September 2011 PDF

September
2011
Pa
g
e
3
2
D
-1
www.che.com
Pneumatic
Conveying
Systems
Focus on
Engineering
Software
Page 34
Tires,
Old and New
Water
Treatment
Challenges
Facts at Your
Fingertips:
Sterilization
Silencing
Hydraulic
Hammer
‘Step-down’
Filtration
Tank
Vapors
Calculating
Liquid Volume
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September 2011 In This Issue Volume 118, no. 9
only on
che.com
Our redesigned
website featuring:
www.che.com
Extras from our
Show Previews;
Cover Story New Products;
34 Cover Story Specifying Elastomer Seals and more
for Plastic Piping Careful attention to *Articles marked with
elastomer properties and variation by man- an asterisk have addi-
ufacturer can help optimize specification tional content online
News
11 Chementator Microbe-based process for
GBL nears commercialization; Solvent extrac-
commentary
tion for recovering bitumen from tar sands;
Boost heavy metal recovery from wastewater 5 Editor’s Page
with graphite-oxide coated sand; and more Equipment & Services Kirkpatrick finalists
announced Four
17 Newsfront Tires, Old and New As the 29 Focus on Engineering Software More finalists have been
demand for new, fuel-efficient tires grows, physics means more applications with this selected for the 2011
engineers are developing new recycling CFD software; Expanding applications Kirkpatrick Award for
methods to deal with the growing piles of with this multiphysics software; Improve Chemical Engineering
used tires crystallization processes with this model- Achievement. Read
23 Newsfront Making Waves Modern ing tool; Particle and fluid flow are mod- who they are here
chemistries and equipment are helping eled by this software; and more*
chemical processors get a handle on water 32D-1. Show Preview — ChemInnovations departments
treatment challenges Exhibitors and attendees are gearing up Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
for the 2nd annual ChemInnovations Con- Bookshelf. . . . . . . . 8–9
Engineering
ference and Expo to take place in Houston
28 The Fractionation Column Believe your Who’s Who. . . . . . . . 33
this month. This preview outlines the
instruments, unless... False instrument conference tracks and describes some of Reader Service
readings can create havoc in a process, until the products and services to be featured page. . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
they are recognized to be wrong including: Achieve high performance with Economic
32 Facts at Your Fingertips Sterilization filtration with this compact design; Protect Indicators. . . . . . 71–72
Approaches This one-page reference personnel and equipment with this explo-
advertisers
guide describes several sterilization tech- sion vent; and more
niques used in high-purity processing Product Showcase. . . 65
32D-7. Show Preview — Weftec A sam-
38 Feature Report Moving Air in Pneu- pling of the products to be displayed at Classified
matic Conveying Systems These selec- Weftec in Los Angeles next month is given Advertising. . . . . 66–68
tion criteria apply to dilute-phase systems here, including: Gas mass flowmeter de- Advertiser Index . . . . 69
44 Engineering Practice Reboiler Conden- signed for adaptability; A compact closed-
coupled pump design; Change these seals coming
sate Drums: Silencing Hydraulic Ham- in October
mer While condensate pots are widely quickly and easily; and more*
32I-1. Show Preview — Powtech Over Look for: Feature
used, there is still much to be learned to
1,000 exhibitors are expected in Nurem- Reports on Pump
avoid operational problems
burg next month to showcase their prod- Maintenance; and Liquid
50 Engineering Practice Reduce Costs Filtration; an Engineer-
ucts and services, including: Pharma drums,
With ‘Step-Down’ Filtration Filtration ing Practice article on
lifters, containment valves and more; Use
using “step-down” particle retention can Packed Column Design;
this spray dryer to obtain data for success-
help reduce operating costs and achieve News articles on Gas
ful scaleup; Customized plants with all the
cleaner solutions Detection; and the
accessories from one source; and more
52 Engineering Practice Tank Vapors: Op- Kirkpatrick Award; Facts
32I-6 New Products and Services at Your Fingertips
timize Ejector Sizing for Better Control
(International Edition) New modules on Steam Handling; a
Properly sized ejector stations can save
enable higher suction volumes from these Focus on Weighing; a
capital costs and reduce downtime
pumps; This chip-based viscometer is new installment of The
55 Engineering Practice Calculate Liquid easy to operate; A continuous-chemistry Fractionation Column;
Volumes in Tanks with Dished Heads A system for a wide range of reactions; This and more
downloadable spreadsheet simplifies the temperature sensor’s electronics are built
use of these equations* into the connector; and more* Cover: David Whitcher
Chemical Engineering www.che.com September 2011 3
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Editor’s Page
Published since 1902

An Access Intelligence Publication
Kirkpatrick finalists announced
F
our finalists have been selected for the 2011 Kirkpatrick Award for
Publisher Art & Design Chemical Engineering Achievement. The winner will be announced
Mike O’Rourke DAVID WHITCHER Monday, September 12 in Houston at a reception to kick off ChemInno-
Publisher Art Director/ vations. All CE readers are invited and may register at www.cpievent.com.
morourke@che.com Editorial Production Manager
dwhitcher@che.com Environ International Corp. — Cost-saving control device for facil-
Editors
Production
ity-generated volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions: Removal of
Rebekkah j. Marshall
MICHAEL D. KRAUS VOC emissions, especially benzene from petroleum refineries, is tightly regu-
Editor in Chief
rmarshall@che.com VP of Production & Manufacturing lated by regulatory authorities and has been limited primarily to vapor phase
mkraus@accessintel.com
Dorothy Lozowski adsorption (activated carbon) and thermal oxidation (incineration). Environ
Managing Editor Steve Olson International has developed and received regulatory certification (in the U.S.)
dlozowski@che.com Director of Production &
Manufacturing for an alternative control device that treats air emissions in an activated-
GERALD ONDREY (Frankfurt)
Senior Editor
solson@accessintel.com sludge aeration tank — equipment that already exists in most facilities for
gondrey@che.com John Blaylock-CookE the purpose of wastewater treatment. The Environ solution removes VOC va-
Ad Production Manager
Scott Jenkins
jcooke@accessintel.com
por-phase emissions from the air medium by diffusing them directly into the
Associate Editor
sjenkins@che.com aqueous-phase activated-sludge system, which is already acclimated to the
Marketing
organic compounds requiring treatment. In comparison to traditional meth-
Contributing Editors Jamie Reesby
Marketing Director ods, the new process conserves energy by eliminating either fuel for thermal
SUZANNE A. SHELLEY
sshelley@che.com
TradeFair Group, Inc. oxidizers or fuel to transport and regenerate spent carbon offsite.
jreesby@che.com
Charles ButcheR (U.K.) Invensys Operations Management and ConocoPhillips — Advanced
cbutcher@che.com Jennifer Brady alkylation measurement solution. Hydrogen fluoride (HF) alkylation is
Marketing Coordinator
Paul S. Grad (Australia) TradeFair Group, Inc. the most widely used process for synthesis of isooctane (octane) for gasoline
pgrad@che.com jbrady@che.com blending. In this process, tight control of the constituent concentrations can
Tetsuo Satoh (Japan) Audience save millions of dollars per year. Early approaches to HF monitoring in-
tsatoh@che.com Development
volved taking manual samples and analyzing them in a laboratory, which of-
Joy LePree (New Jersey) Sylvia sierra
jlepree@che.com Senior Vice President, fers limited accuracy and exposes workers to toxins. More recent techniques
Gerald parkinson
Corporate Audience Development
ssierra@accessintel.com
are very accurate, but adaptation for realtime online monitoring is complex
(California) gparkinson@che.com and costly. Invensys and ConocoPhillips have developed a non-spectroscopic
Sarah Garwood
Editorial Audience Marketing Director
measurement solution called ACA.HF Advanced Alkylation that simplifies
Advisory Board sgarwood@accessintel.com and dramatically lowers the cost of online monitoring of HF, while reducing
John Carson
George Severine risk to plant workers. The system costs about half that of contemporary sys-
Jenike & Johanson, Inc.
Fulfillment Manager tems and requires minimal maintenance because its core components are
David Dickey gseverine@accessintel.com
MixTech, Inc. built from rugged materials long proven in industrial HF applications.
Jen Felling NSR Technologies, Inc. — Green route to potassium hydroxide and hy-
Mukesh Doble List Sales, Statlistics (203) 778-8700
IIT Madras, India j.felling@statlistics.com drochloric acid. NSR has commercialized a new chemical pathway for pro-
Henry Kister
Information ducing 45–50% KOH solution and 7% HCl via membrane separations tech-
Fluor Corp.
services nology and ion-exchange chromatography. The first environmentally friendly,
Trevor Kletz
Loughborough University, U.K. Robert Paciorek cost-effective alternative to electrolysis (chlor-alkali) in decades, the NSR pro-
Senior VP & Chief Information Officer
Gerhard Kreysa (retired) rpaciorek@accessintel.com cess yields high purity products that are free of mercury and oxidizing spe-
DECHEMA e.V. cies, and does not produce the hazardous air pollutant chlorine. NSR’s novel
Charles Sands
Ram Ramachandran Senior Developer multipass design reduces the fluid recirculation requirements, which reduces
(Retired)
The Linde Group
Web/business Applications Architect
csands@accessintel.com
overall plant size, space requirements and cost. Salt contamination is mini-
Corporate
mal, and 40% less energy is consumed per unit of product manufactured.
Steve Barber Brian Nessen Oxford Catalysts and Velocys — Small-scale, modular synthetic-
VP, Financial Planning & Internal Audit Group Publisher fuel technology. Velocys has developed facilities for the conversion of
sbarber@accessintel.com bnessen@accessintel.com
associated or stranded gas into synthetic gas-to-liquids (GTL) fuels, as
Headquarters
well as biomass- and coal-to-liquids (BTL/CTL), producing synthetic fuels
88 Pine Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10005, U.S.
Tel: 212-621-4900 Fax: 212-621-4694 economically from just 5 million standard cubic feet per
European Editorial offices day of gas, or 500 metric tons per day of biomass or coal.
Zeilweg 44, D-60439 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Steam methane reforming (SMR) and Fischer-Tropsch
Tel: 49-69-9573-8296 Fax: 49-69-5700-2484
(F-T) reactors accelerate reactions by up to 1,000-fold
Circulation Requests:
and intensify processes by minimizing heat- and mass-
Tel: 847-564-9290 Fax: 847-564-9453
Fullfillment Manager; P.O. Box 3588, transport limitations, with safety, efficiency and size
Northbrook, IL 60065-3588 email: clientservices@che.com benefits. Sister company Oxford Catalysts provides su-
Advertising Requests: see p. 70 peractive, selective, stable F-T catalysts, optimized for
For photocopy or reuse requests: 800-772-3350 or info@copyright.com
For reprints: Wright’s Media, 1-877-652-5295, sales@wrightsmedia.com microchannel reactors. ■
Rebekkah Marshall
03_CHE_090111_ED.indd 5 8/23/11 9:44:41 AM

Letters
Chopey scholarship awarded

The 2011 Nicholas Chopey Scholarship for Chemical Engi-
neering Excellence has been awarded to Eric Fees, a third-
year chemical engineering student at the University of
Kansas (Lawrence; www.ku.edu). Fees is studying abroad
this summer, focusing on energy transport research. He
is a member of Tau Beta Pi, National and University of
Kansas chapters of AIChE, and the University of Kansas
Honors Program. He is also a recipient of the Summer-
field Scholarship, College of Engineering Scholarship, and
Chemical Engineering Scholarship. Fees is a graduate of
Manhattan High School.
About the scholarship

Bringing recognition to the value of the chemical engi-
neering profession and striving to continually advance it
have been goals for this magazine since its founding in
1902. In late 2007, Chemical Engineering established the
annual Chopey Scholarship for Chemical Engineering
Excellence in memory of Nicholas (Nick) P. Chopey, the
magazine’s former Editor In Chief.
For 47 years, Nick carried many torches at CE, includ-
ing those for its Kirkpatrick and Personal Achievement
Award competitions that are held in alternating years.
Meanwhile, he was a recognized authority on the chemical
process industries (CPI) and a champion of the practical,
how-to literature upon which outstanding CPI achieve-
ment finds foundation. He was a mentor to many chemical
engineers, young and old.
To honor and continue Nick’s valuable and lasting con-
tributions to the chemical engineering profession, Chemi-
cal Engineering established the scholarship in his name
and accepts donations annually.
Innovation for
Details and qualifications for applicants. The schol-
arship is a one-time award for current third-year students
sustainable solutions
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. Chopey’s
Outotec develops, supplies and supports alma mater and those of our senior editorial staff:
technology for the sustainable use of Earth’s • University of Virginia
natural resources. As a global leader in • University of Kansas
the field, Outotec has developed several • SUNY Buffalo
breakthrough technologies in minerals • Columbia University
and metals processing over the decades. The program utilizes standard Scholarship America recip-
Outotec also offers innovative solutions ient-selection procedures, including the consideration of
for the chemical industry, industrial water past academic performance and future potential, leader-
treatment and alternative energy sources. ship and participation in school and community activities,
work experience, and statement of career and educational
aspirations and goals.
Donations. To donate to next year’s scholarship fund, please
send a check to the following address prior to June 1, 2012:
Nicholas P. Chopey Scholarship Fund
Jennifer Brady
Chemical Engineering
www.outotec.com 11000 Richmond Ave, Suite 690
Houston, TX 77042
Checks should be made out to Scholarship America with
“Nicholas P. Chopey Scholarship Program” in the memo
area. Donations are tax deductible. ■
6 Chemical Engineering www.che.com September 2011
04_CHE_090111_LET.indd 6 8/23/11 9:54:17 AM

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Selecting the Best Solvent for Gas Treating
Selecting the best amine/solvent for gas treating is not a trivial task. Tertiary Amines
There are a number of amines available to remove contaminants such A tertiary amine such as MDEA is often used to selectively remove
as CO2, H2S and organic sulfur compounds from sour gas streams. H2S, especially for cases with a high CO2 to H2S ratio in the sour gas.
The most commonly used amines are methanolamine (MEA), One benefit of selective absorption of H2S is a Claus feed rich in H2S.
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amines include diglycolamine® (DGA), diisopropanolamine (DIPA), the treated gas using relatively less energy for regeneration than that
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Utilities
Microbe-based process for GBL Residual biomass
(fuel use)
nears commercialization
M etabolix Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.; www.
metabolix.com) has successfully demon-
strated and completed research and develop-
Sugars
PHA
fermentation
Thermolysis Separation
Industrial
chemicals
products
(GBL, acrylates)
ment for scaleup on a fermentation process
that produces gamma-butyrolactone (GBL) cific conditions where the thermally labile
from genetically engineered bacteria. P4HB molecules decompose into GBL. By Phosgenation scaleup
The process is built upon the company’s starting with microbes engineered to me- At the end of July, Bayer
technology for engineering metabolic path- tabolize sugars into a specific biopolymer, MaterialScience AG (BMS;
ways into microbes that produce specific and by controlling the conditions of the Leverkusen, Germany; www.
biopolymers. “We’ve been able to control mi- thermodynamically driven decomposition, bayerbms.com) successfully
crobe biology such that high concentrations the FAST process is able to selectively pro- tested its new gas-phase
of specific, naturally occurring biopolymers duce desired products in high yields and phosgenation technology at
accumulate in the cells as they metabolize with high purities. a new plant being commis-
sioned for making toluene
sugars,” explains Oliver Peoples, Metabolix The Metabolix process has significant
diisocyanate (TDI) — a raw
co-founder and chief scientific officer. advantages, including its ability to recover
material for making poly-
Further, Metabolix has refined and ap- 90–95% pure product in a single recovery urethane — at its integrated
plied a process known as fast-acting, se- step. Also, the residual biomass from the production site at Caojing in
lective thermolysis (FAST process) that fermentation step is converted to char and Shanghai, China. The TDI
converts biopolymers, such as, in this case, combusted for process heat, making the facility is expected to come
poly-4-hydroxybutyrate (P4HB), into GBL, a FAST process energetically self-sustaining. onstream, stepwise, later this
chemical intermediate and solvent used in a Finally, the water from the fermentation year, building to its full capac-
variety of industrial applications. broth is recycled after the product is iso- ity of 250,000 metric tons
In a fermentation step, Metabolix’s engi- lated, eliminating wastewater. (m.t.) per year.
The phosgenation process,
neered microorganisms accumulate biopo- GBL is the product that is furthest along
which was implemented to-
lymer precursors — “80% of the dry weight in the path to commercialization, but Me-
gether with Bayer Technology
of the cells is P4HB,” remarks Johan van tabolix is progressing toward commercial- Services GmbH (Leverkusen,
Walsem, the company’s vice president of izing other bio-based chemicals, including Germany; www.bayertechnol-
strategy and commercial development. In acrylic acid, using a similar process. Engi- ogy.com), is said to reduce
the FAST process, the whole fermentation neering for a full-scale GBL plant will be solvent consumption by
broth is dried and then heated under spe- ready to begin by 2011’s end. around 80% for a plant this
size, and cut energy consump-
tion by up to 60%, compared
to conventional liquid-phase
‘Green’ surfactants from yeast processes. Compared to con-
ventional production facilities
A new yeast strain that could one day sub-
stitute for petroleum as a source of sur-
factants for detergents, soaps and cosmetics
hand-washing soap. However, these yeasts
produce sophorolipids that have closed-chain
molecules, whereas the product of the newly
of similar size, the gas-phase
process also cuts CO2 emis-
sions by around 60,000 m.t./
has been identified by researchers at the U.S. discovered strain has open-chain molecules, yr. The new process also low-
Dept. of Agriculture’s National Center for which have a lower critical micelle concentra- ers investment costs by about
Agricultural Utilization Research (Peoria, tion, says Neil Price, a research chemist. All 20%, says BMS (for more
Ill.; ars.usda.gov). The yeast, not yet named, sophorolipids are low-foaming, he explains, process details, see CE, May
is a member of the Candida genus of yeasts but the open-chain structure forms micelles 2007, p. 17).
and produces sophorolipids (a sugar-based more efficiently.
biodetergent), says microbiologist Cletus The new yeast, cultured in a mixture of A new catalyst site
Kurtzman, head of the research team. The glucose and oleic acid, produces 20 g/L of A new catalytic site of oxida-
benefits, he says, are that the sophorolipids sophorolipids, but the researchers say the tion catalysts has been iden-
are renewable and biodegradable. yield could be increased tenfold by optimiz- tified by scientists at the
Kurtzman notes that sophorolipids are ing the process (for example, increasing the University of Virginia’s (Char-
also produced by other Candida yeasts, such oxygen flow and the amount of substrate). lottesville; www.virginia.edu)
chemistry and chemical engi-
as C. bombolica and C. apicola, and their The group is seeking an industrial part-
neering departments. Using
products are made commercially by two com- ner to scale up the process and to test the (Continues on p. 13)
panies in the world for use in cosmetics and sophorolipids in products and applications.
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number
on p. 70, or use the website designation. Chemical Engineering www.che.com September 2011 11
06_CHE_090111_CHM.indd 11 8/23/11 8:57:55 AM

C hementato R
Propane Bitumen
Solvent extraction method shows promise
for recovering bitumen from tar sands
T oday only a few percent of Canada’s
oil sands resource is accessible by tra-
ditional surface mining, so the rest has
for steam, says N-
Solv president John
Nenniger. The sol-
to be recovered in situ, mostly by steam- vent condenses on
assisted gravity drainage (SAGD). In the cold walls of the
this process, steam is injected into a vapor chamber and
horizontal well in the oil formation to dissolves the bitu-
mobilize the viscous bitumen, which is men, which drains
recovered by a producer well at a lower with the solvent
level. An in-situ process that promises down to a produc-
to be more efficient and less expensive tion well. The vapor
is being developed by N-Solv Corp. (Cal- chamber gradually
gary, Alta.; www.n-solv.com) and will be expands as the bitumen interface is re- the valuable, lower-gravity components
field-tested in a 300-bbl/d pilot plant moved. A surface facility separates the of the bitumen, leaving behind most of
north of Fort McMurray, starting in the propane and non-condensable gases the sulfur and heavy metals in an as-
first half of 2013. (mostly methane) from the bitumen, phaltene residue. In SAGD, these un-
The basic configuration of N-Solv’s then the propane is recovered by distil- wanted components are mobilized, then
method is similar to that of SAGD, ex- lation and recycled. rejected by an upgrader as waste coke.
cept that propane (or some other solvent) In laboratory-scale tests, the process Consequently, N-Solv oil is about 25%
is used, rather than steam. Propane has achieved oil extraction rates com- more valuable than SAGD-produced bi-
vapor is injected into the formation at parable to those of SAGD, says Nenni- tumen, he says. The capital cost is ex-
about 40°C and 200 psi, compared with ger. A significant advantage, he adds, pected to be half that of a comparable
approximately 230°C and 300–400 psi is that the solvent selectively dissolves steam facility.
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(Continued from p. 11)
a titanium-dioxide substrate
supporting nanometer-sized
gold particles, the researchers
Boost heavy metal recovery from wastewater found a site at the perimeter
of the Au and TiO2; there, an
with graphite-oxide coated sand oxygen molecule is bonded to
a gold atom and to an adjacent
A process to greatly enhance the ability of

sand to filter heavy metals from water has
been developed by researchers from Monash
verting regular filtration sand into “core-
shell” GO-coated sand granules. The GO
coating imparts nanostructural features
Ti atom. Neither the gold nor
the TiO2 exhibit the observed
catalytic activity when studied
University, of Melbourne, Australia (www. on the surface of the sand granules, which alone, says chemistry profes-
monash.edu.au), Rice University (Houston; can significantly increase the retention of sor John Yates.
www.rice.edu) and Nanoholdings LLC (Mar- heavy metals and organic dye over the par-
ietta, Ga.; www.nanoholdings.com). Histori- ent sand granules. ‘Canary’ for water plants
cally, the researchers say, water purification The assembly process consists of physi- Public water systems can now
has utilized high-surface-area carbon mate- cal mixing of water-dispersible GO colloids be better protected from ter-
rials in the form of activated carbon for de- with sand, followed by a mild treatment rorist attack and contaminants
colorization and heavy-metal ion retention. that causes the nanosheets to adhere to thanks to Canary Event Detec-
tion Software — an open-source
On the other hand, several methods have each other over the sand surface, probably
software developed by Sandia
been proposed to utilize graphite oxide (GO) through van der Waals interaction. National Laboratories (Albu-
as a material for low-cost water purification. The researchers applied a surface modifi- querque, N.M.; www.sandia.
However, those methods reduce the ability cation technique to synthesize hydrophilic gov) in partnership with the U.S.
of GO to sequester water-soluble contami- GO nanosheets containing covalently at- Environmental Protection Agency
nants, such as heavy metals. tached thiol groups. The modification is (EPA; Washington, D.C.; www.
The researchers claim that, by suitable achieved through carbon-carbon attach- epa.gov). The free software tells
surface modification and subsequent as- ment of benzene-thiol groups to the sp2 lat- utility operators, within minutes,
sembly steps, they produced GO that ad- tice within the nanosheets. The GO nano- whether something is wrong with
sorbs six-fold higher concentration of aque- sheets retain electron-rich sp2 domains their water, giving them time to
ous mercury ions than the unmodified GO. that can be used for grafting additional (Continues on p. 14)
A simple technique was developed for con- complexing groups.
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CMS_2011_Ad_E_CemEng_halfpg_v1.indd 1 8/1/11 7:01 PM
06_CHE_090111_CHM.indd 13 8/23/11 9:01:07 AM

C hementato R
Carbon storage and electricity AC power

generator
generation project gets DoE funding Condenser
A project aimed at using geothermal heat

to power an electricity-producing tur-
bine with supercritical carbon dioxide has
Pump
received a $5 million grant from the U.S.

Dept. of Energy (DOE; Washington, D.C.;
www.energy.gov). The project also incorpo- CO2
Injection Monitoring Production
rates an element of CO2 sequestration in well well well
sedimentary rock, whereby a portion of the
CO2 injected into the hot sedimentary layer
remains there, so that the process requires
a constant stream of CO2. 3.2 km 70 m 30 m
The three-year project, led by researchers
at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory 125°C
(Berkeley, Calif.; www.lbl.gov), represents the
first attempt to convert geothermally heated
CO2 into useful electricity. “The project is fo- and the CO2 is cycled through the loop again. (Continued from p. 13)
cused on validating the concept of using CO2 The geothermal-heat system will be designed
as a working fluid in the subsurface for geo- so that a portion of the CO2 remains stored in warn and protect the public. It
thermal energy production,” says Berkeley the rock, and a continuous supply of new CO2 is already being used in Cincin-
Laboratory researcher Barry Freifeld. will be supplied to the loop. nati, Ohio and Singapore, and
The process would begin by injecting CO2 The turbines, to be designed and built by is also being tested in Philadel-
phia, Pa.
into a wellbore at a supercritical state (pres- Echogen Power Systems (Akron, Ohio; www.
Canary runs on a desktop
sure above 70 bars and temperature greater echogen.com), will be based on technology computer, and can be custom-
than 31°C) into a layer of 125°C sedimentary already developed by the company — a ized for each utility to work
rock that lies over 3 km beneath the earth’s supercritical CO2-based power-generation with existing sensors and
surface. Under these conditions, CO2 be- system for low-temperature waste heat re- software. One key to the soft-
comes more pressurized and further heated covery that has a turbine similar to that re- ware is its ability to reduce the
in the underground rock. The higher-pres- quired by the geothermal project. number of false alarms. This
sure, higher-temperature CO2 is extracted Pilot testing is planned for the third year is done using a specially de-
through a separate but nearby producer well. of the project at the Cranfield site in Mis- signed numerical algorithm to
It is expanded through a heat-engine turbine, sissippi, where a DOE injector well and two analyze data coming from mul-
tiple sensors, and differentiate
where its higher enthalpy is converted to heavily instrumented monitor wells for car-
between natural variability
shaft work. The turbine generates electricity, bon sequestration research already exist. and unusual patterns that in-
dicate a problem. Canary also
provides information about
Plastics-to-oil JV plans full-scale facility gradual changes in the water.
A joint venture (JV) between Vadxx En-

ergy LLC (Akron, Ohio; www.vadxx.com)
and Greenstar Recycling (Houston; www.
the University of Wyoming, Vadxx has been
refining its process at its Akron, Ohio pilot
plant for the past two years, after years of
Ethanol-to-isobutene
Scientists at the Pacific
Northwest National Labora-
greenstarrecycling.com) plans to start up preliminary research carried out by Vadxx tory (Richland, Wash: www.
a facility in mid-2012 to convert recovered chief technology officer Bill Ullom. As feed- pnnl.gov) and Washington
plastics to synthetic crude oil. When com- stock, the process can use an unsorted mix- State University (Pullman,
plete, the facility will produce 80,000 bbl/yr ture of plastics, most likely those with recy- Wash.; www.wsu.edu) have
of synthetic crude oil from 12,000 ton/yr of cling code numbers 2–7, such as high-density discovered a new catalyst
solid municipal plastics. polyethylene, low-density polyethylene, poly- that converts ethanol into
Using a thermal depolymerization pro- propylene, polystyrene and polycarbonate. isobutene in a single step,
cess, the JV intends to produce low-sulfur While the Vadxx thermal depolymeriza- with 83% conversion. The
synthetic crude oil from a wide range of tion process does not exploit novel chemical catalyst — a mixed metal
oxide of zirconium and zinc
post-consumer plastics for which a robust pathways, careful control of the process de-
— was initially being devel-
recycling market does not yet exist. Vadxx tails is key to effectively and efficiently con- oped to convert ethanol into
chief operating officer Sean Arnold says his verting the plastics to crude. “In principle, hydrogen, when postdoctoral
company’s synthetic crude oil is designed the plastics-to-oil process just reverses the researcher Junming Sun ob-
to meet various specifications for specific path used to produce plastics from oil, but served not only H2, but quite
gravity, sulfur content and other properties the challenge has been to work out the fine a bit of isobutanol — a precur-
sought by petroleum refiners. details of the process to allow it to operate at sor for making rubber.
Building on work begun by researchers at low energy,” explains Arnold.
06_CHE_090111_CHM.indd 14 8/23/11 9:21:44 AM

C hementato R
Know-how
for Your Success
C power
enerator
A simpler process to make
PX from LCO
A new process to make BTX (benzene, toluene and xy-
lenes) from light cycle oil (LCO), an oversupplied prod-
uct of petroleum refineries that can supplement the dwin-
dling supply of BTX precursors, is being developed by JX
Nippon Oil & Energy (JX Energy; Tokyo, Japan; www.noe.
jx-group.co.jp). Whereas conventional technology requires
on
multiple reactors and large quantities of hydrogen to make
aromatic compounds from LCO, JX Energy’s process takes
place in a single reactor. The company has prepared labo-
ratory quantities of a new catalyst that is said to deliver
higher yields of BTX than alternatives, with high yields
for para-xylene (PX).
125°C By the end of this year, JX Energy plans to build a bench-
scale production plant at its Central Research Laboratory
in Kanagawa Prefecture, in collaboration with Chiyoda
Corp. (Tokyo; www.chiyoda-corp.com), and financial sup-
port from the Japanese Petroleum Energy Center (JPEC)
under the authority of Ministry of Economy, Trade and In-
dustry (METI).
JX Energy already supplies 2,600,000 ton/yr of PX, but
is hindered by the reduction of crude-oil treatment caused
by the gradual decrease of domestic demand for petroleum
products. The company anticipates that its LCO-based pro-
cess will ensure a stable supply of PX in the future.
Biomass pretreatment
C ellulosic biomass pretreated with ammonia undergoes
structural changes that make it more susceptible to enzy-
matic attack, scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory
(Los Alamos, N.M.; www.lanl.gov) and collaborators at the
Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (Madison, Wisc.;
Due to global competition,
www.glbrc.org) have found. Combining advanced molecu-
lar modeling with experimental data, the team observed a companies can only be successful
weakening of the hydrogen-bond network that holds bulk on the marketplace if they produce
cellulose together in a highly ordered stack. The tightly outstanding quality cost effectively.
bound network of cellulose prevents enzymes from attack-
ing most of the individual cellulose molecules to produce High-quality control valves and
sugar. The discovery could lead to a less costly and less toxic accessories with low cost of
pretreatment regime for making biofuels from cellulosic ownership are what it takes for
biomass. The current pretreatment method involves costly economic production.
and harsh chemicals in an energy-intensive process.
With 50 independent subsidiaries
and over 100 engineering and
Monomers from glucose sales offices spread across the
world, SAMSON ensures the safe-
M itsubishi Chemical Corp. (MCC; Tokyo, www.m-ka-
gaku.co.jp, MCC) is developing bio-based technology
for producing propylene, butadiene, 1,4-butanediol (BDO),
ty and environmental compatibility
of your plants on any continent.
terephthalic acid and succinic acid from glucose. In col-
laboration with North American partners, MCC plans to
start production of succinic acid and 1,4 BDO. MCC says
it will be able to produce butadiene for less than $2,000/
kg — about half the current price. The bacteria-based tech- SAMSON AG · MESS- UND REGELTECHNIK
Weismüllerstraße 3
nology for directly producing monomers from sugar has the
60314 Frankfurt am Main · Germany
advantage over other fermentation routes because it does Phone: +49 69 4009-0 · Fax: +49 69 4009-1507
not first go through ethanol production, says MCC. E-mail: samson@samson.de
Internet: www.samson.de
A01051EN
SAMSON GROUP · www.samson.de
06_CHE_090111_CHM.indd 15 8/23/11 9:22:43 AM

C hementato R
New Cl2 process starts up
Last month, Bayer MaterialScience
A promising method for producing started up a 20,000-m.t./yr chlorine
demonstration plant at the Chempark
conductive graphene sheets Krefeld-Uerdingen, Germany site. The
plant uses the oxygen-depolarized
S ince the isolation of graphene by inspired by the electrochemical reac- cathode technology, developed to-
gether with Uhde GmbH (Dortmund,
the “Scotch tape” method, many re- tions of negative graphite electrodes in
Germany) and UhdeNora S.p.A. (Milan,
searchers have tried to synthesize so- liquid-rechargeable lithium ion batter-
Italy), which significantly reduces the
lution-dispersible graphene. The chal- ies. During electrochemical charging in energy demand for producing Cl2. As-
lenge has been to develop a high-yield a graphite electrode, Li+ ions are revers- suming the two-year trial demonstration
method that can exfoliate graphite ef- ibly intercalated into the graphite lay- is sucessful, Bayer plans to gradually
ficiently into solution-dispersible gra- ers. A promising solvent for lithium ion switch its Cl2 production to the new
phene sheets without collateral damage batteries is propylene carbonate (PC). process (for more details about the pro-
to the graphene due to oxidation, or due However, its use is limited because of its cess, see CE, May 2007, pp. 50–55 and
to the use of a strong acid. A nonoxida- destructive behavior toward the graph- March 2004, p. 17). ❏
tive electrochemical process to obtain ite cathode.
few-layer, highly conductive graphene The team discovered that this destruc-
flakes with a yield higher than 70% tive behavior of the Li/PC complexes charging voltage aids the expansion of
has been developed by a team from the can be exploited for the high-yield exfo- the electrode by Li-PC complexes. Using
Dept. of Chemistry, National Univer- liation of graphite to produce few-layer high-intensity ultrasound, the team son-
sity of Singapore (www.nus.edu.sg). The graphene flakes. icated the expanded graphite in concen-
team says the yield they obtained is sig- Unlike the low voltage (typically less trated LiCl dissolved in PC and N,N-di-
nificantly higher than that produced by than 1 V) and low-current electrochemi- methylformamide. Ultrasonic cavitation
most current liquid-phase exfoliation cal charging conditions typically used in results in both exfoliation and cutting of
methods. This is important for the scal- graphite intercalation compounds, the the graphite sheets. The dispersible gra-
able synthesis and industrial applica- team applied a high voltage (10–20 V) phene can be ink-brushed to form highly
tion of graphene. in order to activate Li/PC intercalation conformal coatings of conductive films
The team’s exfoliation method was in graphite. The application of a high on commercial paper. ■
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06_CHE_090111_CHM.indd 16 8/23/11 9:24:21 AM

Amandus Kahl
Newsfront
Tires, old
and new
As the demand for new, fuel-efficient
tires grows, engineers are developing
Figure 1. Mechanical methods have been
new recycling methods to deal with the the main way to recycle tires. This new grinding
technology produces better quality steel and
growing piles of used tires rubber crumb, while consuming less energy
than traditional methods
M
obility as a “megatrend” has Germany; www.lanxess.com) broke Production of 1 kg of recycled tire
recently become the latest ground for a new production facility granulate consumes 2,200 Btu, while
buzz-word, and synthetic in Singapore. The new plant, which is the production of virgin rubber mate-
rubber producers are boost- being built on the man-made Island of rials consumes more than 120,000 Btu
ing production capacities to meet the Jurong, will have a production capacity for the same quality, says ETRA.
anticipated demand for more tires. At of 100,000 ton/yr of butyl rubber. The A typical tire is about 45–48 wt.%
the same time, high fuel prices and in- €400-million investment is the larg- rubber (both natural and synthetic),
creasing concern for the environment est investment project in the history 22 wt.% carbon black and silica, 15–25
are driving innovations in rubber to of Lanxess. The butyl rubber produced wt.% metal, as well as textiles, zinc
make tires more fuel-efficient (see box in Singapore will be used primarily in oxide, sulfur and additives. The chal-
on p. 19). tires. The butyl rubber market is ex- lenge for recyclers is that the same
Meanwhile, efforts to find more effi- pected to grow steadily over the next properties that make tires durable
cient ways to recycle used tires are pro- 15 years, says Lanxess. and safe also make it difficult to re-
gressing, with some companies looking Since tires eventually wear out and cover the components in usable form.
to capitalize on the resources — both have to be discarded, one has to won- What happens to these used tires
energy and materials — that are tightly der what is going to happen to all the varies widely by country. In Japan, for
bound inside discarded tires. new tires. Already, all over the world, example, about 62 wt.% of the used
there are mountains of used tires tires in 2010 were used as an alterna-
Megatrend mobility piled up (if readers haven’t seen such tive fuel in various industries, such as
An estimated 5% of the nearly 3-bil- tire heaps themselves, just type “used paper manufacturing (39%), cement
lion Asian population own cars, com- tires” into Google Images). Such land- calcining (10%), steel manufactur-
pared to more than half the 406-mil- filling is becoming a thing of the past, ing (3%) and others, according to the
lion population of Western Europe and and today, there are a number of ways The Japan Automobile Tyre Manufac-
80% of the 306 million in the U.S. So to recycle tires. turers Association, Inc. (Tokyo; www.
it’s not surprising that all of the major jatma.or.jp). Only 10% of the tires
tire manufacturers are investing in Recycling today were recycled for reclaimed and pow-
production plants in China, Thailand, Worldwide, nearly 1-billion tires are dered rubber.
India and elsewhere, to capitalize on manufactured each year, and nearly In the U.S., about 76% of the 300-mil-
the emerging markets there. In May, an equal amount of tires are removed lion tires generated annually are re-
for example, Continental AG (Hanover, from vehicles and defined as waste, cycled, with tire derived fuel (TDF)
Germany; www.conti-online.com) of- according to the European Tyre Recy- accounting for about half in 2010, ac-
ficially opened its first tire plant in cling Assn. (ETRA; Brussels, Belgium; cording to Dick Guss, environmental ad-
China. The €185-million investment www.etra-eu.org). In the E.U. alone, visory council of the Tire Industry Assn.
in Hefei, in the Anhui province, has an some 3.5-million metric tons (m.t.) of (Bowie, Md.; www.tireindustry.org).
annual production capacity of 4-mil- tires become waste each year. Although In the EU, where landfilling of
lion tires, and further expansion at tires are not the biggest waste stream post-consumer tires was banned in
the site to 16 million tires is planned. — over ten times more plastic waste 2003 (for shred and recycle residue in
Rubber producers, too, are looking is generated in the E.U. each year — 2006), material recycling using a va-
east in order to meet the growing de- tires contain a number of components riety of treatments and technologies
mand from tire manufacturers. In May, that can be recovered for reuse, so re- has grown to more than 36% of post-
for example, Lanxess AG (Leverkusen, cycling can make economical sense. consumer tires, says ETRA.
07_CHE_090111_NF1.indd 17 8/24/11 7:49:39 AM

Polymer- Newsfront
Industry
Assump-
tion and Inspect Mechanical Activation Distillation Utillization
storage and sort treatment Pyrolysis of pyrolytic
coke Fractions of
Scrap Pyrolytic oil for thermal utillization pyrolytic oil
tires Rubber crumb
60,000 Pyrolytic oil for utillization: 9,000 m.t./yr
3–8 mm
m.t./yr 25,000 m.t./yr Pyrolytic coke: 10,000 m.t./yr
Pyrolytic gas: 3,000 m.t./yr 5,000
2,500 t/a/10,000 m.t./yr m.t./yr
3,000 m.t./yr
14,000 m.t./yr
Activated
4,500 m.t./yr carbon
Heat
Power supply
4,000 m.t./yr
Source: Klean Industries

Steam
generation
Reuse Steel
Textile
fluff
Rubber crumb Generator
< 3 mm / 3–8 mm Delivery of electricty
Figure 2. Pryolysis is emerging as a more efficient way to utilize the resources in

tires compared to simple combustion as an alternative fuel source
Mechanical recycling can be sold for €100/ton, and the rub-

The standard way to recycle tires has ber crumb has a much larger specific
been by mechanical methods, such as surface than cold-ground crumb, says
grinding, cutting and shredding, which the company.
s
Liquoidney
physically separate out the main com- The modular system has a through-
ponents as steel and rubber crumb. put of up to 15,000 ton/yr; higher ca-
Although well established in the scrap pacities can be increased by adding
m
to m industry, mechanical methods are con- modules. At €40/ton, production costs
tinuously being improved to reduce are about 25% that of traditional
costs and improve the quality of the methods, says the company.
recovered products.
for example: For example, Amandus Kahl GmbH, Thermal treatment
(Reinbek, Germany; www.amandus- The sheer volume of automotive
Solvent removal kahl-group.de) recently introduced waste streams, in particular rubber
Resins, Waxes its ambient-grinding process that and plastics is staggering, says Jesse
is said to be more economical than Klinkhamer, CEO, Klean Industries
Monomerdistillation traditional ambient or cold grinding Inc. (Vancouver, B.C., Canada). The
Isocyanates, Lactic Acid processes. The process features the current market for applications for
company’s granulation press (Figure recovered rubber, including that from
1), in which tire chips (50–100-mm tires, is saturated with old outdated
size) are ground between cylindrical technology and infrastructure that
pan-grinder rollers and a circular die simple cannot handle all of the vol-
designed as a perforated plate. The ume being produced. Although the
shearing force produced by the pan current market for recovered rubber
grinder, as well as the pressing force is growing, the demand for resources
(up to 120 bar) applied by a regulated and energy far outstrips the need of
system solutions hydraulic system, decompose the tire recovered rubber, he says.
for evaporation and biopharma parts and separate the components. Established in 2005, Klean Indus-
A Type 60-1250 granulation press tries acquired pyrolysis IP developed
processes up to 4.5 ton/h of tire chip to in Japan in the 1970s and further de-
Processing Partners: a granular size of 0.4–20 mm, which veloped the technology into a patented,
can then be classified into different thermal depolymerization process that
www.gigkarasek.at
product grades. A typical separa- combines pyrolysis and gasification to
www.incontech.com
tion result is 15–20% steel, 15–20% convert tires into carbon black, steel
textile-rubber mixture, and rubber and hydrocarbons (Figure 2). The com-
crumb (4–6 mm, 15%; 2–4 mm, 15%; pany offers both batch and continuous
0–2 mm, 30%). The quality of the steel, systems with capacities of 3–500 m.t./d
with low residual rubber and textile, (continuous) and 4–60 m.t./d (batch).
07_CHE_090111_NF1.indd 18 8/24/11 7:50:48 AM

Fuel-efficient tires
F
riction between a vehicle’s tires and the road is responsible for about 30% of fuel
consumption. At the same time, the tires must grip the road, especially when wet, for
obvious safety reasons. Finding the right balance between low rolling resistance and
strong wet grip is the key to high-performance tires, says Frans Hordies, commercial
director Synthetic Rubber, Styron (Berwyn, Pa.; www.styron.com).
A tire is made up of many different components with different rubbers, both syn- Protection from
thetic and natural. The tread accounts for the largest portion of synthetic rubber, and
SBR (styrene butadiene rubber) is important for the treads. Styron has been develop-
ing a solution-based polymerization process to make SBR (S-SBR), and in the last
the Inside Out
five years we have seen an acceleration in the demand for this rubber, says Hordies.
The latest generation of the company’s S-SBR — Sprintan S-SBR 4602 — won this
years “IQ Innovation Award” for breakthrough rub-
ber technology. “S-SBR is now seen as a key en-
abling technology for delivering the two contradic-
tory characteristics of low rolling resistance but with
the same grip,” he says.
Styrol built its first commercial production plant for
S-SBR in Schkopau, Germany in 2000, added an
additional stream in 2009, and is now constructing
a third train scheduled to start up in 4th quarter of
2012. The new production line will introduce an ad-
ditional capacity of 50,000 m.t. at the production fa-
cility in Schkopau.
Lanxess AG (Leverkusen, Germany) also sees high-
performing “green tires” as the fastest growing sector
in the tire industry, with an annual global growth rate
of about 9%, and even higher (14%) in Asia. When you face intense processing
conditions, look to centrifuges
Labeling tires for performance from GEA Westfalia Separator.
Before November 1, 2012, tire manufactur- That’s because they are built to
er’s in the E.U. will be required, by law, to operate safely even under the
declare the fuel efficiency, wet grip and exter- most extreme temperatures and
nal rolling noise performance of tires for pas-
pressures. Here are just a few
senger cars, light- and heavy-duty vehicles.
The regulation was adopted by the European features offered:
Parliament and Council in 2009 as a means to trigger fuel savings from the increased
use of fuel-efficient tires. The European Commission estimates that between 2.4 and Operating temperature up
6.6 MTOE (million metric tons of oil equivalent) can be saved, depending on the to 250°C
speed of market transformation.
Few consumers are aware of the impact of tires on gas mileage, and the Commission Pressure-resistant up to 10 bar
estimates that drivers can reduce their fuel bills by up to 10% between the best and worst Wide range of corrosion
set of tires available on the market. To increase awareness, tire performances will be
resistant material
displayed at the point of sale and on promotional literature. A standardized tire label
(upper label) will inform consumers on three key performance attributes: fuel efficiency Pressure controlled design
and wet grip performance — with a ranking scale of A (highest performance) to G (least
Special direct drive
performing) — and exterior rolling noise, in both decibels and one to three sound waves
(one wave for the quietest, three for the loudest). High performance
In January 2010, The Japan Automobile Tire Manufacturers Assn., Inc. (Tokyo; www. washing system
jatma.org.jp) introduced a voluntary standardized Tire Labeling System, which displays
performance levels of fuel-efficient tires (lower label). The system grades tires for rolling
resistance performance — on a five-scale range from AAA (best) to C (worst) — and on To learn more about putting
wet grip performance on a four-grade scale from a to d. our centrifuges to work in your
South Korea also introduced a similar labeling scheme a few months ago. ❐ operation, contact Sean Eicher
at 201-784-4318 or email him at
sean.eicher@geagroup.com.
“We receive thousands of inquiries on anticipates that at least seven of these
an annual basis for process technology projects will enter into the EPC (en-
regarding scrap rubber and tires, and gineering procurement construction)
have over a trillion dollars of deal flow phase in the next 18 months, depend-
in our current project-development ing on the E.U.’s economic recovery.
pipeline,” says Klinkhamer. “We simply Two of these projects are currently
Liquids to Value
can’t build plants fast enough, even in operating, and final “hot trials” will be
GEA Mechanical Equipment US, Inc.
today’s current market conditions.” completed at the beginning of 2012.
The company has 15 projects in de- One of these, located in the U.K., is an GEA Westfalia Separator Division
velopment pipeline that are either in integrated tire-resource-recovery facil- 100 Fairway Court · Northvale, NJ 07647
the permitting phase or entering the ity that is supported by several collec- Phone: 201-767-3900 · Fax: 201-767-3901
permitting phase, and Klinkhamer tion centers. Current overall capacity Toll-Free: 800-722-6622
24-Hour Technical Help: 800-509-9299
1519
www.wsus.com
07_CHE_090111_NF1.indd 19 8/24/11 7:51:53 AM

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Newsfront
The Chemical
is approximately 70,000 m.t./yr with
35,000 m.t. being processed thermally
velop is now close to commercializa-
tion by its developer, Environmental Engineering
and the rest being chipped for TDF,
ground for rubber applications and
Waste International Inc. (EWS; Ajax,
Ont., Canada; www.ewcm.com). The bookstore offers
commercial retreading. Ultimately, process, called reverse polymeriza-
this facility will recycle 4-million tires tion, uses microwaves to break the a variety of
per year and produce 3-MW of electric- chemical bonds of the rubber. Unlike
ity for export; 5,000 m.t./yr of carbon
black; 10,000 m.t./yr of diesel-grade
pyrolysis, in which heat is applied
from outside, the microwaves heat
industry topics
fuel oil; and 3,600 m.t./yr of steel.
The second project, in Ohio, is an
from within, explains EWS president
Steven Simms. The heating principle
you will come
integrated commercial truck-tire re-
treading facility with a capacity of ap-
is analogous to that used in micro-
wave ovens, but operates at a fre-
to rely on.
proximately 45,000 m.t./yr with 35,000 quency resonant with hydrocarbon
m.t./yr being processed thermally and bonds instead of those of water mol-
the rest being retreated. ecules, he says. As a result, the pro-
Meanwhile, other pyrolysis process operates at under 300°C (typi-
cesses are progressing toward com- cally 280°C) compared to 700–800°C
mercialization. Metso Mining & Con- typical for pyrolysis. This means less
struction Technology (Danville, Pa.; char (burned carbon black) is pro-
www.metso.com), for example, has de- duced and a higher-quality product is
veloped its Tire Pyrolysis System — a formed, says Simms.
continuous process that processes tire In July, EWS started up its first
shreds, in an indirectly fired rotary pilot unit at its Ellsin Environmen-
kiln, into carbon black, oil, gas and tal facility in Saute Ste. Marie, Ont.
scrap metal. The so-called TR900 pilot plant has a
The company has been operating a capacity to process 900 tires per day. • Environmental
50-kg/h pilot plant at its Pyro Systems Whole tires are continuously fed into Management:
Test Center in Danville, Pa. for several the nitrogen-purged reactor in which Air-Pollution Control
years, and the unit has over 1,000 h about 100 microwave generators
of operation, says Michael Schiefer, cause the rubber to break down and • Environmental
global sales engineer, Pyro. The com- sublimate. Because each generator Management:
pany is now working on a large ap- has its own power supply, it’s possible Wastewater and
plication at a brown-field site in the to reduce the power as the depolymer- Groundwater
U.K., and includes a complete plant ization proceeds. This high degree of Treatment
and utilities, he says. control minimizes the formation of
Metso has concentrated on produc- char, says Simms. • Fluid Handling
ing carbon black as the economical “Since the unit started in July, we’ve
• Gas-Solid and
driver, and maximizing its production, had visitors from all over the world,”
Liquid-Solid
says Schiefer. The company offers a says Simms, who anticipates first or-
design for continuous operation that ders by the end of this year. With de-
Separation
is capable of handling 90–100 m.t./d of livery times of 10–12 months, the first
• Liquid-Liquid and
shredded tires. commercial units could be operating
Gas-Liquid Separation
Another pyrolysis process for recy- by 2013, he says.
cling scrap tires, called Formex, has The company is offering a com- • Managing Bulk Solids
also undergone extensive trials in a mercial unit, the TR1500, which will 17792
100-kg/h pilot plant in Eisenhütten- process 1,500 tires per day. A modu-
stadt, Germany, and a second plant lar design means scale up is simply
For a complete list
is under construction near Marl, Ger- combining two or four units. Invest-
of products, visit the
many. The process was developed by ment costs for the TR1500 are around
BOS Berlin GmbH (www.bosgmbh. $12.5 million, and Simms estimates a
bookstore now. http://store.
com), and is being commercialized by payback period of about three years,
che.com/product/book
abf GmbH (Eisenhüttenstadt; www. “based on very conservative estimates
abf-engineering.de) (for process flow- on the value of the products recov-
sheet, see CE, March 2002, pp. 27–31). ered.” The economics improves as the
cost of oil increases because carbon-
Microwaves black production is directly tied to oil
An alternative thermal recycling pro- prices, he says. ■
cess that has taken 18 years to de- Gerald Ondrey
07_CHE_090111_NF1.indd 21 8/24/11 7:53:41 AM

For 50 years, chemical companies
have relied on the Directory of
Chemical Producers to support their
strategic business decisions.
Why?
Directory of Chemical
Producers
•The most comprehensive listing available of competitors and
customers involved in chemical manufacturing
• Chemicals produced are listed by plant location
• Chemical listings include captive production
• Plant-by-plant capacity information for more than 250 chemicals
• Ownership information
The Directory of Chemicals Producers includes over 14,000 chemical

manufacturing companies in more than 90 countries, 20,000 chemical
manufacturing sites and 21,700 individual chemical products for Canada,
China, East Asia, Europe (including Russia), India, Mexico, Middle East
& Africa, South & Central America, and the United States.
For more information contact: www.sriconsulting.com/dcp
Americas:
Angela Faterkowski angela.faterkowski@ihs.com +1 936 597 5412
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Claire Brunner claire.brunner@ihs.com +41 44 283 6338
www.ihs.com

GE Power and Water
Newsfront
Making
Waves Figure 1. Adopting modern chemistries and technologies for moni-
toring, analysis and control can go a long way toward easing the water
treatment burden that is so very challenging for chemical processors
cost of producing is extremely high. requires the combined approach of

Modern chemistries and “Once we make sure impairment of using higher quality water inside the
the operation is not an issue, we move processing plant and improving the
equipment are helping onto optimization, which means help- wastewater or water reuse treatment
ing the processor lower the total cost on the back end of the plant.”
chemical processors of water operations over time.”
Water treatment optimization in- Meeting the challenges
get a handle on water cludes proper chemical dosage and One of the first steps in optimizing
minimization of fresh water consump- water treatment is through the use of
treatment challenges tion, trends that are pushing reduced new, improved and environmentally
chemical treatments and water recy- responsible chemicals. “It is the job of
F
or years it has been the common cling to the forefront (Figure 1). water treatment chemistry to enhance
practice to treat process water The idea is to optimize the consump- an already existing physical process,”
with various chemistries to pre- tion of chemicals so the proper dosage says Tim Laube, general manager
vent scale, corrosion and micro- is being applied, depending upon the with Kroff (Pittsburgh, Pa.). “It is very
biologicals. However, as regulatory actual conditions of the water being possible for water treatment chemi-
issues tighten, water scarcity becomes treated at that time. “There was a cals to enhance and make a process
a growing concern and the cost of time when people applied chemistry more efficient both in reducing waste
treatment chemicals increases, chemi- to a system based on the worst case and time.”
cal processors are finding that strin- scenario, even if that situation existed For example, his company has de-
gent treatment chemicals are not the only 5 to 10% of the time,” explains veloped polymers that allow for the
only answer. Instead, they’re relying Milici. However, water quality and removal of zinc phosphate in an effi-
upon a multi-prong effort of chemis- discharge regulations have changed cient way. “We can actually reduce how
try, analysis and monitoring to reduce and economics have changed to the much chemical is fed by as much as
their process-water treatment costs, point where this is not feasible. As a 90% in some cases, which has multiple
while keeping in compliance. result, processors are now faced with impacts,” he says. “First, less chemical
“Chemical processors have multi- two major challenges. The first is is going into the system, which means
ple challenges and priorities when it managing the delivery of chemistry so less chemical has to be removed from
comes to water treatment,” says Kevin it meets the needs and conditions in the tail end, saving both the cost of the
Milici, global marketing manager with realtime by efficiently applying chem- chemicals and the cost of treating the
GE Power and Water (Trevose, Pa.). icals without sacrificing the operation waste stream. Second, the polymers
He says first and foremost is safety and safety of the system. The second are not toxic, flammable or dangerous,
and compliance. “If that isn’t under is reducing the amount of fresh water which makes them green, as well as
control, nothing else is important.” being used through water reuse or re- cost and time efficient.”
But moving beyond that basic pillar cycling, which also creates chemistry Similarly, Ashland Hercules Water
is the issue of avoiding failure in the challenges. “Chemical processors — Technologies (Wilmington, Del.) offers
form of an unscheduled stop in produc- like other industrial water users — are Enviroplus advanced cooling-water
tion. “If a unit comes down because of being pushed to conserve consumption treatments that both protect plant
inadequate water treatment practices of fresh water and, at the same time, to assets and meet regulatory require-
or controls, that’s a bad day for every- reduce waste streams through water ments through the use of environmen-
one,” says Milici. Assuming this is not reuse or improving wastewater dis- tally responsible chemistries.
a problem, the next level is to avoid im- charge levels,” says Daryl Weatherup, The family includes a series of multi-
paired unit production where the pro- global product manager with Siemens functional products formulated with
cess is running, but in a sub-optimal Industries (Phoenix, Ariz.). “This novel blends of organic chemistries,
state — meaning production through- can generally mean using less water which contain significantly lower lev-
put or yield is less than desired or the throughout the plant, which often els of phosphorus than conventional
08_CHE_090111_NF2.indd 23 8/23/11 10:21:40 AM

Promising Candidates
Newsfront on the Reduced-
and Chemical-Free
Treatment Horizon
products. Enviroplus products have a pH control. In addition, a combination
E
merging market drivers, such as tighter
minimal impact on the environment of polymeric dispersants and oxidant-
water quality regulations, water conserva-
due to the favorable toxicity profiles resistant organic phophonates pro- tion and high chemical costs have opened
and inherent biodegradability, yet re- vides control of calcium scales. the door for new chemical treatments and
duce corrosion and scaling in indus- “This product has the potential to non-chemical treatment alternatives that have
trial, alkaline cooling-water systems. waste less water from the cooling sys- the potential to give the standard, commodity
A combination of corrosion inhibi- tem and minimize total water usage in water-treatment chemicals a healthy dose of
tors form a film on metal surfaces, the cooling system than if using tra- competition. Recently, Lux Research (Boston,
providing corrosion protection without ditional corrosion inhibitors and anti- Mass.) released a report titled “Water Chemi-
cals and Competitors: The Long, Long March of
the ‘Chemical Free Revolution,’” ranking some
of these new and innovative solutions in key
treatment markets, including drinking water,
wastewater, cooling and boiler water, desali-
nation, mining, industrial and oil-and-gas.
“Opportunities await the new wave of re-
duced and non-chemical water treatments, but
those opportunities are distributed unevenly
across application markets,” says Brent Giles,
a senior analyst with the firm and the report’s
lead author. “New approaches for treating
municipal water, for example, won’t budge
conventional chemical-based methods. But in
the oil-and-gas industry, non-chemical treat-
ments could move very fast because their rela-
tively small footprint enables produced water
to be treated at the drill site and reused.”
Giles admits that non-chemical treatments
almost never completely eliminate chemicals,
but technologies like electrocoagulation have
the potential to reduce the amount of chemical
used, bringing the water much closer to water
reuse with less effort. He adds that monitoring
plays a big role in chemical reduction because
it helps you keep the process in the sweet spot,
which reduces the amount of chemicals you
are buying and using on the front end and the
amount of treatment water you will need on
the back end.
Some of the most promising technologies
in these areas, according to Giles, include
the following:
Water Tectonics, Inc.’s (Everett, Wash.)
WaveIonics electrocoagulation technology.
The treatment system is an automated, non-
chemical water treatment system operating
between 100 and 1,000 gal/min for the
purpose of removing heavy metals, turbid-
ity, bacteria, phosphorus, chemical oxygen
demand and biochemical oxygen demand,
sulfides and PCBs.
While it is currently being used in the oil-
scalants,” says Nozi Hamidi, director

of global marketing with Ashland.
Another smart, new chemistry sys-
tem includes, GE Power and Water’s
GenGard technology for open recircu-
lating cooling systems. The GenGard
programs can be applied across the
See us at the Pump Users Symposium - Booth #1714 entire pH spectrum from neutral to
alkaline and incorporate advanced
08_CHE_090111_NF2.indd 24 8/23/11 10:22:22 AM

Siemens
and-gas industry, Giles believes electrocoag-

ulation has potential for use in other industries
because it effortlessly gets rid of particles in
the water. “Heavy particles in water are easily
Figure 2. The
coagulated with this process,” he says. “But it
Siemens Micro/2000
may be necessary to treat with chemicals, as measurement module
well, for very fine particles.” measures free and
Giles was also a fan of Neosens S.A.’s total chlorine residual,
(Labège, France) monitoring system for pre- chlorine dioxide,
venting fouling in boiler and cooling water. ozone or potassium
The company’s FS-1000 Series for continu- permanganate residu-
ous fouling monitoring in cooling systems als in potable water,
and critical water processes plugs directly primary or secondary
treated wastewater or
into equipment for realtime monitoring that
cooling water
ensures water treatment efficiency, triggers
alerts in case biofilm and or scales abnor-
mally increase, and to optimize and reduce
chemical discharges.
The sensor has the ability to continuously
monitor the thickness of fouling within the
water process, enabling the optimization
of treatments and confirmation of treatment
effectiveness.
And for those in pharmaceutical manu-
facturing or any industry with super critical
water (SCW) applications, Giles sees a lot of
NEW!
promise in SCFI Group Ltd.’s (Cork, Ireland)
AquaCritox SCW oxidation solution. In super
critical conditions, the properties of water
are changed and the solubility of gases and
organic compounds are increased to almost Resistoflex®ATL PTFE
100%, while inorganic compounds become
largely invisible. Oxygen is completely mis-
cible in all proportions with SCW. When a
stream containing organic material is placed
under super critical condition and oxygen is
introduced, a rapid and complete oxidation
reaction takes place. This oxidation reaction
is exothermic, so the reaction can be auto
thermal at very low levels of organic matter.
Unlike incineration, the only gaseous emis-
sions from this process are CO2 and N2.
Phophorous and coagulant can be recovered
from the inert residue.
In pharmaceutical applications, the technol-
ogy does not produce a hazardous concentrate
that would normally require disposal. While bi- Resistoflex®ATL PTFE
ological treatment processes produce a waste
sludge that requires disposal, the AuqaCritox Advanced Technology Liner
process produces an effluent liquid stream with
low chemical-oxygen-demand (COD) values.
Any inert material within the waste stream will
exit the process as inert residue.
“This self-perpetuating wastewater treatment Resistoflex®ATL PTFE reduces permeation rates
eliminates complex organics through com-  by up to 60% when exposed to aggressive
plete oxidation while allowing for the retrieval chemical elements at high temperatures
of metals and phosphates,” says Giles. ❐
 Outer shell protection delivers superior

permeation control up to 450° F
deposit and corrosion additives. The
technology includes a new stress tol-
Full vacuum rating up to 450°F
erant polymer (STP), alkaline en- 
hanced chemistry (AEC) and halogen on sizes 1” – 12”
resistant azole (HRA) in combination
with phosphate-based steel corrosion
inhibitors. The treatments are stable www.cranechempharma.com
and retain effectiveness in the pres-
ence of chlorine and other halogens,
08_CHE_090111_NF2.indd 25 8/23/11 10:24:24 AM

Fluid Metering, Inc.
Newsfront
Figure 3. Accurately meter-

allowing Legionella compliance when ing liquid sodium hypochlo-
rite presents challenges, but
chlorine and bromine residuals are the Chloritrol system’s valve-
continuously applied at levels for gen- less duplex-pump design
eral microbiological control and during allows sodium hypochlorite
periodic system disinfections. Unlike directly into the water main,
conventional treatments, GenGard while a second pump re-
moves out-gas bubbles. Dos-
allows users to effectively respond to age equipment such as this
microbial upsets without a loss of de- can help processors optimize
Z-0551 Compare_P&S_Layout
position 1 3/14/11 4:08 PM Page 1
or corrosion control. water treatment programs
Dosage, monitoring & analysis

While smarter and more environmen-
tally friendly chemicals are a step in
the right direction, the sustainable
trend is also moving processors to-
ward reducing the amount of chemi-
Vanton solid thermoplastic pumps to stainless,
cals added during the treatment pro-
high alloy, plastic-lined and fiberglass pumps for water,
cess, notes Weatherup. “Proper dosing,
wastewater and corrosive treatment chemicals:
monitoring and control is the best way
to approach this desired reduction of
chemical waste,” he explains.
Manoj Sharma, vice president,
products and services division with
Aquatech (Canonsburg, Pa.) agrees.
• ZERO CORROSION “An effective water-treatment chemi-
(unlike stainless and alloys) cal program is a key contributor in op-
• ZERO CONTAMINATION timizing water consumption and im-
(unlike stainless and alloys)
proving overall system efficiency,” he
• ZERO CHEMICAL
says. “But the program is even more
ABSORPTION OR WICKING
(unlike fiberglass reinforced effective if it is combined with inno-
plastics) vative water treatment systems that
• ZERO TEARING, CRACKING, include hardware. The optimization
OR PEELING of integrated chemical and efficient
(unlike plastic linings)
All wet end components of Vanton
treatment equipment is commonly de-
• ZERO OR NEAR-ZERO ABRASION centrifugal pumps are molded of solid PVC, fined as total water management.”
(unlike stainless, alloys, and fiberglass) PP or PVDF, and handle flows to 1450 gpm
(330 m3/h), heads to 400 ft (122 m) and The reason this approach is so ef-
temperatures to 275°F (135°C).
fective, according to Stephan Andree,
Vanton molds all wet end components of It means you can say good-bye global product manager of analysis
solid, homogeneous thermoplastics that to pumping problems you now and control equipment with Sie-
are 100% inert to the caustic and acidic experience with chemical transfer,
treatment chemicals you handle, such disinfection, dosing, effluent
mens, is because it helps reduce the
as alum, ferric chloride, hydrofluosilicic collection, lift stations, odor control, amount of chemical usage. “Automa-
acid, polymer, sodium hydroxide, sodium recirculation and other process tion of chemical fed processes through
hypochloride, sulfuric acid and others. applications.
the addition of a high quality dosing
pump, analyzer and control equip-
ment can reduce chemical use by
30%, versus leaving it without proper
control and feed equipment,” he says.
“Automated feed equipment cuts over
and under dosage of chemical, which
SUMP-GARD® Vertical CHEM-GARD® Horizontal FLEX-I-LINER® Rotary Non-metallic
Centrifugal Pumps Centrifugal Pumps Peristaltic Pumps Pump/Tank Systems helps save the cost of chemical, as
Standard, bearingless,
low headroom, wash
Standard, ANSI, DIN,
mag drive, close coupled
Dosing/feeding liquids
and viscous fluids
Tanks from 60 to 5000 gal
(227 to 18,900 liter) with
well as reduces unnecessary chemical
down, integral motor/ and self priming to 6000 SSU pumps and automated usage, making treatment and or reuse
shaft and vortex controls
more efficient.”
A prime example of this type of
Z-0551
equipment is Siemen’s Micro/2000

Measurement Module Analyzer (Fig-
1-908-688-4216 .com mkt@vanton.com
ure 2), which provides a user-friendly
WEFTEC Booth #1767 display and touch pad with historic
data trending. The unit can be con-
08_CHE_090111_NF2.indd 26 8/23/11 10:25:26 AM

Service and
Equipment Providers
Aquatech
www.aquatech.com
Ashland Hercules Water Technologies to meet specific goals of a particular where the main concern is produc-
www.ashland.com water-treatment plan and budget. ing high quality products and mini-
Fluid Metering Experts agree that adopting these mizing downtime. “Embracing newer
www.fmipump.com or similar modern chemistries and technologies really can reduce the
GE Power and Water
technologies for treatment, as well challenges, as well as cost issues, for
www.gewater.com
as monitoring, analysis and control, chemical processors for whom water
Kroff
www.kroff.com can go a long way toward easing treatment, reuse and recycling is not
Lux Research the water treatment burden that is a core practice,” says Hamdini. ■
www.luxresearchinc.com so very challenging for an industry Joy LePree
Neosens
www.neo-sens.com
SCFI Group
www.scfi.eu
Water Tectonics
www.watertectonics.com
figured for different operating ranges,

alarm set points and display informa-
tion for continuous measurement of
oxidant residuals. The measurement
module measures free and total chlo-
rine residual, chlorine dioxide, ozone
or potassium permanganate residuals
in potable water, primary or secondary
treated wastewater or cooling water. It
is able to measure low oxidant residu-
als down to 1 ppb.
And, Ashland’s OnGuard 2-plus
analyzer monitors critical cooling-
water and heat-exchanger perfor-
mance indicators and parameters,
including corrosion, fouling, pH, con-
ductivity, temperature, oxidation re-
duction potential and water flow, and
provides realtime measuring and
process control.
The analyzer is able, instantly and
remotely, to compare existing condi-
tions to defined targets and then ad-
just automatically to close the gap,
provide immediate response to system
upsets and provide accurate reports.
GE’s offering in the monitoring and
analysis arena includes TrueSense, a
technology platform that assists users
with optimization through monitor-
ing of chemical usage, water use and
consumption, operational productiv-
ity and human productivity. The on-
line version was designed to provide
a direct measurement of functional
chemistries that drive success for all
dimensions of cooling water manage-
ment. The platform takes measure-
ment and control technology for mul-
tiple analytes using a single detection
platform that offers simplicity and
stability. The solution can be designed
08_CHE_090111_NF2.indd 27 8/23/11 10:26:30 AM

EnvironmentalColumn
Fractionation Manager
Believe your instruments,

unless...
I
was having a “wallflower moment” the reboiler at the top? Mike Resetarits is the technical director at Frac-
after Ms. Ruth Sands’ excellent Admittedly, I knew where tionation Research, Inc. (FRI; Stillwater, Okla.;
troubleshooting presentation at the the column was located, and www.fri.org), a distillation research consortium.
March AIChE meeting. That presenta- after a long flight, I found it. Each month, Mike shares his first-hand experi-
ence with CE readers
tion was well summarized by Editor in Several engineers and techni-
Chief, Rebekkah Marshall in the April cians were there to assist me. The con- the pressure drop data were correct.
issue of CE (p. 5). I wanted to tell Ms. trol room consensus was this: The sepa- I stated, “I believe that your column
Sands, and the other meeting attend- ration was poor because the trays were is functioning at about 10%, not 90%,
ees, about my solvents column trouble- operating near their flood points. Back of the design loadings and that is why
shoot. Here’s the story: in my U.S. office, I had concluded that your separation is so bad.” The control
On this particular troubleshoot, the the pressure drop data were wrong. A room response was, “but this is where
only thing that I knew for certain, was pressure drop of 0.5 psi across 50 trays we have operated this column ever
that I knew nothing for certain. The was simply not believable. As a general since its commissioning 10 years ago!”
column owner complained about poor rule, the pressure drop across a well- I requested that the reflux and
performance. Operating data revealed functioning tray is 0.1 psi per tray. steam rates be increased by a factor
an enthalpy imbalance — the column After two days of onsite calculations, of eight or nine. They held an “employ-
was accumulating heat at an amazing technician interviews and operating- ees only” meeting and told me that an
rate — or not. The top tray was hotter manual reviews, I had a theory that I important man would have some very
than the bottom tray — or had the col- was feeling good about: The reflux and serious questions for me the next day.
umn been installed upside down, with steam meters were both wrong and After a long evening of corroborative
calculations and a semi-sleepless night,
the troubleshooting team assembled in a
meeting room in the control building at
9 a.m. Few spoke, including me. An im-
portant man entered the room, clearly
unhappy to be there. He stated, “Mr.
Restarts [SIC], I am the plant safety di-
rector and WE have very serious safety
concerns regarding your proposal to in-
crease the steam to the solvents column
by almost 10 times.” He held up ten fin-
gers. I said to myself, “What?”. I said to
the safety director, “What?” He repeated
himself. I said, “I am definitely not re-
questing increasing the column operat-
ing pressure. A steam rate increase will
not present any safety hazards.”
The Column operators held another
“employees only” meeting and thereaf-
ter reluctantly agreed to increase the
steam rate by 10% per day, until the col-
umn became “unsafe.” About one week
later, the column was achieving its best
separation ever, the pressure drop was
around 0.10 psi per tray and the reflux
meter never budged from its pre-Re-
starts value. Restarts was a hero.
In March, Ms. Sands stated, “Believe
your instruments unless you have a
good reason not to.” Generally, she is
right, but she never tried to blow a
relief valve by increasing a reboiler
steam rate. ■
Mike Resetarits, resetarits@fri.org
09_CHE_090111_FRAC.indd 28 8/23/11 10:35:19 AM

Focus on
Engineering
Software
CD-adapco CPFD Software
More physics means more appli- vacuum systems. This release also has can be used to predict the impact on
cations with this CFD software new LiveLink interfaces for AutoCAD erosion rates of changes to the design
STAR-CCM+ Version 6.04 is this com- and SpaceClaim. Version 4.2 includes or operating conditions. Barracuda is
pany’s latest release of its CFD- (com- new virtual geometry tools for creat- widely used for the modeling of cir-
putational fluid dynamics) focused en- ing a mesh that identifies the essential culating fluidized beds, fluidized-bed
gineering simulation software (photo). parts of the original CAD model to en- reactors, fluid catalytic-cracking units
The new release aims to: further ex- able faster and more memory-efficient and other gas-solid or liquid-solid pro-
pand the application coverage through solving. Time-dependent adaptive cessing equipment. — CPFD Software,
the addition of new, validated physics; meshing and automatic remeshing Albuquerque, N.M.
to further improve quality, robustness tightly link solvers and meshing algo- www.cpfd-software.com
and speed of the meshing technology; rithms for any moving mesh analysis.
and to enhance usability of 3D-CAD — Comsol, Inc., Burlington, Mass. More worksheets for
(computer-aided design), the surface- www.comsol.com engineering calculations
preparation tools, the CAD clients This company recently added more
and the visualization capabilities. Particle and fluid flow are than 600 new Parametric Technology
For example, heat and mass trans- modeled by this software Corp. (PTC) MathCAD worksheets
fer between phases have been added Barracuda V14.4 is the latest CFD from PTC e-Libraries. The worksheets
to the Existing Eulerian multiphase software specialized for modeling are fully compatible with MathCAD
capabilities. The new release also in- fluid-particle flow problems in indus- 14.0, 15.0 and MathCAD Prime 1.0.
cludes, among other additions, a new trial applications. This latest version The Knovel Math expansion enables
model to predict the formation and provides the ability to predict erosion engineers to quickly find and solve
transport of thin liquid film on a sur- in chemical plant equipment caused systems of equations across a wider
face, and its subsequent stripping and by particle-wall impacts. Based on range of topics via a collection of fully
breakup under aerodynamic forces. — this company’s CPFD (computational documented and validated MathCAD
CD-adapco, Melville, N.Y. particle fluid dynamics) numerical worksheets. — Knovel, New York, N.Y.
www.cd-adapco.com methods, which combine a Eulerian www.knovel.com
approach for the fluid with a Lagran-
Expanding applications with this gian formulation for the particles, Improve crystallization process-
multiphysics software Barracuda is a specialized form of es with this modeling tool
May saw the release of the latest CFD designed specifically for model- gCrystal is a powerful and user-
version of Multiphysics — Version ing reacting fluidized systems (photo). friendly tool that uses high-fidelity
4.2 — which incorporates three new Because solids are treated as discrete predictive models validated with ex-
applications modules: Microfluidics, particles with a full particle-size dis- perimental or operating data to pro-
Geomechanics and Electrodeposition. tribution, Barracuda is able to cal- vide accurate information for support
For example, the Microfluidics Module culate an erosion index based on the of design and operating decisions. The
can be used for the study of microflu- individual particle mass, velocity software helps scientists and engi-
idic devices and rarefied gas flows, and impact angle with solid surfaces. neers responsible for the design and
and can be used for the design of lab- High-wear locations can be identi- operation of crystallization processes
on-a-chip devices, digital microfluid- fied, whether the surface is metallic to meet crystallization challenges
ics, electrokinetic devices, inkjets and or refractory-lined, and the software through: population balance model-
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number Chemical Engineering www.che.com September 2011 29
on p. 70, or use the website designation.
10_CHE_090111_CUS.indd 29 8/23/11 10:42:29 AM

Invensys Operations Management
Focus
ing to represent the crystal size dis- Performance solution. The

tribution; representing key phenom- workflow software helps com-
ena (such as primary and secondary puterize manual and auto-
nucleation, growth, attrition, agglom- mated processes that involve
eration and breakage) with detailed people and systems, allowing
first-principles models; a built-in ca- workers to participate in ap-
pability to link with CFD models to proved workflow, regardless
capture hydrodynamic effects for reli- if they are mobile, behind a
able scaleup; and more. The software desk or operating the plant. —
can lead to increased throughput, Invensys Operations Management, tion Mode, which helps speed complex
improved product quality, reduced Plano, Tex. calculations, and improved dynamic
scaleup risks and more. — Process http://iom.invensys.com column performance and topology re-
System Enterprise Ltd., London, U.K. porting. Users can now regress BIPs
www.psenterprise.com Major enhancements in the (binary interaction parameters) from
latest release of ChemCAD partial pressure data, and can specify
Improved workflow for all, With an intuitive interface and exten- more properties when defining their
regardless of where they are sive libraries of chemical components, own components. — ChemStations,
ArchestraA Workflow Version 1.1 thermodynamic methods and unit op- Inc., Houston
(photo) is this company’s latest busi- erations, ChemCAD extends the engi- www.chemstations.com
ness-process-management solution for neer’s process simulation capabilities.
industrial enterprises. The new ver- This company is committed to ongoing, Enhanced design software
sion adds Integration to IntelaTrac, client-led product development, as evi- further streamlines workflow
the company’s mobile solution, and denced by the many improvements in AutoPlant V8i (Select Series 3) — the
its Wonderware MES (manufactur- ChemCAD 6.4, released last July. New latest version of this company’s Au-
ing execution system) Operations and features include Thermo Accelera- toCAD-based plant-design software
temperature reported with every reading

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— is fully compatible with 64-bit Au- telligent, as-built 3D plant models. chemicals and other process indus-
toCAD, Windows and Microsoft Of- Creation of an accurate 3D model al- tries. A new, patent-pending Concep-
fice. The AutoPlant products include lows owner operators to optimize the tual Design Builder in AspenHYSYS
specification-driven, 3D design tools operation of their assets and signifi- Upstream builds gas-oil separation
for piping, equipment, isometric, race- cantly reduce the lead time on up- plant models in minutes, reducing
way and steelwork design, along with grade and revamp projects in a way risk when evaluating upstream asset
2D functional-design applications for that is not possible with historic ap- design options. Rigorous plate-fin and
instrumentation, wiring, data sheets plications, says the company. Laser spiral-wound heat exchanger models
and process-and-instrumentation dia- Modeller can accept scan data from inside HYSYS allow companies to
grams. The new enhancements to V8i any of the leading laser scanner ven- optimize LNG (liquified natural gas)
further streamline workflows, improve dors. It directly generates 3D models plants, analyze operational challenges
information sharing and engineering to feed into a visual asset-manage- and deliver solution alternatives. The
content management, reduce risk, ment strategy. For brownfield proj- new Assay Library of 180 crude oils en-
facilitate more effective change man- ects, using native PDMS component ables refiners to characterize multiple
agement and lead to higher quality catalogs, it delivers a fully intelli- crudes more accurately and efficiently.
projects, says the company. — Bentley gent PDMS model. — Aveva Group, The Aspen Fired Heater equipment
Systems, Inc., Exton, Pa. Plc., Cambridge, U.K. models inside HYSYS allow refiners to
www.bentley.com www.aveva.com study operational constraints, predict
revamp benefits and increase energy
Turn laser-scan data into an Something new for everyone savings. The new Properties Mobile
accurate, 3D plant model with this release delivers access to physical-property
An integral part of this company’s Released in May, AspenONE 7.3 en- data to mobile devices. — Aspen Tech-
larger laser-scan strategy, Laser gineering software features new opti- nology, Inc., Burlington, Mass.
Modeller rapidly and cost-effectively mization innovations for exploration www.aspentech.com ■
transforms laser scan data into in- and production, petroleum refining, Gerald Ondrey
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10_CHE_090111_CUS.indd 31 8/23/11 10:44:22 AM

Sterilization
Approaches
Department Editor: Scott Jenkins
M
aintaining high-purity conditions in chamber is filled with steam Table 1. Comparison of
the chemical process industries (CPI) at an optimal temperature sterilization techniques
depends in large part on the tech- and time to maximize Sterilization Advantages Disadvantages
niques used for sterilization. As a method killing of microorganisms. technique
to inactivate or eliminate potentially harmful Related are steam-in-place
microbes, sterilization can be achieved (SIP) systems that use steam Moist heat Inexpensive, highly Degradation of
(steam) effective and material, safety
through a number of different approaches, to cycle through tanks, pipes efficient, non-toxic
such as moist-heat (steam), radiation, eth- and equipment. In that
ylene oxide treatment and newer technolo- case, a cleaning solution Ethylene Low-temperature ap- High-temperature
oxide plications, highly ef- applications, cost,
gies. Each approach has advantages and is introduced to the tank or fective and efficient safety
disadvantages, and the choice can have a pipe system, followed by a
major impact on product quality and safety. rinse with purified water and Ionizing High molecular- Low oxygen
then steam. radiation weight durability, permeability, cost,
highly effective and safety
Ethylene oxide sterilization A disadvantage of using a efficient
By virtue of its being a gas at ambient tem- steam sterilization system is
perature and pressure, ethylene oxide (EtO) that steam cycles can be long Plasma Wide range of Lack of experience
compatibility, high with plasma, cost
can be used in lower-temperature applica- (~4 h). While sterilization effectiveness
tions, and is considered to be the “gold itself usually takes 20 min at
standard” for low-temperature sterilization. 121˚C, preconditioning time Dry heat High penetrating Temperature
power, low corrosion stratification, slow
Biologically, EtO works by alkylating DNA, is required to eliminate air
heating rates, high
which disrupts cellular processes. This in the chamber, as is drying temperatures, long
makes EtO effective against bacteria and time following the steriliza- exposure times
fungi, as well as against microbial spores. tion. Another challenge is the
The properties that make EtO an effective sterilization of complicated components with The electromagnetic field creates a range
sterilizing agent also make it a danger to contaminant-trapping designs. of particles, including photons, electrons
those who may be exposed to the com- Effective steam sterilization requires a and neutral particles. The active agents of
pound. However, EtO has been used in the robust steam-delivery system that is capable plasma sterilization are ultraviolet (UV)-
healthcare industry for a relatively long pe- of supplying steam dry enough to penetrate wavelength photons, as well as free radi-
riod, so the chemical is well regulated, and components, but also wet enough to coat cals (usually oxygen species with unpaired
many safety systems have been developed. surfaces sufficiently. It is usually desirable to electrons). Hydrogen peroxide in an evacu-
Because of EtO’s high reactivity, it may have steam generation occur close to where ated chamber is often used as the source of
be undesirable in some process situations. it will be used in an autoclave. the radicals in plasma sterilization.
Therefore, detailed research is recommend- The mechanism by which microorgan-
ed before incorporating EtO into a process Dry-heat sterilization isms are killed with plasma irradiation is
as a sterilization agent. Sterilization can also be accomplished with tri-phasic. The first component is UV irradia-
dry heat, through the use of a large-scale, tion, which damages microorganism DNA
Ionizing radiation convection-heating industrial oven. Convec- directly. The second is photodesorption,
Using short-wavelength radiation to disrupt tion heating occurs when heat is transferred whereby UV photons break bonds in the
covalent bonds can be an effective method through a medium by motion of its parts. material making up the microbes, leading
to sterilize materials and surfaces, including Industrial convection ovens are critical for to formation of volatile byproducts, which
polymers. Ionizing radiation generates reac- high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filtra- are removed. The third phase involves
tive species in cells that disrupt microbial tion. In such applications, air is heated by adsorption of reactive species onto the
DNA. The three-step interaction of ionizing the heating elements of the oven by natural microorganism. The reactive species un-
radiation with biological and chemical convection and transferred into the air by dergo chemical reactions to create volatile
matter consists of a physical stage, in which forced convection. Dry-heat sterilization small molecules. When a sufficient level
radiation is absorbed; a physicochemical kills microbes by coagulating proteins at of material has been removed, and DNA
stage, where thermal equilibrium is estab- elevated temperatures. damaged, the microbe dies.
lished within the system; and a chemical Relatively little research has been carried An advantage of using the plasma steril-
stage, when the reactive species diffuse out in the area of dry-heating sterilization ization method is the potential for maintain-
and react with adjacent molecules. All three because the process is time-consuming and ing relatively low temperatures (≤50˚C),
stages occur within microseconds, making difficult to control. These difficulties arise which allows the integrity of polymer-based
the overall ionizing radiation process highly because of temperature stratification and materials to remain intact. Also, plasma
time-efficient, while still maintaining a high slow heating rates. sterilization is safe for the operator, and
level of thoroughness. Dry-heating does have some advan- leaves no toxic or harmful chemical residue.
A significant disadvantage of the techol- tages compared to moist-heat sterilization, Sterilization cycles for plasma can be
ogy is its safety to individuals. Also, care however. These advantages include a relatively short.
must be taken to ensure that the irradiation higher penetrating power, less corrosivity
does not have a deleterious effect on the and slower erosion of ground-glass surfaces
product or material being exposed. compared to steam sterilization. Dry-heat References
sterilization has become more widely used 1. Baez, H. A. and Assaf-Anid, N.M., Novel
Moist-heat sterilization in recent years because of advancements in and Conventional Approaches to Sterilization,
Chem. Eng., August 2008, pp. 42–45.
Another common sterilization method is infrared-radiation tunnels that have started
to use steam to deactivate microbe cells to remove a downside of dry heat by allow- 2. Moisan, M., Barbeau, J. and others, Plasma
Sterilization: Methods and Mechanisms, Pure
by denaturing cellular proteins and other ing high-heat, short-time sterilization.
Appl. Chem. vol. 74 (3), pp. 349–358, 2002.
macromolecules. Steam sterilization is
widely used because of its high efficacy, Plasma-based sterilization
Editor’s note: This edition of “Facts at Your Finger-
low reactivity and low cost. One tool for Plasma (ionized gas) is created by ap- tips” is partially adapted from the article refer-
steam sterilization is an autoclave, where a plying an electromagnetic field to a gas. enced above [1].
11_CHE_090111_FAC.indd 32 8/23/11 10:53:16 AM

032a-032b_CHE_0911_PNC Bank.indd 1 8/24/11 3:56:01 PM
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TIM HUNTER / OWNER

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Show Preview
George R. Brown Convention Center

Houston, Texas September 13 – 15, 2011
Rosedale Filtration Products
E
xhibitors and attendees alike are
getting geared up for the 2nd annual
ChemInnovations Conference and
Expo (www.cpievent.com), which
runs from September 13–15 at the George
Brown Convention Center in Houston.
Focused on breakthrough ideas, emerging
technologies and game-changing solutions
in the chemical process industries (CPI),
the event offers the most comprehensive
conference content for chemical engineers
in North America. ChemInnovations 2011
is expected to draw over 150 exhibitors
and more than 2,500 attendees. The event
is co-located with three others — the an-
nual meeting of the International Society
of Automation (ISA) Houston Section, the
Pump User’s Symposium and the Turbo-
machinery Symposium.
Conference tracks
Six tracks, plus the Chementator BHS Filtration
Lightning Round (Chem. Eng., Aug.
2011, p. 20D-1) comprise ChemInno- riety of sizes to accom- different-sized inter-
vations’ conference program: modate one to 18 filter changeable rotors for
• Track 1: Business insights, outlook elements in 40 and processing multiple
and regulatory issues 60-in. lengths. Flow- batch sizes. The cen-
rates achieved are up trifuges offer basket
• Track 2: Process, design and to 400 gal/min. With filtration and solid-
operations a horizontal style, the liquid sedimentation,
• Track 3: Environmental, health system maximizes the and hard- or soft-sided
and safety ease of operation while containment systems
minimizing the physi- can be installed for
• Track 4: Energy efficiencies and
cal footprint. The high- use with potent com-
the use of alternative energy sources Robatel
flow filtration systems pounds. Cart-mounted
• Track 5: Equipment maintenance have standard pressure and tempera- installation allows for easy portabil-
and reliability ture ratings to 300 psig and 250°F. The ity. They are available with explosion-
• Track 6: Instrumentation, controls hinged cover permits easy changeouts proof electrical controls and can be
and automation and the units are available in carbon constucted from 316L stainless steel,
steel, as well as 304 and 316 stainless Hastelloy C and others. Booth 316 —
Products and services steel. Booth 3106 — Rosedale Filtra- Robatel Inc., Pittsfield, Mass.
The following descriptions include tion Products Inc., Ann Arbor, Mich. www.rousselet-robatel.com
some of the many products and ser- www.rosedaleproducts.com
vices that will be featured on the ex- A touch-screen for
hibit floor at ChemInnovations. This centrifuge is designed for interlock systems
R&D and small-scale processing The new CKC Touch-Screen display
Achieve high-performance filtra- Laboratory centrifuges from this com- for key interlocking systems is de-
tion with a compact design pany (photo) are ideally suited for signed for integration into interlock
This company’s high-flow filtration R&D, as well as small-scale process- key cabinets, or for separate mounting
systems (photo) are available in a va- ing. They can be equipped with three as a standalone feature. All cabinet
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number Chemical Engineering www.che.com September 2011 32D-1
12_CHE_090111_SHOd.indd 1 8/23/11 5:45:32 PM

ChemInnovations 2011 Show Preview II
– Special Advertising Section -- Premium Exhibitors
Biar S.A., sors, batch and advanced control, safety, RSC Equipment Rental
BIAR is a Swiss-based manufacturer of Sam- MES, and asset management solutions. RSC's Integrated Services is a specialized
pling Valves for pipelines and reactors since Our services include consulting, project, equipment and tool rental program that
1980. Designed to meet the highest secu- and lifecycle management. gives you centralized administrative con-
rity standards, our product is the professional www.honeywellprocess.com trol over your entire organization's rental
solution for all liquid and gas sampling re- requirements and transactions through our
quirements. The modular design provides Leser Total Control® Management Software,
an exposure-free environment without dead Headquartered in Germany, with a state Managed Services, Mobile Tool Room™
space, hanging drop or soiled surface. We of the art factory and more than 500 and Pump and Power Solutions.
guarantee directly representative samples in employees globally, LESER supplies high www.rscrental.com/default.aspx
a simple, safe and efficient way. quality safety valves worldwide. LESER
www.biar.com manufactures 7 different product groups RVT process Equipment,
and 38 valve types. A variety of materials Inc.
Continental Disc Corp. and sizes provide safe solutions for virtually Company Profile: RVT Process Equipment
The HPX™ rupture disc is a scored reverse every industrial safety valve application. designs and delivers innovative products to
acting rupture disc. This differential pressure www.leser.com the chemical, petrochemical, and refining
relief device features an instantaneous full- industries. RVT has offices in the USA, Ger-
open relief area for protecting equipment, Oseco many, & China.
vessels, systems and people from an over- Oseco rupture discs offer industry www.rvtpe.net
pressure condition. This high precision re- best flow characteristics.
verse acting rupture disc offers proven per- Oseco’s ASME UD stamped, forward act- USA Industries Inc.
formance in excess of 250,000 cycles at a ing FAS rupture disc and reverse buckling Turnaround Product Specialist Available
95% operating ratio. PRO+ offer the lowest KR available in to- 24/7. Products include Snap It® Sr and
www.contdisc.com/en/component/ day’s process industry. The FAS and PRO+ Jr plugs; metal tapered tube plugs in all
products/detailProdGroup/11/ are primarily used to isolate safety relief alloys and sizes; Piping Isolation Products
HPX%E2%84%A2-Rupture-Disc-Product- valves. The FAS is used in high pressure include Blinds, Spacers, Flange Test Plugs,
Family.html applications, while the PRO+ is ideal for Blind Flanges, Isolation Plugs, EZ Vent and
high cycling applications. EZ Purge Blinds; Portable Machine Tools;
Emerson Process www.oseco.com for the link. and Heat Exchanger Tools. Many products
Management available for rental or sale.
Chemical producers share many of the People and Processes, Inc. www.usaindustries.com
same challenges – ensuring safety, avail- People and Processes, Inc. is an education
ability of production assets, optimized pro- and consulting services firm dedicated to Valve Concepts Inc.
duction, and efficient energy management. Maintenance and Operations enhance- The 8900 Series manway pressure and
Just as no two chemical operations are ment. We help our manufacturing and facil- pressure /vacuum relief vents provide emer-
alike, there is no standard solution for meet- ities clients by utilizing industry recognized gency pressure relief beyond that furnished
ing these challenges. At Emerson Process best practices and processes in a holistic by the normal pressure vent for atmospheric
Management, we have the right technology site approach. and low pressure tanks. Pressure pallet as-
and expertise to help you create a solution Since we measure our success on your sembly designed so it can be removed to
as unique as your process. results, we believe in partnerships with our allow unobstructed access to tank. Set
www.emersonprocess.com clients. It's about your success. point pressures from 0.5 psi to 15 psi.
www.peopleandprocesses.com Vacuum set points from 0.2 to 4 oz/in2.
Feluwa Pumpen GmbH Sizes 16" thru 24" in aluminum or stainless
MULTISAFE Double Hose-Dia- ProMinent Fluid Controls, Inc. steel construction.
phragm Process Pumps ProMinent Fluid Controls, Inc. is a global www.cashcosolutions.com/products.
At the heart of this pump are two hydrauli- manufacturer of chemical metering pumps, php?sID=90&pID=101
cally actuated hose-diaphragms which are water quality instrumentation, specialized
arranged one inside the other. They enclose disinfection equipment, and pre-engineered ISE Magtech
the linear flow path of the fluid and create or custom skidded systems serving the LTM-350 “INTELLIGAUGE” Magnetostric-
double hermetic sealing from the drive end. Water and Wastewater industries. We tive level transmitter unleashes the power
The product is not in contact with the pump have proudly served the Municipal, Indus- of HART-7, with wireless capability, time
casings, so that these can be made from trial and OEM markets in the United States stamped data, increased diagnostics.
lesser materials. for over 30 years. “INTELLIGAUGE” transmitters mount exter-
www.feluwa.com www.prominent.us nally to any LG series Magnetic level gauge
or serve as a direct insertion type. This unit
Honeywell Rosedale Product has multiple outputs.
Honeywell is the automation technology Rosedale Products manufactures a complete HART Registered Device
leader in the Chemicals market with a full line of filtration equipment including bag fil- Dynamic RoC Filter
portfolio of scalable solutions tailored to ters, cartridge filters, basket strainers, auto- Power Optimization Software
meet the customers business challenges by matic back washing systems, as well as cus- Simple Configuration
enhancing safety, reliability, efficiency and tom pressure vessels and tanks. Rosedale Factory set threshold
sustainability. maintains a large inventory of ready-to-ship Field-reversible mounting
Honeywell products range from process housings. Auto detect configuration errors
knowledge systems, to instrumentation, sen- www.rosedaleproducts.com www.isemagtech.com
12_CHE_090111_SHOd.indd 2 8/23/11 5:46:51 PM

keys are displayed on the screen, and psig. The vent mounts
a single touch can provide detailed in- on enclosures where
formation about that specific key and dust explosions may
its corresponding interlock system. occur, and will activate
The touch-screen also includes addi- to safely relieve pres-
tional information buttons that pro- sure in the event of a
vide access to facility contact details, deflagration, thereby
Oseco
operating manuals, product informa- preventing a large ex-
tion and training instructions. Booth plosion. The vent can also be used on alkaline slurry. The unit also features
3020 — Netherlocks USA, Houston bulk storage units and in ductwork a candle filter system to recover fines
www.netherlocks.com applications requiring a square explo- and recombine them into the process,
sion vent. Unlike other domed vents, thus maximizing product recovery.
Protect personnel and equipment the MV-RD can operate in tempera- Booth 3325 — BHS Filtration Inc.,
with this explosion vent tures up to 450°F. Booth 3301 — Oseco, Charlotte, N.C.
The new MV-RD explosion vent (photo) Broken Arrow, Okla. www.bhsfiltration.com
is offered for protecting personnel and www.oseco.com
equipment during deflagrations in V. 2 of this hardware-design soft-
high-cycling and high-vacuum appli- This belt filter ware features improvements
cations. The vent provides extended has a large area Version 2.0 of this company’s hard-
in-service life, lower burst pressure in With a 3.50-m-wide belt, this compa- ware design software (photo, p. 32D-
smaller sizes and an industry-first, two- ny’s belt filter (photo, p. 32D-1) offers 4) contains updates that improve the
year warranty. The MV-RD is designed 73.5 m2 of filter area. The belt filter is generation of schematics, as well as
for high-cycling applications, such as capable of handling a range of filtra- documentation management. More
in dust collectors and bag houses that tion applications, as well as washing complex device technology has in-
experience vacuum pressures up to 12 and drying of high-value product in an creased the need for software to clearly
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12_CHE_090111_SHOd.indd 3 8/23/11 5:47:55 PM

ion
6 PM
Centrifuge & Drying
Technologies
Horizontal Peeler Centrifuge
NEW
VERSION
High performance solid/liquid separator for

nonstop operation under heavy conditions
• Widest range of applications in the chem-
ical, fine chemical, and food industries
• Powerful system for highest throughputs
• Optimum feeding and washing devices
allow for high product qualities
• Strong design and residue-free discharge
systems allows for minimum maintenance
efforts
• Compact design with low center of gravity
allows for low-vibration operation and EPlan Software and Service
flexible installation represent electrical wiring and con-
• Modular system design
nections in design schematics, and
Agitated Nutsche Filter-Dryer the new software version includes
mechanisms to do so. The software
also includes more powerful revision
control for design documents, with a
system of colors and symbols to make
Versatile Filtering &
it easier for users to quickly see all
types of changes made. Langauge it
Drying for Dedicated management is another area where Vis
or Multi-Purpose the new version has improvements;
m Sh
e
Facilities users can now differentiate between Ch at
the source language and the display
• Simple & Easy Operation language in a project. The software
• Empty the Entire Reactor Batch in a makes language translations more
Single Discharge transparent. Booth 3239 — EPlan
• Low Maintenance
• Total Containment During the Entire Software and Service GmbH, Mon-
Batch Cycle heim am Rhein, Germany
• R&D to Production Size Units Rotork Controls
www.eplan.com
Conical Vacuum Dryer-Mixer
These all-electric actuators have Pumped fluid is sealed to prevent
Advanced technology for wireless technology leakage to atmosphere
simultaneous multi-function This company’s CVA control-valve ac- The latest pump from this company
drying and mixing tuators (photo) offer precise operation, is the Zero Emission model (photo,
• Full Containment along with wireless Bluetooth commu- p. 32D-5), where the pumped fluid is
Operation nication technology that can be used hermetically sealed within the pump,
• Largest Heat Transfer
Surface Area for quick setup and valve adjustment. preventing leakage to the atmosphere
• Automatic CIP With high repeatability and a resolu- during operation. The unique, packing-
• Handles the Widest tion of less than 0.1% of full-scale, the free, dynamic-seal design enables safe,
Range of Materials
• Variable Volume Batch CVA actuators are suitable for a wide reliable and continuous-duty opera-
Sizes range of control-valve applications. tion. The intermediate chamber of the
• Gentle Low Shear Drying & Mixing They are available with quarter-turn pump can be outfitted with gastight
• Quick & Trouble Free Product Discharging
and linear actions, feature advanced covers that provide a seal to the at-
Lab Testing Available human-machine interface capabili- mosphere. The chamber can then be
Rental & Lease Machines Available ties, and can be specified for single- charged with inert gas if required. The
phase a.c. or d.c. electrical supplies. integral speed reducer has twin helical
www.heinkelusa.com Booth 3413 — Rotork Controls Inc., gears arranged in a herringbone con-
Tel: 856-467-3399 Rochester, N.Y. figuration to ensure smooth running
www.rotork.com and even-power transmission without
32D-4 Chemical Engineering www.che.com September 2011
12_CHE_090111_SHOd.indd 4 8/23/11 5:55:23 PM

Hammelmann
SafePlex Systems
axially loading the bear- oil based, or designed specifically The SILstroke-3B is certified by TÜV
ings. Booth 3412 — Hammel- to allow vapor-phase heat transfer. Rheinland to achieve safety integrity
mann Corp., Dayton, Ohio The company also offers a flushing level (SIL) 3. Installation of the ESD
www.hammelmann.com fluid to help clean interior surfaces valve controller is easy, the company
of heat-transfer-fluid systems. Booth says, and its reliability enables op-
Heat-transfer fluids 3124 — Solutia Inc., Houston erators to lengthen the proof-test in-
with a variety of properties www.therminol.com tervals for ESD valves by up to five
Liquid-phase heat-transfer fluids times. Booth 3125 — SafePlex Systems
from this company are available with An ESD valve controller with a Inc., Houston
properties that suit a broad range of fault-tolerant design www.safeplexsystems.com
process applications. Among the op- Designed for controlling emergency
tions are synthetic fluids for high- or shutdown (ESD) valves, the SIL- This company has expertise in
low-temperature applications, and for stroke-3B (photo) features parallel air pinch analysis
applications requiring a large temper- supply and air venting pathways that Maximizing energy recovery from
ature swing. Other fluids are mineral- allow a fault-tolerant, failsafe design. chemical processes using pinch analy-
e rk
a t th w Yo
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sis is among the areas of expertise of transfer equipment. HTRI
this international engineering, pro- Xchanger Suite compo-
curement and construction manage- nents are flexible, allowing
ment firm. The firm’s engineers have rigorous specification of ex-
decades of experience in the design changer geometry. This ca-
and development of chemical pro- pability optimizes the use
Gemü Valves
cesses. Representatives from this fast- of HTRI’s proprietary heat-
growing firm will be on hand at Chem- transfer and pressure-drop correla- local indication. The unit is hermeti-
Innovations to provide information tions. A new service pack for Xchanger cally sealed, and can be programmed
about the company’s capabilities. The Suite 6 is now available. Booth locally or remotely without removing
firm has been recognized as among the 3006 — Heat Transfer Research Inc., the cover. Booth 3423 — Gemü Valves,
leaders in “green” construction. Booth College Station, Tex. Actuators and Control Systems,
3119 — SSOE Group, Houston www.htri.net Atlanta, Ga.
www.ssoe.com www.gemu.com
This position indicator offers
This heat-exchanger design soft- high visibility Wide-ranging enhancements to
ware has new additions The 1235 Position Indicator (photo) this design software
Xchanger Suite 6 software includes is designed for difficult installations ChemCAD, an integrated suite of
components for the design, rating, where the local indication may be ob- chemical process engineering soft-
and simulation of heat exchangers scured in some way, or where the short ware, features continuous improve-
and fired heaters. Methods contained stroke of fractional size values may ments that evolve as industry changes.
in the software calculations are in- result in lack of positive definition. In the latest version of the software,
tegrated into the Windows interface, The unit’s position-indicating switch engineers will find a licensing tool
and supported by
WSMC-Comi-Condor-Tomoe 1-3the extensive
page Black & Blue can Eng
data- Chem be (r...
mountedhttps://nymail.accessintel.com/exchange/jcooke/Inbox/Fwd:%20eme...
on most available that expands the capabilities for com-
collected from industrial-sized heat linear valves, and has highly visible puter licensing, as well as improved
dynamic column performance and the
capability for simultaneous heat- and
mass-transfer models in distillation
columns. The enhancements also in-
clude an improved user-defined com-
ponent database that enables users
to specify electrolyte density, viscos-
ity, diffusivity, Henry’s constants and
more. The newest ChemCAD version
also features a new operating mode
that can help speed calculation for
complex simulations. Booth 3306 —
Chemstations Inc., Houston
www.chemstations.com
A heat exchanger designed for

hot acids and corrosives
The newly available plate-and-frame
heat exchanger is designed specifically
for handling hot acids and corrosive
chemicals. The unit offers a cost-effec-
tive and high-performing alternative to
the shell-and-tube heat exchanger de-
signs that have been typically used for
corrosive applications. The fully welded
exchanger has a tantalum-alloy sur-
face coating for corrosion resistance,
and a gasket-less design that raises ef-
ficiencies over those of shell-and-tube
designs by a factor of between five and
seven, the company says. Booth 3222
— Tantaline Inc., Waltham, Mass.
www.tantaline.com ■
Scott Jenkins
12_CHE_090111_SHOd.indd 6 8/23/11 6:12:54 PM

Flow Components International
Show Preview
weftec
the water quality event
2011
T
Moyno Chemineer
he 84th annual Water Environ-

ment Federation Technical Ex-
hibition and Conference (Weftec
2011) will take place at the Los
Angeles Convention Center from October
15–19 (the exhibition runs from October
17–19). The largest annual water quality
event in the world will draw 18,000 at-
tendees from 70 countries, according to
event organizers.
The following descriptions represent
some of the products that will be on
display in the Weftec 2011 exhibit hall.
For additional items, see the online ver-
Solvay Chemicals
sion of this article at www.che.com.
A compact close-coupled Disinfect wastewater without
Gas mass flowmeter pump design halogenated compounds
designed for adaptability Specifically designed for lower-pres- Environmentally compatible Proxi-
The ST100 Series Thermal Mass Flow- sure, lower-flow applications, Model tane WW-12 Peracetic Acid (PAA) mi-
meter (photo) is designed to be adapted WA and WB pumps (photo) offer a crobiocide is used for biological control
to a wide range of new plant and compact, close-coupled configuration. in municipal wastewaters (photo). This
process-control technology. Claimed The pumps are ideal for municipal EPA-registered wastewater disinfec-
to have the industry’s most feature- sludge and applications that require tant is an alternative to halogenated
rich and function-rich electronics, the the transfer of highly viscous flu- disinfectants, such as chlorine-based
ST100 was developed in response to ids and solids where a close-coupled chemicals, and can have a positive
process engineers’ need for more com- configuration is preferred, but the synergistic effect on an existing ul-
prehensive measurement information robustness of a gear joint is desired, traviolet (UV) disinfection system by
and for flexibility to adapt to plant the company says. Features of the WA simply adding it into the wastewater.
technology that might be deployed in pump include optimized rotor-stator Compared to dosage requirements for
the future. The ST100 measures gas geometry, sealed, gear-type universal industrial grade NaOCl, WW-12 is ap-
mass flowrate, total flow, temperature joint drive train, and bearings integral plied at a similar rate, but does not
and pressure, and can store up to five to the adapter housing that support require a dechlorination step, or form
unique calibration groups to accom- the radial thrust loads at the rotor- chlorinated byproducts. Booth 8514 —
modate broad flow ranges, differing stator. The WB pump has similar fea- Solvay Chemicals Inc., Houston
mixtures of the same gas, and multiple tures, except no shaft bearings and a www.solvaychemicals.us
gases. A removable 2-GB micro-SD traditional close-coupled design with
memory card can store 21 million read- thrust and radial loads supported by Change these seals
ings. Booth 5763 — Flow Components the bearings in the gear reducer. Booth quickly and easily
International LLC, San Marcos, Calif. 2211 — Moyno Inc., Springfield, Ohio Specifically designed for agitators,
www.fluidcomponents.com www.moyno.com ChemSeals (photo) employ this com-
Note: For more information, circle the 3-digit number Chemical Engineering www.che.com September 2011 32D-7
13_CHE_090111_WEF.indd 7 8/24/11 7:32:32 AM

Show Preview
pany’s “swing-out” agitator seal-

change design, which allows
quick and easy replacement.
ChemSeals feature high runout,
reverse rotation and reverse-
pressure capability, which keeps
seal faces closed when tank
pressure exceeds seal pressure.
ChemSeals are available in a
variety of materials, and can be
easily retrofitted to existing agi- Phoenix Contact USA Watson-Marlow Pumps Group
tators from this company. They
come in standard sizes of 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 the Valueline product series, the BPC Achieve greater reliability with
and 3.5 in., and can handle tempera- Mini employs a fanless design in a this peristaltic pump
tures up to 356°F and pressures up to compact package that is mountable This peristaltic pump (photo) achieves
300 psi. Booth 2310 — Chemineer Inc., on a DIN rail. It features Intel Atom accuracies of ±1% and greater reli-
Dayton, Ohio Z510PT processors that are specially ability than diaphragm pumps. De-
www.chemineer.com selected to reduce energy consump- signed for metering water-purification
tion and heat production. Designed chemicals like NaOCl and FeCl2, the
An industrial PC with a wide for embedded operating systems, the low-maintenance pump requires no
temperature range computer also has high shock and vi- back-pressure regulators or de-gassing
The VL BPC Mini (photo) is a min- bration ratings, making it suitable for valves. Booth 417 — Watson-Marlow
iature, embedded, industrial box PC rugged applications. Booth 4653 — Pumps Group, Wilmington, Mass.
that can operate within a wide tem- Phoenix Contact USA, Middleton, Pa. www.wmpg.com ■
perature range (–40 to 65°C). Part of www.phoenixcontact.com Scott Jenkins
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13_CHE_090111_WEF.indd 8 8/24/11 7:34:44 AM

People
WHO’S WHO
Griffiths Heintzelman Lipetzky Harris Park
Carbogen Amcis AG (Bubendorf, Magnet Applications, a subsidiary of treatment, names Jim Skiba senior
Switzerland), a pharmaceutical pro- Bunting Magnetics (Newton, Kan.). account executive and Daniel Gray
cess developer and manufacturer of sales representative.
active pharmaceutical ingredients, Chuck Harris becomes vice president
names Mark Griffiths CEO. of midwest operations, distribution Deacom, Inc. (Wayne, Pa.), a pro-
and fulfillment, based in Chicago, for ducer of enterprise resource planning
GE Energy (Atlanta, Ga.), names Intelligrated (Cincinnati, Ohio), a (ERP) software, promotes Amanda
Dan Heintzelman CEO of GE Oil & provider of material-handling solu- Mackedanz to vice president of sales.
Gas. He is currently CEO of GE tions. The company also names Chris
Energy Services, and will succeed Arnold vice president of operations Vertellus Specialties, Inc. (India-
Claudi Santiago, who is retiring and solutions development. napolis, Ind.), a specialty chemicals
in December. company, names Bentley Park presi-
Kroff Chemical Co. (Pittsburgh, dent of the Vertellus Agriculture and
Pete Lipetzky becomes general Pa.), a provider of chemicals and Nutrition business unit. ■
manager of the DuBois, Pa., facility of processes for water and wastewater Suzanne Shelley
Engineering Success...
Simulation Software for a New Frontier in Engineering Innovation.
FOLLOW US ONLINE - Or FOr mOrE INFOrmatION:

info@us.cd-adapco.com www.cd-adapco.com
16_CHE_090111_WW.indd 33 8/24/11 1:29:48 PM

Feature
Cover Story
Report
Specifying Elastomer
Seals for Plastic Piping
Table 1. The Acronym ‘TAMPSS’
Careful attention to Temperature The temperature of the media contacting the seal (Figure 1).
This will be higher for rotating equipment due to frictional heat
elastomer properties Application Detailed information on the intended use of the material and
the use of the equipment into which it will be installed, includ-
and variation by ing the expected performance. Typical applications include
flanges, oil seals, expansion joints, stoppers, hatches, covers,
manufacturer can help Media

doors and liners
Liquid, gas or solid media in contact with the elastomer during
optimize specification normal operation. For elastomeric materials, this is usually the
first factor to consider as it narrows the scope of viable materi-
als. Also important are any secondary media associated with
cleaning and other activities apart from the primary process
Matt Tones, Lou Mattina Pressure Internal system pressure, including periodic spikes or surges
and Jim Drago inherent in the service
Garlock Sealing Technologies Size Overall dimensions, thickness and cross-sectional sizes
Speed For rotating and reciprocating applications whose rates of
T
movement are used in conjunction with dimensional data to
he chemical process industries
calculate surface speeds
(CPI), like many others, increas-
ingly employ non-metallic piping
Table 2. Common Elastomers and uses
systems for fluid transfer — in-
Elastomer type Services
cluding polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chlo-
rinated polyvinyl chloride (CPVC) and Ethylene propylene diene Water, steam, mild acid and base resistance
monomer (EPDM)
fiberglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) —
Butyl rubber Water, mild acid and base resistance
instead of exotic metal piping. While
non-metallic piping systems have Fluoroelastomer (FKM) Excellent oil, solvent, acid and base resistance
benefits, such as lighter weight and Natural rubber Water, mild acid and base resistance
easier installation, they pose a chal- Neoprene (CR) Good oil, water and base resistance
lenge with regard to selecting gaskets, Nitrile rubber (NBR) Oil and fuels (aliphatic hydrocarbons)
which typically have been polytetra- Silicone Excellent heat resistance and good oil resistance
fluoroethylene (PTFE)-based. Styrene butadiene rubber Water
The challenge stems largely from (SBR)
the fact that elastomer compounds
may have significant differences even ing process, it is important to estab- plications, most users rely on three
if they share the same generic nomen- lish relationships with suppliers that principal criteria: polymer type, price
clature. Indeed, there can be signifi- are conducive to collaboration. It is and hardness. However, to assure opti-
cant variations within the same types also crucial to undertake a thorough mal performance and longevity of ser-
and grades of elastomers from different review of the available information vice, additional detailed information
suppliers. By simply specifying neo- on elastomer types and their proper- is required on the material’s intended
prene (chloroprene rubber) or EPDM ties. Combining these approaches will use and the conditions under which it
(ethylene propylene diene monomer), greatly reduce the risk of using the will need to function. Further, selecting
for example, engineers may not arrive wrong material for an application, and an elastomer seal without a complete
at the right elastomer seal for the in- help guard against chemical spills, em- understanding of the manufacturer’s
tended application. Therefore, in spec- ployee injury and facility downtime. terminology can lead to selection of the
ifying elastomer seals for CPI applica- wrong material for an application.
tions, engineers need to exercise due Collecting key information To arrive at the best elastomer for
diligence both in how they approach The majority of non-metallic pip- a particular sealing application, begin
relationships with elastomer suppli- ing systems require the low seating by defining the application in terms
ers and in the information they seek stress of softer, more compressible of the material’s compatibility with
about elastomer properties. elastomeric or rubber gaskets. When the media being sealed, as well as the
In the specification and purchas- specifying elastomers for sealing ap- required grade and compressibility. A
17_CHE_090111_SCJ.indd 34 8/23/11 12:10:49 PM

Elastomer temperature rating Polymer levels Fuel and oil
resistance
SBR Nitrile
grade
Poor
Utility
Silicone SBR resistance
Rubber sheet Natural rubber
Nitrile ingredients
Commercial
Neoprene
grade
Nitrile Moderate
Natural Polymer resistance
SBR
FKM
Butyl Other
ingredients
Premium
grade
EPDM Excellent
Nitrile resistance
–150 –100 –50 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
Temperature, °F
Figure 1. Temperature resistance is a critical parameter for FIGURE 2. Elastomer makeup differs by grade,
elastomer selection. The temperature resistance ranges of with significant impact on chemical resistance. In this
the common elastomers listed in Table 2 are compared case, nitrile content affects resistance to petroleum
D2000 line call-out

(Letter(s) (Required result) (Suggested
(“M” or Blank) (Number) (Letter) (Letter) (Number) (Two numbers) and numbers) material result)
Classification Material Type (heat Class Hardness Tensile

system grade resistance) (swell – %, max.) (durometer) strength
M = metric (SI) If other A = 70°C (158°F) A = no requirement 4 = 40 duro. English

Blank = English than “1” B = 100°C (212°F) B = 140% 5 = 50 duro. 08 = 800 psi
(PSI) contact Eng. C = 125°C (257°F) C = 120% 6 = 60 duro. 09 = 900 psi
D = 150°C (302°F) D = 100% 7 = 70 duro. 10 = 1,000 psi
E = 175°C (347°F) E = 80% 8 = 80 duro. 15 = 1,500 psi
F = 200°C (392°F) F = 60% 9 = 90 duro. 20 = 2,000 psi
G = 225°C (437°F) G = 40% 25 = 2,500 psi
H = 250°C (482°F) H = 30% 30 = 3,000 psi
J = 275°C (527°F) J = 20% etc.
K = 10%
Metric
AA = Natural rubber, reclaimed rubber, DE = CM, CSM 05 = 5 MPa
SBR butyl, EP polybutadiene, polyisoprene 06 = 6 MPa A = Heat resistance H = Flex resistance
DF = Polyacrylic (butyl acrylate type) B = Compression set J = Abrasion set
AK = Polysulfides DH = Polyacrylic polymers, HNBR 07 = 7 MPa
BA = EP, high-temp. SBR, butyl compounds 10 = 10 MPa C = Ozone/weather resistance K = Adhesion
EE = AEM D = Compression - deflection resistance M = Flammability resistance
BC = Neoprene, CM EH = ACM 14 = 14 MPa
BE = Neoprene, CM 17 = 17 MPa EO = Oil resistance N = Impact resistance
EK = FZ EF = Fluid resistance P = Staining resistance
BF = NBR polymers FC = Silicones (high strength) 21 = 21 MPa
BG = NBR polymers, urethanes etc. EA = Aqeous fluid resistance R = Resistance
FE = Silicones F = Low temperature resistance Z = Special requirement
BK = NBR FK = Fluorinated silicones
CA = EP G = Tear resistance
GE = Silicones Recommended style:
CE = Chlorosulfonated polyethylene, CM HK = Fluorinated elastomers
CH = NBR polymers, epichlorohydrin polymers KK = Perfluoroelastomer Exceptions:
DA = Ethylene propylene polymers
FIGURE 3. The ASTM D2000 Line Callout

Table 3. Corresponding Elastomer sheet Gasket Properties
system for elastomers is like a vehicle
Compressed fiber and PTFE Elastomer identification number for automobiles
Temperature Same as PTFE and compressed fiber
Pressure Same as PTFE and compressed fiber names, elastomers also contain other
Pressure × temperature rating Same as PTFE and compressed fiber materials and various additives to
Polymerproperties.
promote curing and desired levels Fuel and oil
Sealability Unpublished; rubber sheet leakage is not de- resistance
tectable with standard test methods An elastomer compound is basically a
Nitrile
grade
recipe for blending the ingredients it Poor

Utility
Creep relaxation Compression set SBR resistance

Compressibility Hardness expressed as Shore A Durometer
contains. These compounds typically
Rubber sheet Natural rubber
points include inorganic clay and carbon
ingredients
Recovery Unpublished; rubber is completely elastic at black fillers, pigments, plasticizers
Commercial
room temperature and processing aids that produce the

grade
Nitrileto yield Moderate

requisite chemical reactions a
Polymer resistance
simple acronym, TAMPSS (tempera- which they are used. Among the most useable material. Blended SBR
into a uni-
ture, application, media, pressure, size, common are nitrile butadiene rubber form, uncured mixture, these ingredi-
speed) can be helpful in identifying the (NBR), polychloroprene (Neoprene) ents Other
stabilize the finished elastomer
pertinent information (Table 1). and fluoroelastomer (FKM, Viton*). foringredients
conformance to specifications for
Premium
grade
Finished elastomer products are the hardness, tensile and tear Nitrile
strength,Excellent
resistance
Elastomer components combination of a number of various elasticity, compression and creep. This
In and of themselves, elastomeric poly- ingredients, though they are identi- “green” mixture is heated, milled,
mers are not suitable for industrial fied by the primary polymer used. In calendered, extruded or molded into
applications, but they are necessary to addition to the primary long-chain sheet form or functional shapes.
render finished products elastic. Table polymers from which they derive their Elastomers are generally classified
2 lists several common elastomers *Viton is a registered trademark of Dupont Per-
into three grades: utility, commercial
along with the typical services for formance Polymers and premium. Because there are no
17_CHE_090111_SCJ.indd 35 8/23/11 12:12:40 PM

Polyurethanes
Cover Story
Rubbers Plastics
Polypropylene
Polystyrene
Phenolics
Acrylics
Acetals
Teflon
Nylon
Ultem
Shore A
durometer 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 95
Shore D
durometer 45 55 65 75 85
50 70 90 100 110 120 130 140 150

FIGURE 4. Shore Durometers can Rockwell R
be used to evaluate rubber hardness
industry standards with regard to Rubber band Car tire tread Golf ball Base
formulation, products can vary signifi-
cantly from one manufacturer to an-
FIGURES 5 and 6. Material hardness of various plastic and rubber compounds fall
other. A product’s chemical resistance onto different Shore scales
is largely determined by its polymer
content. Figure 2 illustrates how the Medium Medium
polymer content, in this case nitrile, Extra soft Soft soft hard Hard Extra hard
can affect the material’s fuel and oil Shore 00
resistance. 20 30 35 40 50 55 60 70 80 90 95 98
Notwithstanding these variations,

Shore A
users can take a deliberate approach 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 95 100
to assuring that they are purchasing Racquet Shore D
ball
2
the elastomer that meets the needs Chewing

22 25 35 45 55 65 75
of each application. First and fore- gum Rubber Pencil
most, end-users should have an open band eraser Tire
tread
discussion with suppliers regarding
the details of the process application, Shoe heel Bowling ball Hard hat
including intended service, desired
performance and viable materials. products can be arranged into charac- important in the overall cipher of the
This discussion should then be sup- teristic material designations. These code, since it establishes the level of
plemented by research on the relevant designations are determined by types, performance the material must meet.
decision-support data. based on resistance to heat aging, and The third and fourth positions assign
classes, based on resistance to swelling a letter pair indicating the material’s
Rubber classification tool in oil. Basic levels are thus established, heat resistance and swell-in-oil char-
Given manufacturers’ substantial which, together with values describing acteristic, respectively. Both are criti-
investments in proprietary formula- additional requirements, permit com- cal to the specification. The material’s
tions, it is highly unlikely that con- plete description of the quality of all ability to maintain its properties under
sistent, industry-wide standards for elastomeric materials.” these conditions will dictate the need
elastomers will ever be developed. Another significant purpose of for a premium-, commercial- or utility-
This poses a quandary for users seek- ASTM D2000 is to provide a method grade product. These letter pairs direct
ing suitable materials for their appli- for specifying these materials by the the user to the tables that comprise
cations. However, the standard ASTM use of a simple “line call-out” desig- over 80% of the content of the ASTM
D2000-08, “Standard Classification nation. ASTM D2000 line call-outs D2000 standard. The tabulations are
System for Rubber Products in Auto- for elastomers are like the vehicle contained in Table 6 of the standard
motive Applications” can be applica- identification number on a car. Alpha- (Basic and Supplementary Require-
ble and useful to the CPI, despite its numeric designations divulge infor- ments for Classification of Elastomeric
somewhat misleading title. mation about the product, including Materials). A dedicated table for each
The developers of the standard ex- up to 23 categories, by material type letter pair (for example, AA, BC, BK,
plain that the purpose of the classifica- and performance properties. Figure 3 CH, and so on) provides the properties
tion system set forth in ASTM D2000 shows the overall organization of the of the material.
is to provide guidance to the engineer line call-outs. The first six positions The fifth position of the line call-
in the selection of practical, commer- in the numbering scheme provide out code designates the hardness,
cially available rubber materials. The basic information. The first indicates **Editor’s note: The Shore scale refers to an
scope of ASTM D2000 says, “This clas- whether the data are expressed in instrument, the durometer, developed by Alfred
sification system is based on the prem- Metric SI or English units. The second F. Shore, for measuring hardness in plastics and
rubbers. The inventor’s name has come to be used
ise that the properties of all rubber identifies the material grade, which is for the measurement, as well as the instrument.
17_CHE_090111_SCJ.indd 36 8/23/11 12:13:51 PM

Table 4. Organizations and Standards Addressing Elastomer Chemical Compatibility
Organization Title Description
National Association Standard TM0196-96,“Stan- This standard defines procedures for conducting chemical
of Corrosion Engineers dard Test Method, Chemical compatibility tests by immersing material samples in test
(NACE) Resistance of Polymeric media and measuring key attributes, such as hardness, ten-
Materials by Periodic Evalu- sile strength and weight. In addition to the test method, it of-
ation” fers guidance on the analysis of data for decision support.
Materials Technology Report R-17,“Guide to Elas- Developed by and for those in the chemical process in-
Institute of the Chemical tomer Testing for Chemical dustries, the report provides guidance on test parameters,
Process Industries (MTI) Resistance” control and origin of test materials, coupon property change
tests versus application attributes testing and acceptance
criteria. The tables cover root causes of observed media ef-
fects, test methods to gauge key performance properties
and a method of quantifying performance of a multi-attri-
bute evaluation.
International Standards TR 7620,“Rubber materials — This standard offers a compilation of chemical resistance
Organization (ISO) Chemical resistance” rankings from a wide variety of sources, all documented in
the reference column of an extensive table listing compat-
ibility of over 400 fluid media. It offers an explanation of its
classification and ranking system and guidance to evaluate
the suitability of elastomeric materials.
expressed as Shore A–Scale points,** sistance to specific media can be added application is to refer to the published
(Figures 5 and 6) and the sixth posi- as a special “Z” requirement. literature and consult with the manu-
tion designates tensile strength. Sup- The properties of elastomer sheet facturer’s application engineers. Table
plementing this basic line-call-out in- gaskets are not always expressed in the 4 shows independent sources of infor-
formation are more than 17 different same terms as those for compressed- mation on the chemical compatibility
categories of properties, such as heat, fiber and PTFE-sheet gaskets. Table of elastomers. ■
fluid, tear and abrasion resistance. 3 shows the corresponding properties Edited by Scott Jenkins
These properties are designated with for elastomer sheet gaskets. Authors
alphanumeric codes ciphered in Table Matt Tones is director of
product management in
6 of the standard. Figure 3 contains Elastomer compatibility North America at Garlock
the full list. Media compatibility is a key determi- Sealing Technologies (1666
Division Street, Palmyra, NY
nant of an elastomer’s suitability for an 14522; Email: matt.tones@
Using line call-outs application. There are a number of inde- garlock.com; Phone: 800-448-
6688) and has more than ten
When using the line call-out system pendent sources providing information years of experience with the
in specifying elastomers for seals, on the chemical compatibility of elas- company. Prior to his present
position, Tones was manager
there are a few “rules of thumb” that tomers. Manufacturers offer tabulated of applications engineering,
training and customer support. He also has
can greatly help. Here are three of the information with “acceptable-depends- served as product manager for the company’s
most widely useful: unacceptable” performance rankings. line of restructured PTFE gaskets, and as liai-
son with OEM customers. He began his career in
1. The longer the call-out, the higher Unless stated, these do not take into Garlock’s testing laboratories.
the quality of the material (a long account elevated temperatures, which Lou Mattina is manager
number indicates extensive specifica- can exacerbate the effects of a chemical. of elastomeric materials at
Garlock Sealing Technologies
tion and testing) Nor do these tables reflect the applica- (Email: lou.mattina@garlock.
com). He has more than 30
2. Low tensile strength indicates low tion. For example, an elastomer used to years of experience in the
polymer and high filler content line a vessel has far more exposure to rubber business, including
compounding, mixing, calen-
3. High elasticity indicates high poly- service conditions than a rubber gasket daring, extruding, and injec-
mer content, lower filler content and in a flange. The best approach to select- tion, compression and transfer
molding. Among the products
higher tensile strength ing the optimal elastomer for a given he has helped to develop are
The alpha pair of positions three NSF materials for potable water, abrasion-re-
sistant compounds, FDA formulations, and fire-,
and four indicate polymer type. Users heat- and ozone-resistant compounds. He is a
rarely develop their own line call-outs, Further reading member of the American Chemical Society Rub-
1. U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investiga- ber Division, Energy Rubber group and American
but rather work with their suppliers tion Board (CSB), website (www.csb.gov). Waterworks Association.
and the TAMPSS guidelines to select 2. “Guidelines for Hazard Evaluation Procedures Jim Drago is manager of
— With Worked Examples (2nd Ed.),” Center business development and in-
a suitable material appropriate for for Chemical Process Safety/AIChE, 1992. tegration at Garlock (Email:
their particular application. jim.drago@garlock.com). He
3. American Specialty Equipment, Inc., Process has worked in sealing tech-
Once the selection is made, the man- Safety Management Guidelines for Compli- nology for more than 25 years
ance, OSHA document 3133, 1994 Appendix., with experience in engineer-
ufacturer supplies the ASTM D2000 copyright 1999 – 2005, www.exforklifts.com. ing, applications, product de-
line call-out specifying the material 4. American Petroleum Institute (API) “Recom- velopment and management.
mended Practice 521, Guide for Pressure- He has authored numerous
generically and excluding substandard Relieving and Depressuring Systems”, 4th articles on sealing to meet
materials. Specifying tensile strength ed. March 1997; (www.api.org). fugitive emission regulations,
presented papers at technical symposiums and
alone, for example, will eliminate low- 5. 29 CFR 1910.119 “Process Safety Manage- contributed to the formulation of industry stan-
ment of Highly Hazardous Chemicals,” dards and guides for Application Programming
polymer-content, utility-grade materi- OSHA, Washington, D.C., 1992. Interface (API), American Society of Mechani-
als. Specifying oil swell will eliminate 6. “Plant Guidelines for Technical Management cal Engineers (ASME), Electric Power Research
of Chemical Process Safety (Revised Edi- Institute (EPRI), and Society of Tribologists and
grades that contain a range of unnamed tion),” Center for Chemical Process Safety/ Lubrication Engineers (STLE). He is a certified
and incompatible polymers. Special re- AIChE, 1992, 1995. professional engineer.
17_CHE_090111_SCJ.indd 37 8/23/11 12:16:09 PM

Feature Report
Moving Air In Pneumatic

Conveying Systems
These selection criteria 36 18
apply to dilute-phase 32 Ratings are for standard air 16
systems 28
at .075 lbs per cubic feet density
at 70°F 29.92 in. Hg.
14
Static pressure, in. H2O
Static pressure
24 12
18.25-in. diameter wheel 18.25 in.
Amrit Agarwal
Power, hp
17.5 in. Housepower 17.5 in.
Pneumatic Conveying Consulting 20 17 in. 17 in. 10
16 in.
D
16 16 in.
15 in. 8
ilute-phase conveying systems 15 in.
14 in.
generally use centrifugal fans 12 6
13 in. 14 in.
and positive displacement blow-
13 in.
ers for supplying conveying air 8 4
to the conveying system. However, for
4 2
some conveying systems, compressed
air from a central compressor station 0
is also used. The two important crite- 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800 2,000 2,200 2,400 2,600 2,800
Capacity, ft3/min
ria required for pneumatic conveying
are air flow and air delivery pressure. horsepower versus static pressure and air flow for
Different air movers have different for a 3,500 rpm fan
characteristics in the relationship be- Capacity, 18.25-in. wheel 17.0-in. wheel 15.0-in. wheel 13.0-in. wheel
tween these two important criteria. cfm SP BHP SP BHP SP BHP SP BHP.
Selection of an air mover is based on 400 23.5 3.0 20.3 2.6 15.1 1.9 10.2 1.3
this relationship. 500 23.6 3.4 20.4 2.9 15.2 2.2 10.1 1.5
600 23.5 3.7 20.3 3.3 15.1 2.5 10.0 1.7
Fans 700 23.3 4.2 20.1 3.7 14.9 2.9 9.7 2.0
800 23.0 4.6 19.8 4.0 14.5 3.2 9.2 2.3
Fans are generally used for low-
900 22.5 5.0 19.3 4.5 14.0 3.5 8.7 2.6
pressure conveying systems where
1,000 22.0 5.5 18.6 4.9 13.3 3.8 8.0 2.8
the conveying pressure is less than 2 1,100 21.0 6.0 17.7 5.3 12.3 4.2 7.1 3.1
psig or where both low pressures and 1,300 19.0 6.9 15.8 6.1 10.4 4.9 5.0 3.5
large air flows are required. Fans that 1,500 16.7 7.9 13.3 6.9 7.9 5.5 2.4 4.0
are used in these cases are mostly of
the centrifugal type. Their main dis- Figure 1. Here are typical performance curves for fans with various impeller diam-
advantage is a relatively steep slop- eters. The table below the figure gives air flows at various static pressures (SP) and
ing performance curve, wherein even the resulting motor horsepower (brake horsepower; BHP)
a small change in discharge pressure
results in a significant change in air and a sharp sloping performance performance curves for fans with dif-
volume delivered. curve, fans are not positive displace- ferent sizes of impeller diameters. The
Fans operate by imparting movement machines, and their output air table in this figure gives air flows at
ment to air as it passes though the volume changes with a change in dis- various static pressures and the re-
unit. The kinetic energy of the mov- charge pressure. sulting motor horsepower.
ing air is converted into static pres- The best application of fans is a
sure when the airflow is restricted. A system in which conveying conditions Operating characteristics
fan’s volumetric output depends upon (such as conveying rate, distance and 1. Airflow reduces as air pressure in-
its discharge pressure. This output de- material type) are relatively constant creases. Air flow stops when the con-
creases as the pressure increases and parameters, and the resulting convey- veying line plugs.
increases as the pressure decreases. ing system pressure is not expected to 2. Horsepower reduces as air pressure
Because of this inverse relationship change much. Figure 1 shows typical increases.
18_CHE_090111_RM.indd 38 8/23/11 5:22:51 PM

Gas delivery
Master selection chart
E and RE fans – 70°F, 29.92 in. HG., .0
90
80
70
60
50
blower inlet. Use this flow for sizing 4RE
Gas intake 40
the blower. pages 20
Static pressure, in. W.G.

and 21
For vacuum type conveying systems,
Figure 2. Blowers have two rotors that are mounted on two parallel shafts within
find out the total leakage into3RE the con-
the blower housing. As the two rotors rotate in opposite directions, air is drawn into veying line20(from rotary valves, diverter
pages 18
and 19
the space between the two rotors and the housing wall. This air is trapped between valves, flexible hoses, pipe line joints,
2RE
the rotors and the housing, and is transferred from the blower inlet to the blower and so on) and add this leakage to the 5E
pages
outlet without compression 16 & pages 8 and 9
calculated volumetric flow 17 required for
conveying.10Then add to it the blower
9
3. Fans are unloaded by closing either 1–2%) called “slip” from rotor outlet slip flow from
8 outlet to inlet. Use this
the inlet or the outlet port. to rotor inlet because of the narrow 7 the blower. 4.5E
result to size pages 6 and 7
4. Fans are mostly used in applications clearances between the rotors and Conveying6 system design pressure:
that require high air volume at low the casing. 5
Use the following factors to determine
pressures. Compression ratio of these blowers the maximum 4 design pressure for the
is about 2 to 1, which means that if 100
conveying system: 200 300 400 500 1,000
Advantages of fans the inlet air is at 14.7 psia pressure, • Pressure rating of the conveying
• Low cost blower can handle discharge pressures blower
• No close clearances up to two times 14.7 psia, or about 15 • Set point of the blower pressure
• Relatively low noise level psig. With special timing gear design, safety valve (PSV) that protects the
some vendors can increase this rat- blower against over-pressure
Blowers ing to 18 psig. Vacuum rating of these • Pressure variations during actual
Blowers for dilute-phase pneumatic blowers is in the range of 15 in. Hg, but operation of the conveying system
conveying systems are generally ro- with special designs, it can increase to • Allowance for use of any empirical
tary, positive displacement, lobe type 18 in. Hg. data in the calculations
blowers. They deliver oil-free air at Volumetric capacity of these blowers Pressure rating of the blowers is gen-
pressures up to 18 psig. is from very small to very large. Capac- erally 15 psig. Blower safety valve is
Figure 2 shows the operating prin- ity is directly related to blower speed. then set at 15 psig.
ciple of these blowers. The blower Figure 3 shows the relationship be- Pressure drop in a conveying system
has two rotors that are mounted on tween flow, pressure and horsepower. can vary due to various reasons and
two parallel shafts within the blower Maximum speed of the blowers has can be assumed to be at least ±10% in
housing. These rotors rotate in op- an upper limit because of the maxi- a well-designed system. On this basis,
posite directions, and as they rotate, mum allowable tip speed of about the maximum design pressure will
air is drawn into the space between 4,500 ft/min of the timing gears. then be 0.9 3 15.0 = 13.5 psig.
them and the housing wall. This air To prevent the PSV from popping
is trapped between the rotors and the Sizing and selection open due to pressure excursions, the
housing, and with rotation of the rotors The various steps in sizing and select- setpoint of the PSV should be 13.5
the air is transferred from the blower ing a blower for a conveying system psig. Conveying-system design pres-
inlet to the blower outlet without com- are given below: sure will be 10% below the PSV set-
pression. This trapped air flows into Blower volumetric flow: From the ting. This pressure will then be = 0.9
the conveying line. If the conveying pneumatic-conveying-system calcula- 3 13.5 = 12.15 psig.
line air pressure is higher than the tions, determine the actual cubic feet Use a 10% allowance for any errors
blower suction pressure, this trapped per minute (ACFM) of the air that in the data that is used in the calcula-
air mixes with the conveying line air is required to convey the solids. This tions. With this allowance, the maxi-
and gets compressed to the convey- flow will be equal to the conveying ve- mum design pressure comes to 0.9 3
ing air pressure. These blowers do not locity (ft/min) multiplied by the cross- 12.15, or about 11 psig. On the above
generate any pressure. However, they sectional area of the pipe (ft2) at the basis, conveying system design pres-
withstand the pressure in the convey- pick-up point. sure should not exceed 11 psig.
ing line up to their pressure rating. For pressure-type systems, calcu- Blowers are normally selected so that
The position of the two rotors rela- late the volumetric flowrate of air that they operate at about the mid-point of
tive to each other is maintained by is lost through rotary valves. Estimate their performance curves. Therefore, for
timing gears installed on the two any loss of air through pipeline com- a 15-psig maximum rating, the operat-
shafts in a separate housing. This al- ponents, such as diverter valves, flex- ing pressure should be about 7.5 psig.
lows operation of the rotors without ible hoses, pipe couplings an so on. This gives a pressure drop range of 7.5
any lubrication. Add these losses to the conveying to 11 psi for the design of the conveying
These blowers are called positive air flow. Add to this the blower slip system. A lower pressure will require a
displacement type because they de- flow. Calculate blower slip flow using larger diameter pipeline and a smaller
liver a constant volumetric air flow vendor data and add this flow to the blower. A higher pressure will require a
regardless of the discharge pressure. conveying air flow. This will give the smaller diameter pipeline and a larger
There is a small leakage flow (about total volumetric flowrate of air at the blower. A good approach is to design a
18_CHE_090111_RM.indd 39 8/23/11 5:23:48 PM

Pressure service
Rotor speed,
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
800
RPM
Feature Report
Discharge pressure, psig

10
8 70 Power
60 absorbed,
hp
6 50
system about midway between these Figure 3. Blower ca- 40
pacity is directly related 4
two options. 30
to blower speed. This
Blower discharge pressure (pres- graph illustrates the re- 2 20
10
sure-type conveying systems): From lationship between flow,
0
the pneumatic conveying calculations, pressure and horse- 500 1,000 1,500 2,000
power 0 Volumetric flowrate, standard ft3/min
determine the pressure drop in the
Inlet pressure, psig

conveying line. Then calculate the -1 10
pressure drop for the flow of air in the 20
-2
pipeline between the blower and the
solids’ pick-up point. Determine the -3 30
pressure drop in all blower accessories, Power
40 absorbed,
-4
such as air filters, silencers and cool- hp
ers. Then determine the pressure drop -5
Rotor speed,
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,800
800
at the end of the conveying line such RPM
as in bin vent filters and dust collec- Vacuum service
tors, and add it to the conveying line
pressure drop. This will give the total Blower horsepower (HP): Calculate K = Ratio of specific heats (1.4 for air)
pressure at blower discharge (P2). the blower horsepower as follows. First, t2 = T2 – 273, °C (5)
Blower inlet pressure and temper- find out the gas horsepower (GHP): (t is in degrees C, T is in Kelvin)
ature: Blower inlet pressure (P1) will Blower selection: Use manufactur-
be the sum of the ambient pressure ers’ catalogs to find a blower that will
and pressure drops in equipment meet the above requirements of flow
such as blower inlet filter and blower (2) and pressure (Figure 4).
inlet silencer. From ambient condi- Consider the following example:
tions, find out the ambient pressure • Let the inlet flow (V1) = 2,321 cfm, at
and ambient temperature (t1, °C). blower suction conditions.
Required volumetric flowrate at Where: • Let the blower discharge pressure
blower inlet: Assuming adiabatic P1 and P2 are in lb/ft2 (P2) = 12 psig.
compression, calculate the volumetric V1 is in ft3/min [from Equation (2) not Then, using the catalog for a Roots
flowrate of air (or gas) at the blower Equation (1)] blower, select the blower with desig-
inlet (V1), as follows: nation “Frame 1212 RAS Whispair”
To determine the value of motor (Figure 4).
horsepower, the value of GHP is in- In this curve, draw a horizontal line
(1) creased by the following allowances: from between 2,321 cfm, and the curve
1. Conveying system pressure fluctua- for 12 psi. From the intersection point
Where: tions of ±10% during operation. These at 12 psi, go vertically down to the
K = Ratio of specific heats at constant can increase the motor load by 10% blower speed line. Blower speed comes
pressure and volume (Cp/Cv) for 2. An allowance of 10% for use of any to 1,175 rpm and motor horsepower
conveying air or gas (1.4 for air) empirical data in conveying system comes to 150 hp.
V2= Volumetric flowrate of air required calculations Blower drive motor: Determine the
by the conveying system (volumet- 3. The resulting brake horsepower (bhp) setting of the safety valve at the blower
ric air flow at blower outlet) is rounded off to match the hp rating discharge. This should be 10–15%
P2 = Blower discharge pressure, psia of an available motor. This will give above the maximum operating pres-
P1 = Blower inlet pressure, psia the blower motor horsepower . sure. In the blower curve, read the
Note: In Equation (1), the value of V1 Blower discharge temperature horsepower at the higher discharge
is derived from conveying system calcu- (t2): Assuming adiabatic compres- pressure (safety valve setting). Select
lations, not from an actual blower size sion, blower discharge temperature is motor horsepower accordingly.
based on its manufacturing data. Since determined as follows: Typical drive methods for blowers:
blowers are made in different sizes, • For blowers up to 200 hp, use V belt
use vendor data to find a blower whose drives
inlet volumetric flow in cubic feet per (4) • For blowers from 200 to 400 hp, use
revolution (CFR) multiplied by blower a gear reducer
speed in revolutions per minute (N, Where: • For blowers above 400 hp, use direct
rpm) comes closest to the blower inlet T2 = Blower discharge temperature, drive
volume, V1, calculated in Equation (1). degrees Kelvin Note: Use manufacturer’s recommen-
t1 = Blower inlet temperature, °C dation in all cases.
V1 (based on actual blower size, ft3/min)
t2 = Blower discharge temperature, °C Blower noise level: Silencers will be
= CFR 3 N (2)
P2 = Blower discharge pressure, psia required to reduce blower’s noise level.
Use this value of V1 in Equation (3). P1 = Blower suction pressure, psia A noise level of 85 dbA is possible with
18_CHE_090111_RM.indd 40 8/23/11 5:26:12 PM

3,400
Performance based on inlet air
at 14.7 psia and 60°F 4 psi
3,200 6 psi
Performance frame 8 psi
10 psi
1212 Ras Whispair blower 12 psi
3,000 maximum pressure rise = 18 psi 15 psi
maximum speed = 1,500 rpm
Inlet volume, cfm
2,800 18 psi Figure 4. tional acoustical protection, such as

Once the re- sound enclosures, may be required.
quired blower
2,600 inlet volume (V1) 10. Inlet filters are installed on the
is calculated in inlet or suction line of pressure
2,400 Equation (1), blowers to keep atmospheric dust
2,321 cfm use vendor data or other air-borne materials out
to find a blower
2,200
whose inlet
of the process and from getting
volumetric flow into the blower. On vacuum sys-
2,000 [from Equation tems, the inlet filter is installed at
Open clearances required
for operation over 15 psi
(3)] comes clos- the beginning of the conveying line
1,800 est to the blower upstream of the solids injection point.
inlet volume,
V1, calculated in The better quality inlet filters are
300
18 psi Equation (1) pleated polyester or polyethylene felt
backed by stainless steel wire mesh
15 psi for support and designed for easy
Brake horsepower
Safety valve
cleaning and reuse. Some filters are
200 set at 13,5 12 psi pleated paper similar to an automo-
10 psi bile air cleaner, and others are loose
8 psi fiberglass in sheet metal housing
Normal hp 6 psi
similar to household furnace filters.
100 These are the “throw-away” kind of
4 psi
filters. Although any of these mate-
rials are acceptable in this service,
1,175 rpm the pleated felt is preferred because
it removes nearly all particles under
1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600
a few microns in size.
Speed, rpm Inlet filters are sized for an air
to filter ratio between 30:1 to 50:1
well-designed silencers but full acous- 6. Aim for high mechanical effi- based on actual cfm of air per square
tic enclosures around the blower are ciency: Select a drive that has high foot of filter area. The pressure drop
required to achieve 80 dbA. mechanical efficiency. across the filter should be less than
7. Low pressure-drop inlet filter: 1 in. H2O.
Major blower selection criteria Inlet filter should be of the low pres- 11. In-line filters: Sometimes, an
Major criteria for blower selection are sure-drop type (less than 1 in. H2O) in-line filter is used in the blower
given below. and should be easily replaceable. discharge line before the solids feed
1. Positive displacement: Blower is 8. Materials of construction and lu- point to remove any pipe scale or rust
to be positive displacement, twin brication: The standard materials from entering the conveying line. An-
lobe type. Three lobes can be used of construction are cast and forged other approach to in-line filtration is
as an option. steel. Bearings are lubricated ei- to use a non-scaling or non-rusting
2. Oil free: Blower is to be oil free ther by slinger rings or with forced material of construction such as
type. In other words, oil used to lu- lubrication. Shaft seals are usually stainless steel, or aluminum for the
bricate the gears should not enter labyrinth or piston ring type with filter housing and the silencers.
the rotor housing. lip-type oil seals. In-line filters are usually “cord-
3. Operate at middle of operating 9. Package details: Blowers usually wound” cones, felt cones or pleated
range: Blower selected should op- are bought as a package including felt. The filter elements are enclosed
erate close to the middle of its op- blower, drive motor, silencers and in a cylindrical vessel with a pres-
erating range. Always obtain the filters. For sizes under 200 hp use sure rating compatible with the
blower performance curve from its a belt drive because it permits easy maximum blower pressure. The fil-
vendor. This curve will show volu- speed changes if needed. Sizes over ter elements are usually the dispos-
metric flow versus blower pressure 200 hp are usually gear driven. able type and are sized on the same
at various blower speeds. Larger sizes are generally driven basis as the inlet filters — that is
4. Optimum speed: The blower should directly from a drive motor but between 30:1 and 50:1 of air-to-me-
operate at about 1,800 rpm. this method prevents blower speed dia area ratio.
5. Aim for high volumetric effi- change if found necessary. Blowers 12. Air coolers: Air coolers are
ciency: Use the highest possible are inherently very noisy; therefore, required in most pressure type con-
volumetric efficiency (lowest slip) silencers are generally required to veying systems when the blower
by selecting a blower with mini- meet acceptable noise standards. discharge temperature is 80*C or
mum clearances between the rotors Even with the silencers, the noise above. Some materials, such as
and the housing. level may still be high, and addi- plastics, are heat sensitive and
18_CHE_090111_RM.indd 41 8/23/11 5:27:13 PM

Feature Report
generate more fines and dust at valve provided at the low point pressures are not required for these
high temperatures. of the shell. An automatic drain systems. However, if a central com-
Air coolers used in conveying sys- should be provided if the problem pressed air system is available, and
tems are of a standard design. They is severe. the cost of compressed air can be jus-
are usually constructed of several tified, this air can be used for dilute-
“banks” of finned copper tubes that Blower instrumentation phase conveying systems. To use this
are very similar to an automobile The following instrumentation and compressed air, use a pressure control
radiator enclosed in aluminum or controls are necessary for troublefree valve to reduce the conveying pres-
stainless steel housing. Both air- operation of th conveying system: sure and a flow control valve to regu-
cooled and water-cooled exchang- • A pressure gage and a pressure late the air flow. ■
ers are acceptable. However, use a transmitter at the blower discharge Edited by Rebekkah Marshall
low-pressure drop cooler such as a to monitor blower operating pres-
straight flow type. sure and to automatically shut down Author
In some operating situations, the solids feed if pressure becomes Amrit Agarwal is a consult-
such as relatively low cooling-wa- too high ing engineer with Pneumatic
Conveying Consultants (7
ter temperature and warm, moist • A temperature gage at the blower Carriage Road, Charleston,
air, water may condense on the discharge to monitor blower dis- WV, 25314; Phone: 304-553-
1350, Email: polypcc@aol.
air-side of the cooler. The air veloc- charge temperature com). He started his consult-
ity on the shell side of the cooler is ing work after retiring from
Dow Chemical Co. in 2002 as
low enough to de-entrain this con- Compressors a senior research specialist.
He has more than 47 years of
densed water and allow it to col- Compressors are required for high- design and operating experi-
lect at the low point of the cooler pressure pneumatic conveying, such ence in bulk solids handling and pneumatic con-
veying. He holds an M.S. in mechanical engineer-
shell. Where this is likely to occur, as dense phase conveying. Dedicated ing from the University of Wisconsin-Madison,
the cooler should be placed in a compressors are not used for dilute and an M.B.A. from the West Virginia College of
Graduate Studies in Charleston.
horizontal run of pipe and a drain phase conveying because their high
18_CHE_090111_RM.indd 42 8/24/11 1:38:13 PM

Create
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Tailor this low-cost, and solids to a
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HP10716 StdHelix-Chem ad-CE.indd 1 6/14/11 2:12 PM

Feature Report
Engineering Practice
Reboiler Condensate Drums:
Silencing Hydraulic
Hammer 22
1
TC
Cascade
While condensate pots

are widely used, there is 18 in.
still much to be learned 18 in.

18 in.
FC 4.4 kg/cm2g
to avoid operational 3/4 in. 3/4 in. 12 in. steam
problems 12 in.
12 in.
LC 3/4 in.
4 in.
Henry Kister, 4 in.
Fluor Corp. 2 in.
8 in. 16 in. 4 in.
Antonio João Dias Prestes TI
FC
and Luiza Milbroth Jorge,
Braskem S.A. 16 in. 16 in. LC
C
ondensate pots are commonly
used on the condensing sides DC2
bottoms PT
of some reboilers, such as those TI
that are heated by steam or re-
frigerant vapor. These pots provide a Figure 1. This sketch depicts Braskem’s
liquid seal that prevents uncondensed deethanizer reboiler system
vapor from blowing out of the reboiler Condensate
into the condensate system. A break
in this seal can result in heat transfer shooting process and subsequent modi- practices for design of condensate
losses. With steam reboilers, blowing fications made to solve the problem. drums have been described in a classic
vapor into the condensate header may Lessons learned are that correct, inex- paper by Bertram [4]. Kister [5] pre-
also lead to hammering. Hammering pensive hydraulic design of a conden- sented a set of guidelines formulated
may also be caused by poor design of sate pot is central to stable, trouble-free from Bertram’s discussion, and a few
the condensate pot. reboiler operation; and that contrary to additional guidelines were published
Hammering is the problem de- recently published reports, correctly lo- by Sloley [6] in 2009. Despite the avail-
scribed here. Braskem’s deethanizer cating the condensate inlet to the drum able guidelines, Sloley’s paper states
reboiler-condensate drum experienced is central to trouble-free operation. “Steam condensate pots continue to
hydraulic hammering when the re- attract attention because they have so
boiler operated at low steam loads and Background many problems”. Ironically, the issue
when the column loads were reduced Reboilers that are heated by latent described here, the entry point of the
quickly. The condensate-drum level heat (such as by steam or refrigerant condensate line, was dismissed by Slo-
indicator was unreliable and insensi- vapor as mentioned above) often use ley’s paper as an “unimportant issue
tive to the variations in level-control- condensate pots to provide liquid seals. for most installations, put it [the entry
valve opening. Condensate-drum level When a reboiler seal is broken, vapor point] where you want.” This shows
control was poor, and the control valve may channel through the reboiler and that there is much that needs to be
had to be operated on manual. heat transfer is lost as described in understood to solve today’s condensate
This article explains the trouble- case studies found in Refs. 1–3. Good pot problems and to avoid tomorrow’s.
19_CHE_090111_EP_DL.indd 44 8/24/11 8:15:53 AM

TABLE 1. TEMPERATURE SURVEY
0
,59
El. 2 4i
n.
Pressure, kg/cm2 gage 4.0 3.2
Hammering? No Yes
3 44
From 24 1 Condensate drum inlet temperature, °C 72 72
reboiler A
Condensate drum outlet temperature, °C 78 79
645
Equalizing Equalizing line near drum, °C 109 120
line
3/4 in. 44
1 line was normally closed. Whenever
4i
90
n. the hammering occurred, it continued,
2 whether this valve was open or closed.
,338
645
El. 2 145 El.
2 in. 2 , 4 i n .
2,59
0
Level control. The indication pro-
El. ,945
El. 1 90 240 vided by the condensate-drum level
T.L. 1,66
0 2
4 in
.
From
indicator appeared unreliable, or at
reboiler B least unsuitable, for control purposes
because it was very insensitive to the
1,000
Condensate pot
1,386
l . 1 ,145 variations in level-control-valve open-

E
El. 9
52 Notes: ing. The only way to maintain stable
T.L.
8 6 0 1. All dimensions are in mm, operation in this system was by operat-
El. unless noted otherwise ing the condensate-drum level-control
4 in. 2. Elevation (El.) zero is at grade
4 in
. valve at constant opening or, in other
00 words, on manual. Operating the sys-
El. 6 0
1,31 e tem on manual, however, generated a
l valv sate
Leve nden
To co eader problem of too-slow a condensate re-
h
6 in. moval whenever a large increase in
1,259
4 in. tower feedrate occurred. As a result,

2 in.
00 3 in. when a large feed increase occurred,
El. 6 Figure 2. The condensate pot system,
shown in this simplified isometric drawing, the reboiler steam-inlet valve tended
750
experienced hydraulic hammering to open fully.
Process description tap is located at the reboiler shell, Temperature survey

Figure 1 shows the deethanizer re- close to and at the same elevation as To gain insight into the behavior of
boiler system in Braskem’s Ethylene the steam inlet. The condensate-drum the system, we conducted temperature
Plant 1 in Triunfo, RS, Brazil. The pressure transmitter is also mounted surveys under two conditions:
tower is equipped with two vertical on the lower level tap, so it measures 1. When the condensate drum pres-
thermosiphon reboilers in parallel, condensate drum pressure. sure was 4.0 kg/cm2 g, with no
one on-line, and the other a spare. hammering
The heating medium on the shell side Operating experience 2. When the condensate drum pres-
of the reboilers is saturated steam at The reboiler system experienced the sure was 3.2 kg/cm2 g, and ham-
154°C (a condensation pressure of 4.4 following problems: mering occurred
kg/cm2 gage). The steam flows via a Hammering. Whenever the conden- Surface temperatures were measured
flowmeter and a flow control valve to sate drum pressure dropped below 3.5 using a laser-guided pyrometer, which
the reboilers. A signal from a tray tem- kg/cm2 gage (g), hammering was ex- was calibrated with two measure-
perature in the stripping section of the perienced. Hammering had never oc- ments of the tower bottom tempera-
deethanizer cascades onto the steam curred when drum pressure exceeded tures at two different pressures. The
flow controller. 3.8 kg/cm2 g. results of the temperature survey are
The 4-in. condensate lines leaving The lower pressures coincided to given in Table 1.
each reboiler join into a common 4-in. lower steam flowrates. The normal The temperature measurements
line that descends before entering steam flowrate to the reboiler was in the equalizing line were made on
the condensate drum, near its top, 14.8–15.1 ton/h. At that flowrate, no the condensate drum side of the ¾-in.
as shown in Figure 2. Condensate hammering had occurred. The small- valve, close to the drum.
from the drum flows via another 4-in. est steam flowrate at which no ham-
line, through the drum’s level control mering occurred was 14.5 ton/h. Ham- Condensate subcooling
valve, into the condensate header. mering was experienced at steam At a pressure of 3.0–4.0 kg/cm2 g, the
There is a ¾-in. pressure equalizing flowrates of 14.1–14.5 ton/h. When condensing temperature of steam is
line from upstream of the reboiler- the hammering occurred, only small 143–151°C. The condensate drum’s
inlet control valve to the top of the fluctuations in steam flowrate to the inlet line should have operated at
condensate drum. reboiler were observed, but no major this temperature, but the tempera-
The condensate drum’s lower level swings were noted. The hammering ture survey showed that it operated
transmitter tap is located 150 mm tended to happen more when the col- much colder, at about 72°C. This
above the bottom tangent line of the umn loads were reduced quickly. means that the condensate leaving
drum. The upper level transmitter The ¾-in. valve on the equalizing the reboiler was highly subcooled. In
19_CHE_090111_EP_DL.indd 45 8/24/11 8:16:37 AM

Engineering Practice E
Vent New level
transmitter
nozzle
fact, it was so highly subcooled that can only gravity-drain 9
it practically reached the deethanizer ton/h of aerated conden-
bottom (boiling side) temperature of sate flow, which is quite New level
LG glass nozzle
min
72°C. Such a high amount of subcool- short of the 14–15 ton/h near top
Between tangent lines = 1,000

ing could occur only if a significant of condensate produced in HLL = 850mm
fraction of the reboiler surface area the reboiler shell. The rest
was flooded with condensate. of the condensate accumu- I.D. = 500
550
Subcooling: first mechanism. The lated in the reboiler shell, A
prime mechanism that generated the flooding a significant frac- NLL = 650mm
subcooling is as follows: Our heat tion of the reboiler surface
transfer calculations showed that for area, and promoting the
non-fouled conditions, the reboiler was subcooling observed.
generously sized. At a steam flowrate LLL = 450mm
of 15 ton/h (non-hammering condition), Vapor pressure
LT
300
with a typical heat-transfer coefficient When a pure liquid is
150
of 550 kcal/(h m2∙°C), and based on placed in a drum and no Channel
baffle
the full actual reboiler area of 355 m2 other components are pres-
(no liquid level in the reboiler), a heat ent, the drum’s pressure
150
transfer calculation gives a steam con- equals the vapor pressure LG
densing temperature of 118°C. At this of the pure liquid. For water
condensing temperature, the condens- at 72°C the vapor pressure
ing pressure would be 0.9 kg/cm2 g, is 0.34 kg/cm2 absolute,
which is below the condensate header which is a vacuum. So on
pressure (1.5 kg/cm2 g). Condensate this basis the condensate F
would therefore back-flow and flood drum should have oper-
some of the reboiler area. Condensate ated under vacuum. The Figure 3. These drum modifications
in the flooded zone was subcooled by pressure measured in the eliminated the hammer
the process liquid. condensate drum, however,
The steam in the reboiler condensed was 3–4 kg/cm2 g, which could only tap located near the top of the reboiler,
at a pressure equal to the pressure have happened under one of two con- the level transmitter measured the
measured at the condensate drum (4.0 ditions: other components were pres- liquid level in the reboiler shell, not
kg/cm2 g for non-hammering condi- ent, or the drum had no vapor space. in the condensate drum. This expla-
tions) less the liquid head (about 0.3 There were no apparent sources for nation does not rule out the presence
kg/cm2). At 3.7 kg/cm2 g, the condens- other components to enter the con- of pockets of non-condensables near
ing temperature was about 149°C, densate drum. The only line that en- the top of the drum, but assigns the
which gives a reboiler temperature tered the drum was the ¾-in. pressure high, measured pressure value to the
difference (∆T) of 78°C. With this equalizing line (same component), and drum behaving like a pipe (or “flooded
high ∆T, only 50% of the tube length its valve was normally closed. There drum”) rather than like a bonafide
is needed to satisfy the heat transfer could have been some non-condens- flash drum.
equation. The rest of the tube length ables, such as air or carbon dioxide, Opening the level valve lowered
would be flooded with condensate and that either persisted since startup or the liquid level in the reboiler. This
act as a condensate subcooler. Our cal- accumulated during operation. There increased the unflooded tube area in
culations showed that the tube length were no means of purging these from the reboiler, and therefore, also in-
performing condensation under ham- the condensate drum. It is important creased the reboiler heat transfer.
mering conditions was much the same to note, however, that due to the very This increase in heat transfer was
as under non-hammering conditions low vapor pressure of water at 72°C, as countered by automatic closure of
— about half the tube length. much as about 90% of the vapor space the flow valve either by the flow con-
Subcooling: second mechanism. would need to be made up of non-controller or by the tray temperature, or
There was a second mechanism that densables for this explanation to be both. The condensing pressure in the
generated subcooling. Condensate valid. While plausible, it was highly reboiler dropped, reducing the pres-
forming in the shell side of the re- unlikely. If this explanation was cor- sure difference between the reboiler
boiler contains gas bubbles. To grav- rect, the level in the drum would have and the condensate header (the con-
ity-drain this aerated condensate, been highly sensitive to non-condens- densate pressure downstream of the
the condensate drain line needs to be able volume and to opening the ¾-in. control valve was about 1.5 kg/cm2 g).
sized for self-venting flow. A correla- valve, and this was not observed. This would lower the condensate flow
tion by Simpson [7] and Sewell [8], A far more likely explanation is that and raise the level again. There was
described on p. 94 of the book Distil- the drum contained little or no vapor considerable interaction between the
lation Operation [5] shows that the space. In this case, it did not have a level control and steam flowrate con-
4-in. reboiler-condensate drain line real liquid level. With the upper level trol. Because of the interaction, the
19_CHE_090111_EP_DL.indd 46 8/24/11 8:17:26 AM

drum level indication was insensitive Based on the heat balance, the steam inlet nozzle on the condensate drum.
to the level valve opening. leakage rate was much the same — Based on the Simpson-Sewell method
In summary, due to the subcooled about 0.15–0.16 ton/h — for our two [5, 7, 8] discussed earlier, replacing
liquid, the condensate drum did not temperature surveys (under hammer- the existing 4-in. line and nozzles
operate like a normal flash drum with ing and non-hammering conditions). with a 6-in. line and nozzles would as-
a normal vapor space. It operated as The main difference was that under sure self-venting flow and eliminate
a flooded vessel. Also, the level trans- hammering conditions, the pressure the subcooling.
mitter measured the liquid level in drop across the ¾-in. equalizing line Drawbacks. Eliminating the sub-
the reboiler, not in the condensate was higher as was the temperature cooling was also expected to increase
drum. This explains why the liquid near the drum. reboiler run length. If the reboiler
level was very insensitive to the level Under no-hammering conditions, run length was an issue, this solution
valve opening. the condensate drum pressure (3.8–4.0 would have been attractive. Eliminat-
kg/cm2 g) was only slightly lower than ing the subcooling, however, had two
Vapor equalizing line the steam header pressure (4.4 kg/cm2 major drawbacks. One, it required
The function of the vapor equalizing g). It is possible that some condensate installing a new pump or pumping
line is to help the condensate drum to ascended from the condensate drum trap and 6-in. nozzles on the reboil-
maintain a vapor space and to com- into the vapor equalizing line. The ers, which was expensive. Second, the
pensate for a small degree of heat loss steam condensed on the colder conden- hot condensate would flash as it was
due to subcooling. sate. The steam condensation occurred let down into the condensate system.
The vapor equalizing line was oper- right at the entrance of the ¾-in. line Since the plant condensate header
ated with the valve shut. Neverthe- into the drum. This explains the lower contained subcooled condensate, the
less, some steam leaked through the temperature (109°C) measured at the flash steam may have collapsed onto
valve into the condensate drum. This end of the equalizing line. it, resulting in renewed hammering.
can be inferred from the 7°C rise in Under hammering conditions, the Based on these considerations, and
condensate temperature in the drum higher pressure drop pushed the con- since the reboiler was not near its ca-
and from the high temperatures mea- densate from the equalizing line into pacity limit and the run length was
sured in the line. A heat balance shows the drum. The hot steam therefore not an issue, we decided against elimi-
that the 7°C rise in condensate tem- came into contact with a much larger nating the subcooling.
perature coincided with 0.16 ton/h of surface of subcooled liquid. Also, the
steam passing via the ¾-in. equalizing higher pressure drop reduced desu- Restoring the drum vapor space
line. This steam rate may appear small perheating in the equalizing line. This As discussed above, the ¾-in. equal-
until one appreciates that it was pass- led to the higher temperature of 120°C izing line can only supply a limited
ing through a ¾-in. line with a shut measured in the equalizing line. amount of steam, which is far too
globe valve. When 0.16 ton/h of 4.4-kg/ small to significantly increase the
cm2 g steam passes through a ¾-in. Eliminate subcooling? vapor pressure of the bulk conden-
line, the steam velocity is a very high Since the root cause of the problem was sate to the point of generating a vapor
70 m/s. Our calculations show that the the intense condensate subcooling, it space in the drum.
measured pressure drop would coin- therefore made sense to solve the prob- The drum vapor space does not need
cide with that through the ¾-in. line lem by eliminating the subcooling. to contact the bulk condensate. If the
with a half-open globe valve (the open- The prime cause of the subcooling condensate enters near the bottom of
ing probably due to erosion or corro- was the excessive reboiler surface the drum, it passes through the drum
sion, as the valve was operated shut), area, causing the pressure on the and exits out of the bottom without
so the maximum steam velocity would condensing side of the reboiler to fall reaching the liquid surface. The drum
have been even higher than 70 m/s. below the condensate header pressure. vapor space is in contact only with the
Even with the line fully open, the line This backed liquid up the reboiler, and liquid surface in the drum, but not with
would have operated near its upper this liquid was subcooled by the tower the subcooled condensate. The pres-
limit. Despite this, the steam flow did bottoms. This subcooling could have sure in the drum is determined by the
very little to help the vapor pressure been eliminated by allowing conden- vapor pressure at the liquid surface,
problem outlined above. The valve sation of steam at a lower pressure not by the vapor pressure of the bulk
was operated shut to minimize ham- and using a pump or a pumping trap condensate. As long as the liquid sur-
mering. When it was opened wider, the to transfer the condensate to the con- face is kept hot, the drum pressure will
hammering intensified. densate header. be the vapor pressure of the hot liquid,
The second cause of subcooling was and will be high. As long as the liquid
Origin of hammering the lack of self-venting flow in the in the upper part of the drum and at
The only conceivable cause that we reboiler-condensate outlet pipe. This the drum surface is not agitated, the
could see for the hammering is the col- source of subcooling could be elimi- only heat loss from the surface to the
lapse of the steam leaking via the ¾-in. nated by ensuring a self-venting flow bulk condensate liquid is due to con-
equalizing line onto the subcooled con- all the way from the reboiler-conden- duction and a limited amount of bulk
densate. Our theory is as follows: sate outlet nozzle to the condensate movement. This heat transfer rate is
19_CHE_090111_EP_DL.indd 47 8/24/11 8:17:54 AM

Engineering Practice Liquid
in
New
nozzle
7 deg 7 deg
very low and can easily be matched 150

by the steam from the equalizing mm
line. The liquid layer between the 66 in.
in. nozzle
nozzle
90 deg
condensate entrance and the liquid
surface is a good thermal insulator
that shields the surface from the sub- Liquid
cooled bulk condensate. As long as the out
liquid surface in the drum does not
contact fresh subcooled condensate, Figure 4. Plan view of the Figure 5. This shows the side view
and is not agitated, it is easy to keep channel baffle is shown here of the channel baffle
hot by the equalizing line.
Theoretically, the heat required to sate inlet nozzle, the drum vapor space entry into the condensate drum, in-
keep the liquid surface hot (and which will come into contact with some of the cluding the new nozzle mentioned
is supplied by the steam in the equal- subcooled liquid. The small amount of in Item 1 above, from 4 to 6 in. This
izing line) equals the heat conduction vapor will collapse onto the subcooled reduces inlet velocity and liquid agi-
losses between the hot liquid surface liquid, leading to hammering. For tation in the drum entrance.
and the subcooled bulk liquid. Practi- this reason, the top of the inlet nozzle 3. Installed a channel baffle (Figures
cally, some surface agitation and bulk must be liquid-covered at all times. To 4 and 5) — which is covered on top
movement of liquid occur in the drum, achieve this, the new condensate inlet while open on the bottom and sides
and these increase the steam demand. nozzle needs to be placed as far down — inside the condensate drum, in
A ¾-in. line may still fall short of sup- as practicable, while the liquid levels front of the new condensate inlet
plying the required amount, but the need to be set as high as possible. Fig- nozzle. The purpose of this baffle is
experience with 1-in. lines for conden- ure 3 has some typical numbers. For to minimize bulk movement toward
sate drum equalizing has had a suc- the same reason, the upper tap of the the liquid surface.
cessful track record. level transmitter needs to be located 4. Installed a new upper level tap as
We therefore decided to solve the as close to the top of the drum as pos- close to the top of the condensate
problem by restoring the drum vapor sible. There is also a need of a level drum as possible (Figure 3), and
space as described above. glass tap near the top of the drum. used this for the level transmit-
Sloley’s recent paper [6] dismissed ter. Set LLL (low liquid level), NLL
Level control the entry point of the condensate line (normal liquid level) and HLL (high
The lower tap of the level transmitter into the drum as an “unimportant issue liquid level) points at 450 mm, 650
was near the bottom of the condensate for most installations, put it [the entry mm, and 850 mm, respectively.
drum, and the upper tap was near the point] where you want”. In our reboiler 5. Installed a new level glass tap near
top of the reboiler. If there was no con- condensate drum, the converse was ex- the top of the drum (Figure 3).
densate accumulation in the reboiler, perienced: the entry point of the con- 6. Replaced the ¾-in. pressure equaliz-
having the upper tap of the level trans- densate line was crucial, and needed to ing line by a 1-in. line, including the
mitter in the reboiler would still not be as far down as practicable. tie-in to the steam header. The 1-in.
have been a good practice, but would valve on this line is a manual throt-
have given at least a reasonable mea- Modifications tling globe valve, not a gate valve.
surement. Here, however, the liquid In order to restore the drum vapor The pressure equalizing line is a
accumulation in the reboiler made it space, we made the following modifi- straight drop, no high or low points.
impossible to measure the drum level cations to the system: 7. Installed a 1-in. atmospheric vent
with the upper tap in the reboiler. The 1. Relocated the condensate inlet to valve on the condensate drum.
condensate level that needs to be con- the condensate drum so that it en- 8. Added a vortex breaker to the bot-
trolled is that in the drum, not in the ters near the bottom of the drum. tom of the condensate drum.
reboiler. Therefore, the upper tap of The centerline of the condensate
the level transmitter needs to be near inlet nozzle is about 150 mm above Recap and results
the top of the condensate drum, not on the bottom tangent line (Figure 3). The findings. A surface tempera-
the reboiler. 2. Resized the condensate line, from ture survey showed that the reboiler
It is important to keep the level of the point where the two individual condensate was highly subcooled.
liquid in the drum high. If the liquid reboiler-condensate outlet lines The subcooling is attributed primar-
level falls below the top of the conden- merge into one, to the new point of ily to generous sizing of the reboiler
References 3. Lieberman, N. P., and Lieberman, E. T.,

“A Working Guide to Process Equipment”,
6. Sloley, A., “Don’t Rely on Pot Luck”, Chem.
Process., p. 36, July 2009.
1. Kister, H. Z., “Distillation Troubleshooting”, McGraw-Hill, N.Y., 1997. 7. Simpson, L. L. “Sizing Piping for Process
John Wiley and Sons, N.J., 2006. 4. Bertram, C. G., Sizing and Specifying Level- Plants”, Chem. Eng., June 17, p. 192, 1968.
2. Leegwater, H., “Industrial Experiences with Controlled Condensate Pots, Hydrocarbon 8. Sewell, A., “Practical Aspects of Distillation
Double Quality Control”, in W. L. Luyben Process., p. 151, August 1981. Column Design”, The Chem. Eng., 299/300, p.
(Ed.) “Practical Distillation Control”, p. 331, 5. Kister, H. Z., “Distillation Operation”, 442, 1975.
Van Nostrand Publishing, N.Y., 1992. McGraw-Hill, N.Y., 1990.
19_CHE_090111_EP_DL.indd 48 8/24/11 8:20:07 AM

Since 1968
and also to an undersized conden- Authors

sate drain line. Analysis in terms of Henry Z. Kister is a senior Luiza M. Jorge is a pro-
fellow and director of frac- cess engineer at Braskem
vapor pressure led to the conclusion tionation technology at Fluor S.A.(UNIB 2 RS – Braskem,
that due to the subcooled liquid, the Corp. (Phone: 1-949-349-4679; BR 386 Rod. Tabaí-Canoas
Email: henry.kister@fluor. km 419, Via de contorno 850,
condensate drum did not operate like com). He has over 30 years 95853-000 Triunfo RS Brasil;
a normal drum with a normal vapor experience in design, trouble- Phone: +55 51 3457-6137;
shooting, revamping, field con- Email: luiza.jorge@braskem.
space. This explained why the liq- sulting, control and startup of com.br) She provides tech-
fractionation processes and nical assistance to the ole-
uid level was insensitive to the level equipment. He is the author fins plant. Previously, Jorge
valve opening. The hammering was of three books, the distillation worked for Copesul aromatic
equipment chapter in Perry’s Handbook, and 90 revamp and also worked in the R&D depart-
due to the collapse of steam onto the articles, and has taught the IChemE-sponsored ment. Jorge holds a B.S.Ch.E. from Universidade
subcooled condensate. “Practical Distillation Technology” course more Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS
than 370 times. A recipient of several awards, in- and a specialization in petrochemicals from Pet-
The solution. The problem was solved cluding this magazine’s 2002 Personal Achieve- roquisa S.A.
by keeping the subcooled condensate ment Award, Kister obtained his B.E. and M.E. Antonio J. D. Prestes is a
degrees from the University of NSW in Australia. process engineering consul-
away from the drum liquid surface, He is a member of the NAE, Fellow of IChemE tant for BPI (Porto Alegre,
thereby restoring vapor space to the and AIChE, and serves on the FRI Technical Ad- RS, Brazil; Email: ajprestes@
visory and Design Practices Committees. bol.com.br) He worked as a
drum. This was achieved by relocating process engineer for Copesul
the condensate entry below the liquid and Braskem S.A., from 1979
to 2009. Prestes contributed
level and adding a channel baffle to low column feedrates (less than 50% as process engineer and pro-
keep the subcooled condensate down of normal feed). Pressures as low as cess coordinator in various
revamp and debottlenecking
in the drum. The level measurement 1.5 kg/cm2 g were measured in the studies and projects of aro-
matics and olefins plants at the petrochemical
was modified to measure the level drum with no hammering (which site of Triunfo, South of Brazil. Prestes holds
across the drum only, as opposed to previously occurred just below 3.5 a B.S.Ch.E. from Universidade Federal do Rio
Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS and a special-
both the drum and reboiler. kg/cm2 g). The drum level control has ization in petrochemical processing from Univer-
The results. Following the modifica- been excellent and stable (previously sidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Petrobras
and Petroquisa S.A.
tions, the hammering was entirely the level control was unreliable and
eliminated, and good, automatic level could not be operated in automatic
control was established. The system mode). The level transmitter has re- Note
has operated for the last nine years liably indicated the drum level. The This article was presented as a paper
at good and stable conditions with- hammering and instability have be- at the 22nd Ethylene Producers Con-
out any recurrence of the hydraulic come a fading memory. ■ ference, AIChE Spring Meeting, San
hammering, even when operating at Edited by Dorothy Lozowski Antonio, Tex., in March of 2010.
19_CHE_090111_EP_DL.indd 49 8/24/11 1:59:46 PM

Feature Report
Reduce Costs with

‘Step-down’ Filtration
Course/lead filter Dense filter
Filtration using Source
‘step-down’ particle Filtered
retention can help solution

to point
of use
reduce operating costs Pump 1 Pump 2
if required
and achieve cleaner Figure 1. A primary filter removes larger-sized particles, allowing the denser
media to last longer
solutions
Source
Jack H. Berg
Service Filtration Corp. Clean flow
to point
Huw Williams of use
Serfilco International Ltd.
Recirculation flow through course Single pass flow
media at flowrate 10 times system flow through fine media
A
mong the challenges of effec-
tive solid-liquid filtration is the FIGURE 2. In a recirculatory filtration system, the reduction of filter media depends
accumulation of solids on the on the type of solids to be retained, as well as their size
filter surface, which creates an
increasingly dense mass that process pump might be required by the first lated through the filter apparatus. Re-
fluid must push through. In many ap- and second stages will depend upon circulatory systems can be applied to
plications in the chemical process in- the loss of pressure across the media engine lubrication oil or fluids used for
dustries (CPI), a step-down filtration and the need to meet a required rate hydraulics. Such filter systems are also
approach has the potential to avoid this of throughput of the filtered solution. used to recirculate water for swimming
difficulty, and at the same time, to cut Generally, applications where the pools. Applications that could benefit
operating costs and improve solution step-down filtration process could be from recirculatory filtration are also
clarity. Even a 50-µm filter cartridge employed are those that require reten- in food processing (such as syrups, oils,
ahead of a 5- or 10-µm filter could re- tion of extremely fine particles, such detergents, brine and beer).
duce the overall amount of filter media as what is now being provided by 1- to Recirculation can be beneficial in
employed by as much as 50%. 10-µm filter cartridges, surface-type cases where a given filter media stops
Step-down filtration involves a pri- media (pleated or disc or bags), or pre- most, but not all, of the solids that must
mary (or lead) filter that handles a coat filters using diatomaceous earth. be retained. Allowing a second, third
large quantity of particulate matter or In the latter case, the frequency of or fourth pass through the filter may
solids before they are allowed to reach servicing, whether by backwashing or produce the desired result. To illus-
a second downstream filter chamber, changing of the media itself, would be trate, consider a filter medium with a
which is equipped with denser media prohibitive because of the low solids- retention efficiency of 90% of 5-µm par-
to capture finer particles. Figure 1 holding capacity of the media. ticles. This medium will also remove a
shows the typical piping that would lower percentage of smaller particles
be required. Step-down particle re- Recirculatory filtration (for example, 50% of 3-µm particles).
moval works best when a mixture of While Figure 1 depicts an inline sys- If the porosity of the media remains
solid particle sizes exists. The coarser tem, where a solution containing sol- unchanged, the filter could be expected
media picks up a large portion of the ids would pass once through the pro- to pick up 50% of the remaining 3-µm
solids, which allows the denser, and cess, a step-down filtration approach particles per pass (first pass removes
more costly, filter media to last longer. can also be effective in cases where 50% of 100; second pass removes 50%
Whether or not an additional booster solution from a reservoir is recircu- of 50; third 50% of 25; and so on). In
20_CHE_090111_EP_SCJ.indd 50 8/24/11 8:25:36 AM

Since 1968
this way, a recirculatory system offers size of the reservoir or the recircula- automatic type of filter, which could
the greatest potential of reducing the tion rate is modified, the amount of employ sand or straining where the
amount of filter media consumption. denser media required will be reduced, interruption caused by the backwash-
Combining recirculation with the saving considerable money. The saving cycle of a sand filter would have
step-down filtration approach yields ings would be due to lower labor costs to be minimized, and the liquid when
a situation in which a solution would for servicing, lower disposal costs and backwashed might have to be retained
pass through a primary filter several a reduction in the volume of waste in storage for further clarification. ■
times before being allowed to enter the being landfilled. Edited by Scott Jenkins
filter with denser media. For instance,
in an application where water comes Filter types Authors
from an outside source before passing The type of filter, along with its media, Jack Berg is CEO of Service
Filtration Corp. (2900 Mac-
through a filter (such as reverse osmo- will further complement the success Arthur Blvd., Northbrook, IL
60062; Phone: 847-509-2900;
sis, carbon or water softening) an ad- of this modification of your process. Email: cshultz@serfilco.com).
ditional tank would be required, along Several types are available. One “mul- Berg founded Service Filtra-
tion Corp. in 1961 as a manu-
with a pump and an auxiliary filter. timedia” type system applies a back- facturer of pumps and filters.
The filter would be designed to operate wash to clean the media and isolate The company has since added
several divisions through ac-
at a flowrate exceeding that the of the the dirt that has been trapped either quisitions, as well as a global
required flow to the system (Figure 2). for further treatment or safe disposal. distribution network. Berg
has authored many articles and presented at
Thus, a system requiring 10 gal/min Gravity-type systems employ roll seminars around the world. He is a graduate of
Marquette University.
could be recirculated at 10 times the media, which is disposable. Both types
Huw Williams is managing di-
system’s required flow so that at 100 are generally used for recirculation rector of Serfilco International
gal/min, the liquid would pass through but can also be used as final trap fil- Ltd. (Ashburton Road Man-
chester, U.K. M17 1RW; Phone:
the filter at least 10 times before being ters. Manual-type filters that require +44 161-872-1317). Williams
allowed to pass on to the denser filter cleaning or replacement in servicing, joined Serfilco in 1998 and held
several positions prior to being
media required for the process. would generally be employed where named managing director. Be-
fore that, Williams was finish-
Quantifying the reduction in filter flowrates, solids and the type of fluid ing and electroplating man-
media in such a system would depend to be clarified are under consider- ager at London-based musical
instrument maker Boosey and
upon the type and size of solids to be ation. On the other hand, continuous Hawkes. Williams has presented technical papers
retained, as well as the velocity across process lines where hazardous waste on fluid handling around the world, and is a Fellow
of the Institute of Metal Finishing, and chair of the
the auxiliary media, so as to retain as is picked up by the media, such as in Surface Engineering Association. He is a graduate
high a percentage as possible. As the a nuclear plant, would lend itself to an of Kingston University.
20_CHE_090111_EP_SCJ.indd 51 8/24/11 2:01:55 PM

Feature Report
Tank Vapors: Optimize Ejector

Sizing for Better Control Figure 1.
Shown here
Properly sized High-pressure
motive gas
A Medium-pressure
product gas
is a schematic
for an ejector
ejector stations (from pipeline) (to boilers) station with
three ejectors
can save capital costs B
that are installed
in parallel
and reduce downtime

C
Low-pressure
Graeme H. Bryden vent gas
(from tanks)
Vista-IMV Joint Venture Corp.
S
team-assisted, gravity-drainage
Table 1.Two-ejector station
(SAGD) operations employ large
tanks that vent flammable and Name Sizing formula Sizing result
sometimes toxic gases. Safety Ejector B X 66.7%
and environmental concerns often re-
quire engineers to design vapor-recov- Ejector A X/2 33.3% <-- Maximum error
ery units (VRUs) to collect these gases Total X+X/2= 100.0%
and redirect them to a useful location
— frequently for use as a fuel gas in a operating in parallel — can overcome steam generators become deactivated
steam-generation system. the flexibility constraints of a single but production at the facility — and
When choosing a VRU setup for an ejector. Figure 1 shows how a three- therefore tank venting — continues.
SAGD facility, the two most common ejector station is set up. Operators ac- An engineer can reduce the likelihood
options are compressor-based and tivate individual ejector units accord- of flaring by efficiently sizing ejectors
ejector-based designs. Compressor ing to tank-venting rates. As the tank and turning off any ejectors that are
control and recycle schemes enable pressure increases, additional ejectors not required to relieve pressure from
greater operating turndown, allow- are activated to relieve the increased tanks. The method of staggering ejec-
ing the compressor to operate over a vapor flow. When tank pressures de- tor sizes in parallel service (discussed
range of flows and providing better crease, operators deactivate individ- below) gives operators maximum con-
control. Similarly, compressors can ac- ual ejectors until the tank pressure trol and can help reduce flaring.
cept small upsets with little or no ac- has stabilized to a desired setpoint. The primary considerations before
tion required by the staff. By contrast, The ability to maintain fine control determining the VRU arrangement
each single ejector is either on or off. using a multi-ejector-based VRU can are the desired VRU maximum capac-
Compressors frequently run on elec- help avoid unwanted scenarios. For ity (referred to here as 100%), and how
tricity or burn fossil fuels in an engine. instance, operating ejectors below stable the flowrates are. If an ejector
Ejectors, on the other hand, require a the required flowrate can result in station is chosen instead of a compres-
motive gas from a high- or medium- tanks venting their vapor contents to sor, designers must also decide how
pressure pipeline. The energy comes the atmosphere. Similarly, operating finely to control the system.
from the pressure of the stream, and ejectors at flows higher than neces- Increasing the ejector count inside a
none of the fluids are consumed inside sary may require flaring if the down- station increases the number of control
the ejectors. One potential drawback, stream steam generators cannot ac- points (or steps) for the system, lead-
however, is that single ejectors have cept the increased gas flow. The need ing to finer control. During normal
effectively no turndown capabilities. for flaring is not only expensive, but operation, the vented flowrate may
Thus, they lack the operating flexibil- it increases carbon emissions, and be 45% of the maximum required ca-
ity of compressor-based VRUs. prolonged flaring may require a plant pacity of vented gas. For example, if a
The use of an ejector station — shutdown for regulatory compliance. tank system vents 600 kg/h of gas as a
which involves a group of ejectors Facilities are most likely to flare when maximum case scenario, and the ejec-
21_CHE_090111_EP_SAS1.indd 52 8/23/11 12:59:31 PM

A SINGLE FAILURE ON A BOLTED JOINT CAN
STOP PRODUCTION!
TM
CHALLENGE
Get Started with a FREE Survey!
24/7 Service: 1-800-FOR-HYTORC
info@hytorc.com | www.Leakage-Zero.com

Engineering Practice 100 A+B A+B+C A+B+C+D
B+C+D
90
B+C A+C+D
80 C+D
tor station runs at 45% capacity, then
A+B+D
the vent gas is moving through at 270 A+C
Ejector station capacity, %

70
B B+D
kg/h. To handle 45% of the maximum
vented flowrate, the operator activates 60 A+D
C
ejectors until the vented flow require- 50
D
ments have been satisfied. A+B+C
For this case, if we have four ejec- A+B 2 Ejector station
40 B+C
tors, each able to handle 25% of the 3 Ejector station
A A+C
30 4 Ejector station
maximum flow to the ejector station, B
C
we will need to activate two of the
20 A+B
four ejectors. If, however, the design
A
uses three ejectors, each capable of 10
B
handling 33% of the max flow to the A
ejector station, we would need to acti- 0
vate two of the three ejectors, and our 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Number of ejector control points
control wouldn’t be as fine. The use of
more ejectors allows a larger number FIGURE 2. As this visual display of staggered ejector control points shows, the
of steps between 0 and 100% to be ac- number of control options increases as the number of ejectors increases. The letters
tivated, providing more control points refer to different ejectors in the array
and finer operating control.
Table 1 shows the most efficient way Table 2.Three-ejector station
to stagger the sizes for a two-ejector
Name Sizing formula Sizing result
VRU station. The X term in Tables 1,
2 and 3 refers to the size of the largest Ejector C X 57.1%
ejector in that station. For instance, Ejector B X/2 28.6%
for the two-ejector station in Table 1, X
refers to 66.7% of the maximum vent Ejector A X/4 14.3% <-- Maximum error
rate. For the three-ejector station in Total X+X/2+X/4= 100.0%
Table 2, X refers to 57.1% of the maxi-
mum vent rate. For the four-ejector
station in Table 3, X refers to 53.3% of Table 3. Four-ejector station
the maximum vent rate. Name Sizing formula Sizing result
The maximum error notes the larg-
est difference the setup can have be- Ejector D X 53.3%
tween the vent gas flow and the flow Ejector C X/2 26.7%
of vent gas through the ejectors. Every
unit of vent gas requires about five Ejector B X/4 13.3%
units of motive gas for the ejector to op- Ejector A X/8 6.7% <-- Maximum error
erate properly. So if vent flows become
Total X+X/2+X/4+X/8= 100.0%
large, the motive gas flows become
much larger, and could overwhelm the
boilers, requiring excess product gas or deactivate ejectors in the station. Based on the ejector sizes provided
to be burned in a flare system. Table 3 shows the most efficient in Tables 1, 2 and 3, Figure 2 provides
In general, a two-ejector system is way to stagger the ejector sizes in a visual representation of how finely
preferred when the maximum vent- a four-ejector VRU station. This ar- operators can control ejector stations.
gas flow to an ejector station is rela- rangement allows for tight flow Each point on the graph indicates a
tively small. For such small vent rates, control, so it is suitable for ejec- setpoint to which the ejector station
fine control is not usually required as tor stations with large flows. But, can be controlled. n
the boilers can accept the relatively it requires careful monitoring to Edited by Suzanne Shelley
small amount of added gas. ensure that fluctuations do not create
Table 2 shows the most efficient system problems.
Author
way to stagger the sizes for a three- Increasing the ejector count at a Graeme H. Bryden is a pro-
ejector VRU station. Such a design is station with more than four ejectors cess design engineer working
in the Vista-IMV Joint Ven-
useful when the total flow from sev- provides even finer control. However, ture Corp. (2nd St., S.E., Suite
eral ejector stations could send more optimizing ejector control using five or B12, 6020, Calgary, Alta., Can-
ada; Phone: 403-538-0888:,E-
fuel to the downstream steam genera- more ejectors in a station (maximum mail: graeme@ghbdesign.com)
tors than they can accommodate. This error = 3.2%) does not allow much designing SAGD facilities. He
holds a B.Eng. in chemical
setup can also handle sizable fluctua- room for fluctuations in the process, engineering from Dalhousie
tions without the need to activate and requires close monitoring. University, and is a P.Eng.
21_CHE_090111_EP_SAS1.indd 54 8/23/11 12:56:55 PM

Feature Report
Calculate Liquid Volumes in

Tanks with Dished Heads
A downloadable
spreadsheet simplifies
the use of these y
fd
equations D/2 1/2
1
/ 2 -fk fk
Daniel R. Crookston, Champion 2, 2
Rk
Technologies Rd
1 1, 1
Reid B. Crookston, Retired x
T
his article presents equations Figure 1. This figure shows the rel- Figure 2. This two-dimensional view
evant radii of curvature and the coordi- of the tank head is shown using dimen-
that allow the user to calculate Figure 2Dimensionless Lengths
nate system used for a vertical tank sionless parameters
liquid volume as a function of
liquid depth, in both vertically
and horizontally oriented tanks with liquid volume calibrations of these ves- dished shape, and the equation devel-
dished heads. The equations accom- sels exist, but for many, the liquid vol- opment discussed below handles all
modate all tank heads that can be de- umes must be calculated. Traditional of those where the heads can be de-
scribed by two radii of curvature (tori- methods of calculation can be cumber- scribed by two radii of curvature.
spherical heads). Examples include: some, and some lack precision or offer Doolittle [1] presents a graphical
ASME flanged & dished (F&D) heads, little or no equation derivation. representation of liquid volumes in
ASME 80/10 F&D heads, ASME 80/6 The equations presented below are both horizontal and vertical tanks
F&D heads, standard F&D heads, mathematically precise and have a with spherical heads. The calculation
shallow F&D heads, 2:1 elliptical detailed derivation. The spreadsheets of the liquid in the heads is approxi-
heads and spherical heads. Horizontal that are offered to perform the calcu- mate. The graph shows lines for tank
tanks with true elliptical heads of any lations produce a table of liquid vol- diameters from 4 to 10 ft, and tank
aspect ratio can also be accommodated umes for a range of liquid depths that lengths from 1 to 50 ft. The accuracy of
using this methodology. are suitable for plant use. This table is the liquid volume depends on certain
This approach can be used to pre- generated by entering four parameters approximations and the precision of
pare a lookup table for a specific that define key tank dimensions. An interpolations that may be required.
tank, which yields liquid volumes operator could use such a spreadsheet Perry [2] states that the calcula-
(and weights) for a range of liquid table in lookup mode, using interpola- tion of volume of a partially filled
depths. The equations can also be ap- tion if necessary. One could also turn tank “may be complicated.” Tables are
plied directly to calculate the liquid the tabular values into a plot. given for horizontal tanks based on
volume for a measured liquid depth Each spreadsheet also has a cal- the approximate formulas developed
in a specific tank. Such calculations culator function, which requires the by Doolittle.
can be executed using a spreadsheet user to enter only the tank geometry Jones [3] presents equations to
program, a programmable calculator parameters and liquid depth and the calculate fluid volumes in vertical
or a computer program. Spreadsheets spreadsheet quickly returns the liq- and horizontal tanks for a variety of
that perform these calculations are uid volume. The spreadsheets can be head styles. Unfortunately, no deriva-
available from this magazine (search used with handheld devices (such as a tion of those equations is offered. As
for this article online at www.che.com, Blackberry or iPhone) that can run an of the time of this writing, there were
and see the Web Extras tab). Excel spreadsheet. For certain applica- no Internet advertisements offering
tions, one may want to show only the spreadsheets to solve the equations.
Problem background calculator function for a given vessel, Meanwhile, without adequate equa-
Tanks with dished heads are found so that an operator would only need to tion derivations, one would be unsure
throughout the chemical process in- enter a liquid level to quickly calculate what one is solving, and thus, the re-
dustries (CPI), in both storage and the corresponding liquid volume. sults would be suspect.
reactor applications. In some cases, A number of tank heads have a By contrast, this article provides
22_CHE_090111_EP_SAS2.indd 55 8/24/11 8:40:00 AM

Table 1. Standard Dished Tank-Head Types
Tank head style Dish Knuckle
radius radius
Engineering Practice factor, fd factor, fk
ASME flanged & dished (F&D) 1.000 0.060
ASME 80/10 F&D 0.800 0.100
ASME 80/6 F&D 0.800 0.060
exact equations for the total volume of The last concept needed to
the heads and exact equations for liq- define the dish shape is that 2:1 Elliptical 0.875 0.170
uid volumes, for any liquid depth for the curvatures of the two radii Spherical 0.500 0.500
any vertical or horizontal tank with are equal at the plane where Standard F&D 1.000 2 in./D
dished heads. The popular 2:1 ellipti- Regions 1 and 2 join. That will Shallow F&D 1.500 2 in./D
cal heads are actually fabricated as be explained further in the
approximate shapes by using varia- equation development that follows. Region 3 is the cylindrical portion of
tions of the two-radii designs. The coordinate system for the equa- the tank with a constant diameter,
In addition, this article also pres- tions is shown in Figure 1. The origin with β equaling 0.5.
ents the exact equations for true ellip- of the coordinate system is chosen to be Next, one must determine the coor-
tical heads of any ratio (not limited to at the bottom-most point in the tank. dinates of the point where the curves
2:1). Provided below are descriptions For Region 1, the equation for the tank for Regions 1 and 2 come together.
of the equation development, guidance radius, x, in terms of the height, y, is Working with the dimensionless vari-
on how to use the spreadsheets, and a as follows: ables, β and α, and using the subscript
discussion of a sample application for 1 to denote the top of Region 1, we seek
both a vertical and a horizontal tank. to find α1 (the dimensionless coordi-
(3)
nate of the top of Region 1), such that
Types of dished tank heads This equation can be expressed via the Equations 6 and 11 both give the same
Figure 1 shows the relevant radii of following dimensionless variables: value for α1 (given the same value of
curvature and the coordinate system β1), and such that the curvature is
used. All symbols are defined in the (4) continuous at the intersection.
Nomenclature Section on p. 59. It is Figure 2 is a two-dimensional view
convenient to present the equation de- (5) of the tank head using dimensionless
velopment in terms of dimensionless Substituting Equations 4 and 5 into parameters. The radius of the spheri-
variables. By normalizing all lengths Equation 3 gives the final dimension- cal region is drawn through the origin
by the tank diameter, the diameter is less equation for Region 1, as shown in of the knuckle radius. The point where
absent from all equations expressed Equation 6: that line intersects the head identifies
in the dimensionless coordinates. The where Regions 1 and 2 join. At that
two radii (dish radius and knuckle ra- (6) point, the curvatures of the spheri-
dius) that describe the dished heads cal region and the knuckle region are
can be expressed as follows: For Region 2, the equation for the tank identical. The angle between the ra-
radius, x, in terms of the height, y, is: dius of that spherical region and the
(1) tank center line is denoted as θ. We
can write the follow three trigonomet-
(2) (7)
ric expressions involving that angle:
Table 1 presents standard dished tank Where (xk, yk) is the coordinate loca-
heads that are described by this work. tion of the center of the knuckle ra-
dius. By substituting Equations 4 and (12)
Radius as a function of depth 5, Equation 7 is made dimensionless,
For convenience, the derivation in this as shown in Equation 8:
section describes a tank with vertical (13)
orientation. However, the derivation
(8)
applies to horizontal tanks as well. The
equations are used in the integrations The x-coordinate of the knuckle ra- (14)
described in the subsequent two sec- dius, xk, must be:
tions, which yield the liquid volumes Recognizing the following trigonomet-
for vertical and horizontal tanks. (9) ric identity
For the dished heads considered
here, two radii define the shape. The Equation 9 can be made dimension- (15)
bottom region of the head is spherical less, as shown in Equation 10:
and has a radius that is proportional We substitute Equations 12 and 14
to the diameter of the cylindrical re- into Equation 15 and solve for α1:
(10)
gion of the tank (see Equation 1). This
is referred to as Region 1. Making that substitution into Equa-
Above that is Region 2, which is tion 8 gives the final dimensionless
called the knuckle region. Its radius equation for Region 2:
(16)
of curvature is shown in Figure 1. It
can also be normalized by the tank The value of β1 can be calculated by
(11)
diameter (see Equation 2). combining Equations 12 and 13:
22_CHE_090111_EP_SAS2.indd 56 8/24/11 8:40:35 AM

Table 2. Defined and Calculated Parameters for Dished Tank Heads
Tank head style fd fk α1 β1 α2 β2
ASME F&D 1.000 0.06 0.1163166103 0.4680851064 0.1693376137 0.5
ASME 80/10 0.800 0.10 0.1434785547 0.4571428571 0.2255437353 0.5
F&D
ASME 80/6 F&D 0.800 0.06 0.1567794689 0.4756756757 0.2050210088 0.5
2:1 Elliptical 0.875 0.17 0.1017770340 0.4095744681 0.2520032103 0.5
used in Equation 16 to find α1. One
would, in turn, use the appropriate
Spherical 0.500 0.50 0.5000000000 0.5000000000 0.5000000000 0.5
equations to calculate β1, α2, and β2.
All the equations in the following sec-
Table 3. Ratio of Total Head capacity to D3 for Various Dished Heads tions for the tank volume and liquid
Tank head style fd fk α1 α2 = αk C volume also apply.
ASME F&D 1.000 0.06 0.116317 0.169338 0.0809990
Liquid volume as a function of
ASME 80/10 F&D 0.800 0.10 0.143479 0.225544 0.1098840
depth for vertical tanks
ASME 80/6 F&D 0.800 0.06 0.156779 0.205021 0.0945365 Liquid volume in Region 1. The liq-
2:1 Elliptical 0.875 0.17 0.101777 0.252003 0.1337164 uid volume, vi, in any tank region i is
Spherical 0.500 0.50 0.500000 0.500000 0.2617994 simply
(25)
(22)
Replacing x and y by their dimension-
(17)
Since the two heads are taken to be less expressions in Equations 4 and 5
To calculate α2 we apply the Pythago- the same shape: gives
rean Theorem to the right triangle
whose hypotenuse is a line between (23)
(26)
the origin of the spherical radius and
the origin of knuckle radius, as shown For Region 1, substituting for β2 from
(24)
in Equation 18: Equation 6 and integrating gives
So, the values of α1 through α5 are
thusly constructed.
(18) Values for α1, β1, α2 and β2 for the
Solving that for α2 gives: various tank head styles considered (27)
here are summarized in Table 2. The total capacity of Region 1, denoted
One should recognize that the pa- as V1, can be calculated by putting α1
(19)
rameters in Table 2 apply to all of the and a value for D into Equation 27.
αk is located at the top of Region 2, so torispherical tank head styles, regard- This will also be the total tank capac-
less of the tank diameter. That is one ity of Region 5, denoted as V5.
(20) of the benefits of working with the di- Liquid volume in Region 2. For Re-
At the top of Region 2, the head radius mensionless parameters. gion 2, the liquid volume is calculated
equals the radius of the cylindrical One use for the α2 values would be using Equation 28:
portion, so β2 equals ½. to calculate the distance from the end
For Region 3, the radius is constant of a dished head to the plane through
and is simply half the tank diameter. the boundary between Regions 2 and (28)
So, the expression for the tank radius 3. So, for example, if one had ASME Substituting for β from Equation 11
is shown in Equation 21: flanged and dished (F&D) heads of and integrating gives Equation 29:
a tank with a 100-in. I.D. for which
(21) Equation 29: (see box on p. 56) (29)
α2 equals 0.1693376137, that length
It is not necessary to construct equa- would be 0.1693376137 times 100 in., As discussed above, αk is identical to
tions for β as a function of α in Regions or 16.934 in. α2 (see Equation 20), so that substitu-
4 and 5. For vertical tanks, the volumes The last two tank head styles listed tion could be made in Equation 29.
for liquid levels in those regions can in Table 1 (standard flanged & dished, The total capacity of Region 2, de-
be calculated from the equations for and shallow flanged & dished) re- noted as V2, can be calculated by put-
Region 1 and 2 (presented below). For quire a somewhat different treatment, ting α2 in place of α in Equation 29.
horizontal tanks, the liquid volume in since the radius of curvature for the This will also be the total tank capac-
the right-hand head equals that of the knuckle region in each case is a fixed ity of Region 4, denoted as V4.
left-hand head for the symmetrical 2 in. rather than a fixed fraction of the Liquid volume in Region 3. Carry-
tanks discussed here. tank diameter. While all the equations ing out the integration in Equation
The value for α1 (top of Region 1) above still apply, one must determine 26 for Region 3 with the substitution
for each head style was determined the α and β parameters in Table 2 for from Equation 21 yields the liquid vol-
by solving Equation 16. β1 is given by each individual tank. ume in Region 3, as shown next:
Equation 17. α2 is equivalent to αk, So, for example, if one had stan-
and its value is given by Equation 19. dard flanged & dished heads on a 100 (30)
At the top of the tank, α5 is the tank in. dia. tank, fk would be 0.02 and fd
height, H, divided by the diameter, or would be 1.0. Those values would be
22_CHE_090111_EP_SAS2.indd 57 8/24/11 8:40:59 AM

Equations 29, 31, 36
(29)
(31)
The total capacity of Region 3, denoted

as V3, can be calculated by putting α3 (36)
into Equation 30 in place of α.
Liquid volume in Region 4. If the
liquid level is in Region 4, the volume
can be determined from the volume
equation for Region 2, Equation 29. For Equation 36: (see box above) (36) where the center of the coordinate sys-
a liquid level α in Region 4, the height tem is the tank’s centerline in a plane
Table 3 shows the value of C for each
of the tank’s vapor space would be perpendicular to that centerline, and
type of head considered here.
(α5 – α). The volume of the vapor space R is the tank radius. The equation for
Perry [2] gives an approximate
in Region 4 would be equivalent to the the circle formed by the intersection of
value for C for an ASME F&D head as
liquid volume in Region 2 if the level the tank with that plane is shown in
0.0809, which is quite close to the pre-
were at a depth of (α5 – α). So, to calcu- Equation 39:
cise value given in Table 3.
late the liquid volume in Region 4, we
take the capacity of Region 4 (equiva- (39)
Liquid volume as a function of
lent to the capacity of Region 2) and
depth for horizontal tanks Substituting Equation 39 into 38 and
subtract the vapor space in Region 4.
The liquid depth, d, in a horizontal integrating gives:
Equation 31: (see box above) (31) tank is measured in the cylindrical re-
gion. Calculation of the liquid volume
Liquid volume in Region 5. In an
in the cylindrical region of the tank is
analogous manner, the liquid volume
straightforward; calculating the liq-
in Region 5 is:
uid volume in the two dished heads (40)
is more challenging. First, one needs
Defining a dimensionless liquid depth
to recognize that every possible tank
cross-section formed by planes perpen- (41)
(32) dicular to the tank’s center axis will be
and substituting Equation 41 into
a circle. In the dished regions, if there
Tank capacity and total liquid Equation 40, and replacing R with D/2
is liquid at any given plane, the area of
volume. The total tank capacity is gives
that liquid AL will be what is termed
a segment of the circular cross-section.
(33) One can calculate the liquid volume
between any two cross-sectional planes
The final expression for the liquid vol-
by integrating the following:
ume is shown in Equation 34:
(42)
(37) Given that the length of the cylindri-
The coordinate system for horizontal cal region is (α3 – α2) D, the volume of
(34)
tanks is shown in Figure 3. We begin liquid in the cylindrical region is just
Where the vi and Vi terms are given by the development of the liquid volume area times length, or
Equations 27, 29, 30, 31, and 32 for the equation by looking at the cylindrical
five regions. region, and follow that by dealing with
Capacities of dished heads. The the dished regions.
total head volume (capacity) for each Liquid volume in the cylindrical
dished head considered in this article region. If one envisions a cross-sec- (43)
can be calculated by adding the vol- tion perpendicular to the tank axis in
umes of Region 1 (Equation 27 with α the cylindrical region of a horizontal Liquid volume in the tank heads.
= α1) and Region 2 (Equation 29 with tank with a liquid depth d, the area The liquid volume in the dished regions
α = α2). One can see the result will be of a segment representing the liquid is arrived at by analogous reasoning
an equation of this form: would have an area of to that used for the cylindrical region.
Again, planes constructed perpendicu-
(35) lar to the tank axis will intersect the
Where C is calculated as: (38) dished head giving circular shapes.
22_CHE_090111_EP_SAS2.indd 58 8/24/11 8:43:49 AM

y( ) Equation 48
Rd
D/2
x( ) (48)
Liquid level
radius, x, replaces R, and where the Liquid volume in true elliptical

d( )
liquid depth, h, replaces d. tank heads. Elliptical heads are com-
Rk monly used on horizontal tanks. While
a true ellipse doesn’t conform to the
definition of heads characterized by
Figure 3. The coordinate system for a
horizontal tank is shown here two radii of curvature, their shape is
(47)
much simpler, and the contained liq-
The radii of those circles will depend on Next, we convert to dimensionless uid volume can be calculated by sim-
the curvature of the dish and, as such, variables and substitute from Equa- ple algebraic formula, derived below.
will vary with α, the dimensionless tion 46 to create Equation 48: For this exercise we imagine an or-
distance from the left-hand end of the thogonal x-y-z coordinate system with
Equation 48: (see box, above) (48)
tank. Also, for a given liquid depth in its origin at the center of an ellipsoid
the cylindrical region, the liquid depth To get the liquid volume in the two formed by revolving an ellipse about
at a cross-section in the dished head dished tank heads, apply Equation 37: the z-axis. The z-axis is taken to coin-
will be less than in the cylindrical re- cide with the centerline of the cylindri-
gion because of the dish curvatures. cal portion of the tank, and the x and
Referring to Figure 4, a schematic y-axes are in the plane perpendicular
view looking toward the left-hand tank (49) to the z-axis at the center of the el-
dished head, the outer circle represents If we were able to perform this inte- lipsoid, with the y-axis being vertical.
the cylindrical diameter and the inner gration and get a closed-form solution, The equation that describes the sur-
circle represents a cross-section in the we would substitute Equation 48 for face of the ellipsoid is:
dished region. The horizontal dashed AL1, substitute for β in Region 1 from
line represents a liquid level, shown Equation 6 and perform similar sub-
here in the lower half of the tank. The stitutions for Region 2. That would (51)
radius of the dished head at the cross- give two integrals, each only involving So, the x-axis intersects the ellipsoid
section is x, or β in the dimensionless the variable α. While it is not possible at R, the y-axis intercepts at R, and
coordinates, and the liquid height at to perform those integrations analyti- the z-axis intercepts at Z. As an ex-
the cross section is h. We can normalize cally, it is possible to perform the inte- ample, if one had a true 2:1 elliptical
that liquid depth by defining a dimen- grations numerically. head, Z would equal R/2. We define e,
sionless variable, γ, as shown: We use Simpson’s Rule for the nu- the ratio of the intercepts of the ellip-
merical integration. It is based on hav- soid, such that
(44) ing an odd number of equally spaced
We relate h, d and x as follows: intervals in the independent variable,
in this case α, and calculating the cor- (52)
responding values for the areas. We Straightforward integration shows
chose to use 100 intervals between α that the area of an ellipse represented
= 0 and α = α2. The numerical integra- by Equation 53:
(45) tion was performed as part of a spread-
sheet, described below in the Results
In other words, if the liquid depth is section. Simpson’s Rule for any three (53)
below (D/2 – x), there is no liquid area consecutive integration points is is Equation 54 [4]:
at the cross-section, and if the depth
is above (D/2 + x), then the entire (54)
circular area is covered. Equation 45 With the coordinate system described
can be written in terms of the dimen- (50) above for an ellipsoid, the y-axis will
sionless variables Where Δα is α2/100 and ALa, ALb, and be the vertical axis, and the liquid
ALc are the areas at the three corre- surface will be perpendicular to that
sponding α points. The liquid volume y-axis. All cross-sections perpendicu-
in the two heads is calculated by ap- lar to that y-axis will intersect the el-
plying Simpson’s Rule to each of the lipsoid as an ellipse in an x–z plane.
three cross-sections, summing the Rearranging Equation 51 gives
(46)
parts to cover the 101 cross-sections,
We can write an equation for the liquid and doubling that to account for the
area of a cross-section in the dished re- two heads. The total liquid in the tank
gion (perpendicular to the main axis) is the sum of the liquid in the cylindri-
(55)
by analogy to Equation 40, where the cal region and the two heads.
22_CHE_090111_EP_SAS2.indd 59 8/24/11 8:44:25 AM

Liquid volume versus liquid depth
4,000
3,600
Engineering Practice 3,200
Liquid volume, gal

2,800
Figure 4. In this 2,400

schematic view 2,000
looking toward the
1,600
left-hand dished
D/2 1,200
head of a horizontal
tank, the outer circle 800
represents the cylin-
x( ) 400
drical diameter and
the inner circle repre- 0
h( ) sents a cross-section 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110
d( ) Liquid depth, in.
in the dished region
Figure 5Liquid Volume Versus Liquid Depth for Example Tank
Figure 5. This plot shows the liquid volume versus liquid
depth for an example horizontal tank
Comparing this with the general form for example, a true 2:1 elliptical head on orientation) is used for both examples.
of an ellipse in Equation 53, we see a tank of a given diameter would hold The shaded cells are used to input the
4 Liquid Level in Tank Dished Head of a Horizontal Tank
that Figure
the x-axis intercept of the ellipse exactly half the liquid volume of a hemi- parameters for a specific vessel. The
in a plane perpendicular to the y-axis spherical head on the same tank. other cells are calculated by formulas.
at any y value will be R(1–2/R2)1/2. The The particular tank used in these
corresponding z-axis intercept will be Results examples has a dia. of 100-in. dia. (all
Z(1–y2/R2)1/2. From Equation 54, the The equations in this paper have been dimensions are for the inside of the
area of the ellipse will be incorporated into two Microsoft Excel tank), a height or length of 120 in.,
spreadsheets — one for vertical tanks and ASME F&D heads, designated as
and the other for horizontal tanks. Head Style 1. The liquid has a specific
Tables 4 and 5 show excerpts from gravity of 1.18.
(56)
the spreadsheet programs. (Note: Ab- The tank length specified in Tables
To calculate the liquid depth in the breviated versions of Tables 4 and 5 4 and 5 is the total length from end to
two heads, we first recognize that the are shown on page here, while the full end. It can be directly measured, al-
two heads combined comprise a com- versions of both tables are available lowing for the wall thickness, or deter-
plete ellipsoid. We calculate the liquid in the online version of this article at mined from engineering drawings.
volume of both heads as www.che.com, at the Web Extras tab.) Some drawings may not give the
The description of Tables 4 and 5 that overall length specifically. In these
follows pertains to the full website ver- cases, the length of each head from the
sions, but notations are made where end to the plane where the head be-
the parts being discussed are not seen comes cylindrical can be calculated by
in the table excerpts that are shown in multiplying α2 in Tables 4 or 5 by the
(57)
the print version here.) inside tank diameter. If the drawing
Carrying out this integration and sim- The equations programmed in these gives the distance between the weld
plifying gives our final equation: spreadsheets are rather substantial. beads, allowance must be made if the
Considerable effort was expended to heads also include any cylindrical por-
ensure accurate representation of the tion. If so, those lengths must be added
equations in the spreadsheet formulas. to the length between the welds.
(58)
Readers may download the spread- Four input parameters control the
For the case where e = 1, and heads sheet templates at www.che.com (Web population of the strapping tables: (1)
are hemispherical, Equation 58 re- Extras tab). . head style number; (2) tank diameter
duces to A suggested organization would be (in.); (3) tank length or height (in.);
to maintain one copy of each spread- and (4) specific gravity of the liquid.
sheet template, and then create a They are entered in the top-left box in
(59)
separate spreadsheet for each tank to the shaded cells.
which one wishes to apply the equa- Below the input area is a box (not
If a tank with a hemispherical head is tions. So, an Excel Workbook might shown in the print version of the
full (d = D), Equation 59 gives: consist of the two spreadsheet tem- tables) containing head-style param-
plates, plus an individual spreadsheet eters calculated by the spreadsheet in
for each physical tank of interest. accordance with the Head Style Num-
Below, the input parameters are ber input. The values for α1 to α5 and
(60)
identified, and the general layout of fd and fk are supplied by formulas and
Which is the well-known formula for the spreadsheets is described. Then are defined in the Nomenclature box.
the volume of a sphere. we show spreadsheet examples for a The third box down on the left (titled
Equation 58 shows that the liquid vertical tank (Table 4) and for a hori- Region Capacities in the print edition
volume (and capacity) of a true elliptical zontal tank (Table 5). .For simplicity, version of the tables) gives the calcu-
head is inversely proportional to e. Thus, the same tank (with different tank lated tank capacities for the five tank
22_CHE_090111_EP_SAS2.indd 60 8/24/11 8:46:34 AM

22_CHE_090111_EP_SAS2.indd 65 8/25/11 11:33:29 AM
Table 5. Strapping Table for a Horizontal Tank
Input Information Depth Liq. depth Liq. depth Liq. vol. Weight
Tank name T-1001 gage, % ft in. in. gal lb
Engineering Practice Tank orientation Horizontal 0 0 0 0 - -
Liquid Aq. solvent *
Head style 1 40 3 4 40 1,338 13,160
liquid volume for that liquid level. Tank dia., in. 100.0 *
Vertical tank orientation. Table 4 Tank length, in. 120.0 50 4 2 50 1,815 17,856
(abbreviated here) shows the spread- Specific gravity 1.18 *
sheet output for the above-described 100 8 4 100 3,630 35,713
tank oriented vertically. The total tank Region * Rows not shown in this abbreviated versiono of this table can be
found in the full version online.
capacity is 3,629.8 gal, with 80.7% of Capacities Gal
that being in the cylindrical region V1 176.9 Liquid Volume Calculator
(2,928.5 gal) and the rest being in the V2 173.8 (This calculator will return the liquid volume for an input liquid
level.)
two heads. If one wanted to know the
V3 2,928.5 Liq. depth, in. = 50.0
liquid volume for liquid depth of 40 in.,
for example, a table lookup would give V4 173.8 Liq. vol. cyl., gal = 1,464.25
1,135 gal or 11,166 lb. To illustrate V5 176.9 Liq. vol. heads, gal = 350.65
the Liquid Volume Calculator a liquid VT 3,629.8 Liq. vol., gal = 1,814.89
level of 12.0 in. was entered, which re-

turned a liquid volume of 187.99 gal. tion (Simpson’s Rule) for the liquid in the table by repeatedly carrying out
That volume corresponds to the value volumes in the heads because of the the following steps: (1) copies a liquid
in the strapping table. complexity of the equation being inte- level from the strapping table to the
Horizontal tank orientation. Table grated. That integration is performed clipboard; (2) pastes that value into
5 (abbreviated here) displays the same in spreadsheet cells below those shown the Liquid Volume Calculator which
tank oriented horizontally. The tank in Table 5 (only shown in the Excel allows the Simpson’s Rule integration
capacities of the five regions and the spreadsheets available for download), to be performed and the result placed
total tank capacity are the same as in with the results of the integration in the appropriate row of the Liquid
Table 4. The difference in this spread- being carried up to the appropriate Volume Calculator; (3) copies the
sheet is that the strapping table must line in the Liquid Volume Calculator. total liquid volume from the Liquid
be populated using numerical integra- An Excel macro populates each row Volume Calculator to the clipboard;
22_CHE_090111_EP_SAS2.indd 62 8/25/11 11:15:35 AM

and (4) pastes the total liquid volume (only shown in the spreadsheets for give a liquid volume of 1,338 gal and a
from the Liquid Volume Calculator to download), the dished head is parti- liquid weight of 13,160 lb. The Liquid
the appropriate row of the strapping tioned by 101 equally spaced planes Volume Calculator at the bottom of the
table. The macro repeats that opera- perpendicular to the tank’s main axis. spreadsheet works the same way as
tion for each line of the table. A liquid area is calculated for each described for the vertical tank. In this
After one enters these parameters plane, and the integration is per- example, a liquid height of 50.0 in. was
for a particular tank, clicking the formed by Simpson’s Rule to give a entered and a corresponding liquid vol-
“Click to Run Macro to Populate” but- liquid volume for the specified depth. ume of 1,814.89 gal was returned. Fig-
ton activates the macro and populates So, for example, if one had a liquid ure 5 shows a plot of the liquid volume
the liquid volumes in the table. It will height of 40 in. in the described hori- versus depth for this example. n
be necessary to enable macros in Excel zontal tank, a lookup in Table 5 would Edited by Suzanne Shelley
if that functionality has been disabled
for security reasons. Authors
In the Simpson’s Rule integration Daniel R. Crookston is a Reid B. Crookston is a
senior project engineer for retired engineer in League
Champion Technologies (3130 City, Tex. (Email: tank.vol-
References FM 521 Rd., Fresno, TX 77545; ume1@gmail.com). He holds a
1. Doolittle, A.K., Universal Tank Calibration Phone: 281-431-2561; Email: B.S.Ch.E. from the University
Chart, Ind. and Eng. Chem.,Vol. 20, No. 3, pp. daniel.crookston@champ-tech. of Pittsburgh, and M.S.Ch.E.
322–323, 1928. com). He holds a B.S.Ch.E. and a Ph.D. in chemical engi-
from the University of Texas, neering from Carnegie Mellon
2. Perry, R.H. and Green, D.W.: “Perry’s Chemical and an M.S.Ch.E. from the University. He worked for Gulf/
Engineers’ Handbook,” McGraw-Hill Book University of Arkansas. Prior Chevron for 27 years, serving
Co., New York, pp. 10-138–10-141, 1997. to joining Champion, he was as a technical consultant with
3. Jones, Dan: Computing Fluid Tank Volumes, employed for five years as a Gulf R&D Co. in Pittsburgh
Chem. Proc., Vol. 65 (11), November 2002, process/project engineer for Nalco Co. He is cur- and Houston, and overseeing Gulf’s R&D work
pp.. 46–50. rently overseeing the design and construction of on enhanced-oil-recovery (EOR) methods. With
reaction and blending facilities in Brazil and Co- Chevron, he was chief reservoir engineer for Tex.,
4. Weast, R.C., Selby, S.M., and Hodgman, lombia. This is Crookston’s fifth technical publica- Mo., Okla., New Mex., and Calif. This is his sev-
C.D., “Handbook of Mathematical Tables,” tion and his first in collaboration with his father. enth technical publication, and his first in collabo-
Chemical Rubber Co., 1964. ration with his younger son.
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September 2011
Literature Review
CHE.COM
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2 17 32 47 62 77 92 107 122 137 152 167 182 197 212 227 242 257 272 287 302 317 332 347 362 377 392 407 422 437 452 467 482 497 512 527 542 557 572 587
3 18 33 48 63 78 93 108 123 138 153 168 183 198 213 228 243 258 273 288 303 318 333 348 363 378 393 408 423 438 453 468 483 498 513 528 543 558 573 588
4 19 34 49 64 79 94 109 124 139 154 169 184 199 214 229 244 259 274 289 304 319 334 349 364 379 394 409 424 439 454 469 484 499 514 529 544 559 574 589
5 20 35 50 65 80 95 110 125 140 155 170 185 200 215 230 245 260 275 290 305 320 335 350 365 380 395 410 425 440 455 470 485 500 515 530 545 560 575 590
6 21 36 51 66 81 96 111 126 141 156 171 186 201 216 231 246 261 276 291 306 321 336 351 366 381 396 411 426 441 456 471 486 501 516 531 546 561 576 591
7 22 37 52 67 82 97 112 127 142 157 172 187 202 217 232 247 262 277 292 307 322 337 352 367 382 397 412 427 442 457 472 487 502 517 532 547 562 577 592
8 23 38 53 68 83 98 113 128 143 158 173 188 203 218 233 248 263 278 293 308 323 338 353 368 383 398 413 428 443 458 473 488 503 518 533 548 563 578 593
9 24 39 54 69 84 99 114 129 144 159 174 189 204 219 234 249 264 279 294 309 324 339 354 369 384 399 414 429 444 459 474 489 504 519 534 549 564 579 594
10 25 40 55 70 85 100 115 130 145 160 175 190 205 220 235 250 265 280 295 310 325 340 355 370 385 400 415 430 445 460 475 490 505 520 535 550 565 580 595
11 26 41 56 71 86 101 116 131 146 161 176 191 206 221 236 251 266 281 296 311 326 341 356 371 386 401 416 431 446 461 476 491 506 521 536 551 566 581 596
12 27 42 57 72 87 102 117 132 147 162 177 192 207 222 237 252 267 282 297 312 327 342 357 372 387 402 417 432 447 462 477 492 507 522 537 552 567 582 597
13 28 43 58 73 88 103 118 133 148 163 178 193 208 223 238 253 268 283 298 313 328 343 358 373 388 403 418 433 448 463 478 493 508 523 538 553 568 583 598
14 29 44 59 74 89 104 119 134 149 164 179 194 209 224 239 254 269 284 299 314 329 344 359 374 389 404 419 434 449 464 479 494 509 524 539 554 569 584 599
15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150 165 180 195 210 225 240 255 270 285 300 315 330 345 360 375 390 405 420 435 450 465 480 495 510 525 540 555 570 585 600
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Economic Indicators
Business News
Occidental Chemical Corp. plans to build construct a used oil, re-refinery and blending
Plant Watch
a chlor-alkali plant in Tennessee plant inTampa,Fla.using Axens’(Rueil-Malmaison,
Solvay to form JV with Sadara to build July 21, 2011 — Occidental Chemical Corp. France; www.axens.net) and Viscolube S.p.A.’s
H2O2 plant in Saudi Arabia (Oxychem; Dallas,Tex.; www.oxychem. (Pieve Fissiraga, Italy;www.viscolube.it) Revivoil
July 28, 2011 — Solvay S.A. (Brussels, Belgium; com), a subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum technology.The facility is expected to process 24
www.solvay.com) intends to create a 50:50 Corp., plans to construct a membrane million gal/yr of dehydrated used oil to produce
joint venture (JV) with Sadara Chemical Co. cell chlor-alkali plant adjacent to DuPont’s API Group II base oil and various grades of
(itself a planned JV of Saudi Arabian Oil Co. Johnsonville TiO2 plant in Tennessee.The motor oil, hydraulic fluid, transmission fluid and
and The Dow Chemical Co. — see below) for new facility will be designed to produce other specialty products after blending.
the construction and operation of a hydro- up to 182,500 ton/yr of liquid chlorine and
gen peroxide plant in Jubail Industrial City. 200,000 dry ton/yr of membrane caustic
Scheduled to be operational in the 2nd half
Mergers and acquisitions
soda. Operation is expected to begin in
of 2015, this new plant will supply H2O2 as a Ownership structure changes in
2013.The project cost is estimated at $250–
raw material for the manufacture of propyl- Sabina Petrochemicals JV
290 million. Final execution of the project
ene oxide by Sadara. August 1, 2011 – BASF Corp. (Florham Park,
is dependent upon a final review of the
N.J.; www.basf.us) and Total Petrochemi-
project’s economic feasibility.
Lubrizol invests in expansion at cals USA, Inc. (Houston; www.
Louisville production plant SGL Group breaks ground for a new totalpetrochemicalsusa.com) have an-
July 27, 2011 — Lubrizol Advanced Materials, graphite-production center in Bonn nounced a change in ownership of the
a business segment of The Lubrizol Corp. July 19, 2011 — SGL Group – The Carbon Sabina Petrochemicals LLC JV that oper-
(Wickliffe, Ohio; www.lubrizol.com) has be- Company (Wiesbaden, Germany; www. ates one of the world’s largest C4 com-
gun work on a multimillion-dollar expansion sglgroup.com) is planning a new 3,500-m² plexes, which is located in Port Arthur, Tex.
at its Louisville, Ken., manufacturing facility production center for isostatic graphite. Shell Chemical LP, has exited the JV. BASF
in order to meet growing demand for its Construction is scheduled to start this and Total Petrochemicals are now the sole
chlorinated polyvinyl chloride products.The month, with completion planned by the end partners in Sabina with 60:40 ownership
expansion effort is expected to continue of 2012. As a result, SGL Group’s capacity shares. BASF will continue to operate the
through 2012. for isostatic graphite will be increased from Sabina plants. The terms of the agreement
5,000 to 15,000 ton/yr worldwide. are confidential.
BASF plans second production plant for
phthalate-free plasticizer New pulp mill in Uruguay to BASF and CSM explore a
July 26, 2011 — BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, Ger- be supplied by ABB bio-based succinic acid JV
many; www.basf.com) is planning to build a July 11, 2011 — ABB (Zurich, Switzerland; www. August 1, 2011 — BASF SE (Ludwigshafen,
second production plant in Ludwigshafen abb.com) will supply process electrification, Germany; www.basf.com) and Purac
to double production of its phthalate-free power distribution infrastructure and equipment (Gorinchem; www.purac.com), a subsid-
plasticizer from 100,000 to 200,000 metric for a new pulp mill in Uruguay.The Montes del iary of CSM N.V. (Diemen, both the Neth-
tons per year (m.t./yr) at the site by 2013. Plata pulp mill is a joint project of Finnish pulp erlands; www.csm.nl) are negotiating the
and paper manufacturer, Stora Enso, and the formation of a JV for the production of bio-
Dow and Saudi Aramco form JV for a Chilean forestry company, Arauco, and has based succinic acid.They aim to have a
$20-billion chemicals complex an estimated cost of $1.9 billion. Production is 25,000-ton capacity fermentation produc-
July 25, 2011 — The Dow Chemical Co. (Mid- scheduled to be begin in the 1st Q of 2013, with tion plant at the Purac site near Barcelona,
land, Mich.; www.dow.com) and the Saudi a capacity of 1.3 million m.t./yr of bleached, Spain, with the intention to start up by 2013.
Arabian Oil Co. (Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; eucalyptus kraft pulp.The project includes the
www.saudiaramco.com) have approved pulp mill, a deepwater port and a biomass- AkzoNobel to acquire China’s leading
the formation of a JV, named Sadara Chem- based power generation plant to convert waste specialty surfactant producer
ical Co., to build and operate a chemicals from pulp production into electricity. July 27, 2011 — AkzoNobel (Amsterdam,
complex in Jubail Industrial City, Kingdom the Netherlands; www.akzonobel.com)
of Saudi Arabia. Comprised of 26 manufac- M&G Group selects Texas for new plans to acquire Boxing Oleochemicals,
turing units, the complex will be one of the PET and PTA plants the leading supplier of nitrile amines and
world’s largest integrated chemical facili- July 12, 2011 — The M&G Group (Tortona, Italy; derivatives in China and throughout Asia. Es-
ties, and the largest ever built in one single www.gruppomg.com), has selected Corpus tablished in 1993 and based in the province
phase.The complex will possess flexible Christi, Tex., as the location for construction of Shandong, Boxing had revenues in 2010
cracking capabilities and will produce over of its previously announced 1-million m.t./ of approximately €100 million. Its activities
3 million m.t. of high-value-added chemical yr polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and will be integrated into AkzoNobel’s Surface
products and performance plastics.The first accompanying 1.2-million m.t./yr purified Chemistry business.The completion of the
production units will come on line in the 2nd terephthalic acid (PTA) plants. transaction is subject to closing conditions,
half of 2015, with all units expected to be up including the approval of the Chinese au-
and running in 2016. Sadara will become an Axens-Viscolube Revivoil technology thorities. It is expected to be finalized in the
equal JV between Saudi Aramco and Dow selected for NexLube’s oil re-refining plant last quarter of 2011. ■
after an initial public offering. July 11, 2011 — NexLube Tampa LLC plans to Dorothy Lozowski
For additional news as it develops, please visit www.che.com

September 2011; VOL. 118; NO. 9
Chemical Engineering copyright @ 2011 (ISSN 0009-2460) is published monthly, with an additional issue in October, by Access Intelligence, LLC, 4 Choke Cherry Road, 2nd
Floor, Rockville, MD, 20850. Chemical Engineering Executive, Editorial, Advertising and Publication Offices: 88 Pine Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10005; Phone: 212-621-4674, Fax:
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For more Economic Indicators, See Next Page Chemical Engineering www.che.com September 2011 71
25_CHE_090111_EI.indd 71 8/23/11 1:15:15 PM

Economic Indicators 2009 2010 2011
DOWNLOAD THE CEPCI TWO WEEKS SOONER AT WWW.CHE.COM/PCI
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT COST INDEX (CEPCI) 650
(1957-59 = 100) June '11 May. '11 June '10 600

Prelim. Final Final Annual Index:
CE Index 588.9 581.9 556.4
2003 = 402.0
Equipment 718.1 707.5 668.1
Heat exchangers & tanks 678.1 673.0 628.7 2004 = 444.2 550
Process machinery 664.5 663.7 632.1 2005 = 468.2

Pipe, valves & fittings 904.8 861.8 818.5
Process instruments 440.9 441.8 419.4 2006 = 499.6 500
Pumps & compressors 904.7 905.4 898.4 2007 = 525.4
Electrical equipment 510.8 503.0 482.2
2008 = 575.4 450
Structural supports & misc 760.7 755.7 697.5
Construction labor 325.4 325.2 326.7 2009 = 521.9
Buildings 519.0 518.6 509.4
2010 = 550.8
Engineering & supervision 332.6 332.9 339.1 400
J F M A M J J A S O N D
CURRENT BUSINESS INDICATORS LATEST PREVIOUS YEAR AGO

CPI output index (2007 = 100) Jul. '11 = 87.7 Jun. '11 = 87.4 May. '11 = 87.3 Jul. '10 = 85.1
CPI value of output, $ billions Jun. '11 = 2,067.0 May. '11 = 2,065.1 Apr. '11 = 2,072.8 Jun. '10 = 1,691.3
CPI operating rate, % Jul. '11 = 75.6 Jun. '11 = 75.3 May. '11 = 75.3 Jul. '10 = 72.9
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) Jul. '11 = 338.0 Jun. '11 = 342.6 May. '11 = 336.0 Jul. '10 = 257.8
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2007=100) Jul. '11 = 90.6 Jun. '11 = 90.0 May. '11 = 89.9 Jul. '10 = 87.3
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) Jul. '11 = 158.8 Jun. '11 = 156.9 May. '11 = 157.0 Jul. '10 = 153.6
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100) Jul. '11 = 112.3 Jun. '11 = 112.1 May. '11 = 111.0 Jul. '10 = 111.8
CPI OUTPUT INDEX (2007 = 100) CPI OUTPUT VALUE ($ BILLIONS) CPI OPERATING RATE (%)
120 2500 85
110 2200 80
100 1900 75
90 1600 70
80 1300 65
70 1000 60
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
Current Business Indicators provided by Global Insight, Inc., Lexington, Mass.
MARSHALL & SWIFT EQUIPMENT COST INDEX CURRENT TRENDS

1530
C
(1926 = 100) 2nd Q 1st Q 4th Q 3rd Q 2nd Q
apital equipment prices,
2011 2011 2010 2010 2010 1515
M & S INDEX 1,512.5 1,490.2 1,476.7 1,473.3 1,461.3 as reflected in the CE Plant
Process industries, average 1,569.0 1,549.8 1,537.0 1,534.4 1,522.1 1500 Cost Index (CEPCI), increased
Cement 1,568.0 1,546.6 1,532.5 1,530.0 1,519.2 approximately 1.2% on aver-
1485
Chemicals 1,537.4 1,519.8 1,507.3 1,505.2 1,493.5 age from May to June, after
Clay products 1,557.5 1,534.9 1,521.4 1,518.3 1,505.6 1470 decreasing approximately
Glass 1,469.2 1,447.2 1,432.7 1,428.5 1,416.4
1455
0.10% from April to May.
Paint 1,584.1 1,560.7 1,545.8 1,542.1 1,527.6
Meanwhile, according to the
Paper 1,480.7 1,459.4 1,447.6 1,444.5 1,430.1
Petroleum products 1,672.0 1,652.5 1,640.4 1,637.0 1,625.9
1440 American Chemistry Council’s
Rubber 1,617.4 1,596.2 1,581.5 1,579.3 1,564.2 1425 (Washington, D.C.; www.
Related industries americanchemistry.com) lat-
1410
Electrical power 1,494.9 1,461.2 1,434.9 1,419.2 1,414.0 est weekly economic report,
Mining, milling 1,623.5 1,599.7 1,579.4 1,576.7 1,569.1 1395 overall production in the U.S.
Refrigeration 1,856.4 1,827.8 1,809.3 1,804.8 1,786.9 chemical sector fell in July by
Steam power 1380
1,546.5 1,523.0 1,506.4 1,502.3 1,488.0 0.3%, to continue an uneven
1365 pattern in 2011.
Annual Index:
Visit www.che.com/pci for
2003 = 1,123.6 2004 = 1,178.5 2005 = 1,244.5 2006 = 1,302.3 1350
1st 2nd 3rd 4th more information and other
2007 = 1,373.3 2008 = 1,449.3 2009 = 1,468.6 2010 = 1,457.4 Quarter
tips on capital cost trends
Marshall & Swift's Marshall Valuation Service© manual. 2011 Equipment Cost Index Numbers reprinted and and methodology. ■
published with the permission of Marshall & Swift/Boeckh, LLC and its licensors, copyright 2011. May not be
reprinted, copied, automated or used for valuation without Marshall & Swift/Boeckh's prior permission.

cebuyersguide.com
Issue Date: October 2011 • Closes: August 2, 2011
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