Chemical Manufacturing News

The 2011 Year-End Situation and Outlook, an annual report prepared by the American Chemistry Council (ACC), cites two reasons for industry optimism: the shale gas revolution and strong growth overseas. Affordable natural gas and ethane — a natural gas liquid derived from shale gas — says the report, will "give U.S. manufacturers an advantage over global competitors that use a more expensive, oil-based feedstock." In addition, chemical exports, thanks to emerging markets, were up more than 10% last year compared to the previous year with even stronger growth going forward.

If you find this subject interesting, subscribe to the GlobalSpec e-Newsletter, DirectU2 The world of Oil & Gas Technology.

Global Industrial Equipment is pleased to announce the release of our complete line of GIE BV-2P PFA lined Full-port Ball valves in sizes ½ in. through 8 in. Face to face dimensions are per ANSI B16.10 short pattern. PFA was selected as the preferred stocking standard due to its broad coverage of most known liquids. Learn more.

A direct steam injection heater provides a cost-effective method to heat water and other fluids by injecting steam directly into the fluid. The direct injection heater is designed to handle a wide range of flow rates and deliver hot fluids at precise temperatures. Download more information...

Is your chemical plant a model of safety? Safety standards for chemical production facilities, refineries, petroleum, and related industries.

Health and safety professionals, workers, and managers responsible for operations, facility management, testing, and production or R&D, and those providing goods or services to these industries, should review these standards.

Micronizing with a Micron-Master® jet pulverizer. These advanced jet energy mills are designed to grind crystalline and friable material with no heat of attrition or contamination. Obtain ultra-fine particle sizes from 0.5-15 average microns. Complete systems include feeder and collection. Processing Division provides test grinding services and truckload quantity processing.

While hose selection is integral to plant safety and efficiency, it is often an afterthought. This piece from Chemical Processing reviews the basics of hose selection, reminding readers that hose construction and material, not to mention process requirements and cleaning protocols, determine success in a particular application.

Most engineers associate cable bus system with communications. Fewer realize that a bus structure can also be used to distribute power and control signals. Today's bus systems — assembled at the factory with customized modular connectors — combine optical fiber, Ethernet, coaxial, pneumatic lines, and electric power, saving installation as well as maintenance costs.

Although solar cells represent a formidable alternative energy source, high cost continues to prohibit their use. "Paint-on solar cells" could make solar power more affordable. The semiconductor paste, described in this video, spreads onto any conductive surface to generate electricity.

Bacteria often have negative connotations, especially when it comes to human health. However, the discovery of magnetic bacteria, known as magnetotactic bacteria, may soon change this perception. Simple organisms found in most bodies of water, magnetic bacteria are good candidates for drug delivery and medical imaging applications.

Barracuda® CPFD® is a breakthrough in CFD technology enabling fundamental simulation of complex fluidized bed reactors. Model any particle size distribution in gas or liquid flows with solid particle loading from from dense-packed to dilute in one simulation, with or without heterogeneous chemical reactions.
Barracuda: Simulate -> Understand -> Optimize.

The most common areas of pump failure are bearings and mechanical seals. Traditional ANSI pumps are inherently weak in design, resulting in high maintenance cost and reduced reliability manufacturing plants can't afford. The "VIT Super-ANSI" pumps were developed to remedy shortcomings of those pumps and are available with fast delivery.

MixerDirect is founded on the idea that you can size and select your own mixing equipment. Here you can sort through one of the largest lines of mixers, impellers, containers, and accessories in the industry — 250 different mixer designs and over 1,000 products — we can even rapidly customize a mixer for you.

Evonik, the leading producer of additives for the polymer industry, offers a unique range of bi-, tri-, and tetrafunctional chemicals for use as crosslinkers and co-monomers. Our back-integration in raw materials and a number of proprietary technologies, such as high-temperature gas-phase reactions, lead to the cost-effective generation of a multitude of functionalities.

A common waste product from the production of biofuel and paper, lignin is also found in most plants. Despite its abundance, practical uses are limited — until now. Lignin, it turns out, can be used to bind loose soil particles to create an inexpensive and environmentally-friendly alternative for road paving.

Organic semiconductors aid the development of solar cells and flexible electronics yet lag behind their silicon counterparts in electrical conductivity. But straining processes which pack the organic molecules closer together in the semiconductor have helped scientists double electrical conductivity in these semiconductors. The advancement could herald a new era of foldable smartphones and lightweight flat panel televisions.

Repairs of scratched surfaces have typically focused on coating and refinishing the entire surface where the scratch is located. While this repair approach is effective, it is costly. The advent of a new nano-technique for filling scratches may reduce repair costs by allowing the repair of only the scratch. The technique is effective for reducing material failure caused by the scratch and can be undertaken at a much lower cost.

Discovered in the 1980s, quantum dots are used in applications ranging from solar cells to the development of new LEDs with the warm look of incandescent bulbs. Despite their promise, synthesizing these dots has proven difficult. New production methods using graphene, however, may revolutionize the synthesis of quantum dots, as explained in R&D Magazine.

Chem Service's new 2012-2013 Environmental & Analytical Standards - Chemicals in Small Quantities catalog now available. Features high purity chemicals for use as certified reference materials. A wide selection (1200+) pesticide and metabolite standards.

Chem Service a certified ISO 9001:2008 and ISO/IEC 17025:2005 organization backed by 50 years of experience.

Arkalon specializes in applications where: needed compositions may be novel and no manufacturing sources exist, products may have demanding purity specs, packaging or unusual analytical needs, or a reliable, secondary supply may be needed. For quick responsiveness, broad technical expertise, and cost effectiveness, view our summary of capabilities.

Introducing the new Agilent Cary 630 FTIR — the smallest, lightest, most robust benchtop FTIR weighing just 3.8 kg. The Cary 630 FTIR offers permanently aligned optics increasing uptime with snap and go modules that improve testing.

Download the new Agilent Cary 630 FTIR kit for product brochure, overviews, and application notes.

CV Nanotechnology offers advanced alumina, ceria, and zirconia submicron polishing slurries that give you improved performance and lower cost. CV Nanotechnologies proprietary materials and processing will give you exceptional results.

FUTEK's Webinar:
Exploring Load Cells Through a Miniature S-Beam Jr. Sensor — 2/15/2012

On Feburary 15, FUTEK Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. will present "Exploring Load Cells Through a Miniature S-Beam Jr. Sensor". Join your peers for this free, informative, and interactive ONLINE webinar — right from the convenience of your desktop. Learn more about FUTEK's USB technology and USB sensor applications. Register today!

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