Chemical industry profitability continues to increase, as noted in an ongoing dissection of results from the annual industry survey conducted by Chemical & Engineering News. Combined global sales of the top 50 companies reached $665.6 billion in 2005, an increase of 15% over 2004. Aggregate operating profit margins rose 9.1%, up from 8% the previous year, although 14 firms posted declines (only two of those reported actual operating losses). DuPont was edged out of the top five grouping by chemical segments of three big oil companies. Which companies fared the best, and what are the financial implications of the ever-intensifying global nature of the chemicals sector?

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Sure Seal's LBF Series Lined Butterfly Valves feature "The Most Effective Technology" available for controlling and isolating corrosive, high-purity, and abrasive process media. Our valves incorporate the absolute highest standards of quality, performance, safety, and reliability that is required by the most demanding industries.

The newly introduced Pannevis RB-SV from Larox is the next evolutionary step in the design of the traditional rubber belt filter. A number of significant design changes improve operation, performance, maintenance, and belt life. Visit the Larox Web site.

Modular fabrication has become a viable alternative to field construction. Improved cost and schedules are among many benefits of the modular approach. Modular process systems can be delivered as a single skid or an array of modules to be interconnected in the field. Visit here for more information or view our profile.

Sliding Vane pumps have a number of vanes that are free to slide into or out of slots in the pump rotor. Pumps are typically used in handling a variety of corrosive or caustic fluids such as acids, brines, and liquids such as petroleum, ethanol, sugars, syrups, beer, LPG, soybean oil, cider, and flavor extracts. More on Blackmer...

A new reactor system merges the high heat transfer capabilities of plate heat exchangers with the efficient mixing and reaction control typical of microreactors. Reagents can be injected or the reactor mixture monitored at different points along the flow path. Learn how these features are crucial for reaction control or unwanted side reaction prevention.

Deconvolution is revolutionizing the target compound identification process in mass spectrometric applications, but not all relevant analytical software is created equal. A Laboratory Equipment article tells how you can run analyses faster and remain competitive without sacrificing data quality by learning which software packages can distinguish the presence of multiple coeluting compounds unequivocally.

Ethanol manufacturers use Advanced Process Control to improve productivity, boost efficiency, achieve emissions compliance, and reduce energy costs. Non-linear models, multivariable controls, and advanced optimization work together to provide precise management of processes marked by dynamic behavior. Engineer Live details how to reduce energy costs by 5% and raise production by 3% in four months.

Considering variations in water sources and constituents, how do you effectively maintain water quality for in-house use? Microprocessor-based chemical feed pumps assure accuracy and dependability of chemical dosages, while amperometric sensors monitor water quality and automatically adjust chemical feeds depending on set points and water flows. Read more about these high tech pumps.

Process Equipment Division specializes in high-pressure equipment (pumps, valves, piping, etc.) and services for all types of chemical, petrochemical, oil, and gas process equipment requiring positive pressure applications. Pressure ranges from 100 to 208,000 psi and flow ranges from 0.0003 to 1,400 gallons/min.

The FuzyPro 1/16 DIN Fuzzy Logic Temperature Controllers can easily be configured to provide precise control. The advanced Smarter Logic "Fuzzy" allows processes to be controlled better than ever before, with virtually no initial overshoot or temperature variations. More from Heaters Controls & Sensors.

When designing products like sporting goods, automotive grommets, kitchenware, or baby bottle nipples, a liquid silicone rubber product line offering superior tensile and tear strength is needed. The Silastic LC 2004 series offers higher molding temperatures than high consistency rubber, allowing high-volume manufacturers to achieve high efficiencies through shorter cycle times and increased throughput.

How do you focus on product development and minimize the time constraints for development and implementation of a catalytic step in pharmaceutical processes? Have available large libraries of potential catalysts to be screened and perform rapid analyses of screening reactions. SpecChem details how these requirements pertain to both biocatalysts and chemocatalysts.

Is your alarm system operating as well as it could? Heed lessons learned in the alarm management system arena to benefit chemical plant safety and profitability: benchmark and evaluate current performance, develop an alarm philosophy document, and strive for continuous improvement. Chemical Processing identifies 12 common blunders that can undermine plant alarm system management.

With Safety Integrity Level certification, Coriolis meters assure a high level of safety and meter availability in critical processes. Multivariable digital technology enables in situ assessment of meter performance, reduces flowmetering validation needs, and enhances predictive maintenance. Processing Talk explains why this compact meter is more accurate across its entire flow range than comparable Coriolis devices.

Therm-Omega-Tech is an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of self-operating valves that control fluid, ambient, and surface temperatures. Along with valves to automate freeze protection and temperature control of tanks, pipelines, and instrument enclosures, we manufacture systems designed to provide tempered water to emergency safety shower/eyewash applications in any environment.

Achieve a continuous process with self cleaning filters. Reduce safety risks due to hazardous materials. Increase environmental benefits — plus savings — through material and labor costs. Offering mechanically cleaned DCF, Tubular, and Magnetically Coupled filters; plus MAXLOAD Cartridge filters. Our experts are available 24/7 to assist you with all your filter needs.

Don't miss out on the AICHE/ASME public course offerings in September and October of 2006 (Las Vegas, Houston, Philadelphia).

DiceEngineering.com offers thousands of quality engineering jobs at top technology and engineering companies. Find jobs in your area of expertise. Search now.

Process control engineers finally posted some gains in compensation and other job-related areas, according to Control Magazine's 2006 salary survey. Hiring increased in the last year while layoffs declined, a trend accompanied by an increase in overtime hours. See what driving forces are stoking demand for process control engineers.

Private sector employment in the U.S. chemical industry is declining. Pharmaceuticals are the one bright spot, but job competition is fierce. The experiences of several job-hungry chemists highlight what employers are looking for: technical mastery, history of publishing, and leadership skills. Science Careers asks if you have the right (chemical) stuff.

Five images provide visual expressions of complex networks and offer a new route to organizing, sorting, and displaying information. Researchers can visualize hierarchical data as botanical trees or phyllotactic patterns of nature, and decipher how neurons join to form a complex network. The colorful images illustrate how the whole is more than the sum of its parts.

From actinium to zirconium, every element that appeared in a comic book in the last 50 years is archived in The Periodic Table of Comic Books. And for those who can't get enough protactinium in their literary diets, it has a cameo role in a 1964 issue of Metal Men.

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