection and pro- ments, they’re reliable, and if one organization? The following are signs
active inspection techniques keep of those commitments is to comply of business risk from a purely finan-
them informed both before and after with all of the safety rules, then those cial viewpoint:
turnarounds. Top performers are employees will not be injured — they • Loss of sales
also constantly updating the sched- will be safe. So employee safety truly • Financial retribution for poor
ule and plan during the turnaround is an aspect of human reliability. service
to create the most efficient work flow Total maintenance work hours lim- • The customer moving to another
and work plan while taking into ac- its risk, and planned work is much supplier
count the resources available. safer than reactive work; these two Signs of business risk from a purely
Many who are reading this article facts alone tell us why anyone doing business standpoint are:
are probably wondering why this maintenance work for a top-per- • Poor quality
section on costs is so short. Well, it forming organization is much more • Environmental issues
was delivered that way deliberately likely to do that work safely or at • Regulatory issues
Each one of these issues can nega- you are examining the entire supply tomer loyalty, employee engagement
tively impact a business and put it at chain from sales to manufacturing and maximized profitability. ■
risk. All of these can have one com- and the manufacturing assets are Edited by Gerald Ondrey
mon cause: assets not running as de- completely reliable, then, assuming Reference
signed, or not running reliably. Under good communication between sales, 1. The Solomon International Reliability and Maintenance Bench-
marking Study is a granular analysis of the overall reliability of
these circumstances, a customer supply chain and manufacturing, you an organization and the maintenance dollars that are spent to
achieve that level of reliability. Details about the study can be
may not get their product on time, can carry the optimal inventory and found at www.solomononline.com.
and when that happens, the custom- always meet the customer’s needs.
er’s decision about what to do next is This leads to customer loyalty and Author
often not in your hands. When lack of maximum profitability, two of the Jeff Dudley is a senior consultant
reliability leads to equipment malfunc- three outcomes of reliability. for Solomon Associates (One Lin-
coln Center, 5400 LBJ Freeway,
tions and poor quality, environmen- Assets that function reliably and Suite 1400, Dallas, TX 75240;
tal and regulatory issues are likely to are led by a culture of proactive em- Phone: +1-989-430-1521; Fax:
arise. Think about when manufactur- ployees are one key to reducing un- +1-972-726-9999; Email: Jeff.
dudley@solomononline.com),
ing facilities make the news — more necessary business risk and ensur- where he is project director for The
often than not it is when some part of ing delivery of desired performance Solomon Reliability and Mainte-
nance Benchmarking Study. He
the process is in a risky condition. to all stakeholders. also leads Solomon’s LeadeReliability Workshop. Dudley
Another interesting factor, one that Top performers focus on culture, is an experienced chemical manufacturing and opera-
is related to equipment reliability and mechanical availability, and the cost tions leader and recognized practitioner of developing
reliability-based cultures. He has 36 years of experience
is often overlooked from a financial to achieve that mechanical avail- in the chemical industry. Prior to joining Solomon in
performance standpoint, is how ability. They also know that their me- 2014, Dudley was corporate director of Maintenance
much inventory needs to be carried chanical availability is an outcome of and Reliability for The Dow Chemical Company. He also
held numerous global business operations roles. He is
by an organization. Let’s put this in their culture and their cost is an out- the author of LeadeReliability, and is an internationally
the simplest of terms. The more reli- come of their mechanical availability. recognized thought leader in reliability and leadership.
able a manufacturing organization is, They never confuse the order or pri- He has published numerous articles on both topics and
has delivered many conference addresses on the sub-
the lower the inventory of all prod- ority of these three. As a result, they jects. Dudley has a B.S.Ch.E. degree from Carnegie
ucts it has to carry and therefore the provide all their stakeholders with ex- Mellon University, and is a member of the SMRP Best
less capital burden it has to carry. If actly what they are looking for: cus- Practices Committee and AFPM.
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Feature Report Part 2
Integrated
Risk-Management Matrices
An overview of the tools available to reliability professionals for making their
organization the best-in-class
IN BRIEF
RELIABILITY,
HISTORICALLY
RELIABILITY, TODAY
RISK-MITIGATION
APPROACHES
HOW DO WE MEASURE
RISK?
KPIS AND RISK
Nathanael Ince competitive environment.

PinnacleART With this in mind, a best-in-class reliability
organization combines state-of-the-art theory,
S
ince the 1960s, process facility op- software and condition-monitoring techniques
erators have made concerted ef- with a strong collaboration of departments
forts to improve the overall reliability and associated personnel. An independent
and availability of their plants. From risk-based inspection (RBI) program or reli-
reliability theory to practical advancements ability-centered maintenance (RCM) program
in non-destructive examination and condi- no longer suffices as cutting-edge. Rather, the
tion-monitoring techniques, the industry has inspection department (power users of RBI)
significantly evolved and left key operations and maintenance department (power users
personnel with more tools at their disposal of RCM) are integrating with process, opera-
than ever before. However, this deeper ar- tions, capital projects and other teams to form
senal of tools, coupled with more stringent an overall reliability work process for the suc-
regulatory scrutiny and internal business cess of the plant.
pressure, introduces a heightened expecta- To highlight reliability’s growing prominence
tion of performance. Now, more than ever, within process facilities, this article addresses
companies recognize that best-in-class reli- the following:
ability programs not only save lives but in- • A brief history of reliability practices in the
crease the bottom line. These programs are 20th and 21st centuries
also one of the foremost “levers” for C-level • Examples of current reliability program tools
personnel to pull when trying to contend in a • A characterization of three different

TABLE 1. EXAMPLE MECHANICAL-INTEGRITY AND MAINTENANCE-PROGRAM them, or to show negligence to these
IMPROVEMENTS steps in the event of a release, im-
Mechanical integrity improvements Maintenance/reliability improvements plied the possibility of criminal activity.
In other words, if those responsible
Assessments and audits Assessments and audits
in the event of a release were found
Damage/corrosion modeling Preventive and predictive maintenance to be negligent in these items, they
Risk-based inspection Equipment hierarchies and data cleanup could go to jail. The other business
Inspection data management and trending Operator-driven reliability (rounds)
implication of this standard was that it
meant that other individuals, and de-
Piping circuitization Mobile platforms
partments, now had a part to play in
Integrity operating windows Reliability operating windows reliability and overall process safety.
Corrosion monitoring locations (CML) and thickness Maintenance data/order management (computer- While reliability was confined to
management locations (TML) optimization ized maintenance-management system; CMMS) designing equipment that could last
Asset retirement calculation Spare parts optimization a certain time and coupling it with a
Corrosion under insulation (CUI) program Reliability-centered maintenance
non-certified inspector to make gen-
eral observations in the 1950s, by the
Utilizing advanced non-destructive evaluation Reliability-centered design mid-1990s, reliability had become a
Continuous condition monitoring Repair procedures much more complex, integrated and
accelerated science.
risk-mitigation applications that cycle. As a result, several different de- Reliability today
are currently applied in process partments and individuals cooperated With the greater expectation on to-
facilities to ensure they attained reliability. day’s programs, department manag-
• The case for ensuring these risk The concept of RCM pushed ers (including reliability, mechanical-
mitigation frameworks are working through some industries quicker integrity or maintenance managers)
together than others. While it started with the face a powerful, but often intimidat-
• The value of key performance airlines, it flowed quickly into power ing array of tools available to them for
indicators (KPIs) in providing generation, petrochemical and petro- improving their reliability programs.
transparency and accountability leum-refining operations thereafter. Examples are listed in Table 1.
to the effectiveness of these risk Fast-forward to 1992, and another While this only represents a sub-
mitigation frameworks facet, called process-safety manage- set of the options available to the
ment (PSM), was introduced into the re- manager, all of these activities aim at
Reliability, historically liability picture. In response to a growing doing the following:
When one thinks about process reli- perception of risk related to hazardous 1. Reducing the risk of unplanned
ability, a variety of definitions come processes, the Occupational Safety downtime.
to mind. However, it has come a and Health Administration (OSHA) is- 2. Limiting safety and environmental
long way since the early 20th cen- sued the Process Safety Standard, risk.
tury. From the 1920s to the 1950s, OSHA 1910.119, which includes the 3. Ensuring compliance with regula-
reliability went from being classified following 14 required elements: tory standards.
as “repeatability” (how many times • Process-safety information 4. Doing steps one through three for
could the same results repeat) to de- • Process hazard analysis the least cost possible.
pendability (hours of flight time for an • Operating procedures To summarize, the goal of these
engine), to a specific, repeatable re- • Training managers is to put a plan in place
sult expected for a duration of time. • Contractors and execute a plan that identifies and
Through the 1950’s age of industri- • Mechanical integrity mitigates risks as efficiently as pos-
alization, reliability’s evolving definition • Hot work sible. To do that, one has to system-
was still very much focused on de- • Management of change atically identify those risks in addition
sign and not as much on operations • Incident investigation to the level to which those risks must
or maintenance. Then in the 1960s, • Compliance audits be mitigated. If this is done correctly,
the airline industry introduced the • Trade secrets the design, inspections, preventative
concept of reliability centered mainte- • Employee participation maintenance, operational strategies,
nance (RCM), pushing the idea that • Pre-startup safety review and other program facets should
the overall reliability of a system in- • Emergency planning & response all be aligned in attaining steps one
cluded not only the design, but also The intent of the regulation was to through four.
the operations and maintenance of limit the overall risk related to danger-
that system. In other words, reliability ous processes, and “raise the bar” Risk-mitigation approaches
engineering was now stretching into for compliance expectation for facili- Since the 1960s, there have been
other departments, mandating that ties with these “covered” processes. substantial efforts on figuring out
the overall risk of failure was tied to At that point, it became law to fulfill how to best characterize both
multiple aspects of the asset’s life- these 14 elements, and to ignore downtime and loss-of-containment
team on the identification of process
PHA/HAZOP/QRA deviations that can lead to undesir-
(quantitative risk assessment)
able consequences, the risk ranking
of those deviations, and the assign-
ment of actions to either lower the
Consequence of failure
RBI Extreme
probability of those failures or the
High consequence if the failures do occur.
While a PHA would not identify main-
Med high
RCM tenance strategies or detailed corro-
Med sion mitigation or identification strate-
Med low gies, it focuses on safety and not unit
reliability. In the end, the major deliv-
Low
erable is a set of actions that have to
Negligible be closed out to ensure compliance
Likelihood of failure (failure rate) with the PSM standard. Typically, this
FIGURE 1. This graphical “consequence-of-failure” risk matrix shows the areas covered by process haz- process is owned and facilitated by
ard analysis (PHA), risk-based inspection (RBI) and reliability centered maintenance (RCM) the PSM manager or department.
RBI. RBI arose from an industry
risk in a facility so that appropriate Let’s briefly characterize each. study in the 1990s that produced
and targeted mitigation actions can PHA. The PHA came out of OSHA’s API (American Petroleum Institute)
be taken at the right time. That being PSM standard and is one of the 14 580 and 581, which describe a sys-
said, there are three common risk elements listed above. Every five tematic risk identification and mitiga-
identification and mitigation frame- years, subject matter experts come tion framework that focuses only on
works that are currently being used together for a couple of weeks and loss of containment. For this reason,
in process facilities today. These in- identify the major events that could when an equipment item or pip-
clude process hazard analysis (PHA), happen at different “nodes” in a unit. ing segment (typically called “piping
risk-based inspection (RBI), and reli- The general idea is to use guide- circuit”) is evaluated, the only failure
ability-centered maintenance (RCM). words to systematically focus the that is of concern to the facility is the
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of failure is on the horizontal axis, and
the consequence of failure is shown
on the vertical axis.
As shown, the frameworks reveal
the following characterization for
each of the three covered risk mitiga-
tion frameworks:
• PHA — High consequence of
failure events but lower probability
that they will happen (an example
would be an overpressure on a
column with insufficient relief-
systems capacity)
• RBI — Medium consequence of
failure events (loss of containment)
breach of the pressure boundary. probabilities of those failure modes and a medium probability that they
As an example, the only failure occurring at any given time. Once will happen (an example would be
mode evaluated on a pump would the potential failure causes are iden- a two-inch diameter leak of a flam-
typically be a leak in the casing or tified, strategies are recommended mable fluid from a drum)
the seal. The consequence of those that mitigate the failure mode to ac- • RCM — Low consequence of
losses can be business, safety or ceptable levels. Unlike RBI, RCM failure events (loss of function) but
environmental, and while a variety accounts for all failure modes relat- a higher probability that they will
of software packages and spread- ing to loss of function, including loss happen (an example would be a
sheets can be used to accomplish of containment (although it typically rotor failure on a pump)
the exercise, the deliverable is an RBI outsources this exercise to the RBI While each of these frameworks gen-
plan targeting the mitigation of loss- study), and the end deliverable is a erally operate in different areas on the
of-containment events. set of predictive maintenance, pre- matrix, they are still standardized to a
In addition, a best-in-class RBI ventative maintenance, and operator consistent amount of risk. The need to
program will not just be a systematic activities that lower loss-of-function include all three risk-management tools
re-evaluation of that plan every five risks to acceptable levels. Typically, into one standard matrix is twofold:
or ten years, but an ongoing man- this process is owned and facilitated 1. Making sure the data, calcula-
agement strategy that updates the by the maintenance or reliability man- tions and actions coming from one
framework whenever, the risk fac- ager or department. study are properly informing the
tors change. Therefore, if an equip- other studies.
ment’s material of construction was How do we measure risk? 2. Insuring that the actions being
changed, insulation was added to While it’s not uncommon for a single produced by each framework are
an asset, or a piece of equipment facility to run PHA, RBI and RCM at being prioritized appropriately, as
was moved to a different location, once, it begs the question, which one determined by their risk.
a re-evaluation of the asset loss-of- is right? To find the answer, let’s briefly Making sure each of the three
containment risk and an associated discuss risk matrices. A risk matrix is a frameworks is communicating with
update of the RBI plan would be ap- tool that allows one to associate indi- one another is a common omis-
propriate. Typically, this process is vidual assets, failure modes or situa- sion in facilities and programs. Many
owned and facilitated by the inspections with specific levels of risk. There is times, facilities spend millions of dol-
tion or mechanical integrity manager both a probability of an asset failing and lars building out and managing these
or department. a consequence of an asset failing, and frameworks, but there is often overlap
RCM. As mentioned earlier, RCM each is represented by one axis on the between them and data gathered for
was spawned out of the aviation in- matrix. The multiplication of both prob- one framework could be utilized for
dustry, but the focus was to identify ability of failure and consequence of another framework. As an example,
a proactive maintenance strategy failure (represented by the actual loca- an inspection department representa-
that would ensure reliability and that tion of the asset on the matrix) equals tive should be present to ensure the
performance goals were met. While risk. What’s interesting is that many RBI study is aiding the PHA effort.
this has been loosely codified in SAE facilities that are utilizing multiple-risk In addition, prioritizing risk between
(Society of Automobile Engineers) frameworks in their facility are utilizing each framework is another chal-
JA1011, there are a variety of meth- multiple-risk matrices. This again begs lenge. A plant manager is not wholly
ods and approaches and therefore the question, which one is right? concerned about each individual risk
RCM isn’t as controlled as RBI. Figure 1 is a risk matrix that is much framework but rather a prioritized list
However, much like RBI, the RCM larger than the typical 4 × 4 or 5 × 5 of actions with those action’s pro-
study itself aims at identifying the dif- risk matrix, but it shows each of the jected return-on-investment (whether
ferent failure modes of an asset, the previously discussed risk frameworks it is reduction of risk, a reduction of
effects of those failure modes, and the on one larger matrix. The probability cost, or a reduction of compliance
fines). The objective of the integrated reduction, cost reduction or com- ever at their disposal to increase
and organization-wide risk mitigation pliance satisfaction). overall plant availability and process
system should be that all possible For example, at any point in time, safety. To drive systematic improve-
failures must be identified, assessed, the plant (or group of plants) could ments in plant reliability with all these
properly mitigated (whether through see the total risk of loss-of-con- different tools, it is essential for fa-
design, maintenance, inspection, or tainment or loss-of-function events cilities to get the data-management
operations) and monitored in order across their units and assets, the strategy right, to synthesize one’s
of priority with an expected amount total risk of loss of function events approach to measuring, reporting
of return. If a consistent risk matrix is across its units and assets, the total and mitigating risk, and to roll it up in
used effectively, this can inform single planned and unplanned downtime a KPI framework that combines risk,
asset or system decisions and con- across the plant with associated cost and compliance reports. n
tinue to ensure reliability value is being causes, and the total cost associ- Edited by Gerald Ondrey
driven consistently across the facility. ated with running those programs
broken out by activity, area and other Author
KPIs and risk helpful specifics. When one or many Nathanael Ince is client solutions
A good set of key performance in- of those rollout KPIs reveal concerns, director, supporting the Solutions
Department of Pinnacle Advanced
dicators (KPIs) is needed as well sub KPIs should be accessible to ex- Reliability Technologies (One Pin-
to help identify root causes and plore the root cause of those risks, nacle Way, Pasadena, TX 77504;
guide programmatic decisions. downtime or costs. It’s from this KPI Phone: +1-281-598-1330; Email:
nathanael.ince@pinnacleart.com).
Once systematic risk management, drill-down, empowered by synthe- In this capacity, he works closely
production loss, and enterprise- sized risk frameworks, that targeted with his team of solutions engi-
neers to ensure the department is
resource-planning (ERP) systems initiatives and actions can be driven. building and implementing the best asset integrity and
are properly setup, roll-up KPIs reliability programs for PinnacleART’s clients. With more
can be reported regularly that re- Summary than eight years on the PinnacleART team, Ince is an
expert source on mechanical integrity, including proper
veal the overall trending of the re- Reliability programs have come a assessment and implementation of risk-based mechan-
liability program and drive specific long way in 100 years, and reliability ical-integrity programs. Ince has a B.S.M.E. degree from
initiatives with targeted results (risk professionals have more tools than Texas A&M University.
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Environmental Manager
Monitoring Flame Hazards In Chemical Plants

The numerous flame sources in CPI facilities necessitate the installation of
advanced flame-detection technologies
Ardem Antabian
MSA — The Safety Company
F
ire is a primary and very real
threat to people, equipment
and facilities in the chemical
process industries (CPI), es-
pecially in the refining and storage of
petrochemicals. The consequences
of failing to detect flames, combusti-
ble gas leaks or flammable chemical
spills can have dire consequences,
including loss of life and catastrophic
plant damage.
The monitoring of flame hazards is
mandated by the U.S. Occupational
Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA; Washington, D.C.; www.
osha.gov) through its comprehen-
sive Process Safety Management
(PSM) federal regulation. Interna-
tionally, the European Union (E.U.)
splits gas and flame safety respon-
sibilities between E.U. directives and
European standards organizations, FIGURE 2. Flame detectors, such as those shown here, implement ultraviolet and infrared detection
including the European Committee technologies
for Electrotechnical Standardization
(Cenelec; Brussels, Belgium; www. to train employees to follow related including ultraviolet (UV) and infra-
cenelec.eu), the International Elec- safety procedures consistently. In red (IR) spectroscopy and visual
trotechnical Commission (IEC; Ge- either case, it is important to under- flame imaging. The source of flames
neva, Switzerland; www.iec.ch) and stand the many different sources of in CPI plants is typically fueled by
several other bodies. flame hazards, the detection sensor hydrocarbons, which when sup-
Many accidents are the result of ei- technologies that can warn of immi- plied with oxygen and an ignition
ther failing to implement these stan- nent danger and the proper location source, produce heat, carbon diox-
dards properly with suitable flame- of flame detectors in today’s com- ide and other products of combus-
detection equipment or the failure plex chemical plants. tion. Intense flames emit visible, UV,
In the petrochemical plant environ- and IR radiation (Figure 1). Flame
Ultraviolet Visible Infrared
ment, the range of potential flam- detectors are designed to detect
mable hazards is expansive and the emission of light at specific
growing as materials and processes wavelengths, allowing them to dis-
become more complex. These haz- criminate between flames and false
Relative energy
Sun's
energy ards have led to the development of alarm sources.
reaching
the more sophisticated combustible-gas
earth and flame-sensing technologies with Flame-sensing technologies
embedded intelligence that can bet- The flame safety industry has de-
ter detect the most common indus- veloped four primary optical flame-
300 nm 400 nm 800 nm 4-5 m
trial fire sources, some of which are sensing technologies: UV, UV/IR,
Wavelength listed in Table 1. multi-spectrum infrared (MSIR),
and visual flame imaging (Figure 2).
FIGURE 1. Flame detectors can detect light emis-
sions at specific wavelengths across the UV, vis-
Principles of flame detection These sensing technologies are all
ible and IR spectrum to distinguish between actual Industrial process flame detectors based on line-of-sight detection of
flames and false alarm sources detect flames by optical methods, radiation emitted by flames in the
TABLE 1. COMMON INDUSTRIAL Input layer Hidden layer Output layer
FIRE SOURCES
Alcohols Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
Diesel fuels Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) Sensor 1
Gasoline Paper
Kerosene Textiles
Jet fuels Solvents Sensor 2
Output
Ethylene Sulfur
Hydrogen Wood
Sensor 3
UV, visible and IR spectral bands.

Process, safety and plant engi- Sensor 4
neers must choose from among
these technologies to find the de-
vice that is best suited to their in- FIGURE 3. Many flame detectors employ technology based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) to more
dividual plant’s requirements for accurately analyze flames
flame monitoring by deciding upon
the importance of the detection events observed in the past. These technology alternatives, there are
range, field of view, response time detectors have been trained through many performance criteria that must
and immunity against certain false NNT intelligence to recognize flames be considered. The following sec-
alarm sources. based upon those data, and deter- tions outline some of these impor-
Ultraviolet/infrared (UV/IR). By in- mine if they are real events or poten- tant detector criteria.
tegrating a UV optical sensor with tial false alarm sources. False alarm immunity. False alarm
an IR sensor, a dual-band flame de- Visual flame-imaging flame rejection is one of the most impor-
tector is created that is sensitive to detectors. The design of visual tant considerations for the selection
the UV and IR radiation emitted by flame detectors relies on stan- of flame detectors. False alarms are
a flame. The resulting UV/IR flame dard charge-couple-device (CCD) more than a nuisance — they are
detector offers increased immunity image sensors, commonly used in both productivity and cost issues. It
over a UV-only detector, operates at closed-circuit television cameras, is therefore essential that flame de-
moderate speeds of response, and and flame-detection algorithms to tectors discriminate between actual
is suited for both indoor and out- establish the presence of fires. The flames and benign radiation sources,
door use. imaging algorithms process the live such as sunlight, lighting fixtures, arc
Multispectral infrared (MSIR). Ad- video image from the CCD array welding, hot objects and other non-
vanced MSIR flame detectors com- and analyze the shape and pro- flame sources.
bine multiple IR detector arrays with gression of would-be fires to dis- Detection range and response
neural network intelligence (NNT). criminate between flame and non- time. A flame detector’s most
They provide pattern-recognition ca- flame sources. basic performance criteria are de-
pabilities that are based on training Visual flame detectors with CCD tection range and response time.
to differentiate between real threats arrays do not depend on emis- Depending on a specific plant-ap-
and normal events, thus reducing sions from carbon dioxide, water plication environment, each of the
false alarms. MSIR technology allows and other products of combustion alternative flame-detection tech-
area coverage up to six times greater to detect fires, nor are they influ- nologies recognizes a flame within
than that of more conventional UV/IR enced by fire’s radiant intensity. As a certain distance and a distribu-
flame detectors. a result, they are commonly found tion of response times. Typically,
NNT is based on the concept of ar- in installations where flame detec- the greater the distance and the
tificial neural networks (ANNs), which tors are required to discriminate shorter the time that a given flame-
are mathematical models based on between process fires and fires re- sensing technology requires to de-
the study of biological neural net- sulting from an accidental release tect a flame, the more effective it is
works. A group of artificial neurons of combustible material. at supplying early warning against
in an ANN process information and Visual flame detectors, despite fires and detonations.
actually change structure during a their many advantages, cannot Field of view (FOV). Detection
learning phase. This learning phase detect flames that are invisible to range and FOV define area cover-
allows ANNs to model complex re- the naked eye, such as hydrogen age per device. Like a wide-angle
lationships in the data delivered by flames. Heavy smoke also impairs lens, a flame detector with a large
sensors in a quick search for pat- the detector’s capacity to detect field of view can take in a broader
terns that results in pattern recogni- fire, since visible radiation from the scene, which may help reduce the
tion (Figure 3). fire is one of the technology’s fun- number of flame detectors required
Flame detectors with NNT oper- damental parameters. for certain installations. Most of to-
ate similarly to the human brain; day’s flame detector models offer
they have thousands of pieces of Flame detection requirements fields of view of about 90 to 120
data stored in their memories from When configuring a flame-detection deg (Figure 4).
hundreds of flame and non-flame system and evaluating the available Self diagnostics. To meet the high-

FIGURE 5. Three-dimensional mapping of a facil-
ity is useful in determining the most appropriate
installation locations for flame detectors
FIGURE 4. Field of view is an important factor to consider in the installation of flame-detection equip-
ment. This diagram shows the distance a flame can be detected at various angles. For example, at 0 deg, to protect large and complex areas
a flame can be detected at 230 ft, and at a 50-deg angle, it can be detected at 50 ft (in this figure, the filled with process equipment from
degree symbol ° is used for angle degrees, and the prime symbol ’ is used for feet) the risks of flames, explosions and
toxic gases. For these systems to be
est reliability standards, continuous that address safety and reliability effective, their location and installa-
optical-path monitoring (COPM) di- based on optimizing processes for tion are important so that they offer
agnostics are often built into opti- risk. The IEC 61508 standard is a a high likelihood of detecting flame
cal flame detectors. The self-check risk-based approach for determin- and gas hazards within monitored
procedure is designed to ensure ing the SIL of safety-instrumented process areas.
that the optical path is clear, the functions. Unlike other international Three-dimensional mapping. De-
detectors are functioning, and addi- standards, IEC 61508 takes a ho- termining the optimal quantity and
tionally, that the electronic circuitry listic approach when quantifying location of flame and gas detec-
is operational. the safety performance of electri- tors is therefore critical to ensure
Self-check routines are pro- cal control systems — the design the detection system’s effective-
grammed into the flame detector’s concept, the management of the ness. Flame and gas three-dimen-
control circuitry to activate about design process and the operations sional mapping is a solution that
once every minute. If the same fault and maintenance of the system assists in the evaluation of flame
occurs twice in a row, then a fault is throughout its lifecycle are within and gas risks within a process fa-
indicated via a 0–20-mA output or the scope. cility and also reduces these risks
a digital communications protocol, toward an acceptable risk profile.
such as HART or Modbus. Location and installation Flame and gas mapping includes
SIL/SIS standards. When plant A variety of processes and sources the placement of detectors in ap-
safety engineers choose detectors within the plant environment can propriate locations to achieve the
certified to safety integrity levels lead to flame and fire incidents, best possible detection coverage
(SIL) and properly integrate them including leaking tanks, pipes, (Figure 5).
into safety-instrumented systems valves, pumps and so on. Accu- The use of three-dimensional
(SIS), they have again added an- rate detection while avoiding false flame and gas mapping helps
other layer of safety. Certification alarms is also important because plant, process and safety engi-
to these standards plays a valuable false alarms result in unnecessary neers in a number of ways. First,
role in effective industrial gas and process or plant shutdowns, slow- mapping helps to increase plant
flame detection. ing production and requiring time- safety by improving the likelihood
Normative standards establish consuming reviews, paperwork of detecting flame and gas haz-
minimum requirements for the de- and reporting. ards. Also, it allows facilities to
sign, fabrication and performance of False alarms can, over time, pro- quantify their risk of a fire or a gas
flame detectors and other safety de- vide a false sense of security, be- leak, and then assess the overall
vices as necessary to maintain pro- cause employees can become com- effectiveness of their flame- and
tection of personnel and property. placent if alarms go off frequently for gas-detection coverage. For new
The ANSI/ISA S84.00.01 standard no apparent reason and are continu- installations, mapping can help im-
was enacted to drive the classifica- ally ignored. The problem is that per- prove the design of new fire and
tion of SIS for the process industries sonnel alone cannot really determine gas systems to mitigate risks from
within the U.S., as well as the norms the difference between a false alarm accidental gas releases or fires.
introduced by the IEC (IEC 61508 and a serious accident that is about For existing installations, mapping
and IEC 61511). to happen. provides a method for assessing
Together, these standards have Fixed flame- and gas-detector the risk-reduction performance
introduced several specifications systems are designed and installed of existing fire- and gas-detector
systems and recommends ways to the flame detectors, then installa- makes them experts in helping to
improve coverage. tion depends on the type of flame identify potential hazards and the
Mapping assists facilities in un- detector chosen. Most optical-type best way to prevent accidents.
derstanding their risk of a fire or flame detectors are placed high and Remember, too, that no single
a gas leak, and then allows them are pointed downward either inside flame-detection sensing technol-
to optimize their flame- and gas- or outside buildings or structures to ogy is right for every potential plant
detection protection layout by monitor tanks and pipelines running layout and hazard. For this reason,
recommending the appropriate throughout the plant. adding multiple layers of flame- and
detector technologies, detector gas-detection technology provides
locations and quantities. Mapping Wrapping up a multi-sensory approach that in-
also equips the engineer with the In order to protect chemical pro- creases detection reliability and also
means to measure detection im- cesses and plants from flame haz- can prevent false alarms. ■
provements when small incremen- ards, it is important to understand Edited by M. Bailey and D. Lozowski
tal design changes are made. Map- the basic detection sensor technol-
ping can therefore help to minimize ogies and their limitations. Defining Author
overall system costs. the type of potential hazard fuels, Ardem Antabian is currently the
With mapping, determining detec- the minimum fire size to be detected OGP (Oil & Gas Products) seg-
ment manager at MSA — The
tor layouts becomes much simpler, and the configuration of the space Safety Company (26776 Simpat-
because mapping provides a me- to be monitored through three-di- ica Circle, Lake Forest, CA
thodical and systematic approach mensional hazard mapping can in- 92630; Email: Ardem.Antabian@
for determining the areas with the fluence the choice of instrument. msasafety.com; Phone: 949-
268-9523. Website: www.
highest likelihood of flame and gas When reviewing a plant’s flame- msasafety.com). Antabian joined
risks. Understanding the locations safety protection level, be sure to the company in 1999, and has
and likelihood of risks will help re- ask for assistance from any of the held various positions, including global assignments in
Dubai, U.A.E. and Berlin, Germany. He also helped de-
move guesswork and uncertainties flame detection equipment manu- velop the company’s advanced-point and open-path
from engineering. facturers. They have seen hun- infrared gas detectors, as well as its multi-spectral
Once the optimal locations are dreds, if not thousands, of plants infrared flame detector. Antabian holds dual B.S. de-
grees in chemical engineering and chemistry from
determined for the placement of and their unique layouts, which California State University, Long Beach.
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Solids Processing
NFPA 652: Standardizing

Combustible Dust Standards
The latest NFPA standard applies to many industry sectors, and aims to address the
fragmented nature of the industry-specific standards currently in place
Christopher Frendahl, Brian How should my facility evaluate and address hazards from combustible dust?
Edwards and Jeff Davis
Conversion Technology, Inc.
Does your facility generate, handle No
O
n September 7, 2015, Yes
or store dust?
the National Fire Protec-
tion Association (NFPA;
Quincy, Mass.; www.nfpa. Do you have data on the
org) issued NFPA 652 (Standard on combustibility of the dust from the No Conduct testing
the Fundamentals of Combustible safety data sheet (SDS) or laboratory of the dust
analysis?
Dust) [1]. There were already several
industry-specific NFPA standards for
minimizing hazards associated with Yes
the handling of potentially combus- Is the dust No
tible dust and fine particulate ma- combustible?
terials. However, these individual
standards do not always align, and Yes
the presence of numerous, com- Perform dust hazard analysis (DHA)
peting standards creates confusion to determine where combustible dust
hazards exist
among operators, and increases
risk at chemical process industries
(CPI) facilities.
The publication of NFPA 652 is the Is explosion control/mitigation
More testing may be required
to determine the severity of the
first step toward creating a single, equipment necessary?
hazard
unified combustible-dust standard Yes
that would apply to all facilities that No
handle potentially explosive dusts
(Figure 1). In addition, NFPA has also
stated that, through its Combustible Develop and implement hazard-management programs and install
equipment as necessary to mitigate/eliminate the combustible dust hazard
Dust Correlation Committee, the
group plans to reformat some of the
current NFPA standards so they be-
come more aligned with NFPA 652. Conduct reviews of programs and implement
No combustible dust
Train employees management of change (MOC) procedures when
NFPA 652 is still in its infancy, and materials or processes change
hazard is present
as with all NFPA standards, it will
continue to be improved and devel- FIGURE 1. This decision-tree flowchart provides guidance for faciity operators, as they assess potential
oped during future revision cycles. hazards associated with the handling or production of powdered materials that could be potentially flam-
This article provides an update on mable or hazardous under the right conditions
the ongoing activities by NFPA, and
discusses what is currently included The serious hazards associated with dust through its National Emphasis
in the new NFPA 652 Standard. handling fine dusts and powdered Program (NEP) [2]. The NEP often
materials may be overlooked by cites NFPA standards for combus-
Fundamentals of dust hazards many plant personnel because they tible dust, as the NFPA standards
Flash fires and explosions resulting are not fully understood. have been written explicitly to both
from potentially combustible dust are The Occupational Health and reduce the risk of a combustible
responsible for a significant number Safety Administration (OSHA; Wash- dust incident, and minimize the haz-
of industrial accidents. However, the ington, D.C.; www.osha.gov) has ards in the event of a flash fire or ex-
potential for dust-related flash fires begun to increase awareness of the plosion. However, as noted, many
or explosions is often overlooked. hazards associated with cobustible of NFPA’s existing standards related
to dust-explosion hazards are in-
dustry-specific. For example, wood
processing and woodworking facili-
ties would refer to NFPA 664, while
food-processing plants that handle
flour and sugar (both of which are
potentially combustible solids under
the right conditions), would refer to
NFPA 61. Often, the different NFPA
standards directed at specific indus-
try segments do not align with each
other, creating confusion.
NFPA 652 aims to consolidate
all of the various combustible dust
standards, in order to create a sin-
gle, overarching standard that ad-
dresses fire and explosion hazards
associated with combustible dust of FIGURE 2. As part of the dust-sampling and hazard-assessment plan, it is important to collect repre-
all types, in all industries. NFPA 652 sentative samples of fine powdered materials that may be present in the facility. Keep in mind that fine
particles are often found in elevated locations, such as ceilings, walls and ledges
lays the groundwork for a standard-
ized format that all NFPA regulations
relating to combustible dust will use. align with NFPA 652), facilities should “all facilities and operations that
The new standard also implements ensure that they are in compliance manufacture, process, blend, con-
methods that all facilities can use to with both NFPA 652 and any appli- vey, repackage, generate, or handle
evaluate and control hazards asso- cable industry-specific NFPA regula- combustible dusts or combustible
ciated with potentially combustible tions that pertain to their operations. particulate solids” [1]. In addition to
dust. During the transition period the general requirements listed in the
(while NFPA is working on updat- What is included in NFPA 652? standard, NFPA 652 also directs you
ing some of the current standards to NFPA 652 was created to apply to to any applicable industry-specific
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING Circle 18 on p. 94 or go to adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-18

WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MAY 2016 75
combustible or potentially explosive,
the facility should then complete a
DHA, to identify and evaluate the po-
tential hazards associated with a fire
or explosion due to the combustible
materials handled throughout the
facility. Inspections of areas where
combustible dust is handled also
allow facility operators to develop
recommendations to minimize the
risks of a combustible-dust incident.
Specifically, a DHA should include
the following [1]:
• Identification and evaluation of lo-
cations or processes throughout
the facility where hazards resulting
from a potential fire, flash fire or
explosion exist
FIGURE 3. While housekeeping is important, facilities should focus on containing and collecting poten- • Identification and evaluation of
tially flammable or explosive dust from the processes that handle or generate fine powdered materials. specific fire and deflagration sce-
These include such common, seemingly innocuous materials, such as sugar, flour and sawdust narios where fire and explosion
hazards exist
standards that would apply to differ- ing to employees and contractors. • Identification of safe operating
ent facilities. Over time these earlier, Such training should focus on both ranges
industry-specific standards will be- general safety regarding the hazards • Identification of any safeguards
come more aligned with NFPA 652. associated with combustible dusts, that are in place to mitigate the
The primary focus of NFPA 652 is and on any job-specific training hazards of a fire or explosion
to help all facilities to identify where relating to their specific work • Recommendations for additional
hazards exist due to the presence environments. safeguards, where needed
or handling of combustible or poten- The DHA must be completed or led
tially explosive materials. In order to Hazard identification and DHA by a qualified person who has dem-
do this, a qualified person will need NFPA 652 includes procedures that onstrated the ability to understand
to conduct a dust hazard analysis all facilities can follow in order to combustible dust and associated
(DHA). To conduct a DHA, a facil- identify areas where potential com- hazards through education or ex-
ity will need to develop a sampling bustible-dust hazards exist. Dust perience [1]. This qualified person
plan to coordinate the collection and samples should be collected from should inspect all buildings and pro-
analysis of dust samples throughout throughout the facility (Figure 2), in cesses to determine the potential
the facility. This will allow the facility order to determine the combustible likelihood of a fire or explosion due
to identify and evaluate areas where or potentially explosive qualities of to the presence of combustible dust.
combustible dust hazards exist. the dust. To carry out such sampling, This is determined by understand-
Once all potentially hazardous all facilities are required to create a ing the properties associated with
areas and process equipment have plan that should include the follow- the potentially combustible dusts
been identified and a DHA has been ing [1]: that are handled in the building or
completed, the facility should work • Identification of locations where process, identifying all potential igni-
to reduce the likelihood of a flash fine particulate materials and dusts tion sources, and evaluating the ef-
fire or explosion from occurring. It are present fectiveness of any deflagration-sup-
should also implement procedures • Collection of representative pression or protection systems that
or equipment to mitigate the hazards samples are currently in place.
associated with a combustible dust • Methods to ensure preservation of
fire or explosion. sample integrity Mitigating hazards
If possible, the facility should work • Communication with the test labo- Once a DHA has been completed by
to contain and collect combustible ratory regarding proper sample- a qualified person, the facility should
dust, by both preventing fugitive handling procedures begin to implement any recommen-
dust from being discharged from • Documentation of samples taken dations made, to prevent or minimize
equipment and by installing an effec- • Safe sample-collection practices the hazards. Often times, updated
tive dust-collection system through- Following a rigorous sampling plan housekeeping procedures are the
out the process areas that handle will help facility operators to ensure first actions facilities can take — for
combustible dust. The facility should that the dust samples are accurately instance, to remove excessive dust
develop a management system that analyzed to determine if they are accumulation in rooms and buildings
monitors how hazards relating to combustible or potentially explosive. (Figure 3). However, this requires
combustible dust are being con- Once dust samples have been extra labor and is often not as effec-
trolled. collected and tested, if any of the tive as expected.
Facilities should also provide train- materials are identified as being For example, certain inaccessible
areas (such as upper levels, rafters, stations. Once the leaks have been into the room unless specific guide-
beams and roofs) may not be in- identified, plant engineers should lines are met. Facilities should also
spected or cleaned often enough. work to repair the equipment — to ensure that all central vacuum sys-
Additionally, some housekeeping prevent fugitive dust from escaping tems are equipped with tools and
activities, such as cleaning dusty from these systems and accumulat- attachments that are constructed
areas with compressed air, may ing inside the facility. of metal or static-dissipative materi-
pose additional (sometimes signifi- als, and that all vacuum hoses are
cant) hazards, as potentially com- Prevention and capture properly grounded.
bustible dust clouds are able to form It is not always feasible to prevent While facilities should focus on
in the areas that are being cleaned. the discharge of fugitive dust into a prioritizing dust collection and con-
Finally, housekeeping activities are room or building, so other means tainment from their processes, it is
often reduced or overlooked during of protection or hazard mitigation also important to implement safe
periods of increased production or should also be implemented to re- housekeeping procedures in areas
decreases in staffing. duce hazards and mitigate the risk of where dust accumulation cannot be
Perhaps more importantly, facilities fire and explosion. Specifically, NFPA avoided. Sweeping and water wash-
should make it a priority to take steps 652 states that any building or room down are allowed under NFPA 652,
to contain and collect dust and pow- where a dust deflagration hazard ex- but compressed air cleaning should
dered materials from the processes ists should be protected using vent- only be used if certain requirements
that handle or generate them. While ing systems that comply with NFPA are met (NFPA 652, Chapter 8.4.2.6),
conducting the DHA, facilities should 68. Also, pneumatic conveyance such as the use of pressure-reducing
try to identify any equipment where systems must be equipped with de- nozzles and ensuring that no ignition
fugitive dust is being released into flagration protection or suppression sources are present in the area.
the work environment. Particular systems that will prevent a flash fire All housekeeping procedures imple-
focus should be put on such systems from traveling throughout the con- mented by the facility should be docu-
and components as pneumatic and veyance system and connected mented, and all employees and con-
mechanical conveyance lines, sifters equipment; details are spelled out in tractors should be trained on these
and screeners, bins and silos, dry- NFPA 69. procedures. Employee training should
ers and cyclones, hammer mills and Exhaust air from equipment should also include information regarding re-
grinders, and unloading
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Chemical Engineering www.chemengonline.com may 2016 77

(PPE) to be worn during housekeep- requires that all facilities create a be done by the NFPA dust standards
ing operations, as well as instructions sampling plan to test fine powdered committees, facilities throughout the
and training on how to properly use materials from different locations and CPI should begin to familiarize them-
all equipment. In addition, the facility equipment, in order to determine if selves with the new NFPA 652 stan-
should ensure that all hot work being it is combustible or potentially explo- dard, to be in compliance with the
done onsite complies with NFPA 51B. sive. If any of the dust samples pose new standard. It cannot be stated
The areas where hot work is being a combustible dust hazard, a quali- strongly enough that CPI facilities
done must be cleaned before begin- fied person must conduct a DHA must work aggressively and consis-
ning the hot work, and all equipment in to determine how likely it is that a tently toward minimizing the risk of
the area should be shut down. combustible dust incident will occur combustible dust fires and explo-
NFPA 652 also states that facili- in a room or piece of equipment by sions wherever fine, powdered ma-
ties should conduct an assessment evaluating the dust. Hazards assess- terials are produced or handled.■
of workplace hazards, according to ments such as this are carried out by Edited by Suzanne Shelley
NFPA 2113, in order to determine identifying any ignition sources, and
if flame-resistant (FR) clothing is re- evaluating any protection or sup- References
quired. FR clothing is designed to pression systems that have been 1. National Fire Protection Association, “NFPA 652: Standard on the
Fundamentals of Combustible Dust – 2016 Ed.,” Sept. 7, 2015;
not ignite when it comes into con- implemented. Once the DHA has Accessed at: www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/document-
tact with a flame. If the assessment been completed, the facility should information-pages?mode=code&code=652
indicates that FR clothing is required, work to prevent or minimize the haz- 2. Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA), “Combus-
tible Dust National Emphasis Program (Reissued),” March 11,
the facility must offer appropriate FR ards. The facility should repair any 2008; Accessed at: www.osha.gov/OshDoc/Directive_pdf/
CPL_03-00-008.pdf
clothing to all affected employees. leaks in equipment where fugitive
dust is released into the work envi-
Closing thoughts ronment, and deflagration protection Authors
NFPA 652 is the first step of many or suppression systems should be Christopher Frendahl is an envi-
ronmental engineer with Conver-
to consolidate and integrate a variety installed on at-risk equipment. Safe sion Technology, Inc. (2190 N.
of NFPA standards that are intended housekeeping procedures should be Norcross Tucker Rd, Norcross, GA
to help reduce the risks for facilities developed, and the facility should 30071; Email: cfrendahl@
producing or handling potentially ensure that all employees and con- conversiontechnology.com). His
professional work involves carry-
combustible dusts and fine pow- tractors have been trained. ing out combustible dust hazard
dered materials. This new standard While there is still a lot of work to evaluations, implementing hear-
ing-conservation and noise-study
programs, and implementing industrial hygiene and in-
dustrial safety programs. Frendahl holds a B.S. in me-
chanical engineering from Georgia Tech.
Brian Edwards, P.E., is director of
engineering for Conversion Tech-
nology, Inc. (Same address as
above; Phone: (770) 263-6330,
ext. 103; Email: bedwards@
conversiontechnology.com). Ed-
Content Licensing for wards holds a B.S. in in civil and
environmental engineering from
Every Marketing Strategy Georgia Tech. He is a licensed
professional engineer with more
than 15 years of experience as a consultant to industry.
Marketing solutions it for: As a member of the National Fire Protection Association,
• Outdoor he is a Principal on the committee for NFPA 61, the
• Direct Mail standard for dust fire and explosion prevention in the
agricultural and food processing industries. He has also
• Print Advertising worked with the Fundamentals of Combustible Dust
• Tradeshow/POP Displays technical committee on NFPA 652 – the overarching
• Social Media Standard on Combustible Dust.
• Radio & Television Jeff Davis, P.E., is senior engi-
neering manager for Conversion
Technology, Inc. (Same address as
Logo Licensing | Reprints | Eprints | Plaques above; Phone: (770) 263-6330,
ext. 116; Email: jdavis@
Leverage branded content from Chemical Engineering to create a more conversiontechnology.com). Davis
holds a B.S. in chemical and
powerful and sophisticated statement about your product, service, or biomolecular engineering from
company in your next marketing campaign. Contact Wright’s Media to Georgia Tech. He is a licensed
professional engineer with more
ind out more about how we can customize your acknowledgements and than 10 years of experience as a consultant to industry.
recognitions to enhance your marketing strategies. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers (AIChE), and the National Fire Protection As-
sociation (NFPA). He has extensive experience conduct-
For more information, call Wright’s Media at 877.652.5295 or visit our ing combustible dust hazard analyses (DHAs), process
website at www.wrightsmedia.com hazard analyses (PHAs), and designing fire- and explo-
sion-protection systems at diverse facilities in a number
of industries, including: chemical manufacturing, food
processing, lumber and wood products, metal forming,
and automotive and aviation parts.

CHEMICAL
ENGINEERING
ESSENTIALS FOR CPI PROFESSIONALS
Gulf Coast
special advertising section
Badger Meter
BASF
Bluebeam Software
Charles Ross & Son
Cleaver-Brooks
Collins Instrument
CR Clean Air Group
Eastman Chemical Co.
EMCOR Group
Endress+Hauser
Koch-Glitsch
Lifting Gear Hire
Nol-Tec Systems
Orion Instruments
Quest Integrity Group
RedGuard
Service Radio-Industrial Blind Solutions
PHOTO: RONFULLHD / ISTOCK
TEAM Industrial Services

USA Industries
Zeeco
Gulf Coast 2016 Special Advertising Section
This liquid level transmitter Innovative designs for large

is smart and easy to use columns
Orion Instruments launches its next-gen Koch-Glitsch solves installation challenges
magnetostrictive level transmitter and boosts mass transfer performance
O rion Instruments, a global leader in

high-performance level control in-
strumentation, is proud to announce the
T o meet the growing global demand, the hydrocarbon industry is
expanding plant sizes and installing larger-diameter columns to
handle the increased production.
release of the JUPITER Model JM4 magne- When evaluating the overall cost of a new large-diameter frac-
tostrictive level transmitter, its newest and tionation vessel, it is important to consider the structural support
most advanced level instrument to date. method for the mass transfer internals. Traditional structural beams
The JM4 is available as a direct insertion are heavy, complex, and can significantly affect the total installed
option, as well as an external mount on cost. When revamping towers where structural beams require re-
any Orion magnetic level indicator (MLI) placement, traditional beams may require significant amounts of
(photo, left) or modular instrumentation field welding that can increase installation time and costs. The size
bridle. With an improved design, unparal- and weight of traditional beams also make them challenging to in-
leled performance, and a collection of new stall through vessel access hatches.
and innovative features, the JM4 provides Koch-Glitsch has developed
safer, simpler, and smarter measurement innovative mechanical support
in total and interface level applications. technologies to achieve maxi-
The JM4 is engineered to be the smart- mum performance of mass-
est, most innovative magnetostrictive transfer equipment while
transmitter available. To this end, Orion mitigating the instal-
Instruments has introduced numerous en- lation challenges
hancements, including greater signal-to- commonly
noise ratio (SNR), a full graphic local user found in large
interface, HART 7.0 (Foundation Fieldbus towers.
available), local waveform capture, and a The new
more intuitive device type manager (DTM) designs
allowing for remote configuration, trend- reduce ma-
ing, and diagnostics. terial use, in-
The JM4 is the first magnetostrictive crease the use
transmitter in the industry to offer a field- of shop fabrica-
removable and rotatable head. The remov- tion, reduce field
able head allows for simpler transmitter installation time, and im-
maintenance and troubleshooting with- prove resistance to damage Koch-Glitsch SUPERFRAC tray and
out disrupting the process. 310° of head caused by process upsets (inset) innovative support system
rotation provides users with greater ac- or harmonic vibration. The
cessibility to operate the JM4’s on-board improved efficiencies of these designs provide significant time and
graphical interface. cost savings, the company says. While frequently used with distil-
To further enhance the removable lation trays, the support technologies are also well suited for other
head, the JUPITER Model JM4 also fea- column internals, such as collector trays and support grids for ran-
tures Smart Probe technology. When any dom and structured packed beds.
JM4 transmitter head is attached to a Recently, the new mechanical support technologies were used in
probe, a single push of a button imports factory configuration set- an installation of SUPERFRAC trays in a 33.5 ft (10 m) propane/pro-
tings into the head, and in seconds the transmitter is ready for pylene splitter. The trays are in now operation and meeting all their
operation. performance objectives.
JUPITER now also offers a remote mount option. Available in The patented technologies used in the SUPERFRAC tray are the
lengths of 3 ft and 12 ft, the transmitter head attaches to the probe culmination of over 25 years of comprehensive tray development
via a flexible cable to allow for easier viewing under various spatial work. With more than 2,000 successful installations, SUPERFRAC
constraints. tray performance has been validated in both new tower designs and
Orion Instruments is a globally recognized leader in the design revamps of existing trays. Suitable for all tray operating regimes,
and manufacturing of magnetic-based level technologies. Based in the SUPERFRAC tray is especially beneficial in applications requir-
Baton Rouge, LA, Orion offers an extensive product line of custom ing a large number of mass transfer stages, or where mass transfer
level measurement solutions with the broadest range of options efficiency is critical to the economics of the operation, such as su-
to solve the most difficult industry applications. Orion Instruments perfractionators and chemical and petrochemical splitters.
is a proven and innovative leader in the level monitoring and con- The SUPERFRAC tray gives high economic benefit to operators
trol world with solutions provided in every major industrial sector. of distillation columns seeking solutions for both new construction
With over 200 representative partners and multiple direct offices and revamp projects. When optimized for efficiency and capacity,
located around the world, Orion is positioned to service clients on SUPERFRAC trays can yield a valuable reduction in energy con-
a global scale. www.orioninstruments.com sumption and increase in throughput. www.kochglitsch.com

Over six decades of experience in exhaust gas cleaning

CR Clean Air specializes in wet scrubbing systems, offering a wide range of designs and
chemical reagents to suit equally diverse applications
C R Clean Air has been providing wet scrubbing sys-

tems to the chemical process industries for almost
70 years. From the initial venturi fume scrubbers de-
work for decades to come – be it a standby scrubber
to handle an emergency release of toxic vapor, or an
odor control unit that needs to run 24/7. From small
veloped in the 1950s to the fully skidded packages it manually controlled units to large fully automated
offers today, CR Clean Air has always been driven by systems with complex instrumentation and built-in
the need to engineer the best possible solution for redundancy, CR Clean Air’s team of electrical, chemi-
each plant’s emission control needs. Experienced in a cal and mechanical engineers can assist in develop-
wide range of applications, from handling acid gases ing customized solutions. Additionally, their offerings
such as HCl and SO2 to the removal of fine and sub- are available in a wide range of materials, both metal
micron particulates from contaminated vapor streams, and non-metal, including carbon steel, stainless steel,
CR Clean Air’s depth and breadth of experience is un- corrosion-resistant alloys, FRP, polypropylene, PVDF
matched. As a leader in clean air technology, the com- and dual laminates.
pany has been at the forefront of dealing with many CR Clean Air has systems installed across a wide
complex chemistries and challenging pollutants, from range of industries: aerospace, chemicals, fibers,
ethylene oxide mitigation to NOx emissions. food, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper, and semicon-
CR Clean Air’s offerings include jet venturi fume ductor, just to name a few. The range of pollutants is
scrubbers with integral separator tanks for bulk re- just as varied, including HF, HBR, NH3, silicates, dust,
moval of pollutants and larger particles; high-energy and VOCs. CR Clean Air has a range of approaches in
jet venturis with cyclonic separators for sub-micron its arsenal, including straightforward once-through
particles; and packed tower designs for the many water systems to chemically scrubbed systems with
situations in which higher removal efficiencies are re- recirculated caustic or other reagent to neutralize
quired to meet ever more stringent emissions limits. contaminants. A combined venturi/
CR Clean Air has the experience to engineer a sys- From arsenic to zirconium tetrachloride, CR Clean tower is one of the many
tem that will work the first time, while its commitment Air scrubs gases that other systems won’t touch. types of wet scrubbers
to quality ensures that the equipment will continue to www.crcleanair.com offered by CR Clean Air
Rapid growth for communications and blinds provider

Service Radio-Industrial Blind Solutions committed millions of dollars of additional
inventory to its new Houston location for industrial blinds and communication products
S ervice Radio-Industrial Blind Solutions (IBS) is a premier sup-

plier of two-way radios and industrial blind products to the in-
dustrial maintenance and construction industries. Thanks to its
From its headquarters in Houston, Texas, Service Radio-
IBS operates throughout the Gulf Coast and far beyond
rapid growth, geographic coverage, state-of-the-art technology in-

frastructure, and commitment to service, Service Radio-IBS is able
to respond swiftly to customer service and equipment needs. By
employing the right people, training those people, operating as a
team, and positioning the company strategically throughout the
marketplace, Service Radio-IBS is able to provide an extremely high
level of service.
What sets Service Radio-IBS apart in terms of communication
technology is the fact that the company provides solutions to com-
munications problems within industrial environments, not just the
equipment needed to talk.
Everything the company does is built around the needs of indus-
trial plants and contractors. Time is money to these customers, so
the service component is critical. With the expansion of its invento-
ries and locations, Service Radio-IBS now has close to 11,000 radios
coast to coast. It also has the largest inventory of industrial blinds
in the U.S., representing nearly 50,000 units strategically located in
Louisiana, Los Angeles and Houston. The company also manufac-
tures custom blinds for specific needs.
Utilizing Service Radio-IBS’ products and services allows cus-
tomers to finish projects on time, run their businesses effectively
and save millions, the company says. www.srr-ibs.com

A classic mixing tool for the petroleum industry

Ross LPD Static Mixers are rugged, reliable devices that combine excellent inline mixing
with minimal pressure loss
R oss Low Pressure Drop (LPD) Static Mixers are used throughout
the oil and gas industry for turbulent-flow mixing applications.
These heavy-duty low-maintenance devices serve in continuous op-
erations where high performance and accuracy are required, such
as on-line water determination of crude oil; dosing of various ad-
ditives into gasoline; blending different kinds of fuel oils; gas-gas
blending; and pipeline reactions, among others.
Static mixers have no moving parts and the energy for mixing is
available in the form of pressure. Pressure loss – a natural conse-
quence of static mixing – sometimes becomes the deciding factor
in mixer selection. The LPD Static Mixer remains a classic choice for
many inline blending requirements due to its simple and durable
design capable of uniform mixing with little pressure loss. The mixer
elements consist of semi-elliptical plates carefully positioned in se-
ries to split and rotate the product 90 deg. in alternating clockwise
and counterclockwise directions.
LPD mixers in diameters from 1 in. through 2.5 in. are welded to
a central rod, while larger elements are welded to four outside sup-
port rods for maximum rigidity and stability. Units as large as 48 in.
diameter can be supplied as stand-alone mixer elements or as mod-
ules complete with a mixer housing and injection ports.
Established in 1842, Ross is one of the oldest and largest mixing
equipment companies in the world. Ross mixing, blending, drying
and dispersion equipment is used throughout many industries in
the manufacture of foods, adhesives, electronics, coatings, cosmet-
Shown are removable LPD mixing elements supplied ics, pharmaceuticals, plastics and composites.
with retainer ring and flanged housing www.staticmixers.com
Turbine flow meters are accurate yet cost-effective

New Blancett B1500 Series turbine flow meters from Badger Meter
combine accuracy and reliability with powerful display options
T he Badger Meter Blancett B1500 Series Turbine Flow Meter is

specifically designed to perform in harsh environments found
in the oil, gas, and petrochemical industries. A cost-effective op-
0.25–2 in. with an accuracy rating of
±0.25% of reading, when linearized with
a B3000 flow monitor, and repeatability
tion for highly accurate and reliable flow measurement, B1500 flow of ±0.02% of reading.
meters are an ideal solution for standard clean, filtered liquid flow Ideal flow ranges
applications in precision industrial processes, such as batching, vary from 0.25
blending, filling, or general flow measurement. to 250 gallons
B1500 Series turbine flow meters feature exceptional mechani- per minute de-
cal linearity, which increases usable flow range and helps mitigate pending on line
output variance caused by viscosity fluctuations due to changes size. The B1500
in fluid temperature. Using a helical rotor design with high-perfor- Series meter is
mance ceramic ball bearings, B1500 meters are able to achieve ex- constructed of 316
ceptional speed-of-response and minimal pressure drop. Ceramic stainless steel and
bearings are also lighter, more tolerant to extreme temperatures is available with ei-
and produce less friction than stainless steel ball bearings, which ther ANSI flange or
are commonly found in other turbine meters. NPT end fittings.
As an added benefit, B1500 flow meters are easily coupled with B1500 Series
B3000 flow monitors to provide an economical, robust flow meter- turbine flow me- The Badger Meter Blancett B1500 Series is
ing solution, with multiple local read and system integration op- ters come calibrat- available in a wide range of sizes and fittings
tions. Flow rates and totals are presented simultaneously via a crisp ed and traceable
dot-matrix LCD display and/or transmitted to a user interface via to NIST standards, are in stock and ready to ship. With quick prod-
Modbus RTU, a 4–20 mA analog output or totalizing pulse output. uct availability and advanced electronic integration options, backed
Basic, advanced and solar-powered configurations provide users by experienced application support personnel, the Badger Meter
with flexibility to meet the needs of unique applications. Blancett B1500 Series is an ideal solution for critical flow measure-
B1500 Series meters are available in nominal line sizes of ment needs. www.badgermeter.com

Should you buy or rent your lifting gear?

Owning hoists and other necessities for moving process equipment may carry hidden
costs for maintenance and certification, says Lifting Gear Hire
assembling the heaviest of loads, even in sitioned around the country. The answer to
critical environments and under cramped this largely depends on whether you are a
conditions. The question is, should you buy regionally-focused company or if you have a
or rent your equipment? There are a few fac- geographically distributed customer base. A
tors to consider. regionally focused company has little need
First off, can you handle repairs and cer- to transport equipment, and has an on-go-
tifications in-house? One poorly maintained ing need for the equipment, which makes
hoist could break and cause whatever you owning more sensible.
are lifting to fall. So, not only is it best to an- Weigh the long-term needs of your com-
ticipate mishaps, but you also need to con- pany to understand what makes the most
sider whether you can repair the equipment sense. There are many factors to consider,
Some of the more than 50,000 pieces of on your own or if you will have to outsource and no one-size-fits-all answer. Careful anal-
equipment that Lifting Gear Hire offers the repairs to another company. ysis will help you make the right decision.
Turning to the lifting gear itself, remem- Founded in 1990, Lifting Gear Hire (LGH)
D ifficult assembly and restricted work-

ing spaces are among the challenges
associated with moving equipment in pet-
ber that hard costs such as rental fees
and lease payments are only a small part
of total costs. Among the most frequently
is the largest single organization in the U.S.
devoted exclusively to the provision of lift-
ing and moving equipment for rent and sale.
rochemical and pharmaceutical plants. overlooked costs are those of maintenance LGH provides hoisting, pulling, jacking, rig-
Whether the job is to build a new plant or and certifications. All equipment eventually ging, material handling and safety equip-
maintain an existing one, it is essential to requires maintenance, so if you are look- ment available for immediate and safe use.
handle sensitive components safely and ing to buy, make sure you have access to LGH’s mission is to offer expertise in the
gently. Failure to do so can result in ex- the specialized labor and testing equipment rental of the safest and most reliable hoist-
pensive downtime, personal injuries, and you will need to repair your equipment. ing and rigging equipment to build and sup-
damage to the environment. So, you are Another question is whether the equip- port a better America. LGH puts safety first.
going to need the right tools for lifting and ment will remain in one location or be repo- www.lgh-usa.com
Moving from paper to digital PDF turnover packages

Bluebeam Revu software has helped a contractor streamline its workflow and add value to
the equipment it designs and fabricates for oil and gas companies
“I f a picture is worth a thousand words, a marked-up PDF is worth

10,000,” says Mark Henry, a Sr. Field Engineer with McCarl’s Inc.,
an industrial contractor and fabricator serving the steel, chemical,
manufacturing, and oil and gas industries. In 2013, McCarl’s was
awarded a contract to build a fractionation plant for a mid-stream
oil and gas company. One of the customer’s requirements was to
provide a digital turnover package at the end of the job.
To make this possible, McCarl’s began using Bluebeam Revu, a
PDF creation, markup and collaboration solution. Having a digital
copy linked to every related file in Revu meant it could be easily
searched, with everything accessible in a few clicks.
Since then, the team has been using Revu throughout their lat-
est project, a mid-stream oil and gas compressor station. Henry
starts by creating isometric drawings of the piping design, then
exports them to PDF so he can add comments and instructions in
Revu. Next, the documents are sent to McCarl’s fabrication shop,
where Fabrication Draftsman Jim Cummings creates a digital dash- McCarl’s uses the Sequence Tool in Revu to number and track
board in Revu with links to all of the files in the job set, making it all of the welds that need to be made in the fabrication shop
easier for everyone to access and add their fabrication markups.
When they’re ready for testing, Henry will mark up the P&IDs tages were soon obvious. “Now we use it in fabrication, design, en-
using Revu’s Line Tool to highlight the different line pressures that gineering, document control, estimating – everywhere,” says Henry.
need to be tested so it’s clear which line gets tested and at which “I would like to see all contractors in oil and gas, and construction in
pressure. Once the job is completed, every piece of information col- general, use Revu. But until they do, the fact that we use Bluebeam
lected along the way is packaged and delivered to the client as a PDF. Revu gives us an advantage, because it makes us more efficient,
Although going digital was initially a requirement, the advan- faster, and more accurate.” www.bluebeam.com/fabricates

Entire management team API 936-certified

Diamond Refractory Services, a specialist in emergency refinery shutdowns, differentiates
itself through certification, quality, and expertise
F or Houston-based Diamond Refractory

Services, one measure of the company’s
success is the percentage of business that
and petrochemical industries with an in-
dependent and unbiased way to evaluate
the knowledge and experience of technical
engages the organization on multiple proj- and inspection personnel. Earning the API
ects. For the last 16 years, Diamond has en- 936 certification has significantly bolstered
joyed a customer retention rate of 85%, a Diamond’s service offering. The certification
percentage that shows just how seriously it virtually guarantees that the company will
takes client needs and meeting or surpass- provide educated, specialized management
ing expectations. to each site, and that it has established a
Diamond is known for providing one of minimum standard of knowledge and skill
the petrochemical industry’s most critical for its personnel. Being certified also means
services: rapid deployment in response to Diamond provides a higher level of manage-
emergency refinery shutdowns. Some of ment control over quality inspection prac-
the biggest names in refining and process- A Diamond Refractory worker performs tices, while simultaneously maintaining a
ing regularly rely on Diamond to provide re- a 100% demolition and refractory high level of safety and performance, and
pair, revamp, and construction services for replacement on a waste heat cooler reducing the potential for downtime due to
FCCUs, sulfur units, acids plants, furnaces, equipment failure.
and heaters. skilled laborers, forklift drivers, and other Diamond’s team of refractory specialists
Within an industry that is highly compet- dedicated employees, Diamond vaunts has completed over 100 FCCU turnarounds
itive, Diamond has risen to the top by boast- an entire management team that is API to date, and accumulated 1.7 million hours
ing an admirably successful safety record 936-certified. Diamond’s team is well versed worked. With over 200 years of combined
that includes a total recordable injury rate in rapid arc welding, a fast, reliable, and ac- refractory experience, Diamond Refractory’s
(TRIR) of 0.00 for three consecutive years. curate method to secure refractory anchors. management team is uniquely positioned to
Comprising refractory specialists, alloy Since 1989, API’s Individual Certification tackle the industry’s most difficult refractory
welders, nozzlemen, safety professionals, Programs have provided the petroleum challenges. diamondrefractory.com
Add a heat transfer expert without adding head count

Eastman technical support paired with Therminol heat transfer fluids provide design and
operational solutions that can lead to extended life and high performance
H eat transfer fluid systems are integral to

refining and petrochemical processes.
Choosing the right heat transfer fluid and
this risk, and can recommend corrective ac-
tions based on complimentary in-service
fluid testing to identify moisture ingress
supplier can help optimize performance by and fluid degradation.
adding an expert to the in-house team. The thermally stable synthetic organic
From a small-scale low-temperature chemistries of Therminol fluids ensure high
batch reaction to a continuous, multistep reliability and on-stream time for heating
process with stringent temperature control, fractionation unit reboilers as well as cool-
the Eastman technical services team un- ing overhead condensers where water must
derstands customers’ needs and can probe avoided. Additionally, the many energy-
vide system design support with any of the intensive operations in refinery units offer
Therminol family of coolants and heat trans- Choosing the right heat transfer fluid opportunities for innovative energy integra-
fer fluids. Good up-front design identifies and supplier can add an expert to the tion opportunities.
the fluid best suited to avoiding problems in-house team, helping to optimize For more than 50 years, the Therminol
with corrosion or accidental intermixing, and performance in petrochemical processes heat transfer fluid brand has been the
reduces the area required for heat exchange. choice for excellence in technical support,
Therminol heat transfer fluids span the process. A central heating and circulating customer service, performance, and inno-
widest temperature range available among system with multiple users provides tem- vation. Eastman’s TLC Total Lifecycle Care
any organic heat transfer portfolio, from perature control for the different stages of program is designed to support Therminol
–115°C (–175°F) to 400°C (750°F). reaction, separation and purification. customers throughout the life cycles of
In petrochemicals, LAB (linear alkyl ben- For organic separations at temperatures their systems. Technical support includes
zene), phthalic anhydride (PA), terephthalic above 100°C, it is especially important to assistance with system design, start-up,
acid (PTA), olefins, alcohols, and plasticiz- avoid water leakage into the process side. operational and safety training, a technical
ers are among the products for which heat Eastman’s team understands how design service hotline, sample analysis, and fluid
transfer systems form an integral part of the and maintenance procedures can minimize flush and refill. www.therminol.com

Ensure process piping integrity with confidence

Quest Integrity provides industry expertise and superior inspection technology for accurate
and reliable operation of inaccessible process piping systems
T he loss of process piping containment in

a refinery can prompt several operation-
al setbacks, including tremendous financial
The InVista tool produces quantitative
inspection results, allowing rapid and ac-
curate fitness-for-service (FFS) calculations
Image © ShutterStock
cost, unplanned facility downtime, and loss in compliance with industry standards such
of public and regulatory credence. Due to as API-579 / ASME FFS1. The data can be
limited access and complex piping configu- viewed in high-resolution 2D and 3D for-
rations, a comprehensive and low-impact mats that encompass the full length of the
inspection solution is vital to the operation- piping system. Inspection results are then
al life of process piping systems. analyzed by Quest Integrity’s skilled techni-
Quest Integrity’s InVista intelligent pig- cal analysts to determine the severity and
ging technology mitigates the risks associ- root cause of any anomalies detected.
ated with piping damage and loss of wall The InVista technology offers unique ex-
thickness, including corrosion, erosion, pertise in the inspection and assessment of
denting, ovality, and bulging. The intelli- The InVista intelligent pig can navigate inaccessible process piping systems, effec-
gent pigging tool measures wall thickness and inspect even complex pipework tively avoiding costly operational delays as-
and detects changes in internal and exter- sociated with damage to process piping.
nal pipe diameter caused by anomalies. ing it an ideal way to overcome the access Quest Integrity is a global leader in asset
Operators can thus be confident that 100% and negotiation restrictions associated integrity and reliability management ser-
of their pipe surfaces have been inspected, with challenging piping configurations. The vices. It provides advanced inspection and
both internally and externally, to identify advanced intelligent pig design includes a engineering assessment services and prod-
any potential degradation before loss of fully self-contained, untethered unit with ucts that help organizations in the pipeline,
containment occurs. the ability to travel bi-directionally. This refining, chemical, syngas and power indus-
The InVista intelligent pigging tool can unique design enables plants to inspect tries improve operational planning, increase
inspect both below-ground and overhead both axial and circumferential piping in tra- profitability, and reduce operational and
piping located in crowded pipe racks, mak- ditionally “unpiggable” systems. safety risks. www.questintegrity.com
Why rent? Piping products and heat exchanger tools

Compared to buying, rental often carries lower costs
and fewer risks, says USA Industries
S hould I rent or buy? This is a common

question asked by estimators and plan-
ners when coordinating turnarounds or
chasing tools, project funds are tied up in
part-time assets. By renting the same tools,
your expense is only for the time of use.
maintenance projects, notes manufacturer Besides the cost of purchased tools,
and supplier company USA Industries. having unused inventory around the project
Keeping down the costs of performing site can be costly. Pipe testing equipment
work is of paramount importance to their can be damaged or corroded if not stored
departments. Every cost-cutting avenue is properly. There are also storage costs to
reviewed. One major expense is the pur- consider. With owned equipment, the odds
chase of materials and equipment needed of tools being misplaced, lost or stolen
for these projects. The option to rent them, increases.
instead of buying, can lower project costs USA Industries carries a large inventory
considerably. of tools and tooling available for rent – from
Is renting the answer? USA Industries, one day to however long it takes to finish
the premier company for blind and blind the project. The company ensures quality
flange rentals, believes that renting is the products that meet their respective code USA Industries’ patent-pending EZ Lock
way to go for refineries, power plants and specifications. Not only is USA Industries Blind Rack is available for rent
chemical facilities. These customers also available to take orders 24 hours a day, 7
rent pipe testing and isolation plugs, as days a week, but most orders are shipped • paddle blinds for isolation and
well as heat exchanger tools. Since 1982, out within 24 hours after receiving the order. hydrotesting;
USA Industries has helped its customers Whatever your project requirements, • blind flanges (RF or RTJ);
keep their capital and maintenance project USA Industries can rent the tools and tool- • pipe plugs;
costs down through its rental program. ing needed to get the job done, in any quan- • heat exchanger tools; and
What are the advantages of renting tools tity for any length of time. Some of USA • Snap It tube plugging kit.
and tooling for your projects? When pur- Industries’ rental inventory includes: www.usapiping.com

Follow these steps to select the proper boiler

The correct boiler increases efficiency, reduces operating costs and ensures safety,
says Cleaver-Brooks
measured in either BTUs or pounds of steam at a specific pressure
and temperature. There are three types of loads: heating, process,
and power. A heating load typically is low-pressure steam or hot
water used to maintain building heat. A process load is a high-pres-
sure steam load that mainly pertains to manufacturing operations.
Many facilities have a combination of both heating and process
loads. The third type of steam load is for producing power.
Footprint. Allow plenty of room to walk around the boiler as well as
access to conduct boiler maintenance. Ceiling height is also impor-
tant, since it needs to accommodate items such as boiler piping,
valves, and possibly an economizer.
Specification considerations. There are several boiler types to
choose from, including the D-type, O-type and A-type. A D-type
watertube boiler is ideal for nearly any steam need and is by far
the most common boiler type. An O-style boiler has a symmetrical
The Cleaver-Brooks D-style boiler is ideal for industrial shape with a central center of gravity, making it ideal as a portable
process and building heat applications or rental unit. An A-type watertube has two mud drums instead of
one, which enables a much larger furnace for higher steam capacity,
W hen a process application requires higher pressures, large

quantities of steam or the possibility of additional heat
through integrally mounted superheaters, an industrial watertube
pressure and superheat.
Emissions requirements. There are a number of pollutants that
must be managed when burning natural gas, particularly nitrogen
(IWT) boiler is the best solution, says Cleaver-Brooks. IWT boilers oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO). If ultra-low NOx (< 9 ppm)
are noted for their fast steaming capability. To select the proper IWT is required, consider a system that includes a low-NOx burner with
boiler for an application, consider these basic evaluation steps. flue gas recirculation. To reduce NOx emissions to the near-zero
Steam and process-load needs. Determine the total system load, level, add selective catalytic reduction. www.cleaverbrooks.com
New FCC catalysts help to optimize yields and margins

BASF introduces BoroCat FCC catalyst to help refiners maximize margins and optimize
production yields
B oroCat is the latest evolution of BASF’s

resid oil fluid catalytic cracking (FCC)
catalysts for the refining market. BoroCat is
conversion catalysts to meet ongoing needs
for gasoline. In North America, tight oil
crudes require high-activity catalysts tai-
the first FCC catalyst based on BASF’s new lored for processing these highly reactive
Boron-Based Technology (BBT) platform, feeds. Based on their activity, DMS-based
which is designed to optimize refiners’ pro- catalysts are the best option for customers
duction yields. Successful commercial tri- working with tight oil feeds.
als have verified BoroCat’s ability to provide As heavier, sourer crudes continue to
improved nickel passivation, leading to proliferate globally over the longer term,
demonstrably lower coke, lower hydrogen, BASF continues to develop suitable cata-
and improved bottoms conversion when lysts through its Proximal Stable Matrix
compared to existing technologies. and Zeolite (Prox-SMZ) and BBT platforms.
“BoroCat is a best-in-class innovation These feeds may require metals passivation
developed to help refiners optimize their op- BASF Catalysts offers a wide range of to mitigate the impact of contaminants such
erations and maximize margins,” said Detlef state-of-the-art solutions for refiners as vanadium and nickel.
Ruff, Senior Vice President, Process Catalysts and petrochemical producers New refineries under construction in the
at BASF. “BoroCat yielded excellent results Middle East and Asia are complex systems
during its first round of ongoing commer- technologies for the petroleum refining in- designed to produce petrochemical feed-
cial trials,” added Jim Chirumbole, BASF’s dustry. BASF’s Refining Catalysts FCC tech- stocks such as propylene. BASF currently
Global Business Vice President for Refining nology portfolio creates value for refiners offers MPS (Maximum Propylene Solution)
Catalysts. “It exceeds the performance that and covers all feedstocks: vacuum gas oil, to address this application. BASF also re-
made BASF’s Flex-Tec and Fortress products resid, tight oil, and Canadian oil sands. mains strongly committed to supporting the
leaders in the resid oil market.” Building on the success of its Distribut- demand for diesel in key markets including
For more than 50 years, BASF Catalysts ed Matrix Structures (DMS) technology Western Europe and, increasingly, North
has been pioneering innovative catalyst platform, BASF continues to develop high- America. www.basf.com

Measure level with higher Understanding NFPA 654

reliability and fewer alarms for combustible dust
Endress+Hauser compensates for polar Nol-Tec Systems explains how the rules are
molecules in guided wave radar applications tightening, and what to do about it
A re you experiencing deviation

alarms in high-pressure process
vessels? In many high-pressure ves-
C ombustible dust is a critical con-
cern for any industry that pro-
cesses or conveys dry bulk materials.
sels, redundant level measurement Changes in regulations have brought
technologies are employed to pro- this issue into even greater focus.
vide multiple level indications for Nol-Tec Systems’ design teams are
safety, points out Endress+Hauser. experts in developing systems for
It is common for these instruments hard-to-handle materials so as to min-
to use different technologies, so as to imize the production of dust and the
provide what is referred to as “diverse re- possibilities of combustion.
dundancy”. A process condition that may give The U.S. National Fire Protection
problems for one technology will likely not Association (NFPA) has issued stricter
affect the others, ensuring that a reliable standards for safety measures to pre- The combustible dust
level measurement is being provided by at vent and mitigate explosions and fires in pentagon: removal of
least one technology. facilities where a combustible mix of dust any one element can
Guided wave radar (GWR), also called and air could be present. Also, the U.S. prevent explosions
time-domain reflectometry, is a time-of- has fully adopted the Globally Harmonized
flight level measurement technology System for the Labeling and Classification of Chemicals (GHS),
for level measurement in high-pres- which has new standards for combustible dust that are incorporat-
sure vessels. How an instrument ed into the NFPA recommendations.
will function in the application in These changes mean the reach of the various NFPA codes has
which it is being applied is par- changed substantially. Coarser particle sizes (up to 40 mesh) and
ticularly true of GWR transmitters more organic materials are now included. Many chemicals not pre-
in high-pressure vessels. Typically, a viously classified as hazardous are now designated as dust explo-
GWR will send a pulse through the upper sion hazards. The Kst (dust deflagration index) of many powders has
gas phase in the vessel to reflect off of the liquid been updated. In fact, so many dusts are classified as combustible
(or solid) material being measured. In high-pres- that the focus is now on mitigating hazards.
sure applications where the upper phase is made In late 2014, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health
up of a gas with a polar molecular structure, spe- Administration (OSHA) received a mandate to fully enforce the up-
cial consideration needs to be taken to obtain re- dated NFPA standards. This stricter enforcement has been, in no
peatable measurements. small part, due to several high-profile dust explosions. Informative
Since polar molecules alter the speed of material can be found on the website of the U.S. Chemical Safety
microwave pulses, the microwave are slowed, Board (CSB), which investigates these accidents. An excellent ex-
resulting in measurement errors. GWR will there- ample from a titanium plant can be found at http://www.csb.gov/
fore give the wrong level unless the reduction in al-solutions-fatal-dust-explosion/.
speed of the microwave pulse, which slows as it Hazard control has typically focused on two areas. The first is
propagates through the upper polar gas phase, housekeeping and containment. Nol-Tec is an expert in handling
is compensated. The result is an indicated level difficult bulk materials – those that are fragile, friable, or abrasive –
reading that is less than the actual process level. through fully enclosed dense- and dilute-phase pneumatic convey-
Clearly, when using a GWR for measurement ing systems. Minimizing breakage of materials means less dust.
in high-pressure applications with polar mol- The second area of focus has been explosion mitigation. This is
ecules in the gas phase, corrections to the result- generally accomplished through the use of explosion panels, vent-
ing error must be made based on pressure and ing systems, and/or explosion suppression systems. Panels and
temperature measurements. This can be prob- venting can help control the release of energy in case of an explo-
lematic, especially during process startup. sion, which can minimize damage to the plant and increase person-
A GWR can be manufactured with a reference al safety. There is, however, damage to the processing system itself,
section that provides the required compensation. as well as loss of material. Suppression systems, on the other hand,
Recognizing the effects polar gas has on GWR, a stop the explosion but leave materials and conveyors contaminated
GWR device was installed that compensates for with the chemical used to quench the explosion.
the level deviation. The GWR device was devel- Nol-Tec has therefore partnered with Air Products and Chemicals
oped specifically for high-pressure and tempera- on research for a system to prevent dust explosions through the
ture applications with a unique reference rod use of inert gases for conveying. Removing oxygen means that
built into the top section of the unit to combat in the vast majority of cases no explosion is possible. Nol-Tec re-
the issue of polar gas, ensure reliability and ac- searchers co-authored a paper in the March 2015 issue of Chemical
curacy, and minimize deviation alarms. Engineering. With over 30 years’ experience, Nol-Tec is in an excep-
www.us.endress.com tional position to understand dust explosions. www.nol-tec.com

Plastic control valves handle corrosive chemicals

Collins 2-in. valves and actuators are specially designed to handle corrosive fluids – acids,
bleaches, chlorine, pH control – and aggressive environments
C ollins Instrument Company’s line of

economical 2-in. flanged plastic control
valves handle corrosive liquids including
environments that can attack the outside
of the valve and actuator. Collins plastic
control valve packages withstand salty ma-
hydrochloric acid, caustic, sulfuric acid, and rine atmospheres as well as industrial en-
many others. With bodies of either PVDF vironments that are too corrosive for metal
or polypropylene, these highly-responsive valves and actuators.
control valves are specifically designed for Collins actuators incorporate a unique
use with corrosive media and/or corrosive internal locking ring to attach the cylinder
atmospheres. to the yoke. A semicircular groove is ma-
Suitable for applications in numerous in- chined inside the lower edge of the cylin-
dustries, including chemical, petrochemical, der, and a matching groove cut in the yoke.
pulp and paper, and municipal, these valves When the yoke and cylinder are assembled,
are extremely corrosion-resistant, and fea- a flexible polypropylene rod is inserted into
ture fast-acting positioning (stroke rate Plastic valves and actuators from Collins the groove through a slot in the side of the
approximately 1⁄2 in./s). They are available cylinder, securing the two sections together.
with a wide selection of trim sizes, in globe, The integral positioner eliminates the need Along with its corrosion resistance the
angle, and corner configurations. for external linkages which are subject to Collins control valve features a stem pack-
The differential-area piston eliminates corrosion and malfunctioning. Valves may ing arrangement that virtually eliminates
the necessity for auxiliary loading regula- also be furnished without a positioner for the problem of fugitive emissions, thereby
tors. All actuator parts apart from the inte- on/off applications. protecting the environment.
gral positioner are molded of glass-filled, Collins also offers a plastic pneumatic Located on the Texas Gulf Coast in
UV-inhibited polypropylene. Before ship- actuator. The combination of a plastic ac- the town of Angleton, Collins Instrument
ment, the aluminum positioner and a por- tuator and a plastic valve body provides an Company has been serving the chemical
tion of the cylinder are immersed in Dip effective way to handle both corrosive ma- and petrochemical industry for over
Seal to provide atmospheric protection. terials flowing through the valve, and harsh 65 years. www.collinsinst.com
What you don’t know can cost you

RedGuard explains some myths around blast-resistant buildings, which can be cost-
effective as well as offering excellent protection to people and assets
learned that every application is different. Blast pressure is a key part of the BRB
Fact: Our SafetySuites are permanent BRBs design formula, but duration and response
that can be purchased to meet specific op- level ratings tell the real story of how a BRB
erational needs for years to come. will hold up to a blast. Some manufacturers
Myth #2: BRBs are only for rush construc- claim a 5 or 8 psi rating, but with a high re-
tion jobs. sponse level. This is virtually meaningless,
Though SafetySuites can be erected in as “high response” equates to high dam-
a fraction of the time needed for traditional age, with a high risk of casualties. Interior
buildings, they are a superior, permanent fittings are important, too, since a tough
construction solution. They often cost less steel box, alone, does not make a safe BRB.
Well-designed blast-resistant buildings than traditional buildings, and do a better Fact: Blast pressure ratings, taken alone,
are in no way inferior to traditional job of protecting personnel and resources. can provide a misleading view of safety.
constructions, says RedGuard Fact: BRBs are superior to traditional build- Myth #5: BRB design is still experimental.
ings for all construction projects. While blast engineering is a compara-
A lot of myths still surround the use of

blast-resistant buildings (BRBs) as tra-
ditional building replacements, writes Tim
Myth #3: BRBs lack the comforts and ame-
nities of traditional buildings.
This myth is probably a holdover from
tively new science, RedGuard has worked
with some of the world’s most respected au-
thorities—and then performed blast testing
Taton, North American Sales Manager with the early days, when all of our engineering under realistic conditions. A SafetySuite de-
RedGuard. Understanding these myths resources were devoted to creating the saf- signed for a specific application will protect
could save many thousands of dollars, not est building in the world. personnel during a blast event, at a fraction
to mention lives. Fact: The inside of a SafetySuite is often of the cost and construction time of a tradi-
Myth #1: Modular blast-resistant buildings indistinguishable from that of a traditional tional building.
(BRBs) are only available for lease. building, offering all the same amenities. Fact: SafetySuites are built on proven engi-
When we pioneered the BRB industry, Myth #4: A blast pressure rating is the only neering concepts that have been fully test-
we offered only lease units, but we quickly important factor when specifying a BRB. ed and proven safe. www.redguard.com

A world leader in combustion technology

Zeeco has nearly four decades of experience in designing, supplying, and servicing
burners, flares, thermal oxidizers, and flare gas recovery systems
group delivers heroic turnaround times and several options including back works as-
localized project response on a worldwide sembly, burner inserts/mixers, gas tips, and
level. With a dedicated Houston service cen- complete burner assemblies to directly re-
ter and personnel located throughout the place another OEM’s equipment. The Zeeco
Gulf Coast region, Zeeco is well positioned team worked through the night to com-
to meet today’s challenges of emission reg- plete the order and shipped the complete
ulations and efficient, reliable operation. burner inserts and gas tips before noon on
Tight turnarounds are no problem for Sunday. The facility received the shipment
Zeeco. Gulf Coast refineries and chemical on Monday morning and replaced the failed
plants experiencing unplanned outages components in time to meet the deadline.
count the cost per minute until the plant Zeeco employs industry-leading com-
resumes operation, so the pressure to de- bustion experts with experience in the
People count: Zeeco provides liver replacement items be intense. Zeeco’s world’s largest facilities to conduct pre-
rapid service at crucial times Rapid Response Team is built from the ventative and cost-saving pre-turnaround
ground up to meet those demands from the maintenance inspections. A complete in-
Z eeco is a world leader in the design and

manufacturing of combustion and envi-
ronmental technologies for the chemical,
quote/engineering process through to ship-
ment or installation of the new components.
One recent Saturday morning, Zeeco re-
ventory analysis and component checklist
is conducted to help customers prepare,
including a list of the necessary parts and
refining, petroleum, petrochemical, LNG, ceived word that a facility in Corpus Christi, components needed during the next turn-
marine and offshore, and pharmaceutical Tex., undergoing a turnaround had identi- around. Customers save not only on expe-
industries. The company’s reputation comes fied damaged gas heads, inoperable air diting fees but also by eliminating errors
from nearly 40 years of innovative burner, doors, and corroded air/gas mixer bodies caused by inexperienced technicians. Zeeco
flare, thermal oxidizer, and flare gas recov- on non-Zeeco burners. The affected heaters has thousands of installations worldwide
ery system designs. Zeeco’s Aftermarket: needed to be back in service in three days. and a team of more than 1,000 experienced
Parts, Service, and Engineered Solutions Zeeco reviewed the situation and offered combustion experts. www.zeeco.com
Minimizing downtime, maximizing performance

Team Industrial Services offers a wide range of specialized services that allow plant
turnarounds to be conducted quickly, effectively, and above all safely
T urnarounds allow for necessary maintenance and upkeep of

operating units and are needed to maintain safe and efficient
operations. Founded in 1973, Team Industrial Services is the
worldwide leader in minimizing equipment and asset downtime,
providing a number of services to assist with turnarounds and out-
ages including on-line maintenance, inspection and repair. The
company provides critical services to its customers that enable
them to maintain and operate their facilities and equipment in a
safe and productive manner.
Team’s line of specialized industrial services includes bolting/
torquing, concrete repair, emissions control, exchanger services,
field machining, fitness for service, heat treating, hot tap/line stop,
isolation test plugs, leak repair, manufacturing/engineering, me-
chanical integrity, NDE/NDT inspection, project services, specialty
welding, turnkey tank program, valve insertion, and valve repair. Safe working methods are always a priority for Team personnel
Team employs only the best, most qualified technicians to en-
sure each and every job is completed to the highest standards range of industries – with service locations in five continents. The
every time. The company maintains management systems and doc- company recognizes that its global success is ultimately measured
umented work procedures designed to assure compliance with all by its customers’ trust and confidence, which can only be earned
applicable laws, regulations and internal requirements, as well as through continuing outstanding service. Team’s trained and certi-
to facilitate the continuous improvement of its processes, products, fied technicians are available worldwide 24/7/365. From single
and personnel. The highest priority at Team is the safety of employ- part repair to turnarounds and shutdowns – planned or unplanned
ees, clients, and other contractors. The company is committed to – Team has the training, experience, technology and know-how to
safety excellence and strives daily for zero injuries and incidents. deliver high-quality maintenance, inspection, and testing services
Today, Team is rapidly growing its global footprint across a wide anytime, anywhere. www.TeamIndustrialServices.com

Get Chemical Engineering’s Plant Cost
Index to improve plant cost estimates…and
delivered in advance of the print edition!
For more than 40 years, chemical process industries professionals- engineers, manager
and technicians, have used Chemical Engineering’s Plant Cost Index to adjust process
plant construction costs from one period to another.
This database includes all annual archives (1947 to present) and monthly data archives (1970 to present).
Instead of waiting more than two weeks for the print or online version of Chemical Engineering to arrive,
subscribers can access new data as soon as it’s calculated.
Sep ‘06 Aug ‘06 Sep ‘05

Prelim. Final Final
CE Index 513.1 510.0 467.2
Equipment 606.5 602.3 541.2
Heat Exchanges and Tanks 565.1 560.9 509.2
Process Machinery 559.6 556.2 521.7
Pipe, valves and fittings 734.7 731.7 620.8
Process Instruments 441.4 437.2 379.5
Pumps and Compressions 788.9 788.3 756.3
Electrical equipment 418.9 414.2 374.6
Structural supports 643.7 637.7 579.3
Construction Labor 314.7 312.9 309.1
Buildings 476.9 475.2 444.7
Engineering Supervision 350.7 351.9 346.9
510
500
Resources included with Chemical
Engineering’s Plant Cost Index:
490
• Electronic notification of monthly updates
as soon as they are available
480
• All annual data archives (1947 to present)
• Monthly data archives (1970 to present)
470 • Option to download in Excel format
460
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
90
Subscribe today at www.chemengonline.com/pci
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM XXXXX 2015
24688
Eliminate Exchanger Pluggage and
Associated Lost Revenue
Replace your existing bar screens on line, without any basin
modifications with our unique, continuous screening. The Vari-Flow
SS Series Traveling Sump Screen is custom fabricated to easily
replace stationary screens while your unit stays in full operation.
The screens can be automated and are available in more than 20
different screen-mesh sizes. The Traveling Sump Screen is pat-
ented, manufactured and distributed by Industrial Cooling Tower
Services. Let the experts handle your equipment screening needs
with this easy-to-use, cost efficient solution.
Industrial Cooling Tower Services, Inc.

www.ictsinc.com
Flameless Explosion Venting for Gas-Fuelled Engines

An incorrectly functioning gas-fuelled engine can allow a flammable mixture
of gas and oxygen to occur in the exhaust system. In the worst case scenar-
io, this could ignite and cause an explosion – not only damaging the engine
and lead to unpredictable long breakdown. REMBE has used its many
years of experience in explosion safety to develop a system specifically for
protecting gas-fuelled engines. It reduces downtimes to a minimum and thus
increases power plant availability.
Q-Rohr DFE permits flameless explosion venting in the generator build-
ing without the need for costly and complex venting ducts. If an explosion
occurs, neither flames nor a pressure wave emerge from the vessel. Other
areas of the plant and employees working in the building have the best pos-
sible protection. Normal operation of the power plant can recommence very
quickly after an explosion occurs and the energy supply is secure.
REMBE
http://www.rembe.com/products/explosion-safety/flameless-venting/q-rohrr-dfe-onshore/

Product Showcase
Any Fluid
or semi-solid
Advertise in
• Hot, chemical the Buyers' Guide
• Viscous
• Bio-reactive
• Toxic
• Slurry
• Unknown
Positive-Displacement
Piston Pumping
Buyers' Guide 2017
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Febru
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2015 ry
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ure Rep
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Written for engineers, by engineers
oF
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Advertiser............. Page number Advertiser............. Page number Advertiser............. Page number
Phone number Reader Service # Phone number Reader Service # Phone number Reader Service #
Abbe, Paul O. .........................33 Lifting Gear Hire Corp. ............. 75 Ross, Charles & Son Co.......... 11
1-855-789-9827 1-800-878-7305 1-800-243-ROSS
AUMA Riester GmbH Load Controls ........................ 10 Saint-Gobain High-Performance
& Co. KG ................................ 19 1-888-600-3247 Refractories ...........................69
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-01 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-19 1-716-278-6233
*AUMA Riester GmbH *MICRODYN-NADIR GmbH ....I3 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-34
& Co. KG ............................... 19I adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-22 Sierra Instruments, Inc. ..........23
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-44 Miller-Stephenson Chemical Co. 1-800-866-0200
Badger Meter, Inc. ................. 21 Inc. ......................................... 77 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-35
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-02 1-800-992-2424 Silverson Machines, Inc..........49
BASF ...................................... 13 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-23 1-413-525-4825
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-03 Nol-Tec Systems .................... 12 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-36
Bluebeam Software, Inc. ....... C2 1-651-780-8600 SonicAire ................................ 15
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-04 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-25 1-336-712-2437
Chemineer, a Brand of NOV .. 31 Orion Instruments ....................4 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-37
1-800-643-0641 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-26 Team Industrial Services ........ 41
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-24 *Plast-O-Matic Valves, Inc. ... 21I 1-800-662-8326
Cleaver-Brooks Inc. ...............27 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-28 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-38
1-800-250-5883 Proco Products. Inc. .............. 77 USA Industries, Inc. ................ 61
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-06 1-800-344-3246 1-832-850-5295
Collins Instrument Co. ............73 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-29 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-40
1-979-849-8266 Quest Integrity Group, LLC ....67 VEGA Grieshaber KG ...............3
Corzan HP Piping Systems ....25 Readco Kurimoto, LLC........... 51 YS Inc. ....................................33
1-216-447-7397 1-800-395-4959 1-888-356-3343
CR Clean Air ............................17 RedGuard ............................. C4 Zeeco Inc .................................6
1-973-947-8787 1-855-REDGUARD 1-918-258-8551
CV Technology .......................64 REMBE GmbH ....................... 91
1-561-694-9588 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-33
Eastman Chemical Company ...39
1-800-426-2463
EKATO Group.........................29
Classiied Index May 2016
+49 7622 29-0 Advertiser Page number
Phone number Reader Service #
Advertiser's Product
Showcase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Emcor Group .........................37
1-713-378-9200
Applied e-Simulators Consulting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-11 Software.................................93
Computer Software . . . . . . . 93
Endress+Hauser ....................45 1-480-380-4738
1-888-ENDRESS
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-240 Equipment, New & Used . . . 93
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-12 Blackhawk Technology ..........92
Federal Equipment Co ...........26 1-800-469-4887
Ross, Charles & Son Co.........93
1-877-536-1538 1-800-243-ROSS
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-13 Engineering Software .............93 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-241
*GEA Group ............................9I 1-301-540-3605
Vesconite Bearings ................93
adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-14 1-866-635-7596
H. Butting GmbH & Co. KG ...64 Genck International ................93 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-246
+49 5834 50-486 1-708-748-7200
Wabash Power
Indeck Power Equipment Co ........................93
Industrial Blind Solutions ........35 1-800-704-2002
1-800-255-3349 Equipment Company .............93 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-247
Xchanger, Inc. ........................93
Industrial Cooling Tower 1-952-933-2559
Services, Inc. .......................... 91 KnightHawk Engineering ........93 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-248
Koch-Glitsch ..........................55 adlinks.chemengonline.com/61495-245
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Economic Indicators
2014 2015 2016
Download the CEPCI two weeks sooner at www.chemengonline.com/pci
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT COST INDEX (CEPCI)

625
(1957-59 = 100) Feb. '16 Jan. '16 Feb.'15 Annual Index:

Prelim. Final Final
2008 = 575.4 600
CE Index ______________________________________________ 533.9 536.4 570.5
Equipment ____________________________________________ 636.9 640.5 691.8 2009 = 521.9
Heat exchangers & tanks _________________________________ 546.2 551.7 631.4
2010 = 550.8 575
Process machinery _____________________________________ 647.7 649.3 674.0
Pipe, valves & fittings ____________________________________ 791.2 795.0 863.2 2011 = 585.7
Process instruments ____________________________________ 379.0 378.9 403.9 2012 = 584.6 550
Pumps & compressors ___________________________________ 972.2 979.1 950.9
Electrical equipment ____________________________________ 506.7 509.0 513.8 2013 = 567.3
Structural supports & misc ________________________________ 700.0 701.9 748.0 2014 = 576.1 525
Construction labor _______________________________________ 319.2 319.6 318.4
Buildings _____________________________________________ 536.8 537.7 545.3 2015 = 556.8
Engineering & supervision _________________________________ 316.3 316.6 319.6 500
J F M A M J J A S O N D
Starting with the April 2007 Final numbers, several of the data series for labor and compressors have been converted to
accommodate series IDs that were discontinued by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
CURRENT BUSINESS INDICATORS LATEST PREVIOUS YEAR AGO

CPI output index (2012 = 100) ____________________________________________________ Mar.'16 = 102.1 Feb.'16 = 102.1 Jan.'16 = 102.2 Mar.'15 = 100.9
CPI value of output, $ billions _____________________________________________________ Feb.'16 = 1,706.6 Jan.'16 = 1,713.4 Dec. '15 = 1,773.5 Feb. '15 = 1,911.4
CPI operating rate, % __________________________________________________________ Mar.'16 = 75.1 Feb.'16 = 75.1 Jan.'16 = 75.1 Mar.'15 = 74.8
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) ____________________________________ Mar.'16 = 219.2 Feb.'16 = 221.7 Jan.'16 = 225.0 Mar.'15 = 244.7
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2012=100)* ____________________________________ Mar.'16 = 103.1 Feb.'16 = 103.4 Jan.'16 = 103.5 Mar.'15 = 102.7
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) ____________________________ Mar.'16 = 159.2 Feb.'16 = 158.7 Jan.'16 = 160.5 Mar.'15 = 157.6
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100) ______________________________ Mar.'16 = 102.8 Feb.'16 = 102.6 Jan.'16 = 102.6 Mar.'15 = 101.8
CPI OUTPUT INDEX (2000 = 100)† CPI OUTPUT VALUE ($ BILLIONS) CPI OPERATING RATE (%)
110 2300 80
105
2200 78
100
2100
95 76
2000
90
74
1900
85
72
80 1800
75 1700 70
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
*Due to discontinuance, the Index of Industrial Activity has been replaced by the Industrial Production in Manufacturing index from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.
†For the current month’s CPI output index values, the base year was changed from 2000 to 2012
Current business indicators provided by Global Insight, Inc., Lexington, Mass.
CURRENT TRENDS
EXCLUSIVE AD SPACE AVAILABLE!
Feature your marketing message T he February 2016 preliminary value for
the CE Plant Cost Index (CEPCI; top;
the most recent available) was down from
the previous month, with all subindices
The Economic Indicators department includes current industry
seeing a small decline. Within the Equip-
trends and the Plant Cost Index. As one of the most valued sections
ment subindex, the process instruments
in the magazine, your ad is guaranteed to reach decision makers
category was the only one experienc-
each month. Contact your sales representative to secure this spot.
ing an increase. The preliminary CEPCI
JASON BULLOCK TERRY DAVIS value for February 2016 is 6.4% lower
jbullock@chemengonline.com tdavis@chemengonline.com than the corresponding value from Febru-
ary last year. This is a smaller year-over-
DAN GENTILE PETRA TRAUTES year difference than the previous month.
dgentile@chemengonline.com ptrautes@accessintel.com chemengonline.com/mediakit Meanwhile, the latest Current Business
Indicators (CBI; middle) for March 2016
showed that the values for the CPI output
index and the CPI operating rate were
unchanged from the previous month. CPI
value of output for February was down
from the previous month.
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May

Focus on Pipes, Reliability and

May 2016 Volume 123 | no. 5

16 Newsfront New Developments Take Shape for U.S.

Technical and Practical 16

40 Technology Profile Styrene-Butadiene Rubber via

58 Feature Report Part 1 Equipment Reliability Trends

65 Feature Report Part 2 Integrated Risk-Management

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Precise measurements, rigorous materials

Dense and dilute phase and vacuum pressure

Reliable automated operation and control, for

Service throughout the life cycle of your system