12 2009 Chem Eng

December
2009
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PAGE 17
Building A
Better Dryer
Screeners
Target Efciency
Retrieving
Plant-Design Data
Millichannel
Reactors
Focus on
Level Measurement
And Control
Heat-
Transfer
Fluids
PAGE 32
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COMMENTARY
5 Editors Page
Changing times
present different
opportunities The
economic crises of
this past year have
accelerated changes
in the CPI. Looking
forward, chemical
businesses are fo-
cusing on what are
expected to be key
economic drivers
one of which is in-
novation
DEPARTMENTS
Letters . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Calendar . . . . . . . . 8, 9
Whos Who . . . . . . . 30
Reader Service
page . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Economic
Indicators . . . . . 63, 64
ADVERTISERS
Literature Review . . 54
Classified
Advertising . . . . .5660
Advertiser Index . . . 61
COMING
IN JANUARY
Look for: Feature
Reports on Capital
Equipment Procure-
ment; and Water
Treatment and En-
ergy Conservation;
Engineering Prac-
tice articles on Pres-
sure Relief During
an External Fire; and
Recommended Fluid
Velocities; A Focus
on Weighing; News
articles on Scrub-
bers; Catalysts; and
the Personal Achieve-
ment Award; Facts
at Your Fingertips
on Pressure Measure-
ment; and more
Cover photo:
Lucite International
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM DECEMBER 2009 3
EQUIPMENT & SERVICES
28D-1 New Products & Services (Domestic
Edition) Avoid kinking on tight turns with
this tubing; Measure oxygen drift-free with
this transmitter; A magnet operates on
this rupture-disc sensor; These regulators
suppress internal cylinder forces for safety;
Monitor hydrogen sulfide in water with
these sensors; A purging compound effec-
tive for biodegradeable resins; and more
28D-1 New Products & Services
(International Edition) Extend level
measurement with this flexible probe; Do
more with this dewpoint transmitter; A
new motorized actuator for linear valves;
Aggressive media are not a problem for
this dosing system; Keep flange leaks from
spraying with this shield; The latest in
shaft-alignment systems is simple to use;
A new exchange resin for industrial water
treatment; and more
51 Focus Level Measurement
And Control Accurate
level measurement in
steam applications; This
pump protection switch can
be used in a variety of situa-
tions; An easy way to measure
level is introduced; Measure
levels in challenging environ-
ments; A radar level transmitter
that is economical; Measure sub-
mersed solids under water; A hand-held
device to measure levels in non-metallic
containers; Detect and control interfaces
with this switch; and more
COVER STORY
17 Cover Story 40th Kirkpatrick Award
Announced Seven companies are hon-
ored with the announcement of this year's
Kirkpatrick Award winners. This biennial
prize, bestowed since the 1930s, recognizes
the most noteworthy chemical engineering
technology commercialized anywhere in the
world during 2007 and 2008
NEWS
11 Chementator All-in-one fluegas scrub-
ber cleans up sulfur and particulate matter;
Non-invasive probe measures corrosion
inside boiler water tubes in realtime; Higher
yields and lower cost are expected for this
biomass-to-ethanol process; The commercial
debut for a process that makes natural
gas from coal; Onsite incineration of sewage
sludge to be demonstrated; Using the sun to
decontaminate wastewater; and more
23 Newsfront Screeners Target Efficiency
Screening system manufacturers look to
squeeze more out of their equipment
25 Newsfront Building A Better Dryer Al-
though they are notorious energy hogs,
drying systems can be made more efficient
ENGINEERING
29 Facts At Your Fingertips Control Valves
This one-page guide outlines how installed
gain graphs are prepared and used
32 Feature Report Maximizing Heat-
Transfer Fluid Longevity Proper selec-
tion, monitoring and maintenance can
protect fluids from damage due to thermal
degradation, oxidation and contamination
40 Feature Report Smooth Your Retrieval
of Plant-Design Data Even after con-
struction and startup, plant design data are
needed for operations, maintenance and
revamps. But working with a plethora of
formats and platforms introduces its own
set of challenges
44 Engineering Practice Millichannel
Reactors A Practical Middle Ground
for Production Reactors with millimeter-
scale dimensions provide mixing, heat trans-
fer and other advantages over devices with
larger dimensions, while boasting increased
robustness compared to microdevices. Here
are tips to consider for using them
I N THI S I SSUE
DECEMBER 2009 VOLUME 116, NO. 13
www.che.com
02_CHE_120109_TOC.indd 3 11/19/09 8:51:19 AM
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Editors Page
L
ike it or not, 2009 will go down as a year when massive structural
change began in the chemicals business. We are far from feeling the
full effects of the upheaval, but there is a sense of revolution in the air
that will cause lasting change for chemical engineers everywhere.
Historically, the financial crisis, and the global recession that followed it,
will be seen as accelerators of changes that were already waiting to happen.
In 2009 the world realized that China and India were in the drivers seat
for determining the rate of future economic growth. It was the year that
the Middle East saw the true dawn of its predominance in petrochemical
production based on low-cost feedstock, and South America began to rise
in industrial prominence. It was also the year when North Americans and
Europeans realized that only game-changing innovation especially in the
fuels and energy sectors was the route to lasting success for the future.
Hopefully, it was not the year that protectionism started to gain a foot-
hold. But there are signs that governments will try to protect their do-
mestic industries and their populations by employing covert protection-
ism, dressed up as environmental legislation to manipulate markets.
In short, the last 12 months have been full of challenges. So what is
the outlook and where are the opportunities? The manufacture of basic
chemicals and plastics will shift eastward to an axis defined by the Mid-
dle East at one end and China at the other. These regions are going to
need more practiced and skilled engineers. First opportunity: Go East,
young engineer!
China is going to be the new magnetic consumer market if its econ-
omy does not overheat in the short term, but certainly in the long term
replacing the U.S. as the place to sell almost everything and anything.
However, the Chinese consumer is unlikely to mimic the U.S. consumer
it is simply not part of the Chinese culture to over-extend through easy bor-
rowing. Second opportunity: Learn about China and its consumers needs.
A shift to making chemical specialties in North America and Europe
will happen sooner than previously expected. An export-led petrochemi-
cal recovery on the U.S. Gulf Coast seems unlikely in the face of new Mid-
dle Eastern and Latin American capacities. Specialty markets, especially
anything relating to food-and-water supply, and health-and-personal
care, will be the safe haven for many U.S. chemical companies. Third op-
portunity: Investigate specialty chemicals.
The other safe haven is innovation, where companies can obtain the
funding to back the right projects. In short, North America and Europe
will rely on chemical engineers to determine how they can build the new
economies of the third millennium. More than anything, that means how
we move from a world that depends on fossil fuels to one dependent on
other technologies, and how we deal with removing greenhouse gases from
our production processes. That means more biotechnology breakthroughs
and more sustainable processes. Fourth opportunity: Go greener.
For chemical engineers, 2009 brought change
with both great opportunities and much uncertainty.
Change can be unsettling, but we should all hang on to
this guiding principle that the worlds problems, like
the housing and feeding of six billion people, issues of
sustainability and global warming, can only be solved
by communities like the one that reads this magazine.
We hold the solutions to the crises that confront the
world in the decades ahead.
John Pearson, Divisional President
Changing times present
different opportunities
Winner of Eight Jesse H. Neal
Awards for Editorial Excellence
Published since 1902
An Access Intelligence Publication
PUBLISHER
MIKE OROURKE
Publisher
morourke@che.com
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Editor in Chief
rmarshall@che.com
DOROTHY LOZOWSKI
Managing Editor
dlozowski@che.com
GERALD ONDREY (Frankfurt)
Senior Editor
gondrey@che.com
SCOTT JENKINS
Associate Editor
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CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
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sshelley@che.com
CHARLES BUTCHER (U.K.)
cbutcher@che.com
PAUL S. GRAD (Australia)
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tsatoh@che.com
JOY LEPREE (New Jersey)
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GERALD PARKINSON
(California) gparkinson@che.com
EDITORIAL
ADVISORY BOARD
JOHN CARSON
Jenike & Johanson, Inc.
DAVID DICKEY
MixTech, Inc.
MUKESH DOBLE
IIT Madras, India
HENRY KISTER
Fluor Corp.
TREVOR KLETZ
Loughborough University, U.K.
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DECHEMA e.V.
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BOC
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03_CHE_120109_ED.indd 5 11/19/09 9:01:52 AM
Spontaneous combustion
I enjoyed your advisory piece for chemical engineers
old and young: Dont wait to react (CE, October, p. 5).
Two weeks ago I gave a presentation on spontaneous
combustion at a meeting of mulch facility operators.
Of over 100 conference attendees, only one raised his
hand when I asked how many operators had never
had a problem with spontaneous combustion!
I really enjoy the Chementator section of Chemical
Engineering.
Richard Buggeln, PhD
Manager, Environmental Programs, Center for Industrial
Services, University of Tennessee
Help us support ChE education
Striving to continually advance the chemical engineer-
ing profession has been a goal for this magazine since its
founding more than 107 years ago. To help cultivate new
talent, CE established the annual Chopey Scholarship for
Chemical Engineering Excellence in memory of Nicholas
(Nick) P. Chopey, our former Editor In Chief. Nick carried
many torches at CE including those for the Kirkpatrick
and Personal Achievement Award competitions that are
held in alternating years.
To honor and continue Nicks valuable and lasting con-
tributions to the chemical engineering profession, CE will
match up to $10,000 of all donations for the 2009 scholar-
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Donations. Checks should be made out to Scholarship
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Nanette Santiago
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Details and qualifications for applicants. The schol-
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who are enrolled in a fulltime undergraduate course of
study in chemical engineering at one of the following four-
year colleges or universities, which include Mr. Chopeys
alma mater and those of the current editorial staff:
University of Virginia
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The program will utilize standard Scholarship America
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educational aspirations and goals. Applications must
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qualified schools.
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Letters
04_CHE_120109_LET.indd 6 11/19/09 12:59:59 PM
NORTH AMERICA
21st International Organic Process Research &
Development. Scientific Update Conferences (East Sus-
sex, U.K.). Phone: +44 (0) 1435 873062;
Web: scientificupdate.co.uk
San Diego, Calif. Jan. 2022
Stem Cells World Congress. Select Biosciences (Shel-
ton, Conn.). Phone: 203-926-1400;
Web: selectbiosciences.com
South San Francisco, Calif. Jan. 2021
Lab Automation 2010. Association for Lab Automation
(Geneva, Ill.). Phone: 888-733-1252;
Web: labautomation.org
Palm Springs, Calif. Jan. 2327
Safety and Selectivity in the Scale-Up of Chemical
Reactions. Scientific Update Conferences (East Sussex,
U.K.). Phone: +44 (0) 1435 873062;
Savannah, Ga. Jan. 2526
2010 SDA Annual Meeting & Industry Conven-
tion. Soap & Detergent Assn. (Washington, D.C.). Phone:
202-347-2900; Web: cleaning101.com
Orlando, Fla. Jan. 2630
IMAC 28th Conference & Expo on Structural Dy-
namics and Renewable Energy. Society for Experi-
mental Mechanics (Bethel, Conn.). Phone: 203-790-6373;
Web: sem.org
Jacksonville, Fla. Feb. 14
2010 Forum on Energy Efficiency in Agriculture.
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy
(ACEEE; Washington, D.C.). Phone: 202-507-4033; Web:
aceee.org/conf/10ag
Madison, Wisc. Feb. 79
2010 Packaging Conference. The Packaging
Conference LLC (Holland, Ohio). Phone: 866-509-6001;
Web: thepackagingconference.com
Las Vegas, Nev. Feb. 810
Informex 2010: The Business of Fine, Specialty
and Custom Chemistry. UBM International Media/In-
formex (Princeton, N.J.). Phone: 609-759-4700;
Web: informex.com
San Francisco, Calif. Feb. 1619
8 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM DECEMBER 2009
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spare parts
available.
Retrofit: for use

in new or existing
sanitary ferrules
and replaces the
gasket.
No Pooling: eliminates
the pooling found in
globe-type bodies.
3A Compliant: third party

verified. 32Ra, finer finishes
also available.
Space Saving: compact;

seals on ferrule ID and
uses only one clamp.
US Patent Numbers: 5,033,503; 6,039,073; & 6,152,171

Canadian Patent Number: 2,039,991
05_CHE_120109_CAL.indd 8 11/19/09 12:24:46 PM
AAAS Annual Meeting. American Association for
the Advancement of Science (New York, N.Y.). Phone:
202-326-6400; Web: aaas.org
San Diego, Calif. Feb. 1822
Biophysical Society Annual Meeting and Biophys-
ics Congress. Biophysical Society (Bethesda, Md.).
Phone: 301-634-7114; Web: biophysics.org
Scaling from Milligrams to 12 kg. Scientific
Update Conferences (East Sussex, U.K.). Phone:
+44 (0) 1435 873062; Web: scientificupdate.co.uk
EUROPE
Screening Europe. Select Biosciences (Shelton, Conn.).
Phone: 203-926-1400; Web: selectbiosciences.com
Barcelona, Spain Feb. 1112
Analytica 2010: International Trade Fair for Instru-
mental Analysis, Lab, Technology & Biotechnol-
ogy. Messe Munchen GmbH (Munich). Phone: +49 (0) 89
949 20651; Web: analytica.de
Munich, Germany March 2326
Chemical Development & Scale-Up in the Fine
Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industries.
Scientific Update Conferences (East Sussex, U.K.).
Phone:+44 (0) 1435 873062;
Lisbon, Portugal March 24
Advances in Synthetic Biology. Select Biosciences
(Shelton, Conn.). Phone: 203-926-1400;
Web: selectbiosciences.com
London March 45
ASIA & ELSEWHERE
2nd International Conference on Drug Discovery &
Therapy. Higher Colleges of Technology and Eureka Sci-
ence (Sharjah, UAE). Phone: +971 6 5571132;
Web: icddt.com
Dubai, UAE Feb. 14
ChemSpec India 2010: The Fine & Specialty
Chemicals Connection. Quart Business Media (Ux-
bridge, Middlesex, U.K.). Phone: +44 (0) 1737 855 076;
Web: chemspecindia.com
Mumbai April 1516
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Dubai, U.A.E., March [21]-22-23-24, 2010
Middle East Plastics Applications Chain
Business Reviews, Technology, Catalysts, Additives and Application Developments
10
DUB Al
13th Annual World Congress
GLOBAL CONFERENCES,
STUDIES, PROJECTS
MAACK BUSINESS SERVICES
Maack & Scheidl Partnership
Plastics Technology and Marketing
CH-8804 Au/near Zrich, Switzerland
Tel: +41-44-78130 40
Fax: +41-44-78115 69
E-mail: MBSpolymer@bluewin.ch
www.MBSpolymer.com
GLOBAL CONFERENCES,
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Email: events@chemweek.com
GLOBAL CONFERENCES,
STUDIES, PROJECTS
Maack & Scheidl Partnership
CH-8804 Au/near Zrich, Switzerland
Tel: +41-44-78130 40
Fax: +41-44-78115 69
E-mail: MBSpolymer@bluewin.ch
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GLOBAL CONFERENCES,
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C
hanges in the rate of corrosion in
water tubes have been detected
within minutes by an externally
mounted monitor developed by the
Center for Nuclear Energy Research
(CNER, Fredericton, NB, Canada; www.
unb.ca/cner). The data were obtained in
online tests over the past 18 months on
a black liquor recovery boiler at a kraft
mill operated by Irving Pulp and Paper
Ltd. (Saint John, NB). Details were pre-
sented at the recent TAPPI Conference
(see story above).
The monitor operates on the principle
of hydrogen effusion. In the corrosion
process, two moles of hydrogen atoms
are produced for every mole of iron that
is dissolved into water, explains Kelly
McKeen, a CNER project manager. The
atomic H
2
migrates through the wall of
the steel tube and recombines to form
H
2
gas, which is captured in CNERs
hydrogen effusion probe (HEP). The
HEP measures the rate of H
2
pressure
increase and converts it to a corrosion
rate of millimeters per year.
The HEP consists of a silver cup that
is clamped to the outside of the tube, sil-
ver tubing, a pressure transducer and a
valve. McKeen points out that silver is
practically impermeable to H
2
. The sys-
tem is operated under vacuum and the
valve is automatically opened to allow
evacuation of the H
2
and to restart a
cycle after a predetermined pressure
setpoint is reached.
McKeen says the main advantage of
the HEP over conventional methods, such
Non-invasive probe measures corrosion inside boiler water tubes in real time
A
multi-stage wet scrubber that combines
the removal of sulfur, hydrogen chloride,
sulfuric acid mist (SAM) and particulate
matter (PM) in a single unit has reduced
sulfur dioxide emissions by an average of
99.7% in its first large-scale commercial
installation on a coal/oil-fired swing boiler.
PM emissions were reduced to 0.005 grains/
dscf (dry standard cubic feet; 12.5 mg/Nm
3
),
according to Kimmo Peltonen, a product
manager with Andritz, Inc. (Roswell, Ga.;
www.andritz.com), who spoke at the recent
TAPPI Engineering, Pulping and Environ-
mental Conference in Memphis, Tenn. An-
dritz markets the technology together with
EnviroCare International (American Can-
yon, Calif.; www.envirocare.com).
The installation is on a 420,000-lb/h
boiler at a large pulp-and-paper mill. Pre-
viously, smaller systems had been installed
in rotary kilns and municipal sludge incin-
erators, says Peltonen. In the first stage of
the process (flowsheet), large particles are
removed from hot fluegas by an atomized-
water-spray quench. From the quench, the
stream enters the lower half of a scrubber-
separator vessel a vertical, cylindrical
unit, where the upflowing gas is scrubbed
by a countercurrent water stream.
The gas flows up through a Venturi stage
that consists of about 40 parallel Venturi
tubes, each preceded by a high-pressure
liquid atomizer. The combination of the Ven-
turis with finely atomized sprays causes
multiple collisions between the droplets
and fine particles left in the gas, resulting
in high particulate capture as well as acid
absorption, says Peltonen. Final cleanup is
achieved by a set of dual-orifice mist-elimi-
nation trays. Most of the water used in the
process is recycled to the Venturi stage after
makeup water and caustic have been added.
The rest is collected in a sump at the bot-
tom of the scrubber-separator and recycled
to the quench section. Dissolved solids con-
centration is controlled by blowing down a
fraction of the recycled water.
Peltonen says the installed cost is ap-
proximately 50% that of a traditional ar-
rangement of a dry electrostatic precipita-
tor (ESP) followed by a wet scrubber or wet
ESP. Chemical costs are minimized by re-
using alkali present in the fly ash.
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number
on p. 62, or use the website designation.
(Continues on p. 12)
Edited by Gerald Ondrey December 2009
Cleaned fluegas
to atmosphere
Fluegas
from boiler
Quench
Quench
pumps
Quench
recirculation
tank
Venturi stage
recirculation
tank
Venturi stage pumps
inlet & throat pumps
Tray pumps
Caustic
Makeup water
Blow down
Mist eliminator
Preventing droplet carry over
Tray 2
Flushing removal of dirty mist
Tray 1
Removal of SO
2
& HCl,
and all PM>1 micron
Removal of
coarse PM
(particulate
matter)
and some SO
2

and HCl
True venturi tubes
Condensation and
agglomeration of H
2
SO
4
,
fumes and submicron PM
Removal of any remaining SO
2
All-in-one fluegas scrubber cleans
up sulfur and particulate matter
The power of osmosis
Last month, Statkraft (Oslo,
Norway; www.statkraft.com)
opened what is claimed to be
the world's frst osmotic power
plant. Although the prototype
is very small (designed for 10
kW), the company believes
data gained from the pilot
study will lead to a commer-
cial-scale unit by 2015.
The plant is located along
the coast at Tofte, south of
Oslo. Fresh water fowing into
the sea is diverted to a vessel
containing a semipermeable
membrane (spiral-wound,
cellulose acetate) with brine
06_CHE_120109_CHM.indd 11 11/19/09 10:11:50 AM
CHEMENTATOR
A
process that produces 7585 gal of ethanol
per dry ton of mixed cellulosic waste feed
will be commercialized by BlueFire Ethanol
(Irvine, Calif.; www.bluefireethanol.com).
The plant, to be built in Lancaster, Calif.,
will convert 130 dry ton/d of feed (post-sorted
municipal solid waste, including green waste)
into 4-million gal/yr (about 12,000 gal/d) of
ethanol when it goes into production in the
fall of 2010. It will mark the first commer-
cial use of a process developed by Arkenol,
Inc. (also of Irvine), although the process has
been tested in three pilot plants.
The process uses concentrated sulfuric
acid as a catalyst to transform cellulose and
hemicellulose feedstocks into glucose and
xylose (C6 and C5) sugars. The yield is 1.53
times those of processes that use a combina-
tion of dilute sulfuric acid and enzymes for
hydrolysis, says John Cuzens, senior vice-
president of BlueFire and a former principal
with Arkenol.
Coarsely ground feed is dried to less than
10% moisture, contacted with 75% concen-
trated acid, and cooked at about 85C and
ambient pressure for under 30 min. The
hydrolyzed C6 and C5 sugars and acid are
then separated from lignin and other sol-
ids, which are used as boiler fuel for process
steam and plant power. About
98% of the acid and 100% of
the sugars are recovered in a
simulated moving-bed chro-
matographic separator. Acid
is recycled and the sugars are
converted to ethanol by con-
tinuous fermentation, using yeast (conver-
sion is 100% for C6 sugars and 20% for C5s).
The sugars may also be converted to higher-
value products, using heterotrophic algae,
bacteria or fungi.
Cuzens says the key elements of the pro-
cess are the use of concentrated acid and of
chromatographic separation, which recovers
the acid rather than neutralizing it and dis-
posing of the waste. The Lancaster plant will
have an operating cost of $1.502/gal (not in-
cluding a $1.01/gal tax credit), he says, and a
full-scale plant of 50-million gal/yr will have
an operating cost of below 80/gal.
H
aldor Topse A/S (Lyngby, Denmark;
www.topsoe.com) has signed a design
contract with an undisclosed client in
China for a new plant that will produce
substitute natural gas (SNG). When
the plant comes on stream in 2011, it
will produce close to 180,000 Nm
3
/h of
SNG using Topses methanation pro-
cess, called TREMP. The plant will be
the first large-scale order for TREMP
technology, says general manager Jens
Perregaard, New Technologies, Tech-
nology Division.
The Topse high-temperature metha-
nation process (for flowsheet, see CE,
February 2007, p. 11) uses coal-derived
syngas (H
2
-to-CO ratio of slightly above
3), which has been passed through a
sulfur-tolerant shift and acid-gas re-
moval unit for removing H
2
S and excess
carbon (as CO
2
). In order to protect the
methanation catalyst Topses nickel-
based MCR from poisoning, the feed
is first passed through a sulfur guard
bed to remove traces of sulfur compo-
nents. Desulfurized feed is then mixed
with recycle gas to control the maxi-
mum temperature rise and passed to
the first methanation reactor, where H
2

reacts with CO and CO
2
to form CH
4
.
The reaction is performed in a reactor
with a very large DT and at the same
time with a technology preventing the
formation of nickel carbonyl. The DT
ensures that heat can efficiently be re-
covered from the exothermic reaction
and used for generating superheated,
high-pressure steam. The cooled gas
then passes through two or three meth-
anation reactors in series for complete
conversion. Products leaving the last re-
actor are cooled and compressed to meet
pipeline specifications. The SNG is typi-
cally 9496 mol.% CH
4
, with a heating
value of 950978 Btu/scf.
The commercial debut for a process that makes natural gas from coal
on the other side. Water from
the fresh side passes through
the membrane due to the con-
centration difference, thereby
increasing the pressure on the
brine side. This osmotic pres-
sure equivalent to a 120-m
column of water (about 12 bar)
is then used to drive a tur-
bine for making electricity.
The company estimates the
global potential of osmotic
power at 1,600 to 1,700 TWh/
yr equivalent to 50% of the
EUs total power production.
Efficient Cl
2
production
The oxygen-depolarized
cathode (ODC) of Bayer
MaterialScience (BMS; Le-
Acid
reconcentration
Steam
Lignin
Filter
1st stage
hydrolysis
Acid/Sugar
Biomass
Dilute sulfuric acid
Sugars
Lime
Gypsum
Chromatographic
separation
Acid recovery
Yeast recycle
Water
Condensate
return
Concentrated sulfuric acid
Solution
Steam
Sugar solution
Solids
Pump
Water
Continuous
fermentation
Distillation and dehydration
Ethanol product
Ethanol
beer
Process
water recycle
as weight-loss coupons, ultrasonic measure-
ment and other types of H
2
probes is that
it provides a realtime, online response. Also,
it can be operated at temperatures above
350C, compared with a maximum of about
250C for other H
2
probes. The systems
rapid reaction to an increased corrosion rate
was proved during a boiler shutdown, when
the tubes were drained and cleaned with
inhibited hydrochloric acid. McKeen says
CNER is now negotiating with a petroleum
company to do a test in a refinery.
CORROSION INSIDE BOILER WATER TUBES
(Continued from p. 15)
Higher yields and lower cost are expected
for this biomass-to-ethanol process
06_CHE_120109_CHM.indd 12 11/19/09 10:12:37 AM
To learn more about Honeywell field solutions, please call
1-877-466-3993 or visit www.honeywell.com/ps
2008 Honeywell International, Inc. All rights reserved.
expanded solutions
Honeywells field solution portfolio keeps
getting bigger and bigger.
Reliable and cost-effective, we offer a constantly expanding
portfolio of field solutions to satisfy a broad range of your
process needs. From analytical sensors and transmitters, to
pressure and temperature transmitters, to flow and tank
gauging solutions, Honeywell offers many solutions. Honeywells collection of field solutions
let you tackle any job with ease to improve business performance.
H
F
S
_
E
x
p

S
o
l
u
t
i
o
n
s

A
d

0
5
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0
8
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e
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i
c
a
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HFS Exp Solutions Ad Chem Eng 05-08 4/24/08 1:55 PM Page 1
I
ncineration is becoming the only via-
ble method for sewage sludge disposal
as landfilling or spreading sludge onto
farmland is no longer permitted in some
countries. Today, sludge is commonly in-
cinerated in large, centralized incinera-
tors or as an additive in coal-fired power
plants or cement kilns. An alternative to
these costly and inconvenient options
small, localized incinerators has been
developed by Huber SE (Berching, Ger-
many; www.huber.de), in cooperation
with partners in a three-year project
supported under the European Commis-
sions Life program.
The new incinerators are based on
Hubers sludge2energy process (flow-
sheet). Sludge is first pre-dried in a belt
dryer to a solids concentration of up to
90% by blowing hot (90C) air through
the belts. The cooled air is reheated
with heat recovered from the incinera-
tor and recirculated through the dryer.
A slight underpressure is maintained in
the dryer to prevent the release of air,
vapors and odors. Dried sludge is then
conveyed to a small furnace. The hot flu-
egas from the furnace passes through a
heat recuperator that transfers the heat
to compressed ambient air, which drives
a micro gas turbine and electricity gen-
erator. Even small systems can produce
enough electricity and supply sufficient
heat to run the entire process nearly au-
tothermally, says the firm.
Formation of oxides of nitrogen are
prevented by staged combustion, fluegas
recirculation and selective, non-catalytic
reduction. Acid gases (such as SO
2
and
HCl) are neutralized by lime addition,
and remaining organic components are
adsorbed by activated carbon.
Huber is designing the first sludge2en-
ergy demonstration plant for the Bavar-
ian city of Straubing. This first plant
will have a capacity to incinerate 2,200
metric tons per year (m.t./yr) of dried
solids and will generate approximately
100 kW of electric power. Startup for the
plant is planned for the end of 2010.
CHEMENTATOR
verkusen, Germany; www.
bayermaterialscience.com) will
be used to produce chlorine on
an industrial scale. BMS is in
negotiations with Uhde GmbH
(Dortmund, Germany; www.
uhde.biz) to build an ODC
plant scheduled to start up
in 2011. The OCD technology
(see CE, February 2001, pp.
3135) enables electrolysis
to be performed at a lower
voltage, thereby generating
energy savings of up to 30%.
BMS has been using this tech-
nology to recover Cl
2
from HCl,
and has been operating the
largest HCl electrolysis plant at
its site in Shanghai since 2008
(CE, October 2006, p. 16).
Direct polymerization
Last month, construction on
a production plant for thermo-
plastic methacrylate resin was
completed in Shanghai. The
facility will mark the commer-
cial debut for the Continuous
L
ast month, a photocatalytic water-clean-
ing system that removes organic and
inorganic contaminants that are difficult
to breakdown from wastewater was inau-
gurated at the German Aerospace Center
(DLR; Stuttgart; www.dlr.de) facility in
Lampildshausem. The so-called RayWOx
system features a new type of solar receiver
consisting of glass pipes. Wastewater mixed
with an iron salt the iron ion serving as
photocatalyst and hydrogen peroxide
flows through the tubes until the absorbed
solar radiation has decomposed the contam-
inants. In pilot trials, the RayWOx process
has been shown to be effective for decon-
taminating water containing pharmaceuti-
cal agents; X-ray contrast media and hor-
mones as well as chlorinated hydrocarbons
from contaminated groundwater; harmful
substances in exhaust-air scrubbing solu-
tions from textile manufacturing; and toxic
materials in municipal wastewater.
The system operating at Lampildshausem,
developed in collaboration with Hirschmann
Laborgerte GmbH (Eberstadt) and KACO
new energy GmbH (Neckarsulm; www.kaco-
newenergy.de), has a solar reactor 49-m long
and 470-cm wide and can clean about 4,500
L of industrial wastewater, removing of all
oxidizable contamination in 2 h (given suit-
able weather conditions). The demonstration
unit is able to completely clean the cooling
water from the engine test facilities at the
DLR Institute of Space Propulsion, which
is contaminated with rocket fuels and their
combustion products, such as hydrazine and
its derivatives, and nitrite.
The hydrazine derivatives are slow to de-
grade with previously applied ultraviolet
(UV) oxidation technology, notes Christian
Jung, a scientist at the DLRs Institute for
Technical Thermodynamics. The UV reac-
tors consume large amounts of electrical
energy for powering lamps, and for fast
pumping to dissipate waste heat and UV
oxidation typically needs 23 times more
oxidant (H
2
O
2
and caroate), he adds. In con-
trast, the oxidant requirement of the iron-
catalyzed RayWOx process is close to the
theoretical demand, which saves 5080% of
the H
2
O
2
required, he says.
Modular construction of the RayWOx
technology makes is easy to install and well
suited to building systems of any desired size.
KACO new energy has commercialized the
technology under the RayWOx tradename.
Using the sun to decontaminate wastewater
T G
Sewage sludge
4% DM
Sludge
25% DM
Sludge
90% DM
Buffer
storage
Air
Ash Future
phosphate
Heat for drying
Preheated
combustion air
Hot air
Flue
gas
Flue gas
Stack Residue
Dryer
Flue
gas
Flue gas
cleaning
Combustion
Heat
recovery
Air
Dewatering
Filtrate
Off gas
Onsite incineration of sewage
sludge to be demonstrated
06_CHE_120109_CHM.indd 14 11/19/09 10:13:21 AM
*75019_2*
DOC PATH: Production:Volumes:Production:MICROSOFT:MECHANICALS:75019_Dynamics:DOCS:75019_2M_Dynamics_M4.indd
IMAGES:
75020_BACKGROUND_SW300_01.tif CMYK 450 ppi 100% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_BACKGROUND_SW300_01.tif
75020_Schorr_Tag_SW300_02.psd CMYK 1200 ppi 100% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Schorr_Tag_SW300_02.psd
75020_Steele_Tag_SW300_02.psd CMYK 1200 ppi 100% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Steele_Tag_SW300_02.psd
75020_Price_Tag_SW300_04.psd CMYK 1200 ppi 100% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Price_Tag_SW300_04.psd
75020_Desai_Tag_SW300_06.psd CMYK 1200 ppi 100% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Desai_Tag_SW300_06.psd
75020_Mitsu_1Tag_Right_SW300_04.psd CMYK 1164 ppi 103.03% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Mitsu_1Tag_Right_SW300_04.psd
75020_Mitsu_2Tag_Left_SW300_02.psd CMYK 1215 ppi 98.72% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Mitsu_2Tag_Left_SW300_02.psd
75020_Rowe_Tag_SW300_04.psd CMYK 1200 ppi, 1437 ppi, 1281 ppi 100%, 83.49%, 93.67% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Rowe_Tag_SW300_04.psd
75020_Mitsu_1_SW300_01.psd CMYK 1666 ppi 14.4% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Mitsu_1_SW300_01.psd
75020_Price_SW300_01.psd CMYK 2040 ppi 11.76% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Price_SW300_01.psd
75020_Schorr_SW300_01.psd CMYK 2681 ppi 8.95% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Schorr_SW300_01.psd
75020_Rowe_SW300_01.psd CMYK 2876 ppi 8.34% Up to Date Production:MICROSOFT:_MASTER_ART:75020_Dynamics:75020_Rowe_SW300_01.psd
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FILE: 75019_2M_Dynamics_M4.indd
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75019_2M_Dynamics_M4.pgs 11.18.2009 17:35 SO5 X1a

CHEMENTATOR
L
ast month, Nippon Oil Corp. (Tokyo,
Japan; www.eneos.co.jp) started produc-
tion bio-ETBE (ethyl tertiary butyl ether),
which will be blended into gasoline as an
alternative to ethanol as an oxygenate.
Nippon Petroleum Refining Co., a subsid-
iary of Nippon Oil, inaugurated the facil-
ity at its Negishi Oil Factory at Kanagawa
Prefecture, Japan, on October 26. Nippon
Oil is planning to mix bio-ETBE with regu-
lar gasoline, which will be sold at 1,000 of
its service stations in Tokyo.
Bio-ETBE is made by the catalytic reac-
tion of bioethanol with iso-butene derived
from the companys fluid catalytic cracking
(FCC) unit. Nippon Oil modified its exist-
ing production facility for ETBE, and es-
tablished a production capacity of 100-mil-
lion L/yr. The facility uses 40-million L/yr
of bioethanol produced at Hokkaido and
imported from Brazil and 70-million L/yr
of FCC-based iso-butene.
The benefits of blending ETBE instead of
ethanol outweigh the increased complexity
of ETBE production, says Nippon Oil. For
example, gasoline with more than 3% etha-
nol is corrosive and leads to a higher vapor
pressure. Also, ethanol must be blended at
the point of distribution to prevent water
contamination and phase separation. ETBE
does not have these problems.
The Japanese petroleum-refining industry
aims to market 840-million L/yr of gasoline
with bio-ETBE (corresponding to 360-mil-
lion L/yr of bioethanol) starting with the fis-
cal year April 2010.
A Japanese push for bio-ETBE over bioethanol
Direct Polymerization (CDP)
process of Evonik Industries AG
(Essen, Germany; www.evonik.
com), and will make products
used primarily as binders in the
coatings industry.
Preventing biofims
At last months Watec Confer-
ence (Tel Aviv, Israel), Yissum
Research Development Co.
of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem Ltd. (Israel; www.
yissum.co.il) introduced an envi-
ronmentally friendly method for
preventing bioflm. The patented
method, which was developed
at Hebrew University, uses het-
erocyclic compounds that disrupt
cell-to-cell communication (quo-
rum sensing), thereby interfering
with the formation of bioflms.
The compounds can be ap-
plied as non-leaching polymer
coatings on pipes, flters, mem-
branes, air-conditioning ducts
and other surfaces, and are
effective against both fungal
and bacterial bioflms. Potential
applications include municipal
and industrial water pipes, ir-
rigation pipelines, paper making
machines, and desalination and
water-recycling processes.
I
n February 2009, Talvivaara Mining
Company Plc. (Espoo, Finland; www.
talvivaara.com) delivered its first in a
series of commercial shipments of met-
als to Norilsk Nickel Harjavalta refin-
ery in Finland. Talvivaara expanded
the crushing circuit and has restarted
the metals precipitation process in
September of 2009. Talvivaara expects
to continue its production ramp-up
targeted at eventually achieving up to
50,000 m.t./yr in nickel production in
2012 at the multi-metals ore deposit in
Sotkamo, Finland. The operations
consisting of mining, crushing, leach-
ing and metals recovery utilize a
bioleaching process developed in col-
laboration with several companies
and research institutions, including
Tampere University of Technology. Bi-
oleaching is said to be more environ-
mentally friendly for extracting met-
als than traditional smelting because
it generates no gaseous emissions and
requires less energy.
In the process (diagram), the crushed
ore is piled on a pad into 8-m-high stacks.
Piping at the bottom of the heap supplies
aeration to the stacked ore. A leach solution,
containing mesophilic and thermophilic bac-
teria indigenous to the region, is circulated
through the stack from the top. As the bacte-
ria oxidize large quantities of pyrrhotite and
pyrite, the exothermic reaction elevates the
temperature to over 50C even when am-
bient conditions are at 20C. After the met-
als are leached from the ore which takes
about 1.5 yr the metals can be recovered
from the pregnant leaching solution by pre-
cipitation and filtration.
Pilot-scale leaching trials were conducted
with 110 m.t. of ore in 2005, followed by a
17,000-m.t. demonstration trial carried out
from 20052008. The commercial opera-
tion will process approximately 15-million
m.t./yr of ore.
A bioleaching process moves
closer to commercialization
06_CHE_120109_CHM.indd 16 11/19/09 10:15:01 AM
L
ast month at the Chem Show,
Chemical Engineering (CE) had
the pleasure of honoring this
years finalists and the winner
of the 2009 Kirkpatrick Chemical
Engineering Achievement Award, a
biennial prize that the magazine has
bestowed continuously since the early
1930s (for more, see CE, January 2009,
p.19) The award recognizes the most
noteworthy chemical engineering
technology commercialized anywhere
in the world during 2007 or 2008.
CE presented the top prize to Lu-
cite International UK Ltd. (Wilton,
U.K.; www.lucite.com) for its Alpha
process for making methyl methacry-
late (MMA). Honor awards were also
presented to: The Dow Chemical Co.
(Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) and
BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Germany;
www.basf.com), for a jointly devel-
oped process for the production of
propylene oxide (PO) via hydrogen
peroxide (HPPO); Evonik Industries
AG (Essen; www.evonik.de) and Uhde
GmbH (Dortmund, both Germany;
www.uhde.biz), for a jointly developed
process for the production of PO via
hydrogen peroxide; Solvay S.A. (Brus-
sels, Belgium; www.solvay.com), for its
Epicerol process for making epichloro-
hydrin; and to DuPont (Wilmington,
Del.; www.dupont.com), for Cerenol
a new family of renewably sourced,
high-performance polyether glycols.
LUCITES WINNING
ACHIEVEMENT
A new route to MMA
Two existing processes dominate the
manufacture of MMA. In the original
ACH process still the predomi-
nant process in Europe and the U.S.
hydrogen cyanide and acetone are
reacted to form cyanohydrin, which
is then isomerized in the presence of
100% sulfuric acid to methacrylamide
sulfate. This is reacted with methanol
to yield MMA and ammonium hydro-
gen sulfate, which can either be con-
verted to ammonium sulfate fertilizer
or incinerated to SO
2
with subsequent
conversion back to sulfuric acid. The
ACH process uses toxic and corrosive
chemicals and the MMA production is
generally limited by the availability of
HCN as a byproduct from acrylonitrile
production. The selectivity, based on
acetone, is 8590%.
In Asia alongside the ACH process
is the so-called C4 process, whereby
isobutene is extracted from cracker-
intermediate streams, then oxidized
in two stages into methacrylic acid
(MAA). The MAA is then esterified
into MMA. Although the C4 process is
simpler that the ACH process, it has a
very low selectivity (about 70% of the
isobutene is converted to MMA) and
scale is limited by the design of the
oxidation reactors and feedstock avail-
ability to approximately 80,000 metric
tons (m.t.) per year.
The Alpha process developed from
a need identified by the then ICI (Im-
perial Chemical Industries) board to
escape from the straitjackets of high
capital and variable cost plants and
limited scale of production, all of which
were believed to have held back MMA
Cover Story
Seven companies are honored
for innovation in chemical engineering
2009 BOARD OF JUDGES
Klavs S. Jensen, MIT
Norman J. Wagner, University of Delaware
Tom Spicer, University of Arkansas
Michael D. Graham, University of Wisconsin, Madison
T.J. Lakis Mountziaris, University of Massachusetts
Jean-Claude Charpentier,
President European Federation of Chemical Engineers,
Institut National Polytechnique de Lorraine, France
40TH KIRKPATRICK
AWARD ANNOUNCED
Lucite International
07_CHE_120109_NF1.indd 17 11/20/09 2:46:07 PM
Cover Story
against other high-volume plastics,
such as polystyrene and polyacrylates.
In 1990, a team of Lucite chem-
ists and engineers identified several
processes that, on paper at least, ap-
peared to be alternatives for existing
technology. These were investigated
experimentally through catalyst de-
velopment and conceptual process
design of separations. Variants were
assessed for economic attractiveness
using predictive models for the long-
term future of feedstocks, such as eth-
ylene, propylene, methanol, acetone
and isobutene. Using this iterative
process, the technology best suited to
the company was chosen for piloting.
The Alpha process is a two-step route
to MMA (Figure 1). In the first step,
carbon monoxide, ethylene and metha-
nol are reacted together in a single,
homogeneous catalyzed reaction step
to produce methylpropionate (MeP). In
the second step, MeP is reacted with
formaldehyde in a single heteroge-
neous reaction step to form MMA.
The MeP synthesis is carried out in a
continuous stirred tank reactor under
moderate conditions of temperature
and pressure. A proprietary agitation
and gas-liquid mixing arrangement is
used to ensure optimal reactant con-
centration and mass transfer rates.
The catalyst a palladium bisphos-
phine displays enzyme-like selec-
tivity with excellent activity. Because
the reaction is highly selective, there
are no byproducts to separate.
The MMA synthesis reaction takes
place in a fixed bed of catalyst, which
has cesium oxide on silica as its ac-
tive component. This catalyst converts
MeP and anhydrous formaldehyde into
MMA with a selectivity of 95% (from
MeP). Two parallel MMA reactors are
used to allow in-situ catalyst regenera-
tion without disruption of the process.
The reactor product is separated by an
initial distillation, which produces a
crude MMA stream free of water, MeP
and formaldehyde. Unreacted MeP and
formaldehyde are recycled, via a form-
aldehyde dehydration process, and the
crude MMA further refined, by a series
of conventional (but unique to this pro-
cess) vacuum distillations to a product
MMA stream of >99.9% purity.
MMA plant capital cost using the
Alpha process is about 3040% lower
than equivalent scale ACH, or C4
plants. The Alpha process also has a
number of safety and environmental
advantages, including the following:
There are no significant inventories of
hazardous chemicals; byproduct for-
mation is low, and waste treatment re-
quirements are minimal (trivial); and
the principal hazards are only those
associated with flammability of inven-
tories. With Alpha, MMA manufactur-
ing locations are no longer constrained
by feedstock availability, and there are
no engineering scale limitations to at
least 250,000 m.t./yr.
Lucites Alpha MMA Process
was successfully demonstrated in a
120,000-m.t./yr plant that started up
in the 4th Q of 2008 at Jurong Island
in Singapore (photo, p. 17).
HONOR AWARD:
THE DOW CHEMICAL CO.
AND BASF SE
Industrial Process for the
production of PO via H
2
O
2
Propylene oxide (PO) is a widely used
chemical intermediate, with a world-
wide demand estimated to be in ex-
cess of 6.5 million m.t./yr. PO is used
for the production of a broad range of
industrial and commercial products,
including polyurethanes, propylene
glycols and glycol ethers.
Traditionally, four commercial-scale
PO processes have been used globally,
the chlorohydrin (CHPO) route and
three hydroperoxidation processes:
propylene oxide/tertiary butyl alcohol
(PO/TBA), styrene monomer/propyl-
ene oxide (SMPO) and cumene hy-
droperoxide (CPO).
In the HPPO process developed by
Dow and BASF, the organic peroxides
or chlorinated oxidants used in the hy-
droperoxidation processes are replaced
by hydrogen peroxide a clean, ver-
satile, environmentally benign oxidant.
The reaction of H
2
O
2
with propylene
produces only water as a co-product, as
well as minor amounts of PO deriva-
tives, such as propylene glycol.
The key to the HPPO process de-
veloped by the Dow, BASF team is the
patented catalyst a shaped body
titanium-containing MFI-type zeolite
with channels of about 0.5 nm in dia.,
which was developed and is produced
by BASF. The catalyst is used in a
fixed-bed reactor, and the reaction of
H
2
O
2
and C
3
H
6
takes place in the liq-
uid phase (methanol as solvent) under
mild conditions. A patented reaction
sequence with a main and finishing
reactor and an intermediate separa-
tion tower (Figure 2) allows high H
2
O
2

conversion at high selectivity by pre-
venting PO-consuming reactions that
lead to the formation of byproducts.
The primary reactor is operated at
an optimum conversion of H
2
O
2
. The
effluent product from this reactor is
then sent to a separation tower that re-
moves PO from unreacted H
2
O
2
. H
2
O
2

conversion is then completed in a sec-
ond reactor to enable a complete H
2
O
2

conversion in a single pass, while opti-
mizing the PO yield. The combination
of the highly selective catalyst, the
two-stage reactor concept and an opti-
mization of the methanol solvent con-
centration in the process enables the
reaction system to be operated with a
relatively small excess of propylene to
H
2
O
2
, while still maintaining a high
overall yield. The crude PO product is
purified by distillation, and the meth-
anol purified and recycled. The small
MMA process
MeP + CH
2
O MMA + Water
(95% Reaction selectivity)
Formalin process 2CH
3
OH + O
2
2CH
2
O + 2H
2
O
(93% CH
3
OH reaction selectivity)
Conventional
Formalin process
Methanol
Alpha stage 1 (MeP)
Alpha stage 2 (MMA)
Licensed Formalin
process
Formaldehyde
dehydration
Crude
separation
Refining
MMA reactor 1
MMA reactor 2
Reactor
Regen loop

MMA feed
vaporization
& superheat

Waste
water
MMA
Heavy
esters
MeP process
CO + C
2
H
4
+ CH
3
OH MeP
(No reaction byproducts)
MeP
reactor

MeP
separation
Carbon monoxide
Ethylene
Methanol
FIGURE 1. Lucite's award-winning Alpha MMA Process is based on completely
new chemistry and a radically different fowsheet
07_CHE_120109_NF1.indd 18 11/20/09 2:02:35 PM
Bryan Research & Engineering, Inc.
P.O. Box 4747 Bryan, Texas USA 77805
979-776-5220 www.bre.com sales@bre.com
Comparing Physical Solvents for Acid Gas Removal
PROCESS INSIGHT
Physical solvents such as DEPG, NMP, Methanol, and Propylene Carbonate
are often used to treat sour gas. These physical solvents differ from chemical
solvents such as ethanolamines and hot potassium carbonate in a number of
ways. The regeneration of chemical solvents is achieved by the application
of heat whereas physical solvents can often be stripped of impurities by
simply reducing the pressure. Physical solvents tend to be favored over
chemical solvents when the concentration of acid gases or other impurities
is very high and the operating pressure is high. Unlike chemical solvents,
physical solvents are non-corrosive, requiring only carbon steel construction.
A physical solvents capacity for absorbing acid gases increases signicantly
as the temperature decreases, resulting in reduced circulation rate and
associated operating costs.
DEPG (Dimethyl Ether of Polyethylene Glycol)
DEPG is a mixture of dimethyl ethers of polyethylene glycol.
Solvents containing DEPG are marketed by several companies including
Coastal Chemical Company (as Coastal AGR
), Dow (Selexol), and

UOP (Selexol). DEPG can be used for selective H
2
S removal and can be
congured to yield both a rich H
2
S feed to the Claus unit as well as bulk CO
2

removal. DEPG is suitable for operation at temperatures up to 347F (175C).
The minimum operating temperature is usually 0F (-18C).
MeOH (Methanol)
The most common Methanol processes for acid gas removal are
the Rectisol process (by Lurgi AG) and Ifpexol
process (by Prosernat). The

main application for the Rectisol process is purication of synthesis gases
derived from the gasication of heavy oil and coal rather than natural gas
treating applications. The two-stage Ifpexol process can be used for natural
gas applications. Methanol has a relatively high vapor pressure at normal
process conditions, so deep refrigeration or special recovery methods
are required to prevent high solvent losses. The process usually operates
between -40F and -80F (-40C and -62C).
NMP (N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone)
The Purisol Process uses NMP
and is marketed by Lurgi AG.

The ow schemes used for this solvent are similar to those for DEPG. The
process can be operated either at ambient temperature or with refrigeration
down to about 5F (-15C). The Purisol process is particularly well suited
to the purication of high-pressure, high CO
2
synthesis gas for gas turbine
integrated gasication combined cycle (IGCC) systems because of the high
selectivity for H
2
S.
PC (Propylene Carbonate)
The Fluor Solvent process uses JEFFSOL
PC and is by Fluor
Daniel, Inc. The light hydrocarbons in natural gas and hydrogen in synthesis
gas are less soluble in PC than in the other solvents. PC cannot be used for
selective H
2
S treating because it is unstable at the high temperature required
to completely strip H
2
S from the rich solvent. The FLUOR Solvent process
is generally limited to treating feed gases containing less than 20 ppmv;
however, improved stripping with medium pressure ash gas in a vacuum
stripper allows treatment to 4 ppmv for gases containing up to 200 ppmv H
2
S.
The operating temperature for PC is limited to a minimum of 0F (-18C) and
a maximum of 149F (65C).
Gas Solubilities in Physical Solvents
All of these physical solvents are more selective for acid gas than
for the main constituent of the gas. Relative solubilities of some selected
gases in solvents relative to carbon dioxide are presented in the following
table.
The solubility of hydrocarbons in physical solvents increases with
the molecular weight of the hydrocarbon. Since heavy hydrocarbons tend
to accumulate in the solvent, physical solvent processes are generally not
economical for the treatment of hydrocarbon streams that contain a substantial
amount of pentane-plus unless a stripping column with a reboiler is used.
Choosing the Best Alternative
A detailed analysis must be performed to determine the most
economical choice of solvent based on the product requirements. Feed gas
composition, minor components present, and limitations of the individual
physical solvent processes are all important factors in the selection process.
Engineers can easily investigate the available alternatives using a veried
process simulator such as ProMax
which has been veried with plant

operating data.
For additional information about this topic, view the technical
article A Comparison of Physical Solvents for Acid Gas Removal at
http://www.bre.com/tabid/147/Default.aspx. For more information about
ProMax, contact Bryan Research & Engineering or visit www.bre.com.
Typical Physical Solvent Process
Gas Component
DEPG
at 25C
PC
at 25C
NMP
at 25C
MeOH
at -25C
H
2
0.013 0.0078 0.0064 0.0054
Methane 0.066 0.038 0.072 0.051
Ethane 0.42 0.17 0.38 0.42
CO
2
1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Propane 1.01 0.51 1.07 2.35
n-Butane 2.37 1.75 3.48 -
COS 2.30 1.88 2.72 3.92
H
2
S 8.82 3.29 10.2 7.06
n-Hexane 11.0 13.5 42.7 -
Methyl Mercaptan 22.4 27.2 34.0 -
Cover Story
propylene offgas stream is recycled
(after catalytic removal of O
2
for safety
reasons). Product yields, based on pro-
pylene and H
2
O
2
exceed 90%.
Compared with existing PO tech-
nology, this HPPO process reduces
wastewater by 7080%; reduces en-
ergy usage by 35%; and reduces in-
frastructure and physical footprint
with simpler raw material integration
and avoidance of co-products. New PO
plants using HPPO technology require
up to 25% less capital to build.
In 2008, Dow and BASF successfully
started up the first commercial-scale
PO production plant with a capacity
of 300,000 m.t./yr based on the BASF/
Dow-developed HPPO technology at
BASFs Antwerp, Belgium, facility. A
second plant based on this technol-
ogy is scheduled to begin production
in Map Ta Phut, Thailand, in the first
half of 2011.
HONOR AWARD:
EVONIK INDUSTRIES AG
AND UHDE GMBH
Industrial process for the
production of PO via H
2
O
2
As mentioned in the previous section,
conventional routes to PO generate
considerable amounts of co-products.
Per ton of PO, the chlorohydrin route
generates 2.1 tons CaCl
2
; the PO/SM
route makes 2.3 tons of styrene; PO/
TBA coproduces 2.4 tons of MTBE;
and the cumene route makes dimeth-
ylbenzyl alcohol that needs to be hy-
drogenated and recycled. The Evonik-
Uhde HPPO process produces no
co-products.
With the HPPO process (Figure 3),
propylene is catalytically oxidized
with H
2
O
2
to PO and H
2
O. The highly
exothermic reaction (DH
R
= 220 kJ/
mol) takes place in a methanol solvent
over a solid titanium silicalite (TS-1)
catalyst. The key to the Evonik-Uhde
HPPO process is the oxidation reac-
tor. A shell-and-tube reactor of an en-
tirely new design is used, making it
possible for the liquid to flow through
each of several thousand catalyst-
filled tubes. The reaction takes place
at a pressure of about 30 bar and at
a temperature well below 100C. The
new design and an optimized process
configuration guarantee good removal
of the reaction heat and nearly ideal
flow characteristics in each tube, re-
sulting in very high PO selectivity.
Reactor internals, such as distribu-
tors and collectors, were developed
for this special application. The inno-
vative design combines efficient heat
transfer with an almost ideal plug-
flow characterization. Subsequently,
the unconverted propylene and the
solvent methanol are separated from
the PO product by decompression
and distillation to be fed back into
the reactor. Finally, the PO is further
processed to achieve a product purity
greater than 99.97 wt.%.
During the development phase,
the cost efficiency of the process de-
velopment was continually checked
and controlled with the help of IRR
(internal rate of return) calculations.
All process steps and the core equip-
ment are patented. The complete pro-
cess was demonstrated in a miniplant
featuring all of the process steps, and
described by means of a simulation
model. This is particularly important
in order to detect trace components
in the closed recycle loops at an early
stage and to permit a low-risk scaleup
to commercial scale. The scaleup pro-
cedure from miniplant to a world-
scale PO facility with a capacity of
100,000 m.t./yr as a reference plant
was carried out in a single develop-
ment step. The scaleup risk was mini-
mized for the reaction unit by increas-
ing the number of miniplant reactor
tubes and connecting them in parallel.
Especially for the downstream pro-
cessing, intensive process simulation
was performed and verified using the
miniplant data. Finite element meth-
ods (FEM) and computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) calculations comple-
mented the development work.
The first large-scale industrial plant
to use this HPPO process was built for
SKC Co., Ltd. (Seoul, South Korea) at
Ulsan, approximately 300 km south-
east of Seoul. The 100,000-m.t./yr
plant came onstream in March 2008.
After a short time of parameter adap-
tion, the plant operated at full capac-
ity and within specifications in July,
2008. Since then, the plant has been
producing top quality PO at 100% ca-
pacity.
HONOR AWARD:
DU PONT
A new family of renewably
sourced polyether glycols
On June 4, 2007, DuPont announced
the commercial launch of DuPont
Cerenol, a new family of 100% renew-
ably sourced, high-performance poly-
ether glycols made from corn-derived
1,3-propanediol (Bio-PDO), instead of
a petroleum-based ingredient. There
are now five commercial grades of
Cerenol homopolymer, which are man-
ufactured in batch operations span-
ning the molecular weight range of
650 to 2,400 g/mol. Cerenol polymers
possess a unique combination of prop-
erties that make them exceptionally
attractive for a variety of end-use ap-
plications, including performance coat-
ings, inks lubricants, functional fluids
and personal care products. Cerenol
polymers can also be used as building
blocks for several value-added ther-
moplastic elastomers, such as polyure-
thanes, spandex, copolyether esters
and copolyether ester amides.
Cerenol polymers are linear, ether-
C
3
H
6
C
3
H
6
H
2
O
2
MeOH
H
2
O,

glycols
Pure PO
Lowboilers
Main
reactor
PO
separation
Finishing
reactor
Offgas
O
2
removal
Crude
PO
Water
glycols
separation
MeOH
puri-
fication
PO
puri-
fication
FIGURE 2. In the HPPO process developed by BASF and Dow, a patented reaction
sequence with a main and fnishing reactor and an intermediate separation tower al-
lows high H
2
O
2
conversion at high selectivity
07_CHE_120109_NF1.indd 20 11/20/09 2:01:18 PM
linked, long-chain molecules with
three carbon atoms in the repeat
unit. This three-carbon linkage pro-
vides Cerenol polymers improved low-
temperature flexibility and tough-
ness in elastomers when compared
to alternative polyether glycols. The
poly(trimethylene ether) glycol mol-
ecule can be synthesized from either
a polycondensation of 1,3-propanediol
(Figure 4, top) or by the cationic ring
opening of oxetane (Figure 4, bottom).
The production of Cerenol through
the polycondensation of Bio-PDO re-
quired several process and product
innovations to engineer cost-effective
methods for manufacturing the prod-
uct. One of the key enabling tech-
nologies was the use of Bio-PDO to
eliminate costly and energy intensive
pre- and post-polymerization treat-
ments that had previously been re-
quired for polymers from petroleum
based PDO.
The use of polycondensation of Bio-
PDO to produce Cerenol enables an in-
herently safer process than the cationic
ring opening of oxetane a hazardous
material that is highly flammable, vol-
atile, toxic and highly reactive. In con-
trast, Bio-PDO is renewably sourced
and biodegradable with low volatility,
flammability and toxicity.
Polycondensation of Bio-PDO is
also less equipment intensive than
the oxetane alternative. The
polycondensation process in-
volves the self-condensation
of diol in the presence of
a soluble acid catalyst (<1
wt.%) and subsequent re-
moval of the acid during the
purification process. Since
this reaction can be executed
under an inert atmosphere
at ambient pressure without
the use of an organic solvent,
it does not require the high-
pressure reactors needed for
the ring-opening reaction of
oxetane. The polycondensa-
tion process also simplifies
the control of the reactor as
the evaporation of the water
byproduct creates an endothermic
process as opposed to the strongly exo-
thermic reaction process utilized by
the oxetane process.
Beyond the environmental benefits
of making Cerenol from Bio-PDO in-
stead of petroleum-derived PDO, Cere-
nol also provides unique functionality
over alternative polyether glycols.
HONOR AWARD:
SOLVAY S.A.
The Epicerol process for
making epichlorohydrin
Epichlorohydrin (ECH) is a basic
chemical for the production of epoxy
resins, which are used in a variety of
applications, including the automotive
and aircraft industries; windmills;
electronics; packaging; and sports
equipment. ECH is also used in other
chemical fields, such as for the produc-
tion of water-treatment chemicals and
pharmaceuticals. The world demand
for ECH is 1.3 million m.t./yr with an
estimated growth rate of 45% in the
coming years.
The traditional production route to
ECH uses propylene and chlorine as
feedstocks and follows a three-step
process: First, propylene is reacted
with chlorine to make allyl chloride
and hydrogen chloride; allyl chloride
then reacts with Cl
2
and water to form
dichloropropanol and HCl; finally, di-
chloropropanol reacts with sodium
hydroxide to form epichlorohydrin
and NaCl. This process is not very se-
lective; some amounts of chlorinated
byproducts are produced that cannot
be utilized or sold. Also, the process
is energy and water intensive, and
based on an inflammable, petroleum-
based feedstock.
Meanwhile, the rapid evolution of
the biodiesel industry in the last few
years has significantly increased the
availability of glycerin a byproduct
of the transesterification technology of
biodiesel production.
In the past, glycerin had even been
made by using ECH as a feedstock.
Studying the opportunity to invert
this process lead Solvay to the devel-
opment of its Epicerol process.
In the Epicerol process (details not
disclosed), dichloropropanol is made
in one step by the reaction of glycer-
ine and HCl over a proprietary cata-
lyst, thus avoiding the need to use
Cl
2
. In addition, the process is said
to generate fewer chlorinated byprod-
ucts with a sharp reduction of water
consumption. Epicerol has the extra
advantage of replacing a hydrocarbon
feedstock by glycerin, which is a by-
product from the biodiesel and oleo-
chemical industries.
After preliminary laboratory and
pilot trials were made, the first
industrial-scale unit with a pro-
duction capacity of 10,000 m.t./yr
was started in Tavaux, France, in
2007. This unit helped the company
to improve the process conditions
and to prepare for the construction
of a 100,000-m.t./yr Epicerol unit for
Solvays integrated site of Map Ta
Phut, Thailand, which is slated to
startup at the end of 2011.
Compared to the conventional route
to ECH, Epicerol requires one-tenth
the water demand; reduces emissions
of chlorinated residues by a factor of
eight; reduces CO
2
emissions by 20%
for the value-added chain; and halves
the consumption of non-renewable en-
ergy resources.
Gerald Ondrey
HO OH
O
OH
OH
H
n
+
+
O OH
H
2
O
BF
3
Et
2
O
CH
2
Cl
2
(1)
(2)
Acid
H
n
O OH
Propene H
2
O
2
Propene
recycle
MeOH
recycle
Reaction
unit
Decompressing/
propane recyling
PO
purification
PO Wastewater
Methanol
processing
FIGURE 3. The key to the HPPO process devel-
oped by Evonik and Uhde is the shell-and-tube
oxidation reactor
FIGURE 4. The poly(trimethylene ether) glycol molecule can be synthe-
sized from either a polycondensation of 1,3 propanediol [Reaction (1)] or
by cationic ring opening of oxetane [Reaction (2)]
07_CHE_120109_NF1.indd 21 11/19/09 10:41:42 AM
www.sticoosu||iog.com/PEP
5morl keseorch. 5morl Business.
Process EconomIcs Program Peport:
0|E from Coal
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colcololoo lbol DME os on onorqy soorco is
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or owor qonorolion, lronsorlolion, ono
oomoslic oso, os woll os or lbo roooclion o
inooslriol cbomicols.
Tbo roorl inclooos.
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A
s bulk-solids processors look for
ways to save money, manufactur-
ers of screening equipment are
concentrating on maximizing
the efficiency of the equipment they
offer. Screening has been prominent in
solid-solid separations in the chemical
process industries (CPI) for decades. It
is usually performed either to remove
oversize particles and foreign materi-
als from a bulk solid (scalping), to sep-
arate different size fractions of a bulk
material to create multiple products
(classification), or to remove fines or
dust from feed material.
While the basic principles of screen-
ing technology have changed little over
time, screening companies are focus-
ing on efficiency and have developed
ways to improve throughput, reduce
screen blinding, and make screening
systems easier to use and maintain.
Screening efficiency can be defined
in several ways, depending on the ap-
plication and the desired outcome. For
removal of undersized material, ef-
ficiency could be expressed as a ratio
between the amount of feed that ac-
tually passes through the screen and
the amount that should pass. For
classification, efficiency can be the
amount of on-size product separated
by the screen over the amount of on-
size material available in the feed.
When screening to remove oversized
particles, engineers could define effi-
ciency as the actual amount of over-
sized material over the amount of feed
that passes.
Screening equipment manufactur-
ers that exhibited at the 2009 Chem
Show in New York from November
1719 provide examples of this focus
on efficiency. These companies include
Russell Finex (Feltham, U.K.; www.
russellfinex.com), SMICO Manufac-
turing Co. (Oklahoma City, Okla.;
www.smico.com) and Virto-Elcan
(Mamaroneck, N.Y.; www.virto-elcan.
com). Virto-Elcan is a business name
recently added to the company known
also as Elcan Industries Inc. and as
Minox-Elcan. Virto-Elcan added the
moniker for its business selling, ser-
vicing and testing screening equip-
ment from Kroosh Technologies (Ash-
dod, Israel; www.kroosh.com).
Efficiency is king
The current economic environment
has prompted companies in the CPI to
concentrate on maximizing efficiency
in every area of their processes. Among
the general approaches to reach opti-
mal screening efficiencies pursued by
those who handle powders and other
solids are: increasing throughput;
boosting separation specificity; reduc-
ing maintenance requirements; and
shrinking the physical footprint, along
with other screening parameters that
can impact process efficiency.
No one can survive running inef-
ficiently anymore, says Bob Grotto,
president of Virto-Elcan. This asser-
tion applies equally to those devel-
oping screening equipment as well
as those using it. Many processing
problems need to be solved more
precisely now, he explains, and that
requires screening equipment ca-
pable of more specific separations or
higher throughput.
Tim Douglass, product manager at
SMICO Manufacturing Co. and its
subsidiary Symons Screens (www.
symonsscreens.com), agrees, saying
that CPI companies are trying to save
money and save on capital equipment
costs, and that the drive to save in-
cludes searching for value in screen-
ing equipment.
People are focusing on How much
can you process? and How well can
you do it? because they want to pro-
cess more with less, Douglass says.
Processors are trying to reclaim more
product, recycle materials, reduce
waste or make productive use of waste
material. Efficiency is of primary im-
portance to customers, and screening
companies are trying to design equip-
Newsfront
Screening system
manufacturers look to
squeeze more out of their
equipment
The SMICO/Symons V screen (left) has
the capability to combine centrifugal
force with vibratory energy to enhance
screening. Above, one of Virto-Elcans
Kroosh machines is equipped with a mul-
tifrequency vibration adapter to amplify
vibratory energy.
Virto-Elcan
SCREENERS TARGET
EFFICIENCY
SMICO/Symons
08_CHE_120109_NF2.indd 23 11/19/09 10:59:32 AM
Newsfront
ment to maximize productivity. It all
goes back to efficiency, he adds.
Combining screen motions
Size-based separation with a screen
involves some kind of motion or vibra-
tion, since the mechanism by which
particles are separated depends on
motion of the bed to continously renew
the layer of material exposed to the
screen. Screener motions are usually
vibratory, gyratory or centrifugal.
Symons Screens, a subsidiary of
Chem Show exhibitor SMICO Manu-
facturing Co., offers a product that
combines the three modes of motion
vibration, rotation and gyration
to pursue larger capacities and
more efficient separations. The cen-
trifugal force enhances the gravita-
tional pull, and the screener drum
gyrates as it rotates, subjecting the
material to over 1,000 pulsations per
minute on the screening surface. The
company says the design causes the
material to strike the screen surface
50% more often than with a conven-
tional screener.
Multifrequency vibration
Another efficiency-improving innova-
tion on display at the Chem Show was
the multifrequency vibration adapter
developed by Kroosh Technologies.
Kroosh machines are tested, ser-
viced and distributed by Virto-Elcan
in North America. The specially de-
signed adapter is capable of convert-
ing the single frequency vibration of
a screener motor into higher-energy,
multifrequency vibrations.
The adapter captures and amplifies
energy from the vibratory motor and
transfers it to a support screen. Vibra-
tory screens on Kroosh instruments
are designed to use untensioned work-
ing meshes. The support screen grabs
the energy, says Virto-Elcans Grotto,
and we lay down a fine mesh over
that. The Kroosh adapter is mounted
directly underneath the mesh, and
uses the energy of the screener motor
to distribute a wide range of sub- and
super-harmonic frequencies what
the company calls a chaotic sym-
phony of vibrations through the
screening media.
Screeners with multifrequency vi-
bration can achieve higher accelera-
tions of the screening surface
than a conventional setup.
Acceleration gravitational
forces experienced by the sur-
face mesh are increased sig-
nificantly by the adapter to
around 1,000 g which is
a factor of ten more than the
gravitational force observed in
many conventional screening
systems. The high acceleration
applied to the mesh provides a
mechanical means of deblind-
ing, potentially a major source
of inefficiency in screening pro-
cesses. The amount of energy
in the screening area makes
it impossible for blinding to
occur, explains Grotto. In addition,
the high energy stirs powders and de-
agglomerates material clusters, which
helps increase processing efficiency.
The Kroosh technology can increase
throughputs by 10-fold, Grotto says.
The built-in antiblinding capabil-
ity of the multifrequency adapter
eliminates the need for other types
of screen-blinding countermeasures,
such as sweeping arms or loose plastic
spheres on the screening surface.
The vibration action afforded by the
multifrequency adapter broadens the
capabilities of the screening system.
An efficient screening system could
represent a possible replacement for
more expensive technologies. Grotto
points to air classifiers as one possible
example. Separations on an efficient
screener can save money compared
to an air classifier system, he notes.
The vibration mechanism also would
make possible finer separations that
would be impractical with a conven-
tional screener. Grotto says particles
as close in size as 12 m can be sepa-
rated using a tensionless mesh on the
Kroosh equipment.
Ultrasonic deblinding
Ultrasonic deblinding the applica-
tion of ultrasonic frequency energy
to the screening mesh to effectively
reduce friction in the wire mesh and
prevent particles close in size to the
mesh openings from blocking the
screen is another approach aimed
at maximizing efficiency.
Screening equipment maker Rus-
sell Finex, another Chem Show exhib-
itor, has observed success in customer
applications where the ultrasonic de-
blinding approach was used. The tech-
nique allows higher screening capaci-
ties and screening on finer meshes.
The main operating component of
the ultrasonic deblinding system is
an acoustically developed transducer,
which is bonded to a velocity trans-
fer plate on the sieving mesh. When
the transducer (sometimes called the
probe) is excited at its resonant fre-
quency, the velocity transfer plate vi-
brates each wire of the mesh and pre-
vents particles from sticking to them.
Current screeners equipped with ul-
trasonic deblinding systems give op-
erators control over the ultrasonic ac-
tivity, so engineers have the ability to
pulse the ultrasonic signals or vary the
activity across the screening surface.
Rob OConnell, Midwest regional
sales manager at Russell Finex, says
recent improvements in the companys
products are mainly aimed at making
them easier to use and maintain. For
example, Russell-Finex offers screen-
ers with hand-operated clamps, which
obviates the need for tools and makes
changing screens a quicker and easier
job. The company has also worked on
reducing the level of noise produced by
the equipment. Other efforts include a
screener design that allows the equip-
ment to fit into smaller spaces, and sys-
tems that allow for enclosed streams,
for harmful materials, and those that
convey solids through screens with
the aid of vacuum or positive pressure
rather than relying on gravity.
Scott Jenkins
Russell Finex
An ultrasonic deblinding probe from Russell
Finex is shown applied to a working screen.
08_CHE_120109_NF2.indd 24 11/19/09 11:01:26 AM
D
rying as a process is one of the
most energy-intensive unit op-
erations on the planet. Add to
that the fact that dryers are
used extensively throughout the
chemical process industries (CPI) and
it becomes obvious that there ought
to be more attention paid to reducing
the energy consumption and upping
the green ante of drying processes.
Unfortunately, the current economy
is putting any such projects and plans
on hold for many processors. Drying
equipment experts, however, say it
doesnt have to be this way as there
are a variety of methods and mea-
sures, ranging in price from no or low
to high cost, that can be taken to re-
duce the environmental impact of dry-
ing processes, many of which will sig-
nificantly reduce operating expenses
down the road.
What makes dryers so energy in-
tensive is that the equipments func-
tion is to dry product by evaporat-
ing moisture, which means it must
provide enough latent heat so that
the moisture particles change from
liquid to gas and then that gas must
be extracted. There is no magic
bullet to change this, says Darren
Traub, executive vice president with
Drytech Inc. (Irvine, Calif.). The
latent heat is a defined amount of
heat and, depending on the mois-
ture level, you have to invest that
energy into the process to achieve
the drying. However, there do exist
opportunities to reduce the amount
of energy consumption and environ-
mental impact.
The right tool for the job
The biggest energy savings comes
from wise selection of new drying
equipment. In order to have the piece
of equipment that has the least energy
consumption, you need to ensure that
youre picking the right dryer for the
right application, says Geoff Pridham,
director of business development with
General Air Products (Exton, Pa.). He
says this is something that is often
ignored due to the current economy.
Equipment is often selected because
its the cheapest option on the front
end, but if it is the wrong type of dryer
for the application, it will cost an arm
and a leg in operating costs, he says.
On the contrary, selecting the most
appropriate dryer, even with a higher
upfront cost, will almost always save
in energy and operating costs over the
life of the application.
For this reason, experts suggest
that rather than looking strictly at
investment cost, engineers should re-
view the overall cost of the equipment
from a lifecycle perspective. This as-
sessment includes not only the initial
cost loading from analysis, specifica-
tion and purchase, but also the op-
erational demands of energy, main-
tenance, retrofitting and ultimately
disposal and replacement.
When you examine this broad spec-
trum for opportunities, one of the easi-
est to analyze is energy efficiency as
a function of operational cost, notes
Paul Branson, regional director of
the industrial group with Aeroglide
Corp.s National Drying Division (Tre-
vose, Pa.).
This cost can often be related in
terms of a cost per unit weight of ma-
terial through a dryer. This calculable
number allows comparisons between
investments in both the initial selec-
tion of the dryer, as well as selection
of energy management strategies.
The relative cost of energy in a dryer
is very significant. For example, a
typical dryer used in acrylic polymer
processing may have a capital cost
of $1.5 million with a total installed
cost approaching $2.5 million. This
initial investment, ignoring the per-
sonnel cost, can be amortized across
the first five years at about $500,000
per year. The corresponding thermal
energy demand on such a system,
however, can approach triple that
value, so any reduction in energy will
have a dramatic impact, especially
over a longer period.
There are strategies for reduc-
ing this investment and outlay in
the short, as well as the long term,
says Branson.
Optimizing operation
The simplest of these strategies is to
make sure the equipment is running
in optimal condition. To reduce the
amount of energy used, it is important
to improve the operation of the dryer,
explains Traub. One of the biggest
steps is to eliminate thermal losses
that stem from breakdowns in insula-
tion and to get rid of heat sinks and air
ingress that cool the drying medium.
Also, optimizing the electrical de-
vices within the dryer will help reduce
the energy load. For instance, using
Newsfront
Although they are notorious
energy hogs, drying systems
can be made more efficient
Heat exchangers can be used in heat recovery
systems to preheat the mass of fresh air required
BUILDING A
BETTER DRYER
GEA Process Engineering
09_CHE_120109_NF3.indd 25 11/19/09 12:40:24 PM
Newsfront
variable frequency drives
in fans will only allow the
fan to produce the required
amount of air, as opposed
to using mechanical damp-
ers where the fan produces
more air than is required
and uses more energy to
run the fan. There are
many similar aspects of the
drying system that can be
corrected to contribute to-
ward reducing the energy
consumption and increas-
ing environmentally re-
sponsible processing, says
Traub.
While it is not related to
energy consumption, opti-
mizing the system will also
reduce the environmental
footprint in another way.
Dryers have two major en-
vironmental emissions is-
sues associated with them:
the heat source (the resource used to
generate heat for the dryer) and par-
ticulate-matter emissions. To reduce
emissions related to the heat source,
Traub suggests making sure the com-
bustion and cleaning system are meet-
ing or exceeding current codes. Adding
technology on the back end, such as
cyclones, dust collectors and scrub-
bers, will reduce the amount of par-
ticulate matter generated during the
process that is normally carried over
with the air.
Thermal demand
Another strategy for upping efficiency
is to reduce the thermal demand of
the system. The easiest and most im-
mediate impact on thermal demand
for dryers is the use of heat recovery.
Standard heat recovery schemes can
be routinely deployed in over 70% of
industrial dryers, notes Branson.
A typical example of heat recovery
systems is the straightforward pre-
heating of makeup air to a dryer using
the spent exhaust from the dryer it-
self. This allows a close-connected sys-
tem and is not subject to upstream or
downstream swings in operating char-
acteristics from other unit operations.
It also provides a stable and repeat-
able recovery of energy throughout
the full operation of the dryer.
On a typical dryer, the spent ex-
haust air can be passed through an
air-to-air heat exchanger to preheat
the mass of fresh air required. This ex-
haust air is hot and heavily laden with
water vapor. The makeup air is gen-
erally significantly cooler and lower
in humidity. As the exhaust air cools,
the inlet air is preheated. In its most
efficient operation, the air-to-air heat
exchanger will allow a cross over point
so that not only is sensible heat cap-
tured as the two air streams pass each
other, but there can be significant la-
tent heat recovered as the exhaust air
is suppressed below the dew point and
condensation occurs.
In such systems, these simple static
devices can recover as much as 75 to
80% of the waste heat directly into the
system. As an example, in conveyor
dryers routinely used in a Canadian
operation, the exchangers are capable
of preheating 80,000 acfm (actual cfm)
of air from 40 to 115F, while reducing
the exhaust from the dryer from 140F
with corresponding condensation,
explains Branson. This overall effi-
ciency achieves 77%. At an effective
cost of $6 per million Btu, this type of
machine can save over $250,000/yr at
these latitudes.
He adds that in addition to the im-
mediate thermal payback, there are
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plants to global clients since 1981
The easiest and most immediate impact on ther-
mal demand for dryers is the use of heat recovery.
Here, a heat recovery system is used on a dryer
exhaust line
Aeroglide
09_CHE_120109_NF3.indd 26 11/19/09 12:47:44 PM
added benefits from a reduction in total
exhaust, as well as in a reduction in the
odor exiting the dryers themselves.
While heat recovery does provide
benefits, Fred Shaw, vice president of
the chemical division of GEA Process
Engineering, Inc. (Columbia, Md.),
reminds us that the heat recovered
from dryers is often low-grade heat,
which can be a challenge to find a
good use for. He adds that even with
a use for recovered heat, an invest-
ment in capital equipment is still
needed to install a heat recovery
system. There is always competition
between projects that require capi-
tal to save energy and those that re-
quire capital to purchase equipment
used to make more product to sell,
says Shaw. In order to justify heat
recovery equipment, you will have to
demonstrate a good return, and, with
the volatile prices of energy, it can be
difficult to justify.
Branson agrees that many compa-
nies choose not to invest in thermal
recovery units because the payback
is often beyond two years. However,
he says this is a very shortsighted ap-
proach on the part of management.
As experience has shown in the last
two cycles of increased energy costs,
the upward spikes in energy are very
rapid. At times such as this, with ther-
mal costs doubling or even tripling, the
payback can drop from this theoretical
two to three year term to one year or
even less, stresses Branson.
Product pretreatment
Another method to manage and re-
duce the total energy demand of the
dryer is to reduce the actual drying
requirements of the product. In many
chemical processes, this can be accom-
plished by substitution of upstream
manufacturing technology or raw ma-
terials to reduce the amount of water
in the residual product. This has a
direct reduction in the total thermal
load of evaporation.
Mechanical dewatering, which com-
WASTE-TO-ENERGY APPLICATIONS
FOR DRYERS
T
he potential use of agricultural waste materials, such as biomass, or waste materials
from other processes as viable raw materials for different applications has created
a whole new life for dryers.
Right now in terms of the environmental movement, there is a big push for waste to
energy and this is creating a growing segment for dryers that are processing environ-
mentally friendly materials and turning them into something else, says Darren Traub
executive vice president with Drytech Inc. (Irvine, Calif.).
He says all kinds of products such as bamboo, peanut shells and rice hulls can be sent
to a recycling facility and turned into a product with an energy value that can be used
as a fuel source and sold to someone else.
Currently the most viable application for this is biomass use. Biomass, whether it is
conventional timber feedstock grown specifically for pelletization or various cellulosic
grasses under new development, is being reviewed for overall thermal capability. And,
most of these biomass systems require a drying unit somewhere in the process.
For example, in wood pelletization, moisture of wood feedstock needs to be reduced
from 50% to approximately 10% to support proper size reduction and pelletization.
These pellets are then used for direct combustion from the industrial level down to the
consumer level, says Paul Branson with Aeroglide Corp. (Trevose, Pa.).
Additional technologies are taking the energy conversion a few steps further where
reduced moisture biomass is fed to gasification units. These produce hydrocarbons in a
much more useable gaseous and liquid form, allowing conversion to biofuels or direct
combustion for power generation, or both.
In power generation, in particular, the theme of energy recovery again resurfaces,
where the low-calorific-value spent exhaust from turbines can actually be used to pre-
heat and pre-dry the initial feedstock, again greatly increasing the overall energy bal-
ance of the installations, says Branson.
In addition to standard pelletization or gasification, a third option is Torrefaction,
where the biomass is pre-dried and thermally converted to a denser pellet that not only
reduces overall transport costs, but can also closely replicate the performance of coal
pellets in combustion, capitalizing on being combusted in the highly controlled and ef-
ficiently designed burners already in existence at power plants, says Branson.
AUMA Riester GmbH & Co. KG | P.O. Box 1362
79373 Muellheim, Germany | www.auma.com
AUMA Actuators, Inc. | Canonsburg, pa 15317,
mailbox@auma-usa.com | www.auma-usa.com
Generation .2
New well-proven actuators
What seems to be a contradiction at rst is
the result of continuous optimisation of a
well-proven design principle. For identical
sizing, you will receive unrivalled perfor-
mance including:

Improved handling and operation

Intelligent diagnostic functions and
sensor system

Optimised modulating behaviour and
extended output speed range

Longer lifetime

Flexible valve connection

Compatible with previous models
AUMA automates valves
generation_2_anzeige_drittel_seite_ohne_beschnitt.indd 2 02.11.2009 15:56:45
09_CHE_120109_NF3.indd 27 11/19/09 12:48:44 PM
bines the dryer with other process
equipment, is another approach, says
Shaw. If you can remove water by use
of a filter or centrifuge, it may reduce
the moisture content of feed to the
dryer, so you get more product with
less drying time and effort, he says.
However, this can be a bit tricky. A
typical example of this effort would use
a leaf or rotary filter upstream of the
dryer, explains Branson. In conveyor
dryers, this can have a very positive
thermal effect but can be limited by
handling issues. Examples with poly-
mer extrusion have shown that while
its possible to operate rotary filters
at higher suction and dwell times in
an effort to change the inlet moisture,
there is sometimes an overall decrease
in thermal efficiency. While the ma-
terial is fed to the dryer at a reduced
moisture content and evaporative
load, the physical handling character-
istics of the extrudate are such that it
limits the processing capability of the
dryer itself, he says. The extrudate
actually breaks more easily and re-
duces the air permeability of the prod-
uct in the dryer, forcing the system to
work less efficiently.
This, notes Branson, can result in re-
duced production or upset conditions,
which have a net result of greater en-
ergy load per unit mass. The key with
this strategy is to review the synergy
of water reduction in both the filter
model, as well as the dryer model, to
come up with an overall system that
has a net positive effect.
Shaw also suggests considering the
use of evaporators to concentrate the
feed to the dryer because evapora-
tors use less energy. In a multistage
evaporator with mechanical vapor
recompression, you can get two or
three pounds of water evaporation
for every pound of steam you put into
the dryer or evaporator, he explains.
Whereas, you cant achieve this in
a drying system alone because you
dont have the ability to use multiple
effect evaporation.
Dehumidification is also seeing
some action as an energy reduction
strategy, according to Svend Bojgaard,
regional sales manager with Anhydro
(Soeborg, Denmark). In many cases
we combine different dehumidifica-
tion systems to optimize total energy
cost to meet our customers require-
ments, meaning that the system will
be tailor made, says Bojgaard. While
such customization prevents him
from providing exact energy savings,
he does say Anhydro has seen energy
cost savings of up to 50% resulting
from combining dehumidification
systems with drying equipment.
While it may be difficult to justify
the higher price of a more appropri-
ate, and therefore more efficient,
drying system or the capital needed
to include heat recovery or pretreat-
ment, drying experts feel that it is
worth the effort and expense. Even
though the economy is actually driv-
ing processors away from being green
and more energy efficient regarding
drying systems, spending less on the
upfront cost of the dryer and related
equipment is only a short term so-
lution, says General Air Products
Pridham. Over a longer period, it
will cost more to operate and have
a negative impact on production.
The wiser choice is to choose drying
equipment based on the total life op-
erating cost. n
Joy LePree
Newsfront
Separation of water droplets (1 micron) from chlorinated hydrocarbons
For additional information please contact: FRANKEN FILTERTECHNIK KG, Germany
Phone: +49 (0) 2233 974 40-0, e-mail: info@frankenlter.com, web: www.frankenlter.com
As a worldwide supplier of HIGH-QUALITY SEPARATION PLANTS we stand for:
Outstanding separation technology & cost-saving solutions
Long standing experience with over 700 units installed worldwide
Customized all-in solutions supplied by one partner
Permanent technology development, qualied consulting & testing service
COALESCERS
Highly Efficient & Easy to Use
DRYING SYSTEM EQUIPMENT
AND SERVICE PROVIDERS:
Aeroglide www.aeroglide.com
Anhydro www.anhydro.com
Coperion www.coperion.com
Drytech www.drytechinc.com
GEA Process Engineering
www.geaprocessengineering.com
General Air Products
www.generalairproducts.com
Heyl & Patterson www.heylpetterson.com
Komline Sanders www.komline.com
Syray Drying Systems www.spraydrysys.com
Wyssmont www.wyssmont.com
09_CHE_120109_NF3.indd 28 11/19/09 12:52:05 PM
Avoid kinking on tight turns
with this tubing
Tex-Flex fluorinated ethylene
propylene (FEP) corrugated tub-
ing (photo) can turn sharp corners
without kinking. The manufac-
turer asserts that the tubing can
handle bend diameters four times
smaller than a typical smooth-
bore tube of the same size. The
tubings ability to bend without
kinking makes it perform well in
confined spaces, wrapping around
machine legs and other obstacles
that would normally restrict or
kink a smoothbore tube. Tex-Flex
corrugated tubing is lightweight,
seamless and clear, allowing op-
erators to monitor material pass-
ing through the tube. Tex-Flex is
also offered in a high purity poly-
fluoroalkoxy (PFA). For higher-
pressure applications, the tubes
can be stainless-steel braided.
Available sizes range from to 2
in. Parker Hannifin Corp., Fort
Worth, Tex.
www.parker.com
Measure oxygen drift-free
with this transmitter
The XTP600 oxygen transmitter
(photo) is a self-contained oxy-
gen transmitter for the process
industries that measures oxygen
content between 0.01 and 100%.
Using the latest thermo-paramag-
netic technology, the transmitter is
almost drift-free. The XTP600 has
no moving parts, so it can operate in
harsh industrial environments without
any interference from vibration. It is
also stable at high hydrogen concentra-
tions. The XTP600s compact size, sim-
ple design and explosion-proof housing
make it ideal for installation next to
the measurement point. Michell In-
struments, Cambridgeshire, U.K.
www.michell.com
A magnet operates on this
rupture-disc sensor
The Flo-Tel rupture disc detection
system (photo) is a noninvasive sensor
that operates with a reed-switch and
magnet technology. The design avoids
several challenges of standard rupture
disc sensors. Some sensors require re-
placement or rewiring after one use,
and are often in contact with the pro-
cess flow, creating possible leak paths.
Designed to work with the Opti-Gard
rupture disc, the Flo-Tel sensor posi-
tions a magnet over the rupture disc so
that when the disc bursts, the magnet
and disc arc away from the sensor, cre-
ating an open circuit signal. After rup-
turing, the disc is the only element of
the system requiring replacement. The
sensor is not in contact with the pro-
cess flow, so there are no potential leak
paths. Oseco, Broken Arrow, Okla.
www.oseco.com
These regulators suppress inter-
nal cylinder forces for safety
Purox and Oxweld oxygen cylinder reg-
ulators (photo) have a patented design
that suppresses internal forces from a
cylinder explosion within the cylinder
walls. The design minimizes risk of in-
jury in the event of an explosion. The
regulators are machined from solid
brass bar stock to ensure longterm
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM DECEMBER 2009 28D-1
Parker Hannifin
Michell Instruments
ESAB Welding and Cutting Products
Oseco
10_CHE_120109_NPd.indd 1 11/19/09 4:27:03 PM
performance with minimum mainte-
nance. ESAB Welding and Cutting
Products, Florence, S.C.
www.esabna.com
A vacuum conveyor that
is GMP-compliant
The UC Series of vacuum con-
veyors (photo) comply with
Good Manufacturing Practice
(GMP) standards, and are suit-
able for pharmaceutical processing
applications, including loading
and unloading coating pans,
manufacturing tablet cores and
handling or transferring phar-
maceutical powders. Fully pneu-
matic, the UC Series is built with
unibody construction for tool-free dis-
mantling and easy cleaning. Powered
by pneumatically air-driven vacuum
pumps, the UC Series can safely and
quietly transport pharmaceutical
ingredients such as sugar, dextrose,
magnesium oxide, or starch. Con-
structed of stainless-steel AISI 316L,
the UC Series features an ultra-san-
itary butterfly valve and a Gore Sin-
bran filter, which can trap particles
down to 0.5 m. The UC Series also
includes FDA-approved silicone seals
with a working range of 4 to 176F.
The conveyors can also be custom
built per application to meet specific
user requirements. Piab Vacuum
Conveyors, Hingham, Mass.
www.piab.com
Monitor hydrogen sulde in wa-
ter with these sensors
S10 and S17 Sulfide Analytical Sen-
sors (photo) provide accurate, reliable
analysis of sulfide levels in water-
treatment, sewage and wastewater-
treatment applications. The S10 Sen-
sor is an immersion- or insertion-style
sensor, while the S17 is a valve-re-
tractable-style sensor. Both feature a
316 stainless-steel body that incorpo-
rates the sensing element, a tempera-
ture module and a signal conditioner
with cabling. The sensors pIon elec-
trode cartridge measures the activity
of free sulfide ions in solution in con-
centrations from 0.01 to 32,000 ppm
over a pH range of 11 to 14. The elec-
trode cartridge can measure sulfide
ions across a temperature range of 0
to 80C. The S10 immersion sensor is
designed to allow a variable insertion
length to accommodate installation in
pipe tees, flow cells or through tank
walls. The S17 retractable sensor is
designed with a ball valve and a com-
pression fitting that allows it to slide
freely for insertion into the process or
retraction from the process. Electro-
chemical Devices Inc., Irvine, Calif.
www.ecdi.com
Use this keyboard
in industrial settings
The DT-102-SS industrial keyboard
(photo) is constructed of stainless steel
and is specially designed to withstand
the rigors of industrial processing
areas. The DT-102-SS meets NEMA
4X and IP68 specifications, and can
withstand rain, snow, splashing water
and hose-directed water. With an oper-
ating temperature range of 0 to 60C,
it can be used outdoors and in other lo-
cations where extreme temperatures
exist. The stainless-steel keyboard is
also a nonincendive device that will
not ignite flammable gases or vapors
in hazardous locations. The keyboards
integrated touchpad features left- and
right-click buttons, with a full-size
number pad above it. It is built with
brushed stainless-steel keys and is
100% humidity resistant. iKey Inc.,
Austin, Tex.
www.ikey.com
Gas leak simulation tool is
available in trial version
Said to be the worlds first, this gas-
leak-simulation tool for ultrasonic gas
detection can be accessed in a trial
version online at the Website www.gas-
sonic.com/simulator. The simulator al-
lows users to experience the benefits of
ultrasonic gas leak detectors for quick
leak detection in challenging conditions
found in most outdoor oil-and-gas in-
stallations. The system responds to the
distinctive ultrasound created by the
leak. The detectors pick up gas leaks
at the speed of sound without having
to wait for the gas to accumulate and
physically enter a point-sensor head
(conventional point detector) or within
a narrow beam (open-path gas detec-
tor). The acoustic detection method is
thereby unaffected by unknown fac-
tors, such as wind conditions, gas di-
lution and leak direction. Gassonic
A/S, Ballerup, Denmark
www.gassonic.com
In eld tests, this grit washer
achieves 95% grit retention
The Pista Turbo grit washer contains
new technology that can achieves grit
retention of 95% down to 140 mesh
particle size. It can produce drier and
cleaner grit with less putrescible or-
ganic material. The new technology,
called Tri-cleanse, features intense
hydro-flushing and high air-infusion
to aid in organic separation, as well
as a custom-engineered and patented
screw to further clean grit through ad-
ditional agitation. Machine design is
sleeker, with a smaller total footprint,
and the washer can be retrofitted in
the place of traditional screw classifi-
ers and conveyors. Smith and Love-
lace Inc., Lenexa, Kan.
www.smithandlovelace.com
28D-2 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM DECEMBER 2009
New Products
Piab Vacuum
Conveyors
Electrochemical Devices
iKey
10_CHE_120109_NPd.indd 2 11/19/09 4:34:34 PM
A solution in every drop of
water. In the simple bond of hydrogen and
oxygen, the complexity of human need presents
itself. But if we apply chemistry, using the Human
Element as our lter, we discover solutions as vital as
water itself. Solutions like advanced desalination and
re-use technology from Dow Water Solutions that
make the purication and recycling of municipal
water possible.
Dow Water Solutions reverse osmosis technology
is at work in three wastewater reclamation and
reuse facilities in Beijing, China. Reverse osmosis
technology enables Beijing to meet its 50 percent
wastewater reuse rate for the 2008 Beijing Olympic
Games this summer. It also helps address growing
worldwide demand for water and Chinas
own commitment to conservation and reuse. Caring
for man is caring for the future of mankind.
And that is what The Dow Chemical Company
is all about.
www.dowwatersolutions.com
www.dow.com/hu
The DOW Diamond Logo and Human
Element and design are trademarks of
The Dow Chemical Company 2008
This mixer is available in a
wide size range
The VersaMix Model VMC (photo)
is offered in sizes ranging from
1 to 750gal working capacity.
The model has an air/oil lift sys-
tem that raises and lowers the
agitators from the mixing vessel.
The vessel is attached to a frame
that has a manual tilting mecha-
nism, allowing 120-deg tilting
for full discharge and thorough
cleaning after completion of the
mixing cycle. The VersaMix com-
bines up to three separate agita-
tion systems a three-wing an-
chor, a high-speed disperser and
a high-shear, rotor-stator mixer.
The mixer is ideal for manufacturing
viscous dispersions and emulsions
with viscosities up to 1,000,000 cp.
Charles Ross and Son Co., Haup-
pauge, N.Y.
www.mixers.com
A purging compound effective for
biodegradeable resins
The commercial purging compon-
Purgex 461 Plus is effective for purg-
ing new biodegradeable and com-
postable polyethylene resins. The
compound comes ready-to-use, and
is recommended for color or material
changes and the removal of residual
contamination. The new compound
blends low-linear polyethylene carrier
with FDA-approved active ingredients
that are designed to be non-toxic, non-
abrasive and safe. Neutrex, Inc.,
Houston, Tex.
www.purgexonline.com

Measure non-condensing steam
with these owmeters
The RNS and RWS Series flowmeters
are designed to measure non-con-
densing steam and saturated process
steam at pressures of up to 150 psi in
energy-related applications. Both se-
ries types have no moving parts and
require negligible maintenance. All
meters in the series are loop-powered
devices with standard HART com-
munication for field programming.
Operating temperatures for the me-
ters are 20 to 366F. An internal re-
sistance temperature detector (RTD)
and an external pressure sensor pro-
vide data to the flowmeter software,
which compensates for changes in
temperature and pressure to achieve
accuracies of 1%. Racine Feder-
ated, Racine, Wisc.
www.racinefed.com
Transfer ammable liquids safely
with this pump
The SCP-6500 (available March 1,
2010) is designed to accommodate the
transfer of alcohols, volatile hydro-
carbons and flammable solvents. The
pump features a lug with a ground-
ing wire to allow users of flammable
liquids to ground it, making the pump
safe for use with Class 1 and 2 flam-
mable substances. All components
that come in contact with the fluid
are created with conductive plastic,
so there is grounding of the liquid, the
pump, and, with correct bonding, the
container. The pump is designed to
fit containers and drums from 5 to 55
gal, and have a cost-effective life ex-
pectancy of 1015 years. Westcott
Distribution Inc., Milford, Conn.
www.goatthroat.com
Handle high-volume applications
with this screener
The Megatex XD Screener provides
high-capacity throughput for large-
volume applications in agriculture,
plastics and chemicals. The screener
has a unique elliptical-linear motion
designed for high screening perfor-
mance with low energy consumption.
A single-screen deck change can be
completed in 10 min, and all decks
can be changed in 2 h. The Megatex
XD provides 25%50% greater capac-
New Products
HF Inverting
Filter
Centrifuge
Cutting edge centrifuge technology for
filtration, washing and drying of
solid/liquid suspensions
Pennwalt
Super-D-Canter
Cutting edge continuous
centrifuge technology
for separation of
slurries into liquid or
solid phases.
Only (1) drive motor
High Abrasion Points are fitted with
replaceable parts
Advanced Polymer injection system
Most economical cost
Ideal for:
Ethanol Stillage Dewatering
Sludge Thickening & Dewatering
Chemical Intermediates & Fine Chemical
Production of Plastics (PVC Dewatering)
Clarification of Liquids
Distillery Stillage
Conical Vacuum
Dryer - Mixer
Advanced technology
for simultaneous
multi-function
drying and mixing
Increase production
Improve productivity - Thin Cake
Processing
Eliminate Operator Exposure - Full
Containment
Effective Automated CIP
Widest Range of Applications - Hardest
to Easiest Filtering Products
Lowest Possible Moistures - PAC
Technology
Dry Product Inside the Centrifuge -
PAC Technology
Full Containment Operation
Largest Heat Transfer Surface Area
Automatic CIP
Handles the Widest Range of Materials
Variable Volume Batch Sizes
Gentle Low Shear Drying & Mixing
Quick & Trouble Free Product
Discharging
Charles Ross and Son
10_CHE_120109_NPd.indd 4 11/19/09 4:38:02 PM
ity per square foot of screen cloth in
a compact footprint measuring a 12-ft.
cube. for the standard model. Its mo-
tion is generated by an external drive
cartridge and separates from in.
to 100 mesh. The accessible external
drive of the Megatex XD is a cartridge
with two spherical roller bearings that
run for 200,000 h and is powered by
a single 15- or 20-hp motor. Rotex
Global LLC, Cincinnati, Ohio
www.rotex.com
Vacuum systems for areas with
noise or space constraints
Vacuum systems in the Com-pak Plus
blower series (photo) are positive dis-
placement, tri-lobe blower packages
that provide consistent, reliable vac-
uum. They feature heavy-duty con-
struction and low noise levels. The Com-
pak Plus Series delivers flows to 3,305
ft
3
/min and vacuum to 15 in. Hg. The
packages include inlet and discharge
silencers, a high-efficiency, Energy
Policy of 2005 Act-compliant
totally enclosed, fan-cooled
motor and an automatic V-
belt tensioning device. The
blower packages offer lower
pulsations and significantly
reduced footprint. Kaeser
Compressors Inc., Freder-
icksburg, Va.
www.kaeser.com
These pipe caps can be
installed without tools
The skirts on the new CE Series pipe
caps are designed to stretch over the
pipe edges while retaining their shape
and tight fit. This feature allows them
to be installed without tools. Ribbed
skirts provide ventilation to ensure
that the caps will not blow off under
pressure. The pipe caps are made of
linear low-density polyethylene, and
are available in a range of sizes.
Caplugs, Buffalo, N.Y.
www.caplugs.com
This membrane bioreactor is a
complete packaged system
The Puron Plus membrane bioreac-
tor (MBR) system is a skid-mounted
packaged plant that provides custom-
ers with a full scope of supply from
prescreening and biological treat-
ment through to the final membrane
clarification step. The Puron Plus
is designed for both industrial and
municipal wastewater applications
and offers a modular, small footprint
solution which has been optimized
for effluent requirements. The pre-
engineered, membrane bioreactor
plants are available with capacities
ranging from 5,000 to 100,000 gal/d
New Products
CT.36e
Sulzer SMXL
TM
and SMR
TM
Heat exchangers for
viscous and temperature
sensitive media
MOVING AHEAD
Oompaot and oost-effeot|ve equ|pment des|gn
Gent|e heat|ng and ooo||ng of sens|t|ve produots
No produot degradat|on
Short res|denoe t|me
Narrow res|denoe t|me d|str|but|on
Opt|ma|e for harmfu| and de||oat produots
thanks to m|n|ma| vo|ume
For more |nformat|on, v|s|t
www.sulzerchemtech.com
Sulzer Chemtech
Europe, M|dd|e East and Afr|oa
Phone +41 52 262 67 20
su|zerm|xer@su|zer.oom
North and South Amer|oa
Phone +1 918 446 6672
As|a Pao|fo
Phone +65 6515 5500
Kaeser Compressors
10_CHE_120109_NPd.indd 6 11/19/09 4:41:00 PM
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15995
and feature Puron MBR membrane
modules. The packaged MBR sys-
tems allow users to single-source an
MBR system from one company if
need be. Koch Membrane Systems
Inc., Wilmington, Mass.
www.kochmembrane.com
These blowdown valves can be
fully serviced inline
Fully serviceable inline, Clampseal
blowdown valves provide control for
continuous boiler or turbine blowdown,
as well as bottom blow-off service.
The valves feature a uniform, single-
piece gland, a cartridge-type packing
chamber and pressure seal backseat.
For continuous blowdown service,
Clampseal valves are available in -
through 4-in. sizes with socket weld,
butt weld or other end connection.
Standard material for the valves is
carbon steel A105, low alloy F22 and
F91. Conval Inc., Somers, Conn.
www.conval.com
Measure three variables
with this transmitter
The Rosemount 3051S MultiVariable
transmitter measures three variables
and provides mass and energy flow
output, reducing the number of de-
vices traditionally required to make
differential pressure (DP) flow mea-
surement from ten to one. Patented
compensation techniques increase
accuracy and provide faster updates.
The Rosemount instrument provides
full compensation of more than 25
different parameters to achieve a
five-fold improvement in flow perfor-
mance compared to uncompensated
differential pressure flow. The 3051S
instrument updates flow measure-
ment 22 times per second so users
can more effectively track produc-
tion, demand and total usage for
process gas, steam and natural gas.
Emerson Process Management,
St. Louis, Mo.
www.emersonprocess.com
This industrial drive module has
a removable memory block
The ACS850 industrial drive module
has a removable memory block that
stores the drives complete firmware,
user settings and motor data, a fea-
ture that increases the flexibility of
the drive and provides for easy main-
tenance. The drive module is designed
for industrial machinery in the power
range of 1.5 to 600 hp, including mix-
ers, extruders, cranes and others. An-
other aspect of the ACS850 is its auto-
matic energy optimizer, which allows
the drive to operate at maximum effi-
ciency. An onboard energy-saving cal-
culator monitors energy usage and in-
dicates the amount saved in kilowatt
hours, dollars and tons of carbon diox-
ide. The ACS850 is also equipped with
an integrated safety-torque-off feature
that removes torque from the motor
shaft. ABB, New Berlin, Wisc.
www.abb.com
Scott Jenkins
New Products
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Chem Eng_Quarter Vert.indd 1 3/10/09 3:10:03 PM
10_CHE_120109_NPd.indd 8 11/19/09 4:42:23 PM
Extend level measurement
with this exible probe
The Procap capacitance probe
(photo) features a flexible, ex-
tendable cable design for high-,
middle- or low-level detection
when the probe must be mounted
on top of the bin. The device is
especially suitable for applica-
tions where a probe is used as a
high-level alarm or needs to be
extended more than 4 ft. This
flexible probe is also suitable for
use with any lump material that
might bend, damage or break a
rigid probe. The first ten inches
of the probe are rigid and the
rest of the probe is flexible. The
cable can be any length up to 35
ft. BinMaster Level Controls,
Lincoln, Neb.
www.binmaster.com
Now HMIs are also offered
by this rm
In addition to sensors, fieldbus, inter-
face and connectivity solutions, this
firm now also offers a new product line
of human machine interfaces (HMIs).
The VT250 (photo) is the first model
available other models will follow
next year and it provides visu-
alization, controlling and variable
gateway functionality for commu-
nication between fieldbus structures
and realtime Ethernet. The VT250
has a 5.7-in. touchscreen, and can be
configured as a master or slave, re-
gardless of the communication direc-
tion. Providing two realtime Ethernet
ports, the VT250 allows the user to set
up a line topology. A communication
port supporting RS 232 and RS 485,
and the additional USB port are also
included. Hans Turck GmbH & Co.
KG, Mlheim an der Ruhr, Germany
www.turck.com
This one transmitter
does the job of ten devices
The Rosemount 3051S MultiVariable
Transmitter (3051SMV; photo) mea-
sures three variables and provides
mass and energy flow output, thereby
reducing the number of devices tradi-
tionally required to make differential
pressure (DP) flow measurements
from ten to one. The 3051SMV sim-
plifies mass and energy flow mea-
surement, increases accuracy and
provides faster updates through pat-
ented, advanced compensation tech-
niques. Full compensation of over
25 different parameters achieves a
five-fold improvement in flow perfor-
mance compared to uncompensated
DP flow, says the manufacturer. The
device updates flow measurement 22
times per second, enabling users to
effectively track production, demand
and total usage for process gas, steam
and natural gas. Emerson Process
Management, Baar, Switzerland
www.emersonprocess.eu
Do more with this
dewpoint transmitter
The Easidew PRO I.S. (photo) is a rug-
ged, intrinsically safe, dewpoint trans-
mitter suitable for use in the natural
gas, petrochemical and process indus-
tries. The device is ATEX-certified
for use in hazardous area Zone 0, as
well as for use with galvanic isolators.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM DECEMBER 2009 28I-1
BinMaster Level Controls
Hans Turck
Emerson Process
Management
Michell Instruments
GEM
11_CHE_120109_NPi.indd 1 11/19/09 11:20:07 AM
28I-2 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM DECEMBER 2009
New Products
As with other transmitters in the
Easidew Range, the PRO I.S. is
part of the Sensor Calibration Ex-
change Program, enabling users to
maintain traceability through pe-
riodic recalibration while keeping
the process in operation. All the
calibration data are stored within
the transmitters flash memory, so
calibration exchange, or service,
can be affected in seconds. Mi-
chell Instruments, Ely, U.K.
www.michell.co.uk
A new motorized actuator
for linear valves
This firm has introduced a new
motorized open/close actuator for
globe and diaphragm valves. The
24-V d.c. actuator (photo, p. 28I-1)
is an alternative to current designs
and also to solenoid valves. Valves
using this actuator are especially
suited to applications without
plant air. Also, the operating costs
of the motorized actuator are said
to be lower than those of a compa-
rable pneumatic actuator or even
a solenoid valve. The actuating speed
is between 410 mm/s, depending on
the nominal size. The S680 diaphragm
valve, for example, closes in about
0.5 s in nominal size DN 15, and about
2 s for DN 25. The design of motorized
diaphragm valves makes them insen-
sitive to particles and solids in the
medium even grains of sand and
pieces of lime scale in water pipes im-
pair neither the function nor the tight-
ness of the valves. GEM Gebrder
Mller Apparatebau GmbH & Co. KG,
Ingelfingen-Criesbach, Germany
www.gemue.de
Aggressive media are not a
problem for this dosing system
The combination of FMI rotary pis-
ton pump and Ismatec drives results
in a range of pumps (photo) for very
accurate and reliable dispensing, even
when highly aggressive chemicals or
viscous media need to be transferred.
The pump heads are available with
ceramic pistons and ceramic cylinder
heads. There are no valves to clog,
leak or maintain, and the piston is the
only moving part. Drift-free operation
(1% from set point) is provided with
flowrates from microliters per minute
up to 2.3 L/min with positive displace-
ment pumping up to 6.9 barg. Control
options include RS232 and analog in-
terfaces. Michael Smith Engineers
Ltd., Woking, Surry, U.K.
www.michael-smith-engineers.co.uk
Higher temperatures are okay
for this owmeter
The Optisonic 6300 XT (photo) is a
clamp-on ultrasonic flowmeter ca-
pable of measuring fluids with tem-
peratures up to 200C, which makes
the device suitable for applications
involving heated hydrocarbons, mol-
ten sulfur, thermal oil and carbam-
ate. The 6300 XT can be installed on
heated and insulated pipes without
the need to cool or shutdown the pro-
cess. Two sensor types are available
for covering pipe diameters of DN 15
to DN 400. Krohne Messtechnik
GmbH, Duisburg, Germany
www.krohne.com
Treat the offgas from solar cell
production with this system
Spectra ZW (photo) is a single, com-
pact system for abating the deposi-
tion and clean gases used in the very
high gas flow, chemical-vapor deposi-
tion (CVD) process steps in the man-
ufacture of solar cells and flat panel
displays. A wet scrubbing system is
integrated within the Spectra ZW for
a total abatement/waste-processing
solution. The system has a maximum,
standard process-gas flow of more
than 16 L/min of silane, 200 L/min of
H
2
and 40 L/min of NF
3
all of which
are commonly used during the CVD
processing step in solar-cell manufac-
turing. In addition, most dopant mate-
rials, such as phosphine, diborane or
trimethyl borate, as well as etch ma-
terials, can be abated and processed
effectively by these units. Edwards
Ltd., Crawley, U.K.
www.edwardsvacuum.com
Keep ange leaks from
spraying with this shield
A new type of TV-approved, stain-
less-steel spray guard (photo, p. 28I-4)
provides effective protection from dan-
gerous spray-outs of fuel oils and other
flammable liquids from pipes and
flanges. The safety shield incorporates
a steel band and an internal stainless-
steel mesh that wraps around flanges
and valves. The mesh is designed to sit
against the flange between it and
Michael Smith Engineers
Krohne Messtechnik
Edwards
11_CHE_120109_NPi.indd 2 11/20/09 2:49:53 PM
www.vega.com
Moving intelligently into the future: Improved sensitivity and precision increase
measurement reliability in the eld. New VEGAPULS antenna systems for higher
temperatures widen the application spectrum. The intelligent software simplies
setup and commissioning and tackles even the most dif cult applications.
For a guaranteed future: plics, the modular instrument concept from VEGA.
VEGAPULS
Radar Level Measurement
The new intelligence
New Products New Products
an outer steel band and compresses
against it to ensure that sprays or
leaks are dispersed, while also pre-
venting lateral spray. The shield has
been pressure tested to 50 bar, and has
a quick-release connection for simple
installation and removal. Allison
Engineering, Basildon, U.K.
www.allison.co.uk
A migration solution for
fail-safe controllers
The Gateway CM104 TSAA (photo)
a new migration solution for in-
tegrating Triconex fail-safe control-
lers into Simatic PCS 7-based control
systems enables existing systems
to be expanded or modernized inex-
pensively and step-by-step. The new
Gateway was developed to bring both
the process control system and safety
engineering up to the state-of-the art
at the same time. It facilitates con-
tinuous communication between the
Triconex, Trident or Tricon fail-safe
controller and this firms automation
system. The Gateway is completely
integrated into the PSC 7, and can be
laid out as a single or fully redundant
link between the systems. Siemens
Industry Sector, Industrial Solutions
Div., Erlangen, Germany
www.siemens.com
A full range of FRP products,
from pipes to tanks
The new Filamaster line of fiber-rein-
forced plastic (FRP) products includes
a full range of ducts, tanks and pipes
that are all made of corrosion-resistant
materials. Filamaster vertical tanks
come in capacities from 1,300 to over
30,000 gal. The round duct and pipe
series are available with diameters
from 2 to 60 in. A full set of connec-
tions can also be added, including bell
ends, field kits, flanges, gaskets and
elbows. The pipe and duct can be built
for both high-temperature and caustic
applications. Filamat Composites
Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
www.filamat.com
The latest in shaft-alignment
systems is simple to use
Shaftalign (photo, p. 28I-6) is a new,
laser-shaft-alignment system that
combines simplicity of operation with
precise measurement. The device
features a backlit color display and
the computers built-in display light
sensor optimizes image quality and
the device power management. The
Active Clock measurement mode
automatically collects the laser coor-
dinates for the corresponding shaft
position. Only three or four readings
over a rotation angle of less than 70
deg are required to achieve a precise
alignment. Prftechnik Alignment
Systems GmbH, Ismaning, Germany
www.pruftechnik.com
Precise analytical balances
for harsh industrial environments
For rough environmental conditions,
the Excellence XP balances offer sev-
eral features for hands-free weighing
and protection from exposure to oily or
dirty samples. All Excellence XP ana-
lytical and microbalances are equipped
with adjustable, motor-driven wind-
shields, which make operating the
balance much easier and faster, espe-
cially when wearing gloves. The bal-
ances can be operated with two built-
in SmartSens infrared sensors and up
to two optional ErgoSens sensors. All
weighing operations, including open-
ing and closing the windshield, zero,
tare and print/transfer results, can be
performed without introducing any
impurities. The windshields can be
quickly removed and washed, and the
mechanical concept of the SmartGrid
hanging weighing pans means there
are no difficult-to-reach gaps for ease
of cleaning. Mettler Toledo GmbH,
Greifensee, Switzerland
www.mt.com
A new exchange resin for indus-
trial water treatment
Last month, this firm launched a
new generation of gel-type, cation-
exchange resins for industrial water
treatment. Lewatit MonoPlus S 108
and S 108 H have optimized leaching
behavior, which is an important qual-
ity characteristic regarding the effec-
tiveness and commercial efficiency of
an ion-exchange unit; the lower the
resins tendency for self-leaching, the
less total organic carbon (TOC) is re-
leased, says the firm. This release of
organic substances is undesirable
because it can lead to blocking of the
anion exchanger. The new resin beads
also remain in excellent condition
after many operating cycles. Even
with short cycle times, the special
monodisperse ion-exchange matrix
ensures long service life. Lanxess
AG, Leverkusen, Germany
www.lewatit.com
Gear pumps that can also handle
highly viscous food additives
Gear pumps are commonly used for
applications where fluids with high
viscosities, high pressures and high
temperatures have to be handled.
Now, this firm has redesigned a gear
pump, which has been used for years
for conveying highly viscous, molten
Allison Engineering
Siemens
11_CHE_120109_NPi.indd 4 11/19/09 11:28:54 AM
No one knows more about how to make superior powders
than GEA Niro. Which is why the worlds leading
manufacturers work with us to make products that are
best in class. We specialise in supplying industrial drying
systems designed to match your exact product and plant
specications, and weve installed more than 10,000
systems worldwide.
Our comprehensive product range includes spray dryers,
uid bed systems, spray congealers and the SWIRL
FLUIDIZER. At our extensive test facilities, the most
experienced test engineers and process technologists in the
business will help you move rapidly from idea to product
development and protable production.
All told, no one has more experience with industrial drying
and powder engineering than GEA Niro. When you choose
GEA Niro you get more than advanced technology - you get
the knowledge and expertise it takes to make consistently
successful powders. For more information, please visit
www.niro.com.
GOOD POWDER
We know
what makes a
C
-
G
o
o
d
P
o
w
d
e
r

1

C
B
C
Process Engineering
GEA Niro
Gladsaxevej 305, PO Box 45, DK-2860 Soeborg, Denmark
Tel +45 39 54 54 54 Fax +45 39 54 58 00
E-mail: chemical@niro.dk Website: www.niro.com
New Products
plastics, to handle all other chemical
fluids with similar properties, such as
resins or silicones, polyurethanes and
polymer solutions, and highly viscous
food additives. The pump features a
slim construction and a large inlet,
which makes it possible to reduce the
net positive suction head required
to be as low as 100 mm Hg. The de-
sign is capable of reliably conveying
viscous fluids from vacuum contain-
ers. Maag Pump Systems AG,
Oberglatt, Switzerland
www.maag.com
Full-scale, PV-module durability
testing is now possible
The XR360 is the latest technology
for accelerated exposure testing of
complete photovoltaic (PV) modules.
The unit integrates recent develop-
ments in environmental-chamber and
xenon solar-simulation technology.
The XR360 is capable of testing mod-
ules up to 1.9 m X 1.4 m, a capability
that covers more than 90% of todays
production modules. The system fea-
tures a chamber equipped with four
water-cooled, long-arc lamps, has full
climatic functionality and has an ex-
panded utility for running IEC tests
not requiring light, such as a damp-
heat test. Atlas Material Testing
Solutions, Chicago, Ill.
www.atlas-mts.com
A vacuum conveyor that is GMP-
compliant
The UC Series of vacuum conveyors
(photo) comply with Good Manufac-
turing Practice (GMP) standards,
and are suitable for pharmaceutical
processing applications, including
loading and unloading coating pans,
manufacturing tablet cores and han-
dling or transferring pharmaceutical
powders. Fully pneumatic, the UC Se-
ries is built with unibody construction
for tool-free dismantling and easy
cleaning. Powered by pneumatically
air-driven vacuum pumps, the UC Se-
ries can safely and quietly transport
pharmaceutical ingredients such as
sugar, dextrose, magnesium oxide or
starch. Constructed of stainless-steel
AISI 316L, the UC Series features an
ultra-sanitary butterfly valve and a
Gore Sinbran filter, which can trap
particles down to 0.5 m. The UC
Series also includes FDA-approved
silicone seals with a working range of
4 to 176F. The conveyors can also be
custom built per application to meet
specific user requirements. Piab
Vacuum Conveyors, Hingham, Mass.
www.piab.com
A new decanter generation for
food-and-drink applications
The F Series represents a new genera-
tion of decanter. The GCF 405 is de-
signed for products that are difficult
to discharge, which makes it suitable
for use as a clarifying decanter in
brewing and beverage industries. The
multifunctional machine with a bowl
diameter of 400 mm ensures maxi-
mum performance combined with
high clarifying efficiency and maxi-
mum dry matter in the solids. This is
achieved by high speed, a high torque,
large clarifying area and the deep
pond in conjunction with minimum
space requirements. The machine is
a so-called hydro-hermetic decanter
with a pressurized separation cham-
ber; pressure buildup enables the sol-
ids to discharge reliably. The new de-
sign also provides major advantages
for foaming and degassing products.
GEA Westfalia Separator GmbH,
Oelde, Germany
www.westfalia-separator.com
Labels that withstand
very cold temperatures
The new CIL 91000 range of Self-Lam-
inating Labels have been developed to
survive cryogenic storage. The labels
incorporate a clear wrap-around tail
to permanently protect your computer-
printed variable data, providing clear
and reliable identification. These la-
bels are suitable for vials and tubes,
are waterproof and can withstand mul-
tiple freeze-thaw cycles, water-baths,
solvents, abrasion and long-term stor-
age in liquid nitrogen and ultra-low
temperature freezers even down to
196C without detaching, cracking
or fading. Labels can be printed using
a PC and laser or thermal-transfer
printer. Computer Imprintable
Label Systems Ltd., Worthing, U.K.
www.cils-international.com
Rellable cylinders for handling
calibration gases
Ecocyl OSQ is a refillable cylinder
for portable calibration and testing of
highly sensitive, environmental moni-
toring devices. It uses a unique, neg-
ative-pressure technology that guar-
antees precision in the calibration-gas
delivery requirements for ultra-sensi-
tive instruments, which can be suscep-
tible to damage from the positive gas
pressure usually applied by other gas
cylinders. Such instruments include
detection monitors with integrated
pumps or those monitors calibrated in
docking stations with built-in pump-
ing devices. These cylinders have in-
tegrated valve, pressure regulator and
flow control, which are permanently
protected by a protective cowling, re-
ducing the risk associated with con-
necting hoses. Linde Gases, a div. of
The Linde Group, Munich, Germany
www.linde.com
Improve communication between
production and management
With the introduction of the manufac-
turing execution system (MES) Info-
Carrier, this firm has bridged the gap
between management and production,
even for complex, continuous produc-
tion processes. InfoCarrier is particu-
larly suitable for manufacturing bulk
products, but can also be used for lot
management of raw and final products.
A powerful logistics component of the
MES for silo, packaging, storage and
dispatch offers additional advantages.
Prftechnik
Alignment Systems
Piab Vacuum
Conveyors
11_CHE_120109_NPi.indd 6 11/19/09 11:38:15 AM
Extended Control Room for System 800xA
With the operator in focus
ABBs Extended Control Room for System 800xA offers a unique work environment,
better than anything experienced before. We aim to give you as an industrial process
operator exactly what you want: the right tools for the job, and an attractive and
ergonomic environment in which you stay alert and effective.
System 800xA provides a unied environment for operations and control that includes
the ability to personalize workplaces, seamlessly integrate safety, electrical, and
third party plant applications or systems, and implement advanced alarm strategies.
All of these benefits are realized in ABBs latest operator console technology, the
Extended Operator Workplace, giving you unparalleled ergonomics and visualization
solutions, and promoting control room consolidation. Find out more at:
www.abb.com/controlsystems
New Products
Developed by Provis GmbH & Co. KG
(Waltrop, Germany), InfoCarrier has
already been deployed by both small
companies with a single production
line, as well as Asias largest producer
of pigments and fillers. on/off engi-
neering GmbH, Wunstorf, Germany
www.onoffeng.de
A new peruoroelastomer for
pumps and valves
A new, explosive decompression-re-
sistant perfluoroelastomer has been
launched for use in ultra-agressive pro-
cessing applications. The Perlast G92E
elastomer combines high levels of
chemical resistance with an increased
explosive decompression capability,
setting a new performance standard
for seals in pumps, valves and other
processing eqiuipment exposed to high
gas pressures (up to 20,000 psi). The
material is suitable for temperatures
up to 260C. Precision Polymer En-
gineering Ltd., Blackburn, U.K.
www.prepol.co.uk
NIR moves from the laboratory to
production environment
NIRQuest is a fiber-optic, near-infra-
red spectrometer easily adaptable for
cost-effective, online process control
measurements. The instrument cov-
ers the spectral range from 900 to
2,500 nm, making it suitable for ap-
plications such as moisture detection
in grains and meats, materials char-
acterization of semiconductor compo-
nents, bacterial detection in food and
beverage production and chemical
analysis of pharmaceuticals. Ocean
Optics, Duiven, the Netherlands
www.oceanoptics.eu
Avoid kinking on tight turns
with this tubing
Tex-Flex fluorinated ethylene propyl-
ene (FEP) corrugated tubing (photo)
can turn sharp corners without kink-
ing. The manufacturer asserts that
the tubing can handle bend diam-
eters four times smaller than a typi-
cal smoothbore tube of the same size.
The tubings ability to bend without
kinking makes it perform well in
confined spaces, wrapping around
machine legs and other obstacles
that would normally restrict or kink
a smoothbore tube. Tex-Flex corru-
gated tubing is lightweight, seam-
less and clear, allowing operators to
monitor material passing through
the tube. Tex-Flex is also offered in a
high purity polyfluoroalkoxy (PFA).
For higher-pressure applications, the
tubes can be stainless-steel braided.
Available sizes range from to 2
in. Parker Hannifin Corp., Fort
Worth, Tex.
www.parker.com
A magnet operates on this
rupture-disc sensor
The Flo-Tel rupture disc detection
system (photo) is a noninvasive sensor
that operates with a reed-switch and
magnet technology. The design avoids
several challenges of standard rupture
disc sensors. Some sensors require re-
placement or rewiring after one use,
and are often in contact with the pro-
cess flow, creating possible leak paths.
Designed to work with the Opti-Gard
rupture disc, the Flo-Tel sensor posi-
tions a magnet over the rupture disc so
that when the disc bursts, the magnet
and disc arc away from the sensor, cre-
ating an open circuit signal. After rup-
turing, the disc is the only element of
the system requiring replacement. The
sensor is not in contact with the pro-
cess flow, so there are no potential leak
paths. Oseco, Broken Arrow, Okla.
www.oseco.com
Measure oxygen drift-free with
this transmitter
The XTP600 oxygen transmitter (photo)
is a self-contained oxygen transmitter
for the process industries that mea-
sures oxygen content between 0.01 and
100%. Using the latest thermo-para-
magnetic technology, the transmitter
is almost drift-free. The XTP600 has
no moving parts, so it can operate in
harsh industrial environments with-
out any interference from vibration.
It is also stable at high hydrogen con-
centrations. The XTP600s compact
size, simple design and explosion-proof
housing make it ideal for installation
next to the measurement point.
Michell Instruments, Ely, U.K.
www.michell.com
These regulators suppress inter-
nal cylinder forces for safety
Purox and Oxweld oxygen cylinder
regulators (photo) have a patented
design that suppresses internal forces
from a cylinder explosion within the
cylinder walls. The design minimizes
risk of injury in the event of an ex-
plosion. The regulators are machined
from solid brass bar stock to ensure
longterm performance with minimum
maintenance. ESAB Welding and
Cutting Products, Florence, S.C.
www.esabna.com
Gerald Ondrey and Scott Jenkins
Parker Hannifin
Michell Instruments
ESAB Welding and Cutting Products Oseco
11_CHE_120109_NPi.indd 8 11/19/09 11:44:50 AM
Department Editor: Scott Jenkins
Creating Installed
Gain Graphs for
Control Valves
I
nstalled gain graphs can help improve the selection of control valves
for chemical processing. The graphs are plotted to analyze together
control-valve ow characteristics and process-system ow character-
istics, and better illustrate the relationship between a control valve and
the system. Predicting installed gain can help to increase controllability
of the system and help avoid oversized valves. Installed gain graphs
can reveal ranges of valve travel where the valve gain might impede
controllability. They can also show the travels for which the control valve
will perform optimally.
GENERATING AN INSTALLED GAIN GRAPH
Step 1: Determine the control valves inherent fow characteristic
a) Inherent ow characteristic describes how the capacity of a control
valve changes with valve travel.
b) The inherent ow characteristic plot has the same shape as valve
ow coefcient (C
V
) curve. Common curve shapes are:
Linear Slope changes little over the normal working range of the valve
Quick-opening Slope changes faster over rst 25% of valve travel
and slower at high travels
Equal percentage Slope
changes more slowly at
low travels and faster at
high travels
c) Plot C
V
versus valve travel.
Step 2: Determine sys-
tem characteristic curve
The system curve denes
piping head and friction
losses. Plot owrate vs.
pressure. Assuming the
control valve is not un-
dersized, it will have one
position that can fulll both
the owrate and pressure conditions required by the system.
Step 3: Determine installed fow characteristic graph
a) Pressure conditions across a control valve are not constant. Values of
the liquid-pressure recovery factor and the pressure-drop ratio factor for
control valves vary with valve travel.
b) For several values of valve travel, determine where on the system
curve (ow versus pressure) the process will be operated and what the
owrate would be. The location on the system curve can be determined
by using the equations in the ISA/IEC valve sizing standard (ANSI/
ISA-75.01.01).
Step 4: Express the fowrate in terms of
percent process variable (%PV)
Use the range of the process-variable measurement device and its rela-
tionship to owrate to determine the %PV for the installed characteristic
graph points. For example, if the process variable is owrate, divide
each owrate on the curve by the full span of the owmeter.
Step 5: Develop installed gain graph
Find the slope of the installed ow characteristic graph at each valve
travel. The plot of %PV / %travel for each percent travel increment is
the installed gain graph.
Step 6: Interpret results
The installed gain graph can aid in the analysis of whether the control
valve inherent characteristic is suitable for the system. An installed gain
equal to one for the entire valve travel would indicate that the other
components of the control system would not have to compensate for the
installed valve gain (that is, the control system tuning parameters used at
one value of valve travel would allow equally acceptable controllability
at other travels).
It is more than likely the installed gain will not equal one across the
full valve travel. Guidelines for desirable installed gain values have
been established. In most cases, installed gain values of between 0.5
and 2.0 should be the target.
If the installed gain falls outside this range for valve travels that are
expected to be used for controlling the process, the controllability will
not be optimal. For example, controller tuning setpoints that function
well at low valve travel values might cause system instability if used at
travels with a high installed gain.
DEFINITIONS
Valve gain The change in ow for a given change in travel
Valve travel The degree of openness of the valve; the valve stroke
Control range The control range of an installed valve is the range of
travels for which the installed gain remains within the recommended 0.5
to 2.0 range
C
V
The valve ow coefcient of a device (such as a valve) represents
a relative measure of its efciency at allowing uid ow. It involves the
relationship between the pressure drop across a valve system and the
corresponding owrate
Inherent ow characteristic The relationship between control valve
capacity and valve stem travel
Installed ow characteristic Actual system ow plotted against valve
opening. Pressure drops vary with valve travel when valves are installed
with pumps, piping, ttings and other process equipment
References
1. Niesen, M., Using installed gain to improve valve selection. Chem. Eng.
October 2008, pp. 3437.
2. Fitzgerald, B. and Linden, C., The control valves hidden impact on the
bottom line. Valve Manufacturers Association, Washington, D.C., 2003.
3. Perrys Chemical Engineers Handbook, 8th ed., McGraw Hill, N.Y.,
2008.
P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e
,

p
s
i
a
225
200
175
150
125
100
75
100 500 1,000 1,500 2,000
Flow, gal/min
Maximum
Normal
Minimum
P1 for valve
P2 for valve
System pressure characteristic
2,500 3,000 3,500 4,000
G
a
i
n
2.2
2.0
1.8
1.6
1.4
1.2
1.0
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
0
0 10 20 30 40
Valve travel, %
Maximum
gain
Minimum
gain
Installed gain
50 60 70 80 90 100
F
l
o
w
,

g
a
l
/
m
i
n
3,000
2,500
2,000
1,500
1,000
500
0
0 10 20 30 40
Valve travel, %
Maximum
Normal
Minimum
50 60 70 80 90 100
Installed flow characteristic
P
e
r
c
e
n
t

o
f

r
a
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e
d

f
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100
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Percent of rated travel
Q
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12_CHE_120109_FAC.indd 29 11/19/09 11:59:04 AM
People
Paul Bradley becomes business man-
ager specialties peroxygens group
for Solvay Chemicals (Houston).
W. Troy Roder, president and CEO of
Houston-based Foster Wheeler USA
becomes chairman and CEO of
Foster Wheeler Energy Ltd.
(Reading, England).
ABB (Zurich, Switzerland) names
Daniel Huber business unit manager,
open control systems.
Ellen Kullman, CEO of DuPont
(Wilmington, Del.), has been ap-
pointed chair by the board of direc-
tors, succeeding Charles Holliday, Jr.,
who is retiring.
Raymond Peat is named director of
business development at Bord na
Mona Environmental Products
U.S. (Greensboro, N.C.).
Fluoropolymers manufacturer Dy-
neon LLC (Oakdale, Minn.), a 3M
company, names Robert Moore U.S.
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tems integration company Maverick
Technologies (Columbia, Ill.).
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of sales and marketing for CPFD
Software LLC (Albuquerque, N.M.).
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Mass.).
Suzanne Shelley
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F
aced with increased workloads
and time and budget constraints
that often restrict external train-
ing support, many chemical pro-
cess operators are forced to get the
most out of their heat transfer system
with less help. This article offers rec-
ommendations for how to carry out
proactive maintenance on heat-trans-
fer fluids, to maximize their useful life
and minimize problems associated
with fluid degradation, such as exces-
sive downtime for unplanned mainte-
nance when the heat transfer system
has become unsafe or is no longer able
to carry heat in a reliable manner. It
is useful for anyone developing or re-
freshing asset-care-management pro-
grams related to heat-transfer fluids
and systems.
Discussed below are the most com-
mon fluid-related problems encoun-
tered by heat-transfer systems and a
variety of potential solutions. While
individual system designs and varia-
tions in process and operating condi-
tions make each application unique,
all heat-transfer fluids share many
common attributes, making these
recommendations widely applicable.
Ultimately, our goal is to educate
those involved with the operation
and maintenance of liquid-phase
heat-transfer systems, both large and
small, that use an organic-based heat-
transfer fluid. The organics include
chemical aromatics, fluids based on
petroleum derivatives, silicone or gly-
col, the polyalphaolefins (PAO; also
referred to as API Group IV-based
fluids) and more. A properly designed
and operated heat-transfer system
can be the biggest ally in maintain-
ing (and even increasing) productivity
while reducing overall maintenance
and production costs.
It starts with smart selection
The selection of the heat-transfer
fluid whether at the system design
phase, or on an ongoing basis after
commissioning should not be taken
lightly. Fluid selection should not be
dictated solely by the purchase price
or any single physical characteristic.
Rather, a variety of factors should be
considered:
The potential impact on workers of
a given fluid, in terms of adequate
training and protection that must
be implemented to address hazards
related to potential exposure to the
fluid, in both its vapor form (inha-
lation risk and mist concentration)
and liquid form (skin contact). In ad-
dition to direct exposure, the choice
of the fluid could impact productiv-
ity engendering additional handling
and paperwork protocols involving
other internal resources within the
company, such as the health and
safety advisors, medical care per-
sonnel, personnel in the receiving
department and so forth
Freight charges related to delivery
of fresh product
Cost associated with the pickup,
handling and disposal of the used oil
and drums
Proven fluid performance beyond
fresh oil data (for instance, if vendor
data is able to demonstrate the re-
tention of fresh oil properties after
some time in service, as demon-
strated by extensive oxidation and
thermal stability data)
Can the current system accommo-
date the fluid being considered (in
terms of compatibility with sealing
materials, existence of a properly
sized expansion reservoir, suitable
match between the fluid properties
and the existing hardware, such as
the pump and safety-relief valve)
Miscibility with current heat-trans-
fer fluids if partial (rather than full)
changeout is needed
Documented success by the vendor
in your type of application
Level of liability coverage, service
and expertise the fluid maker and
distributor bring to the table
Feature Report
Feature Report
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H

C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H

C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H
H

n-Hexocosane (C26H54)
COC flash point : 215C / 419F
Molecular weight : 366.7 grams/mole
n-Dodecane (C12H26)
COC Flash Point: 71C / 160F
Molecular weight: 170.34 grams/mole

Excess Heat
n-Tetradecane (C14H30)
COC flash point : 99C / 210F
Molecular weight : 198.4 grams/mole
Heavy carbonaceous residues
Maximizing Heat-Transfer
Fluid Longevity
Proper selection, monitoring and
maintenance can protect fluids
and components from damage due to
thermal degradation,
oxidation damage and contamination
FIGURE 1. In this example with heat-transfer fuid n-hexa-
cosane, thermal degradation occurs when excess heat
drives the cracking of a straight-chain hydrocarbon
(not shown is the formation of reactive free radicals,
which have been omitted for clarity)
Gaston Arseneault
Petro-Canada Lubricants, a Suncor Energy business
14_CHE_120109_SAS.indd 32 11/19/09 1:23:35 PM
Further discussion of initial fluid
selection is beyond the scope of this
article, but is covered in Ref. [17].
Over time, the most common
threats to the life of heat-trans-
fer fluids (and sometimes the en-
tire system) include the following:
Thermal degradation
Oxidative degradation
Process contamination
Contamination by other materials
Each threat is discussed below, along
with findings from real case studies,
and practical recommendations for
how to deal with these challenges.
THERMAL DEGRADATION
Regardless of the chemistry of the
heat-transfer media, thermal degra-
dation can occur whenever the heat
source provides more energy than the
heat-transfer media can absorb and
carry away at that particular time [8].
Figure 1 shows a simple example
of the thermal degradation of a typi-
cal petroleum-based heat-transfer
fluid (n-hexacosane) with ISO viscos-
ity grade 32. In this case, the fluid is
a distribution of molecules of various
lengths, averaging 26 carbons long.
As shown in Figure 1, when the en-
ergy submitted to the fluid exceeds the
threshold necessary to start breaking
the stable covalent carbon-carbon
bonds, the result is the formation of
shorter hydrocarbons. The example
in Figure 1 shows the scission (crack-
ing) of a perfect straight, long-chain
alkane into shorter molecules, such
as dodecane (C12) and tetradecane
(C14), each having a lower boiling and
flashpoint and viscosity compared to
the starting C26 hydrocarbon.
The systematic result of thermal
degradation is a reduction in the
overall fluid viscosity and increased
volatility, which increases the risk of
leakage and loss through evaporation.
Thermal cracking increases the vapor
pressure, lowers the flashpoint and
fire point, and sometimes, reduces au-
toignition temperature (AIT). As the
name implies, the AIT is the tempera-
ture at which the fluid vapors are hot
enough to ignite spontaneously in ab-
sence of an ignition source [9, 10].
As shown in Figure 2, the problem
worsens if left unaddressed. Reynolds
discovered in 1883 [12, p. 86], that
low-viscosity fluids offer the best heat
transfer behavior in a forced-convec-
tion situation such as a typical heat
transfer system. Based on these find-
ings, one may think thermal cracking
is advantageous from a thermal con-
ductivity point of view. However, the
resulting drop in viscosity is not nec-
essarily favorable.
Safety risks
The concern is that the associated po-
tential reduction of the AIT of the de-
graded fluid can make the operation of
a closed system unsafe if the operat-
ing temperature nears or exceeds the
AIT. Moreover, shortened molecules
are not the only species formed during
thermal degradation of the fluid.
On the other hand, an open system
that is, one in which the heated
fluid is constantly in contact with the
atmosphere is even less forgiving.
Any drop in the heat-transfer fluids
flashpoint and fire point (defined as
the temperature at which the fluid
sustains a fire for five seconds in the
ASTM-D92 Cleveland Open Cup,
or COC flashpoint test apparatus)
could jeopardize the entire operation,
considering that the fluid was likely
chosen, in part, based on its fresh oil,
open-cup flashpoint rating (to which a
safety margin was likely added).
Efforts to determine a definitive re-
lationship between a drop in flashpoint
and a drop in AIT have not proven suc-
cessful. Fortunately for users, in many
cases where a petroleum-based fluid
exhibits a relatively low flashpoint, we
have seen the AIT remained high, but
this is not always the case.
The performance data shown in
Table 1 demonstrate how progressive
thermal degradation leads to steadily
diminishing flashpoint and viscos-
ity of the heat-transfer fluid. The gas
chromatography distillation (GCD)
test consists of a simulated distilla-
tion of the fluid in the laboratory. In
the cited example, the initial distilla-
tion point (GCD 10%) drops over time,
which again confirms the increased
concentration of low-boiling compo-
nents present in the fluid.
Performance problems
Another major consequence of thermal
cracking is the formation of carbona-
ceous residues (Figure 2), which result
from reactions of recombination. To a
certain extent, these particles can be
compared to soot that is produced dur-
ing fuel combustion in a diesel engine,
where it is documented that soot is
harder than the metallic components
of the engine [13].
Such unwanted carbon residues are
not only abrasive toward the piping,
but they also tend to stubbornly ad-
here and harden onto the hot surface
points, forming an insulation layer
inside the pipe. This occurrence often
forces the user to increase the heater
set temperature (increasing energy
consumption) to maintain the desired
operating fluid temperature.
As a general rule of thumb, Wheeler
[14] reports that the widely used
heat-transfer fluids based on poly-
alkylene glycols (PAGs) begin to ex-
perience thermal degradation near
250C (482F). Meanwhile, Wheeler
also reports that the thermal degrada-
tion of uninhibited polyethylene glycol
results in a mix of five organic acids
[15]. The formation of these byproduct
acids leads to increased corrosion over
time in high-temperature systems.
Of similar importance is the fact
that even systems running at tem-
peratures that are considered to be
relatively mild (for example, around
149204C or 300400F), are not ex-
FIGURE 2. Excessive thermal stress often results in a breakdown of the heat-
transfer fuid, and the carbonaceous byproducts can build up on the inside surfaces
of pipes
All photos: Petro-Canada Lubricants, a Suncor Energy business
14_CHE_120109_SAS.indd 33 11/19/09 1:24:59 PM
Feature Report
empt from the ravages that elevated
temperatures can bring, in terms
of the thermal cracking of the heat-
transfer fluid. For example, consider a
system in which the fluid experienced
a change in physical properties, com-
bined with oil-flow issues (for instance,
from a defective pump, a fluid contain-
ing solids, or some piping restriction
or pluggage) or a problem with the
heater (for instance, the heater coil or
electrical element has baked-on car-
bon that acts as an insulation layer
forcing a higher energy demand to
maintain the target fluid outlet tem-
perature). Such factors can cause a
rise in the skin-film temperature (the
temperature of the fluid immediately
touching the heated surface).
Any combination of the conditions
mentioned above can cause the skin-
film temperature to be significantly
higher than the temperature of the
fluid circulating in the center of the
heated pipe (which is called the bulk
oil temperature). The larger the gap
between skin film and bulk oil tem-
perature, the more energy the fluid
tries to distribute within itself through
turbulence. At some point, the fluid at
the heated surface will receive more
energy than it can absorb (its heat ca-
pacity), carry and release (its thermal
conductivity), resulting in thermal
degradation of the fluid.
Minimization strategies
Discussed below are ways to minimize
the thermal degradation of a heat-
transfer fluid in open systems.
Use the right fluid for the job. By
choosing a fluid with a high thermal
stability, Guyer and Brownell [16]
suggest that most problems associ-
ated with localized or temporary tem-
perature excursion can be prevented.
Ashman [17] also emphasizes the im-
portance of using a heat-transfer fluid
with a suitable thermal stability for
the application. Hudson, Sahasrana-
man [6, 7] and many others acknowl-
edge that petroleum-based fluids of
pharmaceutical quality produced by a
severe hydrogenation and hydrocrack-
ing process (also referred to as white
mineral oils) tend to have greater
thermal stability compared to petro-
leum base oils that are produced from
other refining methods [6, 7].
Use appropriate venting. Venting
involves the periodic release (from the
fluid and the system) of the light, more
highly volatile hydrocarbons that form
during thermal cracking. Venting is
typically carried out by circulating
some of the hot fluid to the expansion
reservoir, so that those molecules with
a relatively high vapor pressure can
naturally migrate into the gas phase
above the fluid. Then, depending on
the system design, the vapors are re-
leased directly into the atmosphere or
sent to a collection drum or tank, al-
though laws governing volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) and other environ-
mental trends cause most users to
collect the condensed low-boilers and
properly dispose of them.
Fresh fluid needs to be added pe-
riodically, to maintain the desired
fluid level (to prevent pump starva-
tion and cavitation when the system
charge contracts after a shutdown). As
a precautionary note, users should re-
member that fresh fluid must never be
added directly into the hot oil stream;
rather it should be added into the ex-
pansion tank or other cool reservoirs
connected to the system.
Venting continuously or for extended
periods is not advised, because the re-
sulting rise in the bulk fluid tempera-
ture in the expansion tank will accel-
erate oxidation (discussed below).
We recommend the use of an oil-
analysis program to determine the
rate of generation of low-boilers dur-
ing any operation. With proper vent-
ing and analysis, users can establish
how often, and for how long, the fluid
must be periodically vented, in order
to safely operate a high temperature
system with a fluid that stays in good
condition (maintaining characteristics
that are similar to the fresh oil for as
long as possible).
Adopt proper startup and shut-
down procedures. The successful
startup of any heat-transfer system is
important, since the faster the heat-
transfer fluid reaches its desired op-
erating temperature, the faster the
facility can produce its products and
begin to fulfill orders. This becomes
even more important for systems that
stop and start up regularly.
One may say that running the pump
and the heater for a few extra hours
to accommodate a slower, more-gentle
startup is not cost-effective, but for
many applications, such an approach
pays its own dividends. For instance,
by maintaining a more-gradual heat-
ing profile at startup, the fluid will
be able to effectively remove heat and
reduce the risk of thermal degrada-
tion, and minimizing the formation
and buildup of baked-on residues. The
net result will be extended planned-
maintenance intervals and greater
component life expectancy.
Shutdown procedures also impact
system efficiency and fluid life. For
instance, Stone [19] and others recom-
mend maintaining oil circulation after
TABLE 1. ANALYSIS DATA SHOWING THERMAL DEGRADATION OF
THE HEAT-TRANSFER FLUID AT A MEAT-PROCESSING FACILITY
Sample
date,
mm/dd/yy
Flash-
point, C
(COC)*
Water
content,
ppm
(Karl
Fisher)
Viscosity
at 40 C,
(centist-
okes, cSt)
Gas chromatoraphy distillation
(GDC)**
10%
boiling,
C
90%
boiling,
C
%
boiling
below
335C
04/04/00 154 660 27.0 327 512 10.49
08/10/01 155 580 23.2 307 507 14.40
06/11/02 175 313 22.7 317 490 12.80
09/09/02 171 51 21.2 201 481 31.90
12/09/02 161 220 20.5 304 489 16.20
03/12/03 175 42 19.8 294 490 19.00
After startup and shutdown procedure modification of April 2003
06/11/03 169 156 23.0 310 497 15.70
New fluid
properties
209 35.6 382 498 0.80
* COC represents analysis via the ASTM-D92 Cleveland Open Cup (COC) flashpoint test
apparatus.
** GCD = gas chromatography distillation. The GCD test consists of a simulated distillation of
the fluid in the laboratory. Comparison with the fresh-oil boiling curve allows for the detection of
lighter and heavier molecules in the fluids.
14_CHE_120109_SAS.indd 34 11/19/09 1:30:24 PM
the heater is turned off until its been
cooled to 65C (150F). The refrac-
tory material in a furnace is designed
to retain heat for as long as possible,
so stopping the oil flow immediately
after the heat source has been turned
off provides an opportunity for the
stagnant fluid to crack, forming low-
boiling fractions and carbon residues.
This negatively impacts the life of the
fluid and the overall heater efficiency.
With regard to smaller systems
such as temperature-controlled units
(TCUs) or extruders, many designs
have improved greatly in recent years
and now maintain fluid circulation for
some period of time following shut-
down as a common approach.
An insufficient shutdown interval
was the overall problem at the facil-
ity whose degraded fluid was shown in
Table 1. After a service call, it was de-
termined that the 249C (480F) sys-
tem was shut down on Friday evening
with only a short circulation period
following shutdown. It was fired up
again at 7:00 a.m. on Monday, to allow
for production to start at 9:00 a.m.
A full system shutdown and clean-
ing was deemed impossible by the
user at that time, so the fluid was left
untouched, but better future prac-
tices were implemented. The last set
of results in Table 1 shows that two
months after the initial analysis, the
rate of generation of low-boilers had
diminished (as seen in the percentage
boiled below 335C). As a direct result,
the facility did not add any new oil.
The increase in kinematic viscosity
and flashpoint, and the fact that the
strainer no longer collected carbon
residues in any appreciable amount,
provided evidence of improvement.
Consult your suppliers about
proposed design or operational
changes. Business is booming, more
production is expected from the plant,
more parts must be produced, and
lines need to be added. Do you need to
increase the operating temperature?
What about the flowrate, is it ade-
quate? What does your heater manu-
facturer think of the proposed addi-
tion? Operators should get as much
input as possible from their system
designer. manufacturers, and parts
and fluid suppliers before any major
changes are implemented. Stone [18]
recommends that operators should
maintain an updated list of contacts
and keep it handy for questions or
troubleshooting help.
It is relevant to document the skin-
film temperature in the current sys-
tem and in the proposed operating
conditions. Make certain your fluid
supplier confirms your current heat-
transfer fluids ability to handle any
new operating parameters.
Maintain, inspect and perform
preventative maintenance on sys-
tem components. Even though liq-
uid-phase systems commonly operate
above the flashpoint of the fluid (but
below its auto-ignition temperature),
the risk of fire should be very low in
a normal, well-designed system, espe-
cially one that is kept oil-tight, leak-
free and subject to regular inspection
and maintenance [19].
For any system where heat is pur-
posely generated to raise the fluid
temperature, ensuring proper opera-
tion of the heat source is critical to
achieve optimum performance. Daily
inspections, using a consistent check-
list of items to monitor are recom-
mended [18, 20]. For instance, fired
heaters should be inspected for flame
impingement, especially if the burner
is oversized or cycles frequently. In
the case of flame impingement, the
flame (whose temperature is typi-
cally on the order of 1,0931,650C, or
2,0003,000F) subjects the oil tubes
to excessive localized heat flux, which
can cause tube deformation and cok-
ing (resulting from thermal degrada-
tion, as seen in Figure 2), and leakage
with increased risk of fire [21].
In the case of systems equipped with
immersed electrical heaters, excessive
watt density, lack of fluid turbulence
around the hot tubes, or insufficient
flowrate often causes premature deg-
radation of the fluid. Such degrada-
tion can be offset in part by proper
fluid selection and maintenance prac-
tices [22, 23].
In any system, the oil-circulation
pump can be compared to the heart,
moving the fluid around. The pump
should be well-maintained. Specifi-
cally, drive bearings on the electric
motor and pump seals should receive
proper attention. Centrifugal pumps
should ideally operate at or near
their best efficiency point (BEP), with
bearings well-maintained and seals
working properly. Finally, the expan-
sion reservoir, piping, connections
and valves should be selected and
maintained appropriately, as part of a
world-class maintenance program.
Meanwhile, the life blood of the op-
eration the fluid itself should
be tested regularly. While further
discussion of the types of tests, their
significance and data interpretation
is beyond the scope of this article, the
FIGURE 3. These illustrations shows the type of varnish (left) and sludge (center,
right) that can result from oxidation-related degradation of a petroleum-based, chemi-
cal aromatic and polyalkylene glycol (PAG) fuid
14_CHE_120109_SAS.indd 35 11/19/09 1:32:17 PM
Feature Report
American Society for Testing and Ma-
terials (ASTM) Method D5372 should
be followed to properly monitor the
condition of heat-transfer fluids [24].
OXIDATIVE DEGRADATION
For the purpose of this article, we de-
fine fluid oxidation as the reaction of
the heat-transfer fluid with oxygen
from air. The oxidative degradation of
organic compounds is extremely com-
plex, as it involves a series of chemical
reactions that result in the formation
of high energy, unstable and reactive
free-radicals and peroxides. One initial
free-radical allows for the possibility
of forming two radical species, which
results in the formation of a variety
of oxygen-containing species, mainly
organic acids. These long-chained or-
ganic acids may be weak on their own,
but as their concentration grows in
the fluid, the oil eventually becomes
more corrosive [25].
These acids also polymerize often
to a level that is sufficient to modify
the fluid properties, causing an in-
crease in viscosity, discoloration and
eventually, precipitation as lacquer,
varnish and sludge [26] such as that
shown in Figure 3. The varnish for-
mation is seldom a concern in heat
transfer applications because of rela-
tively large pipe diameters and valves
with high tolerances. However, further
oxidation will lead to the formation of
heavier acids and sludge. Oxidation-
related sludge is not very soluble in
heat-transfer fluids, so it tends to ad-
here to metallic surfaces or settle in
areas of low flow and low turbulence.
Such sludge also tends to settle at
the bottom and the sides of the ex-
pansion tank, and can also circulate
throughout the system and make its
way into control valves.
Fluids for a specific project are gen-
erally chosen based on their proper-
ties in a fresh state. Any alteration of
the fluid physical properties (resulting
from degradation or contamination)
could negatively impact the heat ab-
sorption and dissipation capabilities
of the heat-transfer media.
Table 2 provides oil-analysis data
for an uninhibited, chemical aromatic
(synthetic), heat-transfer fluid that ex-
perienced oxidation in a large 27,000-L
(7,132-gal) system in Europe. (In this
context, the term uninhibited refers
to the fact that the fluid does not con-
tain additives such as anti-oxidants
and rust-corrosion inhibitors to pre-
vent degradation.) The acid number
(AN) as determined by ASTM D664
Method and used to quantify the level
of acids in an oil sample was in-
creasing over time.
The distillation of the fluid, repre-
sented by the GCD 10% boiling point,
shows the initial boiling is at the same
temperature as fresh oil, so thermal
degradation does not seem to be an
issue in this example. We notice the
viscosity has risen by 30% over time
and the end of the distillation curve
(GCD 90%) is shifting toward higher
temperatures, indicating the increas-
ing presence of heavy compounds not
found in the fresh oil.
An increasing amount of insoluble
particles are forming, and the AN
values are rising. By connecting the
dots, we conclude that oil oxidation
is causing an increased formation of
heavy acidic polymers that will foul
the low-flow areas of the system. This
degraded oil, with its higher viscosity,
cannot deliver the same performance
capabilities as fresh oil, and in todays
context of high energy costs, any loss
of efficiency is costly.
In the example discussed above, the
company could not afford a shutdown
to clean its system this year. Instead,
operators opted for a partial fluid re-
placement of 50% of the entire charge
this year (incurring an expenditure
of roughly $175,000, excluding waste
oil disposal and labor) and are plan-
ning a full drain, clean, flush and refill
next year. In general, fluid oxidation
imposes great cost penalties on any
system; the selection of a fluid with
better oxidation stability could have
avoided this massive spending and of-
fered many more years of useful life.
Discussed below are several options
that are available to avoid or minimize
potential oxidative degradation.
Inert gas blanketing. In closed sys-
tems, the most effective way to elimi-
nate the potential for oxidation is to
install an inert gas blanket in the ex-
pansion tank headspace. Hudson [29]
provides details and recommenda-
tions on how to install such systems.
The basic principle relies on substitut-
ing air (which contains oxygen) with
an inert gas (most often nitrogen, al-
though carbon dioxide and argon may
also be considered) in the only location
where warm oil can come into contact
with oxygen from air the expansion
tank headspace. Displacing oxygen
that might react with the fluids virtu-
ally eliminates oxidation.
The pressure of the inert gas is
maintained slightly above atmospheric
pressure. Gas-blanketing systems, in-
cluding the safety-relief valve, require
ongoing inspection and maintenance
to prevent inert gas leaks and limit
unnecessary, costly gas consumption.
Choose a fluid formulated for the
job. Oxidation-inhibitor additives are
also available to enhance the perfor-
mance of heat-transfer fluids. Most
chemical aromatics sold today contain
one or a few varieties of molecules
and do not contain any performance
enhancing additives such as antioxi-
dants or rust and corrosion inhibitors.
The additives that are used in heat-
transfer fluids are different from the
ones found in other industrial lubri-
cants that are not subjected to such
elevated temperatures. Specifically,
in the case of antioxidants, some tech-
nologies combat oxidation by reacting
with free radicals before they can lead
to acid formation, while others attack
intermediate peroxides [25].
Fluid selection is complicated by
the fact that it is extremely difficult
to determine the oxidation stability
of a heat-transfer fluid by its techni-
cal data sheet. Even though many of
the heat-transfer fluids on the market
today are unadditized, their respec-
tive marketing materials often praise
their fouling resistance and promote
their outstanding oxidation stability.
Thus, users should assess all product
claims with a critical eye.
In general, systems with an enor-
mous amount of oil tend to be more
forgiving because it takes a longer
time to oxidize a larger volume of fluid
to a point where it raises concerns in
terms of oil analysis results. In these
cases, user experience, references,
testimonials and competitive bench-
marking studies should be evaluated
in conjunction with vendor data, to
14_CHE_120109_SAS.indd 36 11/19/09 1:33:10 PM
assess the likely longevity of a fluid
for the application at hand and avoid
costly changeouts in large systems.
Compared to closed or blanketed
systems, open systems allow the hot
fluid to come in direct contact with
air, making oxidative damage a harsh
reality rather than a possibility. In
these cases, the importance of choos-
ing a robust product to maintain high
productivity standards becomes even
more important.
For example, an electronic company
operating an open system at 175C
(350F) was replacing its heat-trans-
fer fluid every six months, after which
time the fluid had become viscous and
dark with a burnt odor. Switching to a
fluid with better resistance to oxida-
tion enabled longer service life. In fact,
judging by the oil-analysis results, the
oil properties still look like new after
more than 24 months of service in
these harsh conditions. This obviously
saves the facility money in terms of
time, labor and fluid purchases.
In closed systems with no inert gas
blanketing, the key is to maintain the
fluid temperature in the expansion
tank below 65C (150F), if possible.
The main reason is because there is a
direct relationship between the tem-
perature and the rate of oxidation. For
instance, the rate of reaction between
a petroleum-derived oil with oxygen
(doubles for every 10C (15F) increase
above 80C (175F) (with slight varia-
tions depending on the author) [28], so
the higher the temperature the more
severe the degradation. And this does
not take into account the fact that the
oxidation reaction is exponential and
is accelerated by contaminants such
as copper or iron particles, water and
other catalysts.
Oxidation could occur in systems
with a design that allows the oil to
circulate through the expansion res-
ervoir with full flow, either directly
after the heater or on the return from
the heat users. Such design exposes
the hot fluid directly to oxygen from
air, thereby acceleraing oxidation and
greatly reducing fluid life.
Using the oil-analysis results, fluid
oxidation can be monitored by paying
close attention to acid number (AN)
and gas chromatographic distillation
(GCD) results.
MINIMIZING PROCESS
CONTAMINATION
Process contamination can be ex-
tremely damaging to the heat-transfer
fluid and the system components. As
is often the case, logic suggests that
contamination is unlikely since the
pressure is greater on the fluid side,
but real life experience has shown on
many occasions that process mate-
rial can enter the heat-transfer fluid
stream. The urgency required to fix a
process leak really depends on the se-
verity, the type of contaminant (chem-
istry), and the heat transfer media
it comes in contact with. The case of
contamination by water is discussed
in the next section, although water is
sometimes part of the process.
For example, in the oil-and-gas in-
dustry, a natural-gas-extraction fa-
cility may experience an unintended
leak of the process hydrocarbons into
the heat-transfer fluid system. Being
hydrocarbon-based, the heated gas-
eous molecules will mix very well with
heat-transfer fluids of a similar chem-
istry, such as petroleum-based fluids,
chemical aromatics and PAO Group
IV synthetic fluids ([4] provides de-
tails on competing fluid types). Within
a short time, the viscosity of the entire
fluid charge will be greatly reduced
and its overall volatility increased.
In a situation such as this one, em-
phasis must be put into venting the
heat-transfer fluid to release those
light hydrocarbons into the proper col-
lection device in order to maintain a
safe operation, and if at all safely pos-
sible, to keep the unit running until
the next shutdown opportunity to re-
pair the leak.
Another example of process con-
tamination in the petroleum industry
occurs frequently at asphalt termi-
nals. Similar to the example discussed
above, any unintended ingress of as-
phalt in the heat-transfer fluid circuit
will mix very well with most of the
fluids, since the majority are based on
long hydrocarbon chains. However, the
highly viscous hydrocarbon asphalt
will quickly thicken the fluid.
We have seen heat-transfer fluids in-
crease to several hundred centistokes
or even become too thick to measure
at 40C (104F), thereby ruining the
fluids ability to transfer heat effec-
tively. The heavy asphalt components
will also coat the system internals and
plug small lines, meaning a full sys-
tem cleaning and flushing will even-
tually become necessary to restore the
system to efficient operation.
In some cases, the contaminant it-
self may be inert to the fluid but it
may still react with traces of moisture
to form acidic or insoluble compounds.
These byproduct contaminants can ac-
celerate rust and cause corrosion and
fluid degradation.
Depending on the process contami-
nants that are inadvertently leaking
into the fluid system, it might be pos-
sible to detect them (qualitatively)
via oil analysis, using the common
elemental analysis method like In-
ductively Coupled Plasma Atomic
Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES).
Sometimes the contaminant can be
detected indirectly after it has reacted
with another compound in the fluid.
In some cases regular oil analysis will
not detect the process contaminant
and specialized methodology and in-
struments are needed, such as those
found in specialized research-and-de-
velopment facilities.
A quantitative evaluation to de-
termine the type and extent of the
contamination generally requires so-
phisticated equipment (such as an
electronic microscope, or gas chroma-
tography coupled with mass spectrom-
etry), as well as well-trained analysts
TABLE 2. OIL-ANALYSIS DATA DESCRIBING A FLUID THAT HAS EXPERIENCED OXIDATION
(SOURCE : PETRO-CANADA LUBRICANTS, A SUNCOR ENERGY COMPANY)
Sample
date, mm/
dd/yy
Flash point
(COC), C
Water
content,
ppm
(Karl
Fisher)
Viscosity
at 40C,
cSt
Acid num-
ber (AN*),
mg/KOH/g
Solids
(insolu-
bles), wt.%
GCD
10%
boiling, C
90%
boiling, C
% boiling
below
335C
05/12/04 193 301 30.4 <0.1 0.1 333 423 10.5
04/25/06 179 382 29.6 0.11 0.24 324 426 11.0
04/15/08 201 138 39.4 0.23 0.48 336 431 9.4
*Acid Number (AN) is obtained using ASTM D664 titration method, which is used to quantify the levels of acid in an oil sample.
14_CHE_120109_SAS.indd 37 11/19/09 1:35:49 PM
Feature Report
who are knowledgeable about the
product being tested and informed on
what contaminant types to look for.
Whenever a process leak is sus-
pected, it is advisable to reach out to
your fluid suppliers technical contact
immediately and explain the situa-
tion. A sample of the fluid should be
analyzed right away.
OTHER SOURCES OF
CONTAMINATION
In addition to contamination that
can arise from process materials (dis-
cussed above), heat-tranfer fluids may
also become contaminated by the envi-
ronment (rain or snow), condensation,
foreign liquids (such as the wrong fluid
put in the system), or the ingress of
air. For systems where the expansion
reservoir is outside and vented to the
atmosphere, it is critical to have at
a minimum an enclosed tank with a
180-deg, goose-neck pipe on the top.
This may sound very basic, but we
were once called to investigate un-
usual noise coming from the hot oil
piping at a saw mill. After assessing
the noise, we climbed up to the top of
the burner building to examine the
expansion tank. The 12-by-12-in. steel
cover normally bolted to the side of
the 250-gal expansion tank was lay-
ing on the catwalk, covered by a foot
of dirt, wood dust and snow and no
one could remember who had been up
there last. Rainwater and snow falling
directly into the expansion tank from
the open hole was responsible for the
high water content we later measured
in the fluid and the knocking noise in
the piping below.
New construction or recently cleaned
systems or heat exchangers are not
typically flushed before commission-
ing. However, in systems where a full
or partial cleaning was performed,
traces of aggressive cleaning fluids or
water-based solutions that are not re-
moved could accelerate corrosion, foul-
ing or create their own polymerization
and insoluble residues [29]. In newly
commissioned systems, aside from the
typical wood debris, welding rods and
rags, residual water from pressure
testing is most often the culprit for
startup problems. Unlike many indus-
trial applications, water in the heat-
transfer fluid is more easily detectable
by operators and unforgiving because
it is heated above its boiling point dur-
ing service in most applications.
Entrained water will affect various
fluid chemistries in different ways.
In lubricating and circulation fluids
based on mineral and synthetic Group
IV PAO oils, prolonged exposure to
water may cause the following [30]:
Hydrolysis or precipitation of
oil additives (for those oils that
have them)
Accelerated rust and corrosion of
system internals
Accelerate degradation (oxidation)
Cause pump cavitation and wear
Create a gargling noise in the expan-
sion tank and knocking in the hot
oil piping
Based on years of examining real-life
oil-analysis results, we can say that
in general, water does not appear to
pose immediate productivity concerns
at concentrations below 500 ppm (0.05
wt.%), although we have encountered
certain, more-sensitive systems where
lower concentrations did have a notice-
able impact. However, residual water
at concentrations above 1,000 ppm
(0.1 wt.%) becomes alarming and calls
for investigation and removal.
In the case of mineral oils, the best
practical way to remove the water
from a heat-transfer fluid while the
system is running involves more of a
two-step process. First, vent the fluid,
allowing the water vapor to migrate
into the expansion tank. Once inside
the expansion tank, some of the steam
will have sufficient vapor pressure to
leave through the vent pipe or safety-
relief valve when it opens.
In the case of PAG-based fluids,
the numerous oxygen atoms in their
structure produces strong hygroscopic
behavior that is directly proportional
to relative humidity in the environ-
ment. Wheeler [15] reports that at 50%
relative humidity, pure ethylene gly-
col absorbs 20% water at equilibrium.
This can cause serious concerns.
Lastly, operators must take steps to
guard against potential contamination
by airborne vapors or particles that
could affect the fluid. Just think of a
saw mill example, where entrained
cellulose dust from the wood dust may
not degrade the fluid itself, but will
affect the fluid's ability to flow, which
will reduce the thermal efficiency and
accelerate fouling in the system [29].
Such an occurrence is more likely to
happen if the expansion tank is lo-
cated in a very dusty environment.
Discussed below are a variety
of techniques for minimizing con-
tamination that can threaten heat-
transfer fluids.
Investigate and fix. All cases of con-
tamination should be investigated and
fixed, and such incidents should also
be reported to your fluid supplier, for
advice on the potential impact on the
fluid. As mentioned earlier, sometimes
the contaminant can be evacuated,
boiled off or it could ruin the fluid and
foul the system in a short time.
Flush new constructions or re-
cently cleaned systems before
startup. Operating companies and
builders seldom factor in the cost of a
system flush, since they often assume
the blowing of the water will be done
correctly and the contractors will not
leave debris in the piping. Unfortu-
nately, discovering such contaminants
after the system is running can prove
to be costly down the road. While no-
body needs the extra costs of flushing
a new system (especially when the
fluid of choice is relatively expensive,
like PAGs or silicone-based fluids), it
is nonetheless a good practice. With
systems filled with mineral oils, cir-
culating a virgin base oil of the same
viscosity as the heat-transfer fluid of
choice is a cost-effective way to remove
any potential contaminants.
Keep an eye on filters and strain-
ers. Solids collection in the oil filters
or strainers should be noted in a log
book and monitored closely, preferably
with photos taken. The size, texture
and color of the deposits all tell a story,
and such residues can be sent periodi-
cally to a laboratory with sophisticated
analytical equipment for accurate
identification.
Keep in mind that different solids
may come from more than one source,
and may become discolored, so dont
jump to conclusions.
Similarly solids from the previ-
ous fluids may reside in the system
for a long time before an event such
as pipe work or partial fluid replace-
14_CHE_120109_SAS.indd 38 11/19/09 1:36:43 PM
ment creates enough disturbance
to loosen them. We see this in cases
where a used furnace is bought and
commissioned without cleaning and
flushing prior to the connection to
the main system.
Often solids may have a familiar
smell or texture that suggests an
origin, but could well be something
else. For example, a plant was using a
heat-transfer fluid that caused valve
malfunction because of deposits accu-
mulating inside the valve spools. The
black, abrasive deposits looked and
felt like carbon particles (abrasive,
gritty between the fingers). However,
lab analysis identified the material as
copper sulfide, formed by the localized
chemical attack of sulfur present in
the fluids base stock onto the copper
from the brass valves.
The facility could have spent sev-
eral thousands of dollars in parts and
labor to upgrade all the valves to more
expensive stainless steel. Instead it
switched to a properly formulated fluid
based on highly refined API Group II
base oils containing only traces of sul-
fur. This replacement fluid has proven
to be harmless to copper components
after years of service, and has had
the added benefit of extending oil
changes considerably, based on oil-
analysis results.
Edited by Suzanne Shelley
Author
Gaston Arseneault is a se-
nior technical advisor with
Petro-Canada Lubricants, a
Suncor Energy business (1310
Lakeshore Road West, Missis-
sauga, Ontario, Canada L5J
1K2; Phone: 973-673-3164;
E-mail: garseneault@suncor.
com), located in the Newark,
N.J., area. With the company
for more than ten years,
Arseneault holds an M.S.
in analytical chemistry from the Universit de
Montral in Canada and is a member of Society
of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, from
which he has obtained the Certified Lubrication
Specialist (CLS) and Oil Monitoring Analyst
(OMA I) certifications. He also holds the Ma-
chinery Lubrication Technician I certification
from the International Council for Machinery
Lubrication.
References
1. Guffey II, G.E., Sizing up heat transfer flu-
ids and heaters, Chem. Eng., Oct. 1997, pp.
126131.
2. Shanley, A., and Kamiya, T., Heat transfer
fluids: A buyers market, Chem. Eng., Sept.
1998, pp. 6366.
3. Arseneault, G., Seven criteria for selecting
heat transfer fluid, Process Heating, January
2008, pp. 23.
4. Arseneault, G., Safe handling of heat trans-
fer fluids, Chem. Eng. Prog., April 2008, pp.
4247.
5. Crabb, C., A fluid market for heat transfer,
Chem. Eng., April 2001, pp. 7376.
6. Hudson, J., Choosing the heat transfer fluid,
Process Heating, January 2007.
7. Sahasranaman, K., Get the most from high-
temperature heat-transfer-fluid systems,
Chem. Eng., March 2005, pp. 4650.
8. Guyer E.C. and Brownell D.L., Handbook
of Applied Thermal Design, McGraw-Hill,
ISBN 0070253536, 1988, pp. 546.
9. Singh, J., Heat Transfer Fluids and Systems
for Process and Energy Applications, CRC,
ISBN 0824771915, 1985, p. 214.
10. Petro-Canada, TechData: Handbook of Pe-
troleum Product Terms, Revised Edition
89.06, 1989.
11. Kay, J.M., and Nederman, R.M., Fluid Me-
chanics and Transfer Processes, ISBN
0521303036, 1985, p. 18.
12. Peters, M.S., Elementary Chemical Engi-
neering, McGraw-Hill, 1984, p. 85.
13. Petro-Canada, TechBulletin: The Truth
About Soot, Edition 89.06, 1989.
14. Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engi-
neers (STLE), Basic Handbook of Lubrica-
tion, 2nd ed., 2003, Section 3, p. 8.
15. Wheeler, K., Technical Insights into Uni-
hibited Ethylene Glycol, Process Cooling &
Equipment, July/August 2002.
16. Guyer, E.C., and Brownell, D.L., Handbook
ISBN 0070253536, 1988, pp. 547.
17. Ashman, L.A., Troubleshooting problems in
heat transfer systems, Process Heating, Octo-
ber 1988, www.process-heating.com.
18. Stone, C.D., Eight tips to extend your ther-
mal fluid systems service life, Process Heat-
ing, April 2003.
19. BP (British Petroleum), Transcal Heat
Transfer Fluids, BP Printing, England, Doc-
ument # MP59, 1979.
20. Arseneault, G., Preventative maintenance for
heat transfer systems, World Pumps, April
2008, pp. 4043.
21. Vinagayam, K., Minimizing flame impinge-
ment in fired heaters, Chem. Eng., pp. May
2007, pp. 7073.
22. Klein, R., Immersion heaters: Selection and
implementation, Chem. Eng., January 2006,
pp. 4450.
23. Arseneault, G., Preventive maintenance for
heat transfer systems using electrical im-
mersion heaters, Process Heating, November
2006, p. 12.
24. ASTM International, ASTM D5372-04: Stan-
dard Guide for Evaluation of Hydrocarbon
Heat Transfer Fluid, 2004, p. 3.
25. The Lubrizol Corporation, Ready Reference
for Grease, The Lubrizol Corp., Wickliffe,
Ohio, Version 2.00, May 2007, pp. 3637.
26. Singh, J., Heat Transfer Fluids and Systems
for Process and Energy Applications, CRC,
ISBN 0824771915, 1986, p. 179.
27. Hudson, J., The Expansion Tank, Process
Heating, September 2007, accessed online at
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Lubrication, 2nd ed., Section 26, 2003, p. 8.
29. Guyer, E.C., and Brownell, D.L., Handbook
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14_CHE_120109_SAS.indd 39 11/20/09 10:23:43 AM
M
ost chemical engineers in-
volved with operating large
chemical process facilities
have encountered the fol-
lowing challenge: Several large engi-
neering contractors built the facility
in multiple phases, using different
computer-software models. Retriev-
ing drawings or data in both digital
and non-digital form in such a situ-
ation only adds complexity to opera-
tions, maintenance and revamp activ-
ities and often introduces yet another
problem to solve in each instance.
Obviously, these plants would be bet-
ter off with one complete computer
model of the entire operating facility.
And with the recent shift by software
vendors to support interoperability, a
single model can be achieved without
having to reenact the design of the
entire plant.
Interoperability is a term used in-
creasingly in engineering circles to
refer to the sharing and exchange of
digital information. In principle, its
as if all members of a networked engi-
neering team can exchange data freely
across different software products and
sources of engineering content. How-
ever, integration is not achieved with
the simple click of a mouse. Informa-
tion is often locked away in silos, so
creating a complete knowledge base
from disparate engineering infor-
mation can seem like knitting with
spaghetti. Such spaghetti conspires
against plant information integrity.
The role of engineering portals
At the individual interaction level, the
operations engineer would be much
more effective with common, transpar-
ent access to all engineering content
via one engineering portal that sup-
ports integrated operations. An engi-
neering portal is primarily read-only.
The purpose is to give the (operations)
engineer the widest access to all plant
information from his or her screen,
which helps in planning and decision
making. The purpose of the portal is
not to carry out changes in engineer-
ing design (greenfield or brownfield).
Changes should still be carried out
in the integrated engineering and
design software applications where
the engineering design changes are
mastered. Typically changes are car-
ried out in two-dimensional (2D) and
Feature Report
Feature Report
Neil McPhater
Aveva Group plc
Smooth Your
Retrieval of Plant-
Design Data
AREAS RIPE
FOR INTEGRATION
Integrating similar model
types (such as 3D mod-
els) from different soft-
ware vendors
Integrating data between
different types of models
(such as 3D models with
P&IDs)
Integrating similar model
types but different types
of data (such as 3D me-
chanical and 3D process
design data)
Even after construction and startup,
plant design data are needed for operations,
maintenance and revamps. But working with a
plethora of formats and platforms introduces
its own set of challenges
15_CHE_120109_RM.indd 40 11/19/09 3:14:23 PM
three-dimensional (3D) design appli-
cations. Once the design or changes
to it have been completed according to
the engineering approval process (ap-
proved for construction, approved for
fabrication and so on) the correspond-
ing data appropriately version con-
trolled might be downloaded to the
engineering portal to help manage
construction planning, for example.
Such portals require, in particular,
structure to navigate throughout the
portal to make engineering sense
of the diverse content. This is where
structured and intelligent 2D and
3D models originating from plant
design can add substantial value to
the portal by making navigation user
friendly for the engineers who are
using it.
Long after project design and con-
struction is complete, plant owners
and operators can reap rewards from
such systems by organizing ongoing
operations around it. A major oil and
gas producer, for example, uses intel-
ligent, 2D inspection-piping isometrics
as its engineering bible for both on-
shore and offshore plant maintenance.
Meanwhile, legacy 3D data for the
same plant from other plant design
systems can be transferred to the
portal, so that all maintenance and
engineering upgrades can be man-
aged together on a single system.
Such data structure and information
integration are made possible by con-
temporary data standards such as
the International Organization for
Standardizations (ISO) 15926 stan-
dard, which has advanced so it can
bridge the 3D gap between legacy and
incumbent plant data with no loss of
engineering intelligence, for example,
in piping or steelwork.
This article helps bring home the
benefits of interoperability and the
costs that result from its absence.
Costs of doing nothing
The lack of a single computer model
and structure for an entire operating
facility can be found everywhere and
represents a serious obstacle to the
engineering industry. Indeed, a report
from the National Institute of Stan-
dards and Technology (NIST; Gaith-
ersburg, Md.; www.nist.gov) estimates
that inadequate software interoper-
ability may cost the U.S. capital facili-
ties industry $15.8 billion annually
nearly 2% of the industrys revenues.
Some other reports and industry au-
thorities set the cost at twice the NIST
estimate. These reports suggest that
the chemical process industries (CPI)
and the architecture engineering and
construction industries experience the
greatest pain.
The reality is that information tech-
nology often is incompatible across
software products and, specifically,
data models. Paradoxically, while engi-
neering data standards were intended
to address the issue and enable so-
called digital convergence, they have
actually been part of the problem.
Nevertheless, recent progress in stan-
dardization is making inroads in sev-
eral key facets of interoperability (see
box, left, for more).
How does digital convergence
bring value to chemical engineers?
The catalytic ingredient for value
through digital convergence of plant
design data is the networked engi-
neering team. In this context, interop-
erability delivers collaborative advan-
tage on three specific dimensions. The
first is its total number of users in the
collaborative network. An associated
sub-dimension is the number of net-
worked engineering teams working to-
STANDARDS MAKE
INTEROPERABILITY POSSIBLE
I
n the mid-to-late 1990s, the Norwegian Posc Caesar Assn. (PCA), assisted by the
Dutch SPI-NL consortium established and developed ISO 15926 for the Offshore
oil and gas industry that has now become an international data standard. In recent
years, Fiatech has brought fresh U.S. vigor to accelerate the deployment of ISO 15926
and ensure its wider acceptability. This American-European double act is speeding up
industry adoption of market-acceptable standards.
As PCAs efforts over the last decade have shown, the development and successful
adoption of such data standards and methodologies as ISO 15926 and BIM (the Build-
ing Information Model being adopted in architecture and building design) take time
and effort. When handling projects measured in millions of dollars per day or even
per hour engineers are justifiably cautious about adopting new practices. For in-
stance, market adoption of BIM by structural engineers isnt expected to reach a tipping
point until after 2015.
However, the extent of Norways ambitions is exemplified by its vision of the offshore
future integrated operations. It strives toward a digital infrastructure and information
platform to enable remote operation from an onshore control center of unmanned oil-
and-gas production facilities in the North and Barents Seas within the next decade.
What you need to know about standards
There are many technical ins and outs to standards that are not important for a chemi-
cal engineer. The main thing to keep in mind is to stipulate applicable data standards
on commercial contracts. The consequences can be significant when close cooperation
between engineering contractors and sub-contractors is necessary during the design
and construction contract or during project handover to the owner/operator.
In fact, the handover phase is where a lot of valuable engineering intelligence can be
lost if standards are not part of the process. Companies giving out engineering orders,
for instance, should dictate in their contract to suppliers where data are part of the
deliverable, that the data be provided in a standard format such as ISO 15926.
FIGURE 1. A digital
information hub is the
ultimate interoperabil-
ity solution, providing
a centralized and
secure integration
platform for col-
laboration between
different types of
teams and their
needs to either
create, change
or simply read
plant design
data
15_CHE_120109_RM.indd 41 11/20/09 2:06:26 PM
Feature Report
gether in that network. In general, the
value of a network increases dispro-
portionately depending on the greater
the number of users. For example, this
is true on a much larger scale for tele-
phone networks.
The second value dimension reflects
the number of sources of engineering
content. Another way to describe this
is the number of information silos
connected together. As with network
users, the greater the number of in-
formation silos that can be inte-
grated, the greater the potential to
deliver value.
Finally, the third dimension of
business value from the network
represents the number of business
boundaries spanned by the networked
engineering team. Business boundar-
ies include the number of geographi-
cal sites spanned, functions crossed,
organizations covered and links in the
supply chain.
Ripe opportunities in the CPI
Integrating P&IDs and the 3D
models that parallel them. Many
plant engineers still rely on hard-
copy schematic drawings, or P&IDs,
many of which have been produced at
a number of different stages on differ-
ent computer systems. It is much more
efficient, however, to have the P&IDs
in a consistent digital format. In order
to do so, all the P&ID data must be as-
sembled together. This will let the en-
gineers manage the entire plant in a
consistent way that hasnt previously
been possible.
The missing piece for assembling all
of this data together is one common
language. Fiatech (Austin, Tex.; www.
fiatech.org) an industry consortium
that provides global leadership in iden-
tifying and accelerating the develop-
ment, demonstration and deployment
of fully integrated and automated
technologies to deliver business value
throughout the life cycle of all types of
capital projects like its European
counterpart PCA, has determined that
ISO 15926 be the common denomina-
tor. In theory, the use of standards is
very straightforward, but often gets
complicated in practice.
The most basic requirement that has
been met for solving the interoperabil-
ity challenge is that software vendors
are now beginning to deliver the in-
teroperability demanded by their cus-
tomers by complying with ISO 15926.
This enables all P&ID schematics
across the entire plant to be consoli-
dated and managed consistently. And
it gives plant engineers the ability
to check consistency between the 2D
schematics model and the 3D model of
the plant. A second data standard that
is going to have increasing importance
is Mimosa. This sets out a standard for
plant operations and maintenance. Al-
though less utilized than ISO 15926,
Mimosa is likely to have at least as big
a business impact.
Integrating 3D mechanical design
of equipment. Another challenge for
interoperability has been the inte-
gration of 3D computer aided design
(CAD) systems for mechanical design
with those for plant design. Histori-
cally, mechanical CAD with its em-
phasis on manufacturability has been
incompatible with multi-disciplinary
3D plant design. The disconnection of
these two systems is a key opportu-
nity for efficiency improvements.
Consider, for instance, a plant engi-
neer who is faced with an upgrade of
a specialized piece of equipment, such
as a reaction vessel. But this new item
has a different shape from its decom-
missioned predecessor and has been
designed using 3D mechanical CAD
software. Interoperability between
these two 3D systems would ensure
accurate spatial arrangement and en-
gineering tie-in.
How can this new piece of complex
equipment be incorporated into the
existing plant without loss of engi-
neering integrity? Recent advances
allow complex, mechanical equip-
ment items to be stored as intrinsic
parts of a 3D plant-design database.
A data standard called STEP AP 203
can transfer 3D mechanical CAD data.
Airbus and Boeing use it to digitally
verify that jet-engine designs from any
manufacturer can be installed first
time on their airframes. Using STEP
AP 203, the plant engineer can also
integrate the new equipment design
into the plant design with no loss of
engineering integrity, enabling error-
free and timely installation.
Required infrastructure
What sort of infrastructure is needed
to overcome barriers to interoperabil-
ity and deliver sustainable value from
ever increasing volumes of digital in-
formation on operating plant assets?
Fundamentally, a centralized and se-
cure integration platform, or digital
information hub (Figure 1), is required
to provide a neutral, collaborative en-
vironment that is independent of soft-
ware application and data format.
Such a digital information hub
needs to address not only longterm
information integrity of the opera-
tional plant, but also take into ac-
count shorter term requirements for
greenfield engineering projects, not to
mention smooth data handover for op-
erational startup.
In this hub, engineering content
from disparate data and document
STEPS TO TAKE TOWARD
INTEROPERABILITY
W
hen executed effectively, the ele-
ments below will deliver value
individually from interoperability.
The more points executed together, the
greater the beneficial business impact.
Engineering content
Employ data standards in a pragmatic
value-driven way now; no need exists
to wait for postponed perfection
Compare and integrate P&IDs with 3D
plant design
Migrate mechanical equipment items
from 3D mechanical CAD into the 3D
plant design system without loss of in-
telligence
Business directives
Prescribe data deliverables from proj-
ects to be contractually binding, prefer-
ably in the form of an accepted indus-
try data standard like ISO 15926
Be able to define/redefine business
processes in a flexible way to suit
value/supply chain
Be able to redefine document workflow
in a flexible way
Integration platform
Use proven, quality tools to capture
and validate data from third parties
Take advantage of flexible and generic
data associations
Be able to integrate non-engineering
enterprise data with the operational
engineering plant model
Be able to integrate realtime engineer-
ing operations data with operational
engineering plant models
15_CHE_120109_RM.indd 42 11/19/09 2:15:30 PM
sources needs to be harmonized and
controlled with appropriate portal ac-
cess given to networked engineering
teams in plant activities like mainte-
nance and revamps. It must support
flexible administration of team pro-
cesses and related document work-
flow. It must also use data standards
to accommodate extensive data cap-
ture and validation from widely used
third-party authoring tools, as well as
enterprise-wide systems.
A proven way to harmonize dispa-
rate structured and unstructured data
in engineering portals is to associate
topical data with related data in a ge-
neric way. Such generic data modeling
also underpins the ISO 15926 data
standard. This way, data associations
required for operations activities can
be easily set up. For example a reac-
tion vessel mentioned above may be
connected to Pump 123, be contained
in P&ID number 456, be part of a
maintenance workpack AB12 and be
available as a specialist piece of equip-
ment P123.
Conclusion
Data interoperability is a longterm
trend that inexorably changes the
business environment. Yet, its as much
about the journey as the destination.
This journey offers chemical and other
engineers the potential to overcome
software incompatibility and add value
progressively in achievable steps.
Already, substantial value is being
gained in the marine- and building-de-
sign industries by the pragmatic use of
appropriate standards like ISO 15926.
The CPI is the next frontier. Wider
use of networked engineering teams
and the molding of working practices
to take account of digital convergence
and thereby enable greater advantage
from the collaborative power of com-
puter networks. A digital information
hub appropriate to your operational
needs can deliver value both now
and in the future.
Edited by Rebekkah Marshall
Author
Neil McPhater is product
marketing manager in-
teroperability & special proj-
ects at Aveva Solutions Ltd.
(High Cross, Madingley Road,
Cambridge CB3 0HB, U.K.;
Phone: +44-1223-556626;
Fax: +44-1223-556666; Email:
neil.mcphater@aveva.com;
Website: www.aveva.com)
an Aveva Group plc company,
where he has responsibility
for interoperability strategy and deployment in
Aveva products. Originally trained as a mechani-
cal engineer in his native Scotland and on ship at
sea, McPhater worked in Switzerland, Germany
and England before turning his attentions to the
application of computers to support engineering.
He first joined Aveva at its Cambridge headquar-
ters in 1980 involved in a wide variety of software
development, marketing and management roles.
This included responsibility for delivering inte-
gration and translation solutions to the process
industries. Over the last 15 years he has been
an international champion of business benefit
derived from data integration using standards in
the process industries in such initiatives as Epis-
tle, ISO 10303 (STEP), PISTEP, POSC Caesar
Assn. and Fiatech. This experience is academi-
cally reinforced by an MBA (IT Hybrid) awarded
in the year 2000. McPhater has also served on the
Computer Committee of the Institute of Mechani-
cal Engineers for a number of years and has been
a member of the German Verein Deutscher Ing-
enieure (VDI) for the last three decades.
Gorman-Rupp has been manufacturing pumps for chemical applications since the 1930s. They can
be found in chemical and petrochemical plants, canneries, commercial laundries, pharmaceutical and
automotive plants. Whether your application requires standard centrifugal, self-priming centrifugal,
submersible or positive displacement pumps, youll nd the right Gorman-Rupp pump for the job.
445
15_CHE_120109_RM.indd 43 11/20/09 10:27:31 AM
T
he desire to move from batch to continuous processes
for the production of high-value organic molecules has
become more widespread in recent years as evidenced
by the increasing number of related studies published
in the literature. The benefits of continuous flow include
increased product yield, increased utility and energy uti-
lization, improved safety and greater automation. A quest
to improve the overall production economics for smaller or-
ganic molecules and many inorganic chemicals forced this
change on the bulk chemicals industry many decades ago.
But strong interest has not yet translated into the wide-
spread use of continuous processes for specialty chemi-
cals, fine chemicals and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
This article proposes that the use of small-scale reactions
can provide the missing link that brings continuous opera-
tion within practical reach.
Consider, first, that the great number of publications that
describe laboratory experiments involving dozens of differ-
ent chemistries (for instance, experiments that are seeking
yield improvements or hazard reductions, or simply dem-
onstrating the translation of a batch process to continu-
ous mode), often champion the use of microreactors. These
ultra-small-scale devices work on the principle of creating
short characteristic transport lengths (on the order of tens
or hundreds of micrometers) with their very small, internal
physical structures, and this helps to improve mixing and
heat transfer rates.
However, pilot and production plant managers are often
resistant to adopting microdevices, wary of blockage or
damage, and uncertain in the face of a general absence of
demonstrated high-capacity units. This article explores the
following questions: Is it necessary for fine chemicals and
pharmaceutical chemical manufacturers to move all the
way from stirred-tank reactors (STRs), with volumes on
the order of hundreds or thousands of liters, down to mi-
crodevices, whose channels have dimensions on the order of
hundreds of micrometers, in order to realize improvements
in heat and mass transfer? Or might there be some use-
ful intermediate size of equipment that would enable con-
tinuous production and provide the desired performance
advantages?
This article presents the case for that middle ground, dis-
cussing reactors whose critical dimension are of the order
of millimeters (so-called milliscale or millichannel reac-
tors) and explores relevant information and approaches
for using such milliscale reactors to carry out small-scale,
continuous reactions. Relevant questions that users should
answer when considering what equipment to utilize are
also addressed.
Scales of reactor
In any reactor, continuous or batch, the main performance
characteristics are how well mixing, mass transfer and heat
transfer can be carried out. One of the main purposes for
using continuous-flow reactors is to gain increased control
and improve the homogeneity of the reaction mass. This is
based on the expectation that continuous operation yields
more-consistent and predictable mixing and heat transfer
capacity, and allows for the precise setting of operating pa-
rameters, all of which lead to improved product quality.
The microdevices used in the laboratory today are, be-
cause of their dimensions, good tools for demonstrating
fast chemistry that is, rapid reactions that are nor-
mally finished within a few seconds. The question we are
Feature Report
Engineering Practice
Martin Jnsson and Barry Johnson
Alfa Laval
Millichannel Reactors:
A Practical Middle Ground for Production
Diameter volume
Stirred
tank reactor
Pipe Millichannel Micro-
channel
Flow regime
Turbulent Intermediate Laminar
FIGURE 1. As shown (left to right), the progressive downsiz-
ing of reactor devices brings with it corresponding changes in
the dominant fow regime
Reactors with millimeter-scale
dimensions provide mixing,
heat transfer and other advantages
over devices with larger dimensions,
and increased robustness compared
to microdevices. Here are tips
to consider for using them
16_CHE_120109_EP_SAS.indd 44 11/19/09 3:48:27 PM
considering here is: Can milliscale devices give sufficient
performance benefits, in terms of mixing and heat transfer,
while giving producers an option for robust production in
an industrial environment?
As shown in Figure 1, as the characteristic dimensions of
competing devices get smaller, there are competing changes
from a reaction engineering viewpoint (for instance, the
movement in and of the liquid decreases as the flow be-
comes laminar, so there is less help from the fluid in gener-
ating mixing and heat transfer; thus the dominant mixing
mechanism becomes diffusion). During progressive down-
sizing, the surface-area-per-unit-volume increases, thereby
aiding thermal control. Another way of thinking about the
fluid dynamics is that in large vessels we must consider,
macro-, meso- and microscale mixing phenonenon, in the
middle domain meso and macro scale mixing takes place,
while in microdevices, only micromixing takes place.
Mixing in the milliscale device will generally be much
more uniform than in a stirred tank of similar capacity,
thereby providing a less-varied processing history for all
molecules and yielding a more uniform product.
The actual geometry of the flow path in a milliscale pipe
or channel can also be designed (although with potential
tradeoffs in terms of pressure drop) to increase the mix-
ing and heat-transfer performance of the device, bringing
it closer to what might be achieved using microchannel de-
vices. Inserts in a pipe (called static mixers) or channels
with varying diameters or added twists and turns along
their length are additional options to increase the fluid dy-
namics inside the reactor. Such structures help to break
up larger fluid structures and reduce transport distances.
Several milliscale devices bring greatly improved mixing,
retention time and plug-flow characteristics to low Reyn-
olds number (laminar) flows through enhanced flow in
their radial direction caused by Dean vortices.
When investigating inter-phase mass transfer using
such milliscale devices (for instance, for immiscible liquid-
liquid systems), the speed at which individual molecules
cross the phase boundary cannot be greatly affected. But
the rate of generation of surface area and the total amount
of surface area available for mass transfer can both be in-
creased, thereby increasing the overall mass-transfer rate.
In addition, more-advantageous modes or flow regimes,
such as plug flow or engulfment flow, can be established in
continuous devices with smaller channels.
In addition to the performance characteristics mentioned
above, the degree of plug flow also needs to be considered
when evaluating continuous reactor options. In general, the
degree of plug flow is determined from the residence-time
distribution of the reactor, and indicates the uniformity of
processing history that each molecule or fluid element ex-
periences. A typical target requirement for plug flow in a
reactor is a Bodenstein number of 100 or greater. This can-
not be achieved in a straight milliscale pipe (Figure 2).
The process requirements and capabilities of any contin-
uous reactor must also be matched to the practical capabil-
ities of the feed pumps that are coupled to them. Perfect
plug flow calls for perfect pumps if the required feed
ratios are not achieved at all times in a perfect plug-flow
reactor then there will be unreacted material remaining at
the outlet. Thankfully for pump manufacturers and process
developers, all reactors do have some extent of axial disper-
sion that can act to correct initial stoichiometry devia-
tions created by fluctuation in the flows from real pumps.
TABLE 1. AVERAGE PROPERTIES RELEVANT TO TEMPERATURE CONTROL FOR THE DEVICES SHOWN IN FIGURE 1
Reactor device Stirred-tank reactor Pipe
(Static mixer in
shell-and-tube
configuration)
Millichannel
reactor
(Plate reactor)
Microchannel
reactor
(Glass chip)
Device dimension 1 m 12.5 mm 2 mm 100 micrometers
Surface area, m
2
/m
3
4 300 1,500 40,000
Overall heat transfer coeffi-
cient (HTC), U
av
(W/m
2
K)
400 1,000 3,000 10,000
Volumetric heat transfer
coefficient,* MW/m
3
K
0.002 0.3 4.5 400
Note: Volumetric heat transfer coefficient = HTC x surface area per unit volume. The volumetric heat transfer coefficient can be combined with a low
estimate for the temperature difference between the utility and process temperatures (1 to 10 K) and used to screen which reactors would be capable
of controlling the heat output from a particular exothermic reaction.
0.20
0.10
0.00
Time (s)
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
0.30
0.40
Inlet probe
Outlet probe
0.50
0.60
0.70
0.80
P
r
o
b
e

v
o
l
t
a
g
e

(
V
)
FIGURE 2. Shown here is a residence-time distribution from
a milliscale device corresponding to a Bodenstein number of
roughly 150. Key features to note are the fact that the shape
of the peak changes little on passage through the device, and
there is no long tail on the outlet peak, which would indicate
retention of material in the device
16_CHE_120109_EP_SAS.indd 45 11/19/09 3:49:41 PM
Table 1 shows some of the average properties
that are relevant to temperature control for the
devices shown in Figure 1.
To illustrate the suitability of the different
scales of flow devices shown in Table 1 for re-
moving the heat generated in a reaction, we
consider a simple neutralization reaction where
all of both reactants are added together very
quickly. This would be considered a very fast
process and therefore difficult to control in the
case of a batch reactor. (The solution in a batch
reactor would be to slowly add parts of one re-
agent to all of the second reactant.)
Neutralization of 1 m
3
of a one molar acid so-
lution in a reactor (independent of type), with
a residence time of 60 seconds, would release
60,000 kJ of energy in 60 s, creating heat output
of 1 MW. This heat will be removed by the mil-
liscale and microscale reactors discussed above,
and it might be made to fit in the larger shell-
and-tube reactor by spreading out the process
along the reactor length by using multiple reac-
tant feed points.
However the calculation does not account for
variations in the reaction rate as it proceeds.
More realistically for a second-order kinetic pro-
cess, 75% of this heat might be released in the first 10 s of
reaction, giving an initial heat-release rate of 4.5 MW that
would need to be accommodated by the reactor. This fur-
ther reduces the options to milliscale and microscale chan-
nels. It does not, of course, mean the reactor will provide
isothermal operation along its entire length, but the extent
and timescale of the temperature rise does limit the occur-
rence of side or degradation reactions.
Converting batch to continuous
Typically for an exothermic reaction, either the feedrate
to a batch reactor will be designed or controlled such that
the temperature in the vessel does not rise significantly
(isothermal operation), or the operating temperature will
(also) be decreased to reduce reaction and heat release
rates (although this is a more costly option). These modi-
fications to a true batch operation are important not only
from a safety perspective, but also from a product-quality
perspective.
For instance, with longer operating times (on the order
of hours) associated with many batch processes, it is impor-
tant to design a system that avoids or minimizes potential
thermal degradation. Further complicating the issue, the
temperature inside a tank reactor can vary significantly
throughout the vessel, but point or averaging measure-
ments often do not record such variation.
When we consider a continuous reactor, the simplest op-
eration mode is to add all the reactants together at once.
This approach leads to high initial reaction rates and
therefore high rates of heat evolution. In a reactor with
relatively large dimensions (that is, not on the milliscale or
microscale), this would cause the temperature of the reac-
tion medium to rise. It is the magnitude of this rise and
the time that the molecules are exposed to higher tempera-
tures that influence the degradation of product quality.
To combat this phenomenon, continuous reactor devices
with higher heat-transfer rates are necessary and the type
of reactor must be determined by the amount of energy re-
leased, the heat transfer timescale, and the kinetics of the
degradation processes. Because many of the smaller-scale
reactor technologies are relatively new, it is important to
discuss requirements with the reactor supplier.
The high thermal capacities of milliscale and mi-
croscale devices (Table 1) can help to limit and control the
temperature rise to a much greater extent than with a
stirred-tank reactor that accompanies so many organic
chemical reactions. So the question for the process devel-
oper becomes: Can I withstand a small, non-isothermal
temperature profile along the reactor? In other words, will
a temporary excursion even one that lasts just a few
seconds cause significant product degradation? Even
if significant deviation from isothermal operation is not
an option, there is the added possibility of using multiple
feed points along the reactor, in essence to help spread
out the exotherm, although this might complicate the en-
gineering.
Moving to industrial scale
Continuous reactors for replacing current small-scale,
batch-production equipment (for instance, for use by fine
chemicals and pharmaceutical manufacturers) must be
capable of providing residence and reaction times rang-
ing from a few seconds to many minutes, and yet still be
capable of throughput rates on the order of one or more
metric tons per year (m.t./yr). These simple criteria call for
a reactor volume on the order of 0.11 L. Such a unit has
FIGURE 3. In this small-scale, continuous reactor installation, the utility
and reactant supply are shown on the left and the reactor is on the right.
The reaction channel dimensions are 2 mm. Although the reactor footprint is
very small, this apparatus could perform many campaigns in a year, making
tens of kilograms of pharmaceutical candidates. Or, if ftted into an existing,
multipurpose batch plant (using existing reactors as feed and collection
vessels), such a setup could produce 10 m.t./yr of a single product
16_CHE_120109_EP_SAS.indd 46 11/19/09 3:53:17 PM
a relatively small footprint and could be accommodated in
most standard fume hoods thereby opening the way to
industrial-scale production, for at least clinical phases, in-
side the laboratory setting (Figure 3).
To reach even greater production levels for instance, to
produce a 1,000 m.t./yr or more larger reactor volumes
(to 20 L) are required. This scaleup of production capacity
also means the reactor would have to move out from the
fume cabinet to a larger-scale production plant.
When it comes to scaling up promising lab-based reac-
tions, the following options should be considered:
Traditional scaleup move from a smaller-diameter
flow path to a larger-diameter flow path. This ap-
proach can be applied to pipes and milliscale channels. An
increase in channel diameter from 2 mm to 10 mm provides
a 25-fold increase in area, and correspondingly, potential
throughput rate. However, the user, or supplier, must be
sure that the required performance is maintained, particu-
larly for flows with low Reynolds number (laminar). For ex-
ample, the plug flow characteristics of a simple pipe would
degrade significantly. This degree of increase of the chan-
nel dimensions is significantly less than for stirred tanks,
so using traditional chemical engineering principles can
provide a faster and more robust procedure, thereby reduc-
ing development time.
However, the main limitation of the traditional scaleup
approach is the decrease in surface area per unit volume
of reactor which affects the heat removal. But this is
significant only in the very fast reactions.
Numbering up use a greater number of the same
reactor device that was used in the laboratory. This
approach has been considered for many years as the route
to achieve greater throughtput using microreactor devices,
and as a concept, this approach is very attractive. The claim
is that because the fluid dynamics and heat transfer will
remain the same in each of the many repeating channels
or devices, such a larger-scale setup will produce the same
quality of product as that of the laboratory setup.
However, the ability to achieve large-scale production
may require hundreds or thousands of microchannel de-
vices, which will engender considerable engineering re-
quirements for distribution, manifolding, measurement
and control of divided flows.
A combination of scaleup and numbering up can also be
applied with milliscale reactors so that the number of ac-
tual units required can be reduced, while still achieving
considerable scaleup. Recently DSM Pharma Chemicals re-
ported a small-scale, continuous nitration process produc-
ing 25 m.t. of product over a four-week campaign. This pro-
cess used several parallel lines of devices with individual
channel cross-sections on the order of 12 mm
2
and dem-
onstrated that it is practical to combine limited numbering
up with limited scaleup.
Important performance criteria
What is often overlooked is that in addition to mixing and
cooling capabilities, competing reactor options for indus-
trial-scale production should also be assessed for their per-
formance capabilities in the following areas:
Solids. Resistance to blockage or availability of strategies
to remove any buildup inside the reactor before fouling
becomes an issue
Physical robustness. This refers to the ability of the reac-
tor to remain unaffected by small changes in shape or
finish
Cleanabilty and inspectability. This is especially impor-
tant in fine chemical and pharmaceutical applications
Flexibility. Modern plants have to enable multipurpose
operation
Mechanical design. The design must be considered
with regard to its ability to meet industry and regulatory
standards
Solids handling. The specter of entrained solids hangs
ominously over the application of any small-scale, continu-
ous reactor device. Most chemical processes run the risk of
involving solids, whether intended (reactants or products)
or unintended (byproducts, fouling, debris or as a result
of loss of process or equipment control). The risk of solids-
related problems very often precludes consideration of mi-
crodevices for use in applications that require reliable and
uninterrupted production runs.
There are two primary options for addressing the problem
TABLE 2. COMPARISON OF CAPABILITIES FOR DIFFERENT REACTOR TYPES
Reactor device Pipe
(Static mixer in shell-and-
tube configuration)
Milliscale channel
(Plate reactor)
Microscale channel
(Glass chip)
Device dimension 12.5 mm 28 mm 100 micrometers
Surface area (relative) 100 1,000 10,000
Mixing time (relative) Medium Medium-fast Fast
Solids handling Possible Possible Limited
Flexibility Limited Good Limited
Scaleup Limited work on chemistry Limited work on chemistry Numbering up represents a
big engineering challenge
Production
equipment
Industry standard Industry standard Limited due to potential
safety issues
Cleaning options CIP and manual CIP and manual CIP only
16_CHE_120109_EP_SAS.indd 47 11/19/09 3:54:37 PM
of solids-related damage: 1) Transform the process in some
way to remove the solids involved (that is, by going back
to the chemists); or 2) Select equipment whose dimensions
are large enough to manage any potential entrained solids
without detrimental effect (an engineering approach).
Reactor devices with milliscale channels will handle
some solids entrained in liquid flows, but currently there
is very little information available to the end user, and the
knowledge base is further restricted by a lack of extensive
literature on scales less than one inch, and of systems for
pumping slurries. Because particles with a diameter of
100 micrometers or less can often be assumed to remain
suspended in flow, the ability to keep velocities as high as
possible for particles larger than this is an important con-
sideration during reactor selection.
Physical robustness. The robustness of the process (that
is, its ability to keep producing products that meet speci-
fications) is a reflection of both the chemistrys ability to
withstand small deviations in operating conditions and in
the performance of the reactor itself. Hence, the resistance
of the reactor to being changed by the process is important.
The ultra-small structures of micro devices are susceptible
to damage and erosion by particles over the operating life-
time. Similarly, any solids deposition could quickly affect
the heat transfer and alter the flow patterns significantly.
Cleanabilty and inspectability. The users ability to
clean and inspect any reactor is of enormous importance,
and unfortunately, this aspect of reactor selection often re-
ceives too little attention. Today a number of sealed reac-
tor-plate units (made from glass, plastic or metal) are on
the market. In a number of examples, such reactors have
been shown in a laboratory setting to perform the target
chemical reactions successfully (Figure 4).
However, when scaling up the process to commercial
FIGURE 4. Some
milliscale reactors
can be fully dis-
mantled for clean-
ing and inspection.
Up to 25 plates can
be stacked in the
unit shown, each
with a potential
throughput of sev-
eral hundred liters
per hour, and they
can be connected
either in series or
in parallel
16_CHE_120109_EP_SAS.indd 48 11/20/09 1:30:46 PM
production, it is less clear if and how those responsible for
quality in production and cleaning will adopt these sealed
units. Will there be a demand to visually inspect a produc-
tion reactor or will cleaning in place (CIP) be acceptable to
regulators? From an efficiency standpoint, CIP is the fast-
est way, but the ability to open a unit and inspect it might
still be necessary to validate the CIP method.
Meanwhile, in reactor devices where plates, channels or
pipes can be opened, other issues arise. For instance:
Microscale and other small channels are very difficult to
inspect visually
If a numbering-up approach is used to increase through-
put volume, then the number of channels or plates to be
inspected may become large. If, as some claim, these ul-
tra-small-scale reactors themselves become inexpensive
enough to become disposable, there would still be a work-
load associated with acceptance, validation and commis-
sioning steps that must be repeated with each new set of
disposable reactors
In general, more-uniform reaction mixtures and increased
fluid motion might limit the deposition of solids. Modu-
lar continuous units, which can be disassembled and in-
spected in an hour or two, are available to ease inspection
and cleaning.
New strategies for continuous-flow reactors, such as the
use of short, periodic flushing cycles to reduce deposits mid-
campaign (steps that resemble CIP practices), may also be
considered, since associated startup and shutdown times
are short. However, what still needs to be developed are
consistent, industry-wide operating and quality-assurance
and quality-control (QA/QC) protocols to govern their use.
Flexibility. Flexibility is the hallmark of the traditional
STR, which can be utilized for heating, cooling, mixing, re-
action and separation. However, the STR flexibility brings
its own associated costs. For instance, lower performance
leads to deoptimization of the process to reduce the duty,
and greater safety concerns when operating with large
volumes of hazardous processes or harmful reagents. Any
continuous reactor technology must offer the user some
flexibility to be able to perform all of these different pro-
cess operations with different performance requirements,
and unlike the STR, be able to have different throughputs
(in terms of turn up and turndown, which requires spare
capacity in the pumping and utility systems).
When it comes to millichannel reactors, flexibility can be
achieved by using reactor systems that offer modular con-
struction, whereby channels or pipes of differing size can
be configured in a common frame or shell. The alternative
to this would be a multi-reactor plant where a number of
different reactors are permanently installed in a way that
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in print and on the web
Contact: HeIene Hicks
hhicks@che.com
212-621-4958
See page 54 for the
Dec. 2009 Literature Review
16_CHE_120109_EP_SAS.indd 49 11/20/09 7:32:33 AM
they can be plumbed together, as needed, to configure a
composite reactor that meets the needs of the application.
Mechanical design considerations. Chemical reactors
that are operated as pressure vessels must comply with
various local and international codes for pressure vessels,
for instance, from the American Society of Mechanical En-
gineers (ASME) in the U.S., and from the European Pres-
sure Vessel Directive (PED) in Europe.
It is possible to gain the confidence and experience of
operating a reaction continuously in a homemade equip-
ment configuration (using, for instance, capillary tubing),
and to gather proof-of-concept and reaction kinetics infor-
mation for future scaleup in a milliscale reactor or static-
mixer-based unit. Due to the general absence of produc-
tion-scale reactors that are able to fulfill the mechanical
requirements of plant production, many continuous-flow
technology transfer investigations have stalled, resulting
in missed opportunities to reduce production costs.
Closing thoughts
Table 2 provides a comparison of the general characteris-
tics and capabilities of the various types of reactors dis-
cussed here. In general, milliscale channel reactors have
mixing and heat transfer advantages over STRs. It is ques-
tionable how often the additional heat transfer and mixing
capabilities of a microscale reactor over a milliscale reac-
tor is essential to performing a continuous reaction process
successfully.
Milliscale reactors also provide sufficient performance
and offer a good compromise between performance and
industrial robustness, which can help to meet the varied
needs of the chemistry, the operator and the production
plant. This should not be a surprising conclusion, after all,
compact plate heat exchangers are becoming increasingly
widespread in the process industries and they operate very
robustly with channel dimensions that are on the order of
just a few millimeters. Similarly, a number of the claimed
microreactor successes have actually been performed in
millimeter-scaled channels.
Edited by Suzanne Shelley
Authors
Barry Johnson is product & process development
manager for the Alfa Laval Reactor Technology divi-
sion, at the companys site in Tumba, Sweden (Phone:
+44 7710 194365; Email: barry.johnson@alfalaval.com).
With the company since 2002, Johnson works with the
commercial investigation and development of various
technologies and products for process intensification. In
his current role, he is engaged in the worldwide launch
and early implementation phases of the companys Plate
Reactor technology. Prior to joining Alfa Laval, Johnson
was with a chemical engineering consulting firm in the
U.K., where, among other things, he managed mixing re-
search consortia. Johnson holds a B.S. in chemistry, and a Ph.D. in physical
chemistry from the University of Leeds (England). He has also completed
post-doctorate studies in analytical science and chemical chaos.
Martin Jnsson has been working as a chemical engi-
neer for the last 12 years. He holds an M.S.Ch.E. from
Lund University (Sweden), he started as a commis-
sioning and design engineer (and eventually served as
project manager) for formaldehyde and resins plants.
He joined Alfa Laval in 2001 as an application engineer,
with responsibilities for the design of heat exchangers
for the fine and specialty chemical industries. He also
worked as a market development manager for conden-
sation and evaporation duties before taking the respon-
sibility for the launch of Alfa Laval reactor products.
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Accurate level measurement
in steam applications
Dynamic Vapor Compensation (DVC)
is a new option available for the Rose-
mount 5300 Series of High Perfor-
mance Guided Wave Radar (GWR)
level transmitters (photo). DVC elimi-
nates accuracy errors associated with
varying pressure and temperature
that occur in vessels where steam
vapor is present, such as in boilers,
boiler feedwater heaters and steam
drums. Unlike traditional technolo-
gies, such as displacer and mechani-
cal gages, the DVC option, which com-
prises of a probe with built-in reflector
and software, is corrosion-resistant,
offers improved safety with a gastight
dual seal, has no moving parts and is
maintenance-free. Designed for chal-
lenging level and interface measure-
ments on liquids, slurries and solids,
the 5300 series GWR transmitters
have minimal installation require-
ments. The DVC uses a reference re-
flector at a fixed distance on a rigid,
single probe to measure the vapor
dielectric. This measurement is then
used to automatically compensate for
vapor dielectric changes resulting in a
final accuracy of within 2% (compared
with up to 30% specific gravity error
in density-based level measurements
or up to 20% for GWR if no compen-
sation is made). Emerson Process
Management, Austin, Tex.
www.emersonprocess.com
This pump protection switch can
be used in a variety of situations
The Gladiator pump protection switch
(photo) can be used in applications
where pipe or wall mounting with
minimal protrusion is required. It can
also be used to detect the presence of
liquids to ensure the pump will never
run dry. The switch has immunity
to build-up and monitors materials
with a wide range of dielectric con-
stants. Designed to operate in tough
industrial environments, the switch
is simple to set up and calibrate, and
is temperature stable. The Gladiator
communicates using
Modbus, HART, or Pro-
fibus protocols. A re-
mote amplifier can be
positioned up to 500
m (1,640 ft) away from
the unit. Applications
include monitoring liq-
uids in the petrochemi-
cal, food-and-beverage,
water and wastewater
industries, as well as
monitoring levels of
dry powdered material
for industries including
cement, glass, pharma-
ceutical, mining and
minerals and fertilizers.
Hawk, Melbourne,
Australia
www.hawkmeasure.
com
An easy way to measure
level is introduced
The Level Sensor (photo)
for continuous level mea-
surement uses the principal of buoy-
ancy by weighing an inert plastic
chain, secured below the fluid surface,
determining the inverse of liquid level
and converting it to an analog, digital
or wireless electronic signal for indi-
cation, alarming or other applications.
The products are easy to install, easy
to use and easy to maintain. These
level instruments install with screw
or flange connections; may be repaired
in place, by replacing modular com-
ponents; interface with most common
industrial signals or protocols; meet
standards for explosion-proof or in-
trinsic safe applications; and use no
moving parts to foul, drift or degrade.
Levelese, Inc., Denver, Colo.
www.levelese.com
Measure levels in challenging
environments
The PT4500 and PT4510 submersible
pressure transmitters (photo) have
been optimized for detecting the level
of water or other media with simi-
lar density in challenging
industrial environments. To
deliver accurate level detection, a
transmitter is placed at the bottom of
the tank holding the liquid, and the
transmitter then converts the pressure
reading to an analog 420-mA-output
signal. The electrical connection to the
transmitter is routed through the top
of the tank and contains power and sig-
nal wires. It also includes a breathing
tube that is used as a reference port to
determine the atmospheric pressure
outside of the tank. These IP-68 rated,
stainless-steel pressure transmitters
may be used in industrial applica-
tions, as well as hazardous classified
areas. Turck, Plymouth, Minn.
www.turck.us
A radar level transmitter
that is economical
The Model R82 radar transmitter
(photo) is based on pulse-burst-radar
technology, and is an economical so-
lution for simple applications. The
26-GHz, loop-powered, non-contact
transmitter provides ease of configu-
ration with either the menu-driven
four-pushbutton, two-line by 16-char-
FOCUS ON
Level Measurement
And Control
Emerson Process Management
Levelese
Turck
Hawk
Magnetrol
17_CHE_120109_CUS.indd 51 11/19/09 4:06:20 PM
Focus
acter display, HART digital communi-
cation or PACTware. This allows com-
plete configuration via the local user
interface, or remotely with the added
capability of capturing echo wave-
forms and viewing trend data, diag-
nostic conditions and all transmitter
configuration parameters. Magnet-
rol, Downers Grove, Ill.
www.magnetrol.com
Measure submersed solids
under water
The SmartBob-SS sensor (photo) is de-
signed for applications of submersed
solids under water, such as measuring
the level of settled salt. The Smart-
Bob-SS sensor drops a weighted bob
through the liquid; when the bob comes
into contact with solid settled material
at the bottom of the tank, it retracts
and sends a measurement to a Smart-
Bob control console or a PC loaded
with eBob software. The SmartBob-SS
sensor comes configured with a 3-in.
standpipe for ease of instal-
lation, a stainless-steel cable
that stands up to corrosive
materials, and a SureDrop cap
that prevents the weight from
being retracted into the pipe
and protects the device from
unwanted material entering
through the standpipe. Bin-
Master, Lincoln, Nebr.
www.binmaster.com
A hand-held device to measure
levels in non-metallic containers
Designed for use in a wide variety
of applications, the C-Level sensor
(photo) is a quick, inexpensive way
to detect the level of liquid or solids
within non-metallic containers. The C-
Level provides a quick assessment of
partial containers and offers accurate
level identification, accurate to within
in., without opening or weighing
drums. The device is powered by a
standard 9-V battery and includes a
power-saving automatic shut-off fea-
ture. Applications include inventory,
plant operations, auditing, quality
control and others. Tecmark Corp.,
Mentor, Ohio
www.tecmark.com
Detect and control interfaces
with this switch
The FlexSwitch FLT93S flow/level/
temperature switch provides accu-
rate interface detection and control
in applications such as the operation
of separation tanks and other ves-
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17_CHE_120109_CUS.indd 52 11/23/09 7:38:17 AM
sels with mixed density media. The
FLT93S Switch monitors, controls and
alarms flowrates or levels of critical
fluids, such as foams, emulsion lay-
ers, liquids and slurries. Its rugged
industrial design and housing pro-
vide reliability and long service life
under harsh plant environments. The
FLT93S Switch is a dual-function, in-
sertion-style instrument that offers ei-
ther flow/temperature sensing or level/
temperature sensing in a single device.
Unlike density displacers, which are
often used for level and interface con-
trol, the FLT93S Switch relies on the
specific heat-transfer properties of the
media to identify the interface of dif-
ferent products. With its thermal dis-
persion sensing capability, the FLT93S
monitors the interface of products with
similar densities and can identify the
interface between various types of
media including foam, emulsion lay-
ers, liquids and slurries. The FLT93S
Switchs dual-switch-point option al-
lows one instrument to control two dif-
ferent product interfaces. Two or more
switches are used to control product
discharge and intake at specified
points. Fluid Components Interna-
tional, San Marcos, Calif.
www.fluidcomponents.com
Transmit level data with
this wireless system
The DX80 (photo) provides a low-cost
method for transmitting data between
process sensors and higher level sys-
tems, such as DCS or SCADA sys-
tems. The DX80 includes two devices,
a node (wireless transmitter) that
resides in the field and interfaces to
measurement devices, and a gateway
(wireless receiver) that resides in the
main control panel and interfaces to
a PC or PLC. Each node accepts up to
two analog and two discrete-switch
inputs. Each gateway accepts up to 55
nodes. The DX80 wireless transmit-
ter and receiver communicate via a
frequency hopping spread spectrum
(FHSS) radio system that ensures the
message is delivered and is secure.
The DX80 is available in two different
models: the 900 MHz frequency (U.S.,
Canada and Australia) or the 2.4 GHz
(rest of world) ISM (instrumentation,
scientific and medical) band. The sig-
nal range is three miles, line of sight,
and especially suited for tank farms;
plastic pellet, cement, and aggre-
gated storage silos; and hydrocarbon
storage tanks. K-TEK Corp., Prai-
rieville, La.
www.ktekcorp.com
Dorothy Lozowski
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
ChemEnggII09half-ol.pdf I0/I?/?009 9.44.S? AM
K-TEK
17_CHE_120109_CUS.indd 53 11/20/09 10:40:13 AM
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Literature Review
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For technical information, call 203.743.4447
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GEA Niro A/S 28I-5
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Heinkel USA 28D-4
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Honeywell Process
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1-877-466-3993
Hytorc Inc 28D-5
201-512-9500
Load Controls Inc 28D-8
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Microsoft Dynamics 12
Petro-Canada Lubricants 7
Rembe GmbH
Safety + Control 48
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Samson AG 6
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International Section
* Additional information in
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See bottom of next page for advertising sales representatives' contact information
Alloy Screen Works 59
800-577-5068
Amistco 60
1-800-839-6374
Avery Filter Company 59
201-666-9664
Charles Ross &
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866-797-2660
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847-439-2303
Equipnet 59
781-821-3482
e-simulators 59
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Indeck 60
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Send Advertisements and Box replies to: Helene Hicks, Chemical Engineering, 110 William St., 11th Floor, New York, NY 10038
20_CHE_120109_AD_IND_RS.indd 61 11/23/09 7:32:16 AM
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Economic Indicators
December 2009; VOL. 116; NO. 13
Chemical Engineering copyright @ 2009 (ISSN 0009-2460) is published monthly, with an additional issue in October, by Access Intelligence, LLC, 4 Choke Cherry Road,
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PLANT WATCH
Siemens gasification technology
selected for Taylorville Energy Center
November 10, 2009 Siemens Energy, Inc.
(Orlando, Fla.; www.siemens.com) has
been chosen to provide the coal gasifica-
tion technology for the Taylorville Energy
Center (TEC), the 730-MW (gross) ad-
vanced clean-coal generating plant being
developed near Taylorville, Ill. TEC will be one
of the nations first commercial-scale, coal
gasification plants with carbon capture and
storage (CCS) capability. TECs integrated
gasification combined-cycle (IGCC) tech-
nology will capture and provide storage
for at least 50% of the carbon dioxide that
would otherwise enter the atmosphere. TEC
is projected to be operational in 2014.
Envergent biomass pyrolysis process will
power new facility in Europe
November 4, 2009 A new biomass-to-oil
power plant in Europe will use a process
developed by Envergent Technologies
(Des Plaines, Ill.; www.envergenttech.com),
a Honeywell (Morris Township, N.J.; www.
honeywell.com) company. Plans for the fa-
cility, which is projected to begin operation
in 2012, followed an agreement between
Envergent and Industria e Innovazione, an
Italian power generation company. The new
European facility will be designed to process
about 150 metric tons (dry) per day of a
mixture of pine forest residues and clean de-
molition wood, and convert the biomass mix
into pyrolysis oil. Envergent is a joint venture
between UOP (Des Plaines, Ill.; www.uop.
com) and Ensyn Corp. (Wilmington, Del.;
www.ensyn.com).
Another Unipol polyethylene
plant slated for China
November 4, 2009 Univation Technologies
LLC (Houston; www.univation.com) has an-
nounced that Yulin Energy and Chemical
Ltd. of Yanchang Petroleum Group Co. (Yulin)
has selected Univations Unipol PE Process for
a 300,000 metric ton per year (m.t./yr) poly-
ethylene (PE) plant. The facility will be located
in Shaanxi Province, Peoples Republic of
China. The Unipol PE Process facility will be fed
by a unique combination of conventional
feedstock and coal-to-olefins feedstock.
Planned startup of the facility is 2013.
Aquatech to work on water treatment
and reuse projects in Egypt
October 30, 2009 Aquatech Corp. (Can-
onsburg, Pa.; www.aquatech.com) has
been awarded a contract to supply a
multiple-effect-distillation (MED) seawater-
desalination system for the Abu Qir Thermal
Power Plant in Egypt. The facility will supply
10,000 m
3
/d of fresh water to the power sta-
tions boilers and other users. Earlier this year
Aquatech was also awarded a wastewater
reuse project for a chemical facility by TCI
Sanmar Chemicals LLC, located at Port Said,
Egypt. The reuse system will have a capacity
of 8,500 m
3
/d to recover over 90% of the wa-
ter suitable for use within the complex.
Linde to invest in largest air-
separation unit in India
October 27, 2009 The Linde Group (Mu-
nich, Germany; www.linde.com) has an-
nounced that it will build and commission
a state-of-the-art, 2,550 m.t./d air separa-
tion unit (ASU) at Tata Steel Ltds plant in
Jamshedpur, India. Once commissioned
in early 2012, this will be the largest air
separation plant in India and one of Lindes
largest in Asia. The investment for the new
ASU amounts to nearly 85 million, bringing
Lindes total investment in India over the last
three years to approximately 285 million.
Celanese to expand emulsions
manufacturing in China
October 26, 2009 Celanese Corp. (Dallas,
Tex.; www.celanese.com) has announced
it is expanding its vinyl acetate/ethylene
(VAE) manufacturing facility at its Nanjing,
China, integrated chemical complex. The
investment will support continued growth
plans for the Celanese Emulsion Polymers
business throughout Asia, including China,
India and Southeast Asia and Australia. The
expanded facility will double the companys
VAE capacity in the region and is expected
to be operational the first half of 2011.
MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS
Dow Corning acquires U.S. and Brazilian
silicon-metal-manufacturing assets
November 6, 2009 Dow Corning Corp.
(Midland, Mich.; www.dowcorning.com)
has acquired two chemical-grade-silicon
manufacturing assets from Globe Specialty
Metals, in an acquisition valued at ap-
proximately $175 million. Dow Corning pur-
chased 100% of Globe Metais Indstria e
Comrcio S.A., a silicon metal manufacturer
in Par, Brazil, which will immediately begin
operating as Dow Corning Metais do Par
Ltda. Dow Corning has also acquired a 49%
interest in Globe Metallurgical Inc.s silicon
manufacturing operation in Alloy, West Vir-
ginia. The operation will continue to operate
as WVA Manufacturing LLC.
Arkema proposes to close a
PVC production unit
November 6, 2009 Arkema (Colombes,
France; www.arkema.com) has proposed
a plan to shut down a polyvinyl chloride
(PVC) production unit in Balan, France. The
Balan facility currently has three PVC units
with a 325,000-ton overall capacity. The
smallest of these three units, with a 30,000
ton/yr capacity, will be closed, while the
two remaining plants will be modernized.
This plan is expected to be implemented
2nd Q 2010.
BASF to realign its fuel
cell business
November 5, 2009 BASF SE (Ludwigshafen,
Germany; www.basf.com) is realigning its
business for the fuel cell market. In the future,
competencies for the production of high-
temperature, membrane-electrode assem-
blies (MEAs) will be concentrated in Som-
erset, N.J. Operational activities at the BASF
Fuel Cell GmbH site in Frankfurt, Germany,
will be discontinued effective December 31,
2009. BASF plans to close the Frankfurt site in
the course of 2010.
Alstom establishes carbon capture unit
with Lummus acquisition
October 30, 2009 Alstom (Levallois-Perret,
France; www.alstom.com) has established
a new unit, Alstom Carbon Capture GmbH,
with the acquisition of the former Lummus
Global. The new unit has the capabilities re-
quired for the design and turnkey delivery of
CO
2
-capture plants and will be integrated
into Alstoms existing carbon-capture-sys-
tems activities. Alstom is currently involved at
various stages in ten demonstration projects
of CO
2
capture systems.
Milliken expands colorants portfolio for
global thermoset plastics industry
October 14, 2009 Milliken & Co. (Spar-
tanburg, S.C.; www.millikenchemical.com),
through a subsidiary, has acquired the
assets of Rebus, Inc., a North American
provider of pigment and additive disper-
sions for the thermoset-plastics industrial-
coatings markets. Milliken will continue to
operate Rebuss existing manufacturing
facility in Aston, Pa.
Dorothy Lozowski
BUSINESS NEWS
FOR MORE ECONOMIC INDICATORS, SEE NEXT PAGE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHE.COM DECEMBER 2009 63
21_CHE_120109_EI.indd 63 11/20/09 1:22:42 PM
Economic Indicators
CURRENT BUSINESS INDICATORS
LATEST PREVIOUS YEAR AGO
CPI output index (2000 = 100) Oct. '09 = 94.2 Sep. '09 = 94.0 Aug. '09 = 93.2 Oct. '08 = 101.0
CPI value of output, $ billions Sep. '09 = 1,491.0 Aug. '09 = 1,481.5 Jul. '09 = 1,454.9 Sep. '08 = 1,835.2
CPI operating rate, % Oct. '09 = 69.6 Sep. '09 = 69.3 Aug. '09 = 68.6 Oct. '08 = 73.7
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) Oct. '09 = 243.3 Sep. '09 = 248.4 Aug. '09 = 236.9 Oct. '08 = 275.7
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2002=100)* Oct. '09 = 97.6 Sep. '09 = 97.7 Aug. '09 = 97.0 Oct. '08 = 106.0
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) Oct. '09 = 149.3 Sep. '09 = 150.1 Aug. '09 = 148.7 Oct. '08 = 143.6
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100) Oct. '09 = 137.1 Sep. '09 = 136.0 Aug. '09 = 134.3 Oct. '08 = 128.9
60
65
70
75
80
85
70
80
90
100
110
120
1000
1300
1600
1900
2200
2500
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
CPI OUTPUT INDEX (2000 = 100) CPI OUTPUT VALUE ($ BILLIONS) CPI OPERATING RATE (%)
2009 2008
400
450
500
550
600
650
J F M A M J J A S O N D
DOWNLOAD THE CEPCI TWO WEEKS SOONER AT WWW.CHE.COM/PCI
1320
1335
1350
1365
1380
1395
1410
1425
1440
1455
1470
1485
1500
1st 2nd 3rd
Quarter
4th
Annual Index:

2001 = 1,093.9 2003 = 1,123.6 2005 = 1,244.5 2007 = 1,373.3

2002 = 1,104.2 2004 = 1,178.5 2006 = 1,302.3 2008 = 1,449.3
CURRENT TRENDS
S
eptember capital
equipment pries (as re-
flected in the Chemical En-
gineering Plant Cost Index)
increased by 0.7% over the
previous month less than
half the increase from July
to August, which amounted
to the largest jump since
equipment prices bottomed
out in May.
Meanwhile, the CPI output
index and operating rate
continue to climb, but each
is still below its level of the
same period one year ago.
Visit www.che.com/pci
for more on capital cost
trends and methodology.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT COST INDEX (CEPCI)
(1957-59 = 100) Sep. '09
Prelim.
Aug. '09
Final
Sep. '08
Final
CE Index
525.6 521.9 608.9
Equipment 621.5 615.8 744.4
Heat exchangers & tanks 563.3 560.9 758.4
Process machinery 604.0 599.1 674.3
Pipe, valves & fittings 768.3 752.0 865.6
Process instruments 409.6 400.7 446.8
Pumps & compressors 895.9 895.9 886.3
Electrical equipment 464.7 462.1 468.5
Structural supports & misc 632.5 630.8 817.8
Construction labor 327.1 327.5 328.2
Buildings 493.0 491.1 529.9
Engineering & supervision 345.4 346.0 351.7
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
Annual Index:
2001 = 394.3
2002 = 395.6
2003 = 402.0
2004 = 444.2
2005 = 468.2
2006 = 499.6
2007 = 525.4
2008 = 575.4
*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.
Current business indicators provided by Global insight, Inc., Lexington, Mass.
MARSHALL & SWIFT EQUIPMENT COST INDEX
(1926 = 100) 3rd Q
2009
2nd Q
2009
1st Q
2009
4th Q
2008
3rd Q
2008
M & S INDEX
1,446.4 1,462.9 1,477.7 1,487.2 1,469.5
Process industries, average 1,515.1 1,534.2 1,553.2 1,561.2 1,538.2
Cement 1,509.7 1,532.5 1,551.1 1,553.4 1,522.2
Chemicals 1,485.8 1,504.8 1,523.8 1,533.7 1,511.5
Clay products 1,495.8 1,512.9 1,526.4 1,524.4 1,495.6
Glass 1,400.4 1,420.1 1,439.8 1,448.1 1,432.4
Paint 1,515.1 1,535.9 1,554.1 1,564.2 1,543.9
Paper 1,416.3 1,435.6 1,453.3 1,462.9 1,443.1
Petroleum products 1,625.2 1,643.5 1,663.6 1,668.9 1,644.4
Rubber 1,560.7 1,581.1 1,600.3 1,604.6 1,575.6
Related industries
Electrical power 1,370.8 1,394.7 1,425.0 1,454.2 1,454.4
Mining, milling 1,547.6 1,562.9 1,573.0 1,567.5 1,546.2
Refrigeration 1,767.3 1,789.0 1,807.3 1,818.1 1,793.1
Steam power 1,471.4 1,490.8 1,509.3 1,521.9 1,499.3
21_CHE_120109_EI.indd 64 11/20/09 1:23:18 PM
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