Better Times Beckon for

Contract Engineers
The number of openings is rebounding
in both the U.S. and Western Europe

Treat Tanks with Care

November 2010

Understand the Shocking Truth

Consider Dynamic Simulation for

Steam System Design

Refinery Pumps Up Energy Savings

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 contents
November 2010 | Volume 73, Issue 11

16 21 25

Cover Story Columns

16 B
 etter Times Beckon for Contract Engineers 7 F
 rom the Editor: Don’t Slight the Simple
The number of openings is rebounding in both the U.S. and Stuff.
Western Europe. However, much of the work focuses on rela-
tively short term assignments. 9 C
 hemical Processing Online: Keep
Communication Lines Open.
FEATUREs
10 F
 ield Notes: Keep Confined Space Work
Design and Optimization
Safe.
21 Consider Dynamic Simulation for Steam System
Design 14 E
 nergy Saver: Train Plant Managers on
Models can provide crucial insights for dealing with upsets and Energy Efficiency.
transient conditions. Here are some pointers for steam system
design and tips for staying out of “hot water.” 15 C
 ompliance Advisor: New IUR Report-
ing Heads Our Way.
Maintenance and operations
25 Understand the Shocking Truth 36 P
 lant InSites: Don’t Err with Air-Fin
Dissipating static electricity is crucial for avoiding ignition risks Exchangers.
in hazardous areas. This demands a rigorous approach to plant,
process and personnel safety. 42 E
 nd Point: Chemical Processes Make
 Fashion Statement.
Solids and Fluids Handling
29 Treat Tanks with Care departments
A variety of easily avoided problems can cause vessel failure. Yet, 11 In Process: Nanocatalyst Gains Greater
many people who design, construct, operate and maintain low- Reactivity | Light Simplifies Synthesis
pressure storage tanks don’t appreciate how frail they are.
34 P
 rocess Puzzler: Deal with a Decanter
that Can’t.
Making it Work
33 Refinery Pumps Up Energy Savings
38 Equipment & Services
Replacing an old electrical pump with a new one with appropri-
ate safety classification would be expensive. So, the plant opted 39 Product Spotlight/Classifieds
for a steam-driven pump to enhance condensate return.
41 Ad Index

Chemical Processing (ISSN 0009-2630) is published monthly by Putman Media Inc., 555 West Pierce Road, Suite 301, Itasca, IL 60143. Phone (630) 467-1300. Fax (630) 467-1109. Periodicals postage paid at Itasca,
IL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Chemical Processing, P.O. Box 3434, Northbrook, IL 60065-3434. SUBSCRIPTIONS: Qualified reader subscriptions are accepted from
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40028661. Canadian Mail Distributor information: Frontier/BWI, PO Box 1051, Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada, L2A 5N8. Copyright 2010 Putman Media Inc. All rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not
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5  chemicalprocessing.com ● November 2010

CP1011_05_TOC.indd 5 10/22/10 9:58 AM

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CP1011_full page ads.indd 6 10/25/10 10:21 AM

Don’t Slight the Simple Stuff
Vessels and other mundane assets can pose significant risks
Many plants now boast markedly better perfor-
mance and reliability than they were able to achieve in
the past. A major reason for such gains has been increas-
ing reliance on sophisticated equipment and software
that have become available thanks to the continuing
evolution of technology.
Of course, many factors contribute to improvements
in equipment efficiency and durability — including
advances in materials, the ability to make more precise
parts, and greater condition-monitoring capabilities.
Such developments underpin the technical and eco-
nomic viability of producing more complex but better
performing devices.
Meanwhile, developments in software, spurred
by the availability and affordability of more powerful
computers, are transforming how we design and operate
units. For instance, check out what simulation now
offers in “Consider Dynamic Simulation for Steam
System Design,” p. 21, online at www.ChemicalProcess-
ing.com/articles/2010/186.html and “Consider Discrete
Event Simulation,” www.ChemicalProcessing.com/
articles/2010/178.html.
Likewise, today’s process control software promises
a host of benefits besides tighter control. For example,
it provides a way to address the alarm overload that
afflicts many plants (“Adroitly Manage Alarms,” www.
ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2009/074.html).
Another but often-overlooked opportunity is to use the
control system to improve overall operational effective-
ness (“Consider State-Based Control,” www.Chemical-
Processing.com/articles/2010/051.html).
Further gains in plant performance are inevitable,
as sites increasingly adopt digital fieldbuses (see “Take
Advantage of Fieldbus,” www.ChemicalProcessing.
com/articles/2010/149.html) and wireless technology
(“Whither Wireless,” www.ChemicalProcessing.com/
articles/2009/112.html).
There’s no question that emerging developments
are attracting significant interest at sites because of their
benefits. However, we mustn’t let the increasing focus on
sophisticated equipment and systems cause us to ignore
less exciting plant assets like tanks and piping. Two
articles in this issue make convincing cases for paying
adequate attention to such mundane items.
“Treat Tanks with Care,” p. 29, online at www.
ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2010/191.html, points
out some common problems, e.g., overfilling, and over-
pressure or under-pressure, that have led to tanks being
reduced to scrap or even more severe consequences. The
CP1011_07_Edit.indd 7
FROM THE EDITOR
article stresses that it’s easy to avoid such dangers and
offers a number of recommendations about tank layout
and design.
If that article isn’t persuasive enough, read “Don’t
Underestimate Overfilling’s Risks,” www.ChemicalPro-
cessing.com/articles/2010/143.html, which recounts that
loss of level control in tanks contributed to three major
industrial catastrophes. It outlines seven simple steps to Articles clearly
avoid dangers.
point up the
Another hazard that can occur with tanks and
common plant hardware is spark generation due to the hazards and how
buildup of static electricity. “Understand the Shock-
to address them.
ing Truth,” p. 25, www.ChemicalProcessing.com/
articles/2010/192.html, warns that the absence of a good
path to ground may result in the buildup of electrostatic
charges on mundane items like metal flanges, fittings,
valves and vessels that can lead to fires and explosions.
Here, too, some simple steps can avoid risks.
Of course, tank failures and static-electricity-caused
fires have afflicted plants since the earliest days of the
industry. Safety guru Trevor Kletz notes in “Bhopal
Leaves a Lasting Legacy,” www.ChemicalProcessing.
com/articles/2009/238.html, that the same mistakes
unfortunately recur regularly: “Chemical makers inves-
tigate and report on accidents and make changes — but
then file away and soon forget the reports. Moreover,
they don’t always share them with other firms.”
Some companies are conscientiously trying to
improve their institutional memory (“Companies Keep
Know-how in Place,” www.ChemicalProcessing.com/
articles/2009/114.html). Sophisticated technology
undoubtedly can play an important role in capturing
knowledge about plant equipment and operations. It’s
particularly valuable for documenting subtle issues
uncovered over the years by veteran staff now leaving a
firm.
There’s no excuse, however, for not appreciating
right now — and acting against — the common risks
posed by tanks and other run-of-the-mill equipment.
They’ve been well documented for ages. Articles such as
the two in this issue clearly point up the hazards as well
as how to address them.
Mark Rosenzweig, Editor in Chief
mrosenzweig@putman.net
7  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010
10/22/10 10:01 AM
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 Chemical Processing Online

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9  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010

CP1011_09_Web.indd 9 10/22/10 10:02 AM

 field notes
Keep Confined Space Work Safe
Rigorous attention to detail is essential to minimize risks and enhance response
The operator was frantic as he choked
down hot acid fumes. He had sat through a stern
lecture on the need for a gas mask but apparently
thought “Real men don’t need ‘em.” In desperation
he grabbed for others’ masks; my crew was split
between rescuing him and slamming the boom back
into the roaster.
Choose the My operator learned a hard lesson; he was lucky.
Some chemicals are less obnoxious and even more
sentry and the deadly. Let’s consider how you should approach a
work leader very confined space entry job the next time one comes up.
First, understand what constitutes a confined
carefully. space. Worldwide standards uniformly agree that it:
1) is totally or partially enclosed; 2) isn’t normally
occupied; 3) has limited egress; and 4) could contain
a hazard. And that’s the rub. Assessing the actual
risk is a challenge. Another dilemma is defining
a space where one or more walls are open. Gener-
ally, this is best left to continuous measurement: if
oxygen level is below 19.5% or above 23.5%, or a
hazardous chemical is ever present, it’s a confined
space. Some people say to ignore a periodic danger
but I disagree. In much of the world plants are
required to compile a confined space registry that
includes: the danger, with material safety data sheet
(MSDS) references; the personal protection gear
(PPG) required; and a rescue plan. This registry
usually is available to the local fire marshal.
Now, let’s consider what documents you’ll need
before conducting confined space work: 1) the PPG
list; 2) a roster of equipment needed for the work; 3)
the MSDSs; 4) a detailed list of monitoring equip-
ment along with their calibration requirements; 5)
an escape plan; 6) the location of emergency equip-
ment and vehicles and their entry plan; 7) lighting
requirements; 8) shift rotation plans and break
schedules; 9) a liaison blueprint for keeping opera-
tions and others informed; 10) a communication
plan — with multiple alternatives; and 11) the Per-
mit to Work (PTW) and the preceding Job Safety
Analysis (JSA), hot work permits, etc. Obviously,
permits will take days, maybe weeks, to complete
the first time.
With a green light on the permit, you’ll want to
schedule the work with production. By the time the
work is ready to begin things may have changed. So,
walk down the confined space area to ensure there
are no conflicts with other work or production.
Then you’re ready to start.
November 2010 chemicalprocessing.com  10
CP1011_10_FieldNotes.indd 10
Two people — the sentry and work leader —
must be chosen carefully for any confined space
work. Of the two, the sentry must be the most
experienced. You need someone with the wisdom
to realize safety comes from teamwork not an
individual act of heroism, and who can watch oth-
ers work without becoming bored or distracted. I
am reminded of the death of the contract foreman
in the nitrogen asphyxiation accident at Valero’s
Delaware plant in November 2005. Don’t go into
a confined space without proper PPG! To be effec-
tive, a sentry must: 1) be aware of the area, equip-
ment and other work going on; 2) know how to use
rescue equipment, including harnesses and lifts,
as well as environment monitors and be physi-
cally able to operate the lift; 3) know directions
to the site for emergency responders; 4) have spare
radios and batteries; 5) understand the work being
done; and 6) be a stickler for procedures. This final
point is crucial because the sentry should inspect
PPG for each person entering the space — usu-
ally wearing a harness is mandatory — and test all
work equipment and communications gear prior
to space entry and in the space before work begins.
Once work is underway the sentry’s job settles into
recordkeeping — who enters and leaves the space
and the environmental conditions in the space.
Under no circumstance should the sentry enter the
space, including breaking the plane isolating it. In
some cases, this plane extends outward from the
entry. The job foreman is in charge of safety in the
hole; the sentry is in charge of work outside and
the job itself.
Now, let’s consider some special circumstances.
Where heat stroke is a possibility, keep ice available
and exposure times short. This means rotating peo-
ple. If fire is a possibility, a fire blanket works best
because flue gases, including steam, resulting from
a fire could cause asphyxiation. Air tools are better
than electric ones but make sure they’re driven by
breathable air, not nitrogen. Protect ears in confined
spaces where sound dissipation isn’t possible.
As chemical engineers, it is our responsibility, as
the best educated and most knowledgeable people in
a chemical facility or refinery, to look after others.
Let’s do our duty.
dirk willard, Contributing Editor
dwillard@putman.net
10/22/10 10:05 AM
 in process

Nanocatalyst Gains Greater Reactivity

Acidic reactions such as pentane isomerization for gasoline stand to benefit

Providing the right surface coverage of sub- the petrochemical industry, Tungsten Oxide Clusters
nanometer clusters of tungsten oxide on a zirconium especially in fuel enrichment
oxide support (Figure 1) makes the catalyst five times technologies. We are starting
more reactive for n-pentane isomerization, reports an to investigate metathesis in our
international group of researchers. And the strategy lab, because we think that other
promises to bolster a variety of other acidic reactions, forms of the surface tungsten
says Michael Wong, a professor at Rice University, can be good for this reaction,”
Houston, a part of the team. says Wong.
Refineries certainly stand to gain from more Wong and his team are also
efficient production of isopentane, which is used in investigating optimization of
gasoline. “We have a way to make a better catalyst the surface coverage of other
that will improve the fuels they make right now,” catalytic nanomaterials that
says Wong. “At the same time, a lot of existing are used on supports. “We’ve Figure 1. An atomic-level image of
tungsten oxide nanoparticles (green
chemical processes are wasteful in terms of solvents, started putting molybdenum circles) on zirconia support. The
precursors and energy. Improving a catalyst can also oxide and vanadium oxide in other circles show the less-active
make the chemical process more environmentally place of tungsten oxide using a forms of tungsten oxide. Source:
Wu Zhou/Lehigh University
friendly.” new synthesis technique we are
The key is achieving the optimum surface cover- developing,” he says.
age of the nanocatalyst on the support, notes Wong, Producing the catalyst on a large scale should
whose team at Rice collaborated with researchers at be straightforward, notes Wong. Lab samples were
Lehigh University, Greece’s Centre for Research and made using conventional dry impregnation — the
Technology Hellas, and the DCG Partnership of most common method used commercially. Industrial
Texas. Details appear in a recent paper in the Journal
of the American Chemical Society. Economic Snapshot
The greater reactivity for n-pentane isomerization
“translates into a higher concentration of isopentane 61,000 82.0
and, at the same time, a lower concentration of by- 81.0
60,000
products. The benefits from this double effect (higher 80.0
turnover rates and higher selectivity) are great and 59,000 79.0
we believe we can significantly reduce industrial
78.0
separation-unit costs if we can further improve our 58,000
77.0
material synthesis techniques,” Wong notes.
57,000 76.0
He says that the catalyst formula now is “just
right.” 56,000
75.0
$ Million

Recent studies show that after two catalytic 74.0

%

cycles, overall activity remained practically the same, 55,000

73.0
adds Wong, a professor of chemical and biomolecu- 72.0
54,000
lar engineering and of chemistry. “We expect the
71.0
catalyst to have a longer life due to the absence of 53,000
70.0
chloride species (used in industrial isomerization
catalysts) that eventually leach out causing serious 52,000 69.0

regeneration issues,” he says. 68.0

51,000
Besides pentane isomerization, other chemical 67.0
reactions that might benefit from the catalyst include 50,000 66.0
acidic reactions such a paraffin, olefin and aromatic
82 compound isomerization, dehydration of paraffins Sept 09 Oct 09 Nov 09 Dec 09 Jan 10 Feb 10 Mar 10 Apr 10 May 10 June 10 July 10 Aug 10

Shipments (NAICS S325) Capacity utilization

81
to olefins, esterification reactions, hydrolysis and
metathesis. Both shipments and capacity utilization increased slightly.
80
“These are reactions of great importance for Source: American Chemistry Council.
79
78
11  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010
77
76
75
CP1011_11_12_InPro.indd 11 10/22/10 10:07 AM
 in process

Has your plant tested whether dusts in your

firms already have expressed interest in cooperating dust-collection system are explosive?
on further development.
Using the catalyst in existing reactors doesn’t
3.0%
require any major modifications, he adds. Doesn’t apply
63.6%
Yes

21.2%

Light Simplifies
Don’t know

Synthesis
35 40 45 50 55 60 Ultraviolet (UV) light provides a simpler, more
eight
environmental friendly way to attach phosphorus to
12.1%
organic compounds, report researchers at the Massa- No
chusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass.
Their approach avoids the use of chlorine, which
can pose health and safety risks, and produces an Responses (%)
6 pt
organophosphorus compound in a single step.
Most respondents say that their plants have tested their
5 Roman 6pt
“…The surprising thing about this work is that it dusts. To participate in this month’s poll, go to Chemical-
was not discovered long ago. There is nothing compli- Processing.com.
xis:
5 Heavy 7pt cated about it, and the starting materials are readily
available and needed only to be mixed together
0.0% and ir- that have an unsaturated carbon-carbon bond (1,3-di-
33.3% None 21.4%
radiated withFewUV light,” says Christopher Cummins, enes). He and graduate student Remained Daniel Tofan (Figure
a chemistry professor at the school. 2) exposed the white phosphorus the same to UV light for 12
“…The elimination of chlorine would be a huge20.0% hours and produced a tetra-organo diphosphane.
All
advantage for the industry,” he notes. “However, “It’s amazing to realize that nobody thought 50%
Increased
another intermediate in the phosphorus industry that earlier about such a simple approach to incorporate significan
would be good to avoid is PH3, and our process may phosphorus into organic molecules,” notes Guy
allow this as well to be circumvented.” Bertrand, chemistry professor at the University of
He drew inspiration from a 1937 paper detail- California, Riverside. “Such a synthetic approach to
ing that white phosphorus, also known as P4, could 13.3%organophosphorus compounds is indeed urgent, since
be broken into two P2 molecules with UV light. He Mostthe old (chlorine-based) phosphorus chemistry has a
28.6%
decided to see what would happen if he broke apart lot of undesirable consequences Increasedon our environment.”
P4 with UV light in the presence of organic molecules The new reaction can’t somewhat
produce industrial quanti-
33.3%
Seeing the Light Some ties of compounds, says Bertrand, who was not
Responses (%)
involved in the research, but may prompt research that
Responses (%)
could lead to such prospects.
One near-term goal of Cummins’ ongoing
research is probing the properties of the new organo-
diphosphorus compounds as ligands for a range of
transition metals including nickel. “The preliminary
results suggest possible applications as building blocks
for supramolecular chemistry in addition to precursors
to new materials,” he says.
Other goals include looking for other organic
molecules that may accept phosphorus under the same
photochemical conditions, and synthesizing a polymer
containing P-P bonds in its main chain and determin-
ing its properties.
A key challenge, notes Cummins, is to improve
currently low yields by optimizing reaction condi-
tions. This will involve a careful study of the wave-
Figure 2. Graduate student Daniel Tofan stands next
to UV light apparatus. Source: MIT. length dependence of the process.

November 2010 chemicalprocessing.com  12

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 ChemProc-1010-ol.pdf 1 9/14/2010 10:05:53 AM

CM

MY

CY

CMY

CP1011_full page ads.indd 13 10/25/10 10:18 AM

 ENERGY SAVER

Train Plant Managers on Energy Efficiency

Present your energy program in a way the plant manager can quickly comprehend

This is the last of four articles on energy training. than two paragraphs so the plant manager can
read it in less than 3 minutes. Follow energy
We’ve already dealt with getting your consumption information with any explanation of
process specialist, operators and project manager why the number is what it is. Then tell the plant
to contribute to energy efficiency. There’s one last manager what energy-related items happened the
person you must get involved in the efforts — last week and what should be expected next week.
your plant manager. Monthly progress report: Here, provide more
Quick and con- I went to dinner recently with a refinery man- detail about individual systems and include more
ager of a large gulf coast complex. The conversa- information about projects, maintenance and
cise information tion ranged from safety issues, projects, person- energy concerns. If you have an energy team, put
can help get your nel, budgets, and an assortment of problems and in items from team meetings. The report should
opportunities. He was a busy man — hundreds never exceed one page. It doesn’t have to break
plant manager on of things at the plant commanded his attention. down each individual energy contributor but
board. However, I was mildly surprised when the conver- large groups (steam, electrical, furnace efficien-
sation turned to energy. He knew exactly where cies, etc.). The monthly report is a look back at
his plant stood relative to the industry and was what was expected last month and what really
making strides in reducing energy use. “The plant happened. It also tells the plant manager what
efficiency has improved 3% versus last year,” he to expect in the daily and weekly reports for the
boasted. I thought to myself, this is a well-trained next month.
manager. Quarterly report: Hold a 60-to-90-minute
To get maximum benefit from your energy meeting with the plant manager and other key
program, you must present it in a way that cap- staff. Include presentations by the energy team on
tures the plant manager’s attention while taking implementations that took place during the quar-
little or no time. It’s important to present infor- ter. Also mention any failures or setbacks, the
mation that doesn’t require the plant manager to reason they occurred, and how they will be fixed.
sift through the data or try to decipher a bunch Discuss new problems and pitch ideas for new
of raw numbers. Organizing the information in a projects. This is your chance to show any progress
repetitive fashion has benefits. and get feedback. Use the meeting to discuss bud-
get concerns and show that the energy team has
The Presentation Method spent capital well. Don’t throw quarterly meet-
I find the best presentation method is to set up ings together at the last minute. It may take time
a system of information. The system is meant to to compress material into less than 90 minutes. If
give the plant manager the right dose at the right you plan ahead, your report will be more concise
time. and will keep the attention of the audience.
Daily report: I would start first with the daily Fiscal year report: Here, show the entire pro-
report your plant manager sees each morning. gram’s accomplishments and outline how energy
This report, which usually includes everything projects will be implemented during the new fis-
about the plant, should contain two numbers that cal year. Include what you want to see in the next
summarize overall consumption of energy. These budget and your justification for that spending.
numbers must be something the manager is used Present problems that were found and resolved,
to looking at. The first is straight energy units projects that were implemented and whether they
in a certain time period (BTU/yr, Kcal/hr, MW, met expectations, and give individuals or teams
or kJ); the second is the relative number, based time to present what they did to save energy.
on product, feed or whatever the most common By improving the way you present informa-
method you use (BTU/lb, MW/klb, etc.). Present tion, you stand to make your plant manager a
these two numbers daily or weekly and display better advocate for your energy program.
them with a reference number — either the goal
for the plant or the budgeted amount. gary faagaU, Energy Columnist
Weekly progress report: Keep this to no more GFaagau@putman.net

November 2010 chemicalprocessing.com  14

CP1011_14_EnergySaver.indd 14 10/22/10 10:10 AM


New IUR Reporting Heads Our Way
Proposed rule will significantly impact reporting functions
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
proposed important revisions to the Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA) Inventory Update Rule (IUR).
Chemical manufacturers and other stakeholders must be
aware of the proposal and plan now for its implications.
BACKGROUND
The IUR requires manufacturers (including import-
ers) of certain chemicals listed on the TSCA Inven-
tory to report site and manufacturing information for
chemicals produced in amounts of 25,000 lb or more at
a site during a reporting year. Additional information
on domestic processing and use must be reported for
chemicals produced in amounts of 300,000 lb or more
at a single site. The next reporting cycle will end Sep-
tember 30, 2011, for chemicals manufactured in 2010.
EPA, states, and other entities have expressed
concern with the relative lack of chemical processing,
use and exposure information, which, they claim, has
hampered regulators’ ability to assess risks of chemicals.
Others question the utility of IUR data and the absence
of a uniform IUR electronic reporting format. Public
health and environmental activists claim that TSCA’s
information gathering authorities are limited and proce-
durally challenging to implement. Changes to the IUR
are in response to these and other concerns.
KEY PROVISIONS TO PROPOSED RULE
Reporting information to EPA — Require use of electron-
ic reporting software to submit all IUR information;
and must report if production volume of a chemical
substance met or exceeded the 25,000-lb threshold in
any calendar year since the last principal reporting year.
Manufacturing-related information — Require
reporting of certain manufacturing data, including:
whether an imported chemical is physically at the
reporting site; the volume of the chemical substance
exported and not domestically processed or used;
whether a manufactured chemical, such as a byproduct,
is being recycled, remanufactured, reprocessed, reused
or reworked; and reporting of production volume for all
years since the previous principal reporting year (2005).
Processing and use-related information — Eliminate
the 300,000-lb threshold for processing-and-use infor-
mation, require all reporters of non-excluded substances
to report; revise list of industrial function categories for
reporting processing-and-use information and replacing
the five-digit North American Industry Classification
System (NAICS) codes with 48 Industrial Sectors (IS);
CP1011_15_Comp.indd 15
compliance advisor
revise consumer/commercial product categories for
reporting consumer-and-commercial-use information;
and require upfront substantiation for information
claimed as confidential business information (CBI).
CONCERNS WITH THE PROPOSAL
Five proposed revisions are frequently cited as troubling
by covered industries. Deadline is fast
First, byproduct reporting will be especially dif-
ficult. Most byproducts are mixtures and reporting approaching and
components by their unique Chemical Abstract Services manufacturers
registration number isn’t feasible even if all components
were known, which they typically are not. will have little
Second, the deadline for 2011 IUR reporting is fast time to adapt.
approaching. EPA has stated its intent to issue a final
rule in the spring. Because the reporting deadline is Sep-
tember 30, 2011, there will be little time to implement
reporting strategies and complete reports.
Third, EPA’s proposal to require production volume
information from 2006 through 2010 will be difficult to
satisfy. It is likely many entities don’t have the means to
collect this information retroactively.
Fourth, lowering the processing-and-use informa-
tion threshold to 25,000 lb would be especially burden-
some for reporters of inorganic substances, who weren’t
required to submit processing or use information during
the last reporting cycle in 2006, as they were newly
added to the IUR reporting scheme at that time.
Fifth, requiring upfront substantiation of CBI
claims will be challenging. Some believe this require-
ment could adversely impact a commercial interest’s
competitive standing.
CONCLUSION
The proposal is complicated, with important changes
too numerous to discuss here. Its issuance, even if modi-
fied, will significantly impact chemical manufacturers.
Careful review of the proposal now is essential, as there
will be little time after the rule is issued to adapt report-
ing strategies by the September 30, 2011, deadline.
Lynn Bergeson, Regulatory Editor
lbergeson@putman.net
Lynn is managing director of Bergeson & Campbell, P.C., a Wash-
ington, D.C.-based law firm that concentrates on chemical industry
issues. The views expressed herein are solely those of the author.
This column is not intended to provide, nor should be construed
as, legal advice.
15  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010
10/22/10 10:11 AM
 Better Times Beckon for
Contract Engineers
The number of openings is rebounding
in both the U.S. and Western Europe
By Seán Ottewell, Editor at Large

Data on shipments and capacity utilization
provided by the American Chemistry Council, Ar-
lington, Va., for CP’s monthly Economic Snapshot
(p. 11) clearly show that the U.S. chemical industry
is faring better this year than last. This recovery is
bolstering demand for contract engineers.
“The market [for contract engineers] in the U.S.
is certainly expanding, but this is relative to the
economic downturn of 2009. The recession hit the
whole recruitment industry hard, so the baseline
from then was pretty rough,” says Tim McAward, a
vice president at Kelly Engineering Resources, Troy,
Mich., a firm that places engineers into contract and
permanent positions. “I’d say demand for contract
engineers is now about the same as in 2008, which
was a very good year in terms of staffing. 2009 was a
disaster and it was good to turn over the calendar on
that.” Much of the demand centers on three-to-four
month contracts that often focus on feasibility studies,
he adds.

November 2010 chemicalprocessing.com  16

CP1011_16_20_CoverStory.indd 16 10/25/10 3:51 PM

 “In 2010 we’ve seen solid growth from our cus-
tomers for contract staffing. The market is still soft for
full-time engineering work. Engineering companies
need talent and resources but are very skittish about
an upturn.”
The good news for contract engineers working
in chemical processing is that the job situation is
holding up. “Jobs are pretty secure in the chemical in-
dustry, from basic chemicals to other sectors. We are
so heavily dependent on oil in the U.S. that this will
continue to be a crucial sector well into the future.”
Wages are holding up now, too, McAward says,
with a mean of $43.22/hr for chemical engineers
working as contract engineers. However, this mean
masks quite a sizeable range: from the mid-$20s to
the low $70s per hour.
“There was a period of time where some chemi-
cal sectors did go after rates, but most of the focus
has been on supplemental benefits such as retirement
and health care. However, as the economy expands,
the employers will have to quickly turn these benefits
back on because the availability of talent is very
tight.”
Another important sector for contract chemi-
cal engineers is pharmaceuticals. This market, he
says, isn’t growing as robustly as it has in the past.
“It’s okay but there are some major challenges with
product recalls.”
An added challenge is the ongoing rationalization
of the pharmaceutical industry. He cites as a typical
example the acquisition by Abbott Laboratories, Ab-
bott Park, Ill., of Belgium’s Solvay Pharmaceuticals
in February, which resulted in a planned cutback of
3,000 jobs.
“This could prove very helpful for us in terms
of contract engineering expertise coming onto the
market. But people are still very reluctant to up and
move [to new locations],” he adds.
McAward speaks positively about two other
sectors that are major employers of contract chemi-
cal engineers: “In terms of food and beverages, these
industries are a good place to be as most of them have
kept up performance during the recession.”
One sector to watch is nuclear, which is undergo-
ing a revival in the United States. Policy changes by
the federal government are helping to pave the way
for significant growth in nuclear capacity, says the
World Nuclear Assocation (WNA), London. “Fol-
lowing a 30-year period in which few new reactors
were built, it is expected that four-to-six new units
may come on line by 2018… After 20 years of steady
decline, government R&D funding for nuclear energy
CP1011_16_20_CoverStory.indd 17
is being revived with the objective of rebuilding U.S.
leadership in nuclear technology,” notes the WNA.
“I expect nuclear to take off and there are a num-
ber of plans on the drawing board. But it is a very
long-term legislative process here,” says McAward.
Stalled plans for projects afflict most sectors of
industry. “Anecdotally, a large number of projects
are stuck. Most firms across the board have been
really scared of spending capital budgets, although
they have big ideas. However, there will come a time
when they will have to make big investments in
operational efficiencies and install lean operations and
so on. When this happens depends on what people
believe the state of the economy is. My belief is that
the projects will remain stuck until people have the
confidence to spend again,” says McAward.
The vast majority of contract engineers in the U.S.
aren’t lured by the growing economies of the Middle
East and Asia, notes McAward. “Only a limited
number of contract engineers go there. Over the last
seven or eight years, there’s been a real strong desire to
stay local. It’s a fundamental change in family values:
I really think this is to do with instability in the
geopolitical environment.”
THE SITUATION IN EUROPE
The three-to-four month contract scenario in the
U.S. also applies across the Atlantic, according to
Mark Ballard, recruitment manager, Process Divi-
sion, NES Group, Manchester, U.K.
“Three to four months is common here, too.
That’s because there have been a lot of feasibility
studies carried out in the last 12 months so these have
gone out to tender and now there’s a lot of competi-
tive bidding and pricing up of contracts going on.
Once these get signed off, it moves on to the detailed
design stage and we would expect contract dura-
tion to increase then. However, what we have also
seen over the last 12 months is that although a lot of
feasibility studies have been carried out, they have not
moved on to the next stage because the money isn’t
there to carry them on.
“In the U.K., most of the work that feasibility
studies have been carried out on concerns revamps
and modifications. The few new potential projects
rely on American parent companies that haven’t
sanctioned them yet.”
NES has fewer contract chemical engineers on
its books now that it did six-to-seven months ago
because so many are transferring from chemicals to
other sectors, especially nuclear. The U.K. govern-
ment is commited to building new nuclear capacity
17  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010
10/22/10 10:13 AM
 Opportunity in China

Figure 1. BASF employs

over 6,300 full-time
and contract workers
in China, many at its
$2.9-billion Verbund
site in Nanjing, being
jointly developed with
Sinopec. Source: BASF.

and the nuclear industry believes it can get the first
new plant on stream by 2017.
However, the nuclear industry does have a
problem retaining contract engineering talent,
says Ballard. “The nuclear industry is slower than
slow: it can take seven years to go from feasibility
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to construction. Contract engineers tend to find
this too slow moving and a little bit boring.” So,
he adds, “If a position comes up [in the fine or
bulk chemicals, food or pharmaceuticals sectors],
I will get people back from nuclear who will want
to do it. Even if this means sacrificing rolling
long-term contracts in nuclear for a series of short-
term three-to-four-month feasibility studies often
done for E&C [engineering and construction]
companies.”
Pay rates in the U.K. and Europe are stabiliz-
ing after a period of rapid increase in mid-2008.
“Rates have dropped but this is after it went stupid
about 18 months ago. At that time a contractor
with 10+ years experience could get £40 – £45/hr
($63 – $71/hr) working on a pharmaceutical plant
in Northwest England, although the figure could
vary slightly from industry to industry and location
to location. Now the same person is getting £35/hr
($55/hr). The main reason for this is that it is now
a buyer’s market. End-users are telling the E&C
companies that they only have “x” to spend, so this
is really squeezing margins, which in turn affects
rates for contract engineers.”
There are signs this rate is beginning to pick up
again and Ballard believes it could reach the high
£30s (high $40s) by end of 2010. “A lot of traditional
chemicals and pharmaceutical manufacturing is
moving to China and India and other locations where
contract rates are lower (Figure 1). So I don’t think
the rate for these sectors will ever return to the highs
mentioned earlier,” he cautions.
Ballard holds out more hope for the oil and gas
sector, which follows a traditional boom-and-bust

CP1011_16_20_CoverStory.indd 18 10/22/10 10:14 AM

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 cycle, and the water industry, which is poised for
major investments in new plant and infrastructure
across Europe.
Opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry
depend on where you are based, he says. “Our data-
base fi lled almost overnight with contract engineers
from Ireland’s pharma sector [following a Septem-
ber announcement by Schering-Plough that it’s
seeking 160 redundancies at its plant in West Cork]
but, on the other hand, pharmaceutical commis-
sioning is steady in other E.U. [European Union]
countries, especially Belgium, France, Germany,
Switzerland and Holland.”
He particularly cites Geel, Belgium, which is
becoming a hub for pharmaceutical production and
distribution in Europe. Johnson & Johnson, which
has already invested hundreds of millions of euros
there has just announced that Geel now will be its
distribution center for 11 European countries and to
J&J affiliates around the world.
“We pick up a lot of work in these E.U. countries
because they don’t tend to have the skill sets they
need. Overall, I think the future of commissioning is
RELATED CONTENT ON
CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM
“Please Don’t Hire Me,” www.ChemicalProcessing.
com/articles/2009/140.html
“Choose Your Next Position Wisely,” www.Chemical-
Processing.com/articles/2009/014.html
“Make the Most of Contractors,” www.ChemicalPro-
cessing.com/articles/2008/196.html
“Know When to Leave a Sinking Ship,” www.Chemi-
calProcessing.com/articles/2007/002.html
mainly going to be on mainland Europe rather than
the U.K.”
Interestingly, Ballard has noted an increase in per-
manent posts needing to be filled — a sign that purse
strings are being loosened. “Permanent recruitment
froze when the credit crunch hit. However, since April
this year it has been getting busier. Not so much with
the E&C companies but rather the manufacturers
directly — which makes me feel that they are about to
start going ahead with some of the proposals. In my
experience, a rise in permanent recruitment is usually
followed by an expansion or new project build.”

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 Consider Dynamic Simulation
for Steam System Design
Models can provide crucial insights for dealing with upsets and transient conditions
By Ian Willetts, Abhilash Nair and Charles Rewoldt, Invensys Operations Management
Most process plants consider steam as an
indispensable means of delivering energy. After all, it
offers many performance advantages including low
toxicity, ease of transportability, high latent heat and low
cost of production. Because most of the energy in steam
is stored as latent heat, large quantities of heat can be
transferred efficiently at constant temperature.
Typical steam systems encompass multiple pressure
levels connected to a number of steam producers and
steam users or consumers spread across a site. As econo-
mies of scale drive operating companies to build ever
larger and more integrated facilities, the design of the
shared steam utility system becomes extremely critical to
their operation. The steam headers often run throughout
the complex, tying together myriad units. This creates a
highly non-linear control and operability challenge.
It’s essential to ensure that steam can be provided
to all reaches of the facility without interruption and
that the system can be controlled in the event of upsets
to maintain stable operation. Improper controls could
lead to loss of the entire steam system, trip or damage of
critical equipment, off-specification products and, in the
worst case, loss of the entire steam system and shutdown
of the complete facility. Normally, such design deficien-
cies become apparent only after an incident — this
could be costly or potentially disastrous.
Further, with ever-increasing energy costs, better
CP1011_21_24_Design.indd 21
design, control and operation of the steam system can
directly impact the entire facility’s overall efficiency,
translating into substantial operational savings.
Traditional steam hydraulic analyses assess demand
and production issues at different steady-state operat-
ing conditions. Such analyses can’t predict the steam
system response through multiple headers all across the
complex during process upsets.
Understanding the response through dynamic
transients and ensuring the steam system can handle all
expected events without jeopardizing the availability of
the facility becomes a critical aspect of the process and
controls design of such systems.
This article takes a look at how dynamic simulation
can assist steam system design and offers up some tips
for staying out of “hot water.”
AN IMPORTANT TOOL
Dynamic simulation is a “best available technology”
that can be used to evaluate the “as designed” process
and control strategy to maximize the likelihood that it
can provide stable and uninterrupted operation follow-
ing steam system or process upsets.
A typical dynamic simulation of the steam system
involves building a rigorous first-principles model that
includes:
• boilers;
21  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010
10/22/10 10:18 AM
 AVOID COMMON DESIGN ERRORS
Dynamic simulation can aid in a number of areas of steam
system design, including:
Properly sizing lines. One of the common errors encoun-
tered in steam system design is incorrectly sized distribution
piping. Undersized lines have higher velocities and pressure
drops, leading to insufficient flow and pressure of steam to
users. Undersized lines also increase the risk of erosion, noise
and hammering. On the other hand, oversized lines are ex-
pensive and cause higher heat losses, impacting the quality
of steam. In addition, flows through steam pipes can undergo
drastic changes. Understanding this phenomenon through
simulation is crucial for accurately estimating and verifying
line sizes.
Getting the system control loop right. Feedback loops
alone might not suffice to control the steam system through a
wide range of upsets. Scenarios where steam supply exceeds
demand can be handled by disposing of excess steam for
a short while until feedback loops bring the system under
control. However, when there’s a sudden shortage of steam,
the feedback control actions might be too late. Appropri-
ate feedforward control actions must be initiated before the
shortage affects operation of the facility. Understanding the
extremely non-linear characteristics of a steam system by
simulation is critical for successful design of these feedfor-
ward controls.
Setting correct priorities in steam shedding. Situations
where there’s likely to be a severe shortage of steam require
an emergency steam-shedding plan to avoid a full-scale
shutdown. But which units should be shed and in which
order? Such situations require a carefully designed strategy
that prioritizes shedding of steam users based on the impact
on the overall operation. As with designing feedforward con-
trols, a simulation model can be used to evaluate different
steam-shedding strategies in a cost effective and safe man-
ner, thereby ensuring the best possible emergency shedding
strategy is determined and deployed in the master controller.
• steam turbine generators and drivers;
• multiple pressure headers;
• pressure letdown stations;
• steam consumers; and
• regulatory and plant master control.
Today commercially available software packages
such as DYNSIM from Invensys allow steam system
models to be built in a fraction of the time of older pro-
gramming languages or software platforms (Figure 1).
The model is built and the controls are configured
to maintain the steam system at the normal design
operating point(s). The model encompasses all regula-
tory controls, including those specifically designed to
manage expected transients resulting from steam-system
or process upsets.
NOVEMBER 2010 CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM 22
CP1011_21_24_Design.indd 22
The high fidelity model can simulate many steam-
system or process upset scenarios in a matter of just days
— to predict the system response following such events
in a safe and controlled environment on the computer.
The model then can be used to determine how best to
correct any issues identified during the upset scenarios.
TIPS AND STRATEGIES
While dynamic simulation has become more prevalent
due to software and processor advancements, it involves
far more than simply entering numbers into a form.
Experience has shown that certain considerations and
pre-planning strategies significantly contribute to the
success of steam-system simulation projects. Here are
some tips:
Make conservative assumptions. This is one of the
most critical aspects of design. It’s inevitable that the
model won’t capture every possible nuance or feature
of the process, so the model’s response won’t fully
replicate actual system response. However, if the
model is designed to the highest possible rigor and
all assumptions and modeling approaches err on the
side of safety and over-design, you can have confi-
dence in the results.
For example, Gandhi et al. [1] discuss the model-
ing of steam systems (specifically boilers following
a trip) and the phenomenon of self-boiling in which
residual heat in the boiler continues to generate
steam long after fuel is cut off. While it might be
possible to rigorously model the boiler to the level of
detail to capture the self-boiling phenomenon, it may
be more prudent instead to take a more conservative
approach — assuming steam generation stops shortly
after fuel is cut off. A control system that can handle
a rapid loss of steam certainly can deal with the situ-
ation where the steam supply decays more slowly.
On the other side of the coin is modeling the
ramp-up of boilers when more steam is needed. The
boiler manufacturer will supply the design maxi-
mum rate of change of steam production up to the
maximum continuous rating. The vendor may give a
20% per minute ramp but what if it’s actually only
10% or 15% due to unforeseen issues. The dynamic
simulation platform provides a perfect environment
to run multiple cases to test the sensitivity to key
parameters.
Employ strict quality-assurance procedures. The
accuracy of simulation results depends upon many
factors, including the modeling approach, assump-
tions, data mining and data input. Experts follow
strict procedures when executing a project to ensure
the model is built to the highest possible standard
10/22/10 10:19 AM
 Steam System

Figure 1. Dynamic simulation can serve to validate control

systems, check control valve sizes and response times, and
provide initial controller tuning parameters.

and model inputs are correct. It’s crucial to establish

quality-assurance procedures that will certain results
obtained are meaningful and trustworthy.
The main focus should be on checking the data
input into the model. Discuss assumptions made and
confirm they’re conservative enough that the results
won’t compromise any objectives of the study. For
instance, using a larger steam header volume than
actual in the model could yield a slower response
than actual; this could lead to inaccurate results and
conclusions for the design of pressure controls.
In addition, have experts from operations review
scenarios that are tested on the model to ensure the
worst case is considered.
Such a quality-assurance process guarantees the aspects and phases of the design process.
model developed includes all the right inputs and Validate steam-network piping design. The piping
assumptions, making the results more reliable and network often is designed for the flows and pres-
credible. sure profile at steady-state conditions. In the event
With a high-quality steam system model, of process upsets and the transients that may follow,
engineering and operating companies can begin to these parameters undergo rapid changes that normal
reap the benefits of dynamic simulation in different hydraulic analysis can’t discern.

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CP1011_21_24_Design.indd 23 10/22/10 10:19 AM


Some pipes within acceptable limits at normal
conditions could exceed design limits during tran-
sients and become potential bottlenecks to the steady
operation or startup of the facility. Identifying such
bottlenecks during startup, commissioning or after
an incident could lead to expensive field changes that
impact the project schedule for new plants or opera-
tion of an existing facility.
A dynamic simulation analysis of the steam system
helps precisely understand transients in the system.
Simulating upsets enables monitoring flows and pressure
drops across pipe segments as a function of time, to
identify violations of design criteria during the tran-
sients. The greatest benefit from this type of analysis
occurs when it’s performed closely with the engineering
design of the system. At that point, incorporating neces-
sary design corrections incurs the lowest possible cost
and impact on schedule.
Confirm steam system controls. Dynamic simula-
tion also can be used to evaluate the proposed control
strategy around the integrated steam system. It can help
get the control system right the first time, thereby saving
valuable time during commissioning, helping ensure
stable operation during day-to-day operations and
keeping the system up and healthy during some of the
worst-case scenarios the facility could experience.
An upset, like loss of a boiler, has the potential to
bring down the entire steam system, causing shutdown
of critical process units. Because a dynamic simulation
model incorporates all the controls, analysis can deter-
mine if the as-built controls can maintain stable opera-
tion after an upset. The model allows easy configuration
and testing of control alternatives that might improve
steam-system response. Feedforward signals to boiler
controls, low/high selector clamps on letdown stations,
priority settings on steam headers, set-point staggering
across the facility on various control loops are some of
the important handles that can be quickly changed and
fine-tuned using a dynamic simulation analysis. These
parameters can prevent nuisance trips and shutdowns
and can accelerate startup.
Identify steam load-shedding strategies. A critical
outage of major steam producers for scheduled main-
tenance or due to an unforeseen trip requires adjusting
steam demand to balance supply and demand across the
complex. If backup boilers can’t make up the difference
or are slow to respond to the upset, it will become neces-
REFERENCE
1. Gandhi, S.L., Graham, J., Duffield, M.A., and Cortes, R.M., “Dynamic Simulation Analyzes Expand-
ed Refinery Steam System,” p. 3, Hydrocarbon Processing (Nov. 1995).
NOVEMBER 2010 CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM 24
CP1011_21_24_Design.indd 24
RELATED CONTENT ON
CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM
“Do Your Own Steam Survey,” www.ChemicalPro-
cessing.com/articles/2009/039.html
“Steam Projects Provide Fast Payback,” www.
ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2008/111.html
“Simulation Gets a New Dynamic,” www.Chemical-
Processing.com/articles/2006/048.html
sary, for example, to switch from steam-driven turbines
to electric drivers (if available) or to identify which less-
critical units should be taken offline and for how long to
protect the more-critical equipment and units.
When transient demand exceeds transient produc-
tion, as in the case of multiple boiler trips, a steam
shedding strategy must be initiated quickly to counter
the upset before steam networks reach unacceptable
pressures. Developing a steam shedding plan that could
be implemented during a major upset is critical to main-
taining the availability and un-interrupted operation of
the steam system.
Dynamic simulation can be a great help with this
evaluation as it can be used to test and evaluate critical
shed lists and to develop a strategy — prior to startup
and operation — that least impacts the economic profit-
ability of the overall complex. It allows analysis of either
reducing steam consumption or dropping steam users
outright based on priority and criticality. Both feedback
pressure-driven and feedforward event-based shedding
strategies can be easily configured and tested.
KEEP OUT OF HOT WATER
Dynamic simulation quickly is becoming an accept-
ed technology for performing in-depth steam system
analyses that can’t otherwise be done except by trial
and error in the plant. Engineering companies can
benefit greatly from performing such analyses by
following the tips described here and other best prac-
tices as early in the process lifecycle as possible.
Moreover, the simulation software platform mod-
els become assets within the company and can be re-
used beyond the design environment to support plant
commissioning and for the development of operator
training systems.
IAN WILLETTS is a director of Invensys Operations Manage-
ment (IOM), Carlsbad, Calif. ABHILASH NAIR is a principal
consultant for IOM in Carlsbad. CHARLES REWOLDT is
an application engineer for IOM in Carlsbad. E-mail them at
Ian.Willetts@invensys.com, Abhilash.Nair@invensys.com and
Charles.Rewoldt@invensys.com.
10/22/10 10:20 AM
 Understand the
Shocking
Truth
Dissipating static electricity is crucial for
avoiding ignition risks in hazardous areas
By Graham Tyers, Newson Gale, Inc.
Engineers and safety professionals at plants
must work long and hard to eliminate the possibil-
ity of fires or explosions in areas where flammable or
combustible materials are being processed, handled
or stored. This involves identifying all potential
ignition sources — whether electrical, hot surfaces,
mechanical sparks or naked flames.
However, no matter how well the working
environment has been designed, there’s one potential
source of spark discharges that’s ever-present in virtu-
ally every workplace and that has enough energy to
ignite all common flammable or combustible liquid
vapors and gases as well as many airborne dusts and
loose solid materials. That energy source is static
electricity, also known as “electrostatic” or just simply
“static.”
Static electricity is the prime culprit for at least
two serious fires or explosions in industry worldwide
every day of the year, according to the National Fire
Protection Association (NFPA) and the U.K.’s Institu-
tion of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). In the U.S.
alone, static electricity causes on average 280 indus-
trial incidents each year reported to fire and emer-
gency departments, resulting in injuries and fatalities,
tens of millions of dollars of direct property damage,
CP1011_25_28_Ops.indd 25
lost production or plant downtime, and environmen-
tal release issues.
Static electricity is generated continuously through
relative motion — in other words, whenever surfaces
of materials come into contact and separate. This
interaction causes electrons to be stripped from one
surface to the other, creating an electrical imbalance.
The rate at which electrons are transferred is influ-
enced by a number of factors such as speed and area
of contact and the characteristics of the materials (for
example, the transfer rate will increase greatly if the
materials are dissimilar or one is an insulator). In the
workplace typical examples include liquids flowing
through pipelines or into drums and tanks, powder
dropping down a chute — and even a person walking
across an insulating floor. Charge generated in this
way often is lost by a combination of conduction to
ground and contact with atmospheric moisture (hu-
midity). However, generated charge becomes a serious
problem in hazardous areas when it’s allowed to ac-
cumulate on objects not at ground potential. In these
cases, a significant potential (voltage) can develop and,
depending on the characteristics of the ungrounded
object, this may have many times the surrounding
flammable atmosphere’s minimum ignition energy
25  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010
10/22/10 10:22 AM
 Assured Protection

Figure 1. An intrinsically safe,

self-testing grounding clamp prevent safe static dissipation. The extent of charge
visually indicates proper generation current is usually very low, typically no
functioning.
greater than 1×10-4 A; however, on isolated conduc-
tors this charge can quickly build up to a very high
(MIE), the minimum potential, with voltages in excess of 30 kV not uncom-
energy that can ignite mon. Depending on the capacitance of the object,
a mixture of a specified this may result in significant levels of energy available
flammable material with for discharge, well above the MIE of the surrounding
air or oxygen, measured flammable atmosphere. Typical MIEs vary accord-
by a standard procedure. ing to whether the flammable atmosphere comprises
vapor, dust or gas, but many commonly used solvents
PERVASIVE PROBLEM and other flammable chemicals have MIEs well below
In any typical working 1 mJ (Table 1). If the isolated conductor then comes
environment hidden into proximity with another object at a lower poten-
dangers may lurk in tial, much of this energy could be unleashed via the
the hazardous area in air gap in the form of an incendive spark. Of course,
the form of “isolated static ignition of the flammable atmosphere also
conductors.” These are requires a suitable concentration of fuel (vapor, dust or
conductive (commonly gas) in the air. For the purposes of safe plant design,
metal) objects that are though, the very fact there’s an identified flammable
either inherently or acci- atmosphere should suggest that this is possible or
dentally insulated from likely.
ground. This prevents any static electricity generated Three main international technical standards for
from safely discharging, resulting in accumulation static control have been developed and maintained
of charge on the object. These isolated conductors by panels of fire prevention and process safety experts
may exist in commonly used items, including metal around the globe. NFPA 77 (North America) and
flanges, fittings and valves in pipework systems; por- Cenelec CLC/TR: 50404 (Europe) both draw atten-
table drums, containers and vessels; tanker trucks, tion to a range of hazards, illustrating static control
rail cars and intermediate bulk containers (IBCs); practices for a diverse range of industrial processes.
and even people! Isolated conductors are probably The American Petroleum Institute (API) 2003 stan-
the most likely source of static ignition incidents dard focuses on hazards more specific to the petro-
in industry, ranging from small-scale fires to major leum industry. The guidelines propose maximum
damage to plant and injury to personnel. processing rates, recommended charge relaxation
Paints, coatings, gaskets, seals and other non- times for conductive and nonconductive liquids and,
conductive materials can be sufficiently insulating to most importantly, the maximum level of resistance
recommended for static dissipative circuits.
Minimum Ignition Energy
The standards have a high degree of commonality
Material (Gas/Vapor Minimum Ignition concerning conductive metal grounding circuits. For
or Powder/Dust) Energy (MIE), mJ such circuits, which encompass the plant equip-
Carbon disulfide 0.009 ment at risk of accumulating charge and the route
Methanol 0.14 to ground, most standards recommend a maximum
Xylene 0.20 resistance of 10 Ω. The rationale is that conductive
Toluene 0.24
metal circuits in good condition have a somewhat
lower resistance. If a circuit is compromised due to
Propane 0.25
faulty connections caused by long-term degradation,
Ethyl acetate 0.46 corrosion, damage or operators not following correct
Zirconium 5.00 procedures, its resistance will exceed 10 Ω. Therefore,
Epoxy resin 9.00 this value becomes a good positive benchmark to
Aluminum 10.00 verify that circuits regularly used for eliminating static
Sugar 30.00
Table 1. These values are for guidance only — always verify the
Wheat flour 50.00 specific MIE of any material. Source: NFPA, IChemE

November 2010 chemicalprocessing.com  26

CP1011_25_28_Ops.indd 26 10/22/10 10:23 AM


hazards are performing their intended safety function
effectively, particularly in tough industrial processing
environments.
Effective grounding and bonding best remedy
the problems associated with isolated conductors.
Grounding involves linking the conductive object to
a known ground point via a mechanically strong and
electrically conducting cable, thereby giving it zero
(ground) potential. Bonding (or equipotential bond-
ing) links adjacent conductive objects so as to equalize
the potential between them; at some point the linked
network also is grounded, meaning everything is at
zero potential. For fixed installations such as pipe-
work, storage tanks, etc, this is relatively simple to
implement. However, it’s more difficult for mobile/
portable objects such as drums, IBCs and tankers.
Such objects require use of purpose-designed tempo-
rary grounding and bonding devices, along with strict
procedures to ensure they’re always in place prior to
starting of the process to prevent any static charge
accumulation.
NFPA 77, “Recommended Practice on Static Elec-
tricity 2007 Edition,” suggests specific types of clamps
and devices for grounding and bonding portable or
mobile plant, drums and containers; these generally
have to employ hardwearing sharp contacts and posi-
tive spring pressure, and be universally adaptable to a
wide range of plant objects. If such units are properly
specified and used, in most cases you can be sure of ef-
fective static control through grounding and bonding.
In all situations, it’s also important to periodically test
the control measures used, checking clamp/contact/
cable condition and the all-important connection back
to the ultimate grounding point. Intrinsically safe
TAKE FOUR KEY STEPS
To achieve effective static control in hazardous
areas:
1. Identify hazardous areas and processes
where static electricity may accumulate.
2. Specify conductive or static dissipative
items of plant, equipment and packaging.
Only use insulating plastics after carrying
out risk assessment/hazard evaluation.
3. Ensure correct grounding and bonding and
other prevention techniques are in place —
and are properly maintained.
4. Provide ongoing training and awareness
for employees and contractors about safe
working practices in hazardous areas.
CP1011_25_28_Ops.indd 27
Verification and Interlock System
Figure 2. Such a system can automatically
shut down operations if a problem develops.
instruments are required
for working “live” in a
hazardous area.
FURTHER CONCERNS
Even when the appropriate static safety equipment
has been specified, those responsible for operations
within hazardous areas must address some additional
concerns. In operational terms attaching a ground-
ing clamp to a plant object is always a “physical”
action. Even if diligently following company recom-
mended safety procedures, an operator can never
know whether the clamp has made good enough
contact with the object to safely dissipate any static
generated before it can accumulate to dangerous
levels. Lots of conductive objects capable of ac-
cumulating high static charges also have insulating
layers — e.g., paint or a coating or even product
build-up — on their surfaces that may prevent this
low resistance contact. Many common ground-
ing and bonding clamps show very high resistance
readings when clamped onto conductive objects with
insulating surfaces. The problem can be even worse if
a plant uses standard welding clamps or lightweight
alligator clips in place of purpose-designed devices.
To solve these problems, use intrinsically safe,
continuously self-testing grounding clamps (Figure 1),
as recommended in NFPA 77. An operator employs
these in exactly the same way as conventional ground-
ing clamps.
These devices employ certified, active electronic
monitoring circuits powered by a low energy bat-
tery. The circuit only is completed when the clamp
achieves a low resistance contact onto the object to be
grounded; the operator receives visual confirmation of
this via a light/indicator (usually a pulsing LED). The
self-testing grounding clamp also monitors cable con-
27 CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM NOVEMBER 2010
10/22/10 10:23 AM
 Shoe Tester

Figure 3. Device provides an

either by nonconducting shoes, insulating floors or
easy way to check that static
dissipative shoes remain both, static charge can start to accumulate as the
effective. person walks along the floor. After just a few steps, a
fairly high potential may develop (especially in low-
dition back to the designed humidity atmospheres); if the person then approach-
ground point, and won’t es a conductive material at either ground or a lower
give the visual go-ahead if electrical potential, a spark may occur. It’s generally
the cable has worked loose thought such sparks can reach energies as high as 30
or is broken. Clamps for mJ, sufficient to ignite almost all flammable vapors
use in hazardous locations and gases, and many sensitive combustible powder
should carry the appropri- (dust) atmospheres. These sparks can be avoided by
ate certification or approval using ground wrist-straps for sedentary workers, or
mark, e.g., from Factory static dissipative (SD) safety shoes for personnel who
Mutual (FM) or the Cana- need to move around to carry out their tasks. In the
dian Standards Association case of the latter, it’s also necessary for floor materials
(CSA). to be sufficiently conducting to allow a “ground leak-
To move to an even age” path to safely dissipate any static charge as each
higher level of security, foot contacts the ground.
NFPA 77 recommends In the U.S., SD footwear is manufactured
ground verification and according to ASTM F2413-05, which specifies
interlock systems to provide maximum and minimum levels for ground leakage
not only visual verification via the shoe. Leakage should be low enough to allow
to the operator but also static charges to relax to ground but high enough to
interlock switching contacts provide some protection against electric shock. SD
that may be linked to pro- footwear can be checked for ongoing effectiveness
cess pumps, valves, alarm/ using test stations (Figure 3). These types of devices
shutdown/control systems, help prevent incorrect shoes being used in static-
etc. Such interlocks can sensitive environments.
preclude process startup until the conductive object
has been safely grounded; if at any time during the GET GROUNDED
operation the condition changes (due to a clamp The dangers of static electricity in hazardous areas
falling off or wire breaking), the system automatically demand a rigorous approach to plant, process and
shuts down the process. Systems employing interlocks personnel safety. As the speed and scale of modern
also can prevent accidents caused by operators ap- manufacturing and distribution techniques increase,
proaching plant objects already carrying accumulated and the range of materials used and processed
static charges, as in these cases static electricity won’t grows, such an approach to safety becomes even
be generated until the process is initiated. more important. So, gain a greater understanding
Static ground verification and interlock systems by reviewing NFPA 77 and other industry-specific
generally are line-powered. They employ approved codes of practice that provide practical guidance for
intrinsically safe barriers to limit the monitoring cir- specific situations.
cuit to safe levels but still must have proper hazard-
ous location and safety certification. These systems GRAHAM TYERS is president of Newson Gale, Inc., Jackson, N.J.
typically handle ultra-safety-critical applications like Email him at graham.tyers@newson-gale.com.
loading/unloading tanker trucks and rail cars with
low conductivity flammable liquids (Figure 2), IBCs,
fluid bed dryers, mixers, transfer equipment and spe-
RELATED CONTENT ON
cial process machines. They also are useful wherever
CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM
it’s highly likely that static charge will accumulate in
“Static Electricity References,” www.ChemicalPro-
very low MIE flammable atmospheres.
cessing.com/experts/answers/2007/109.html
A static safety audit also requires us to consider
“Avoiding a Future Accident,” www.ChemicalPro-
the people working in the hazardous area. If the hu-
cessing.com/articles/2006/112.html
man body is insulated from contact with the ground,

NOVEMBER 2010 CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM 28

CP1011_25_28_Ops.indd 28 10/22/10 10:24 AM

 Treat Tanks
with Care
A variety of easily avoided problems can
cause vessel failure

By Roy E. Sanders, chemical process safety consultant

Storage tanks play a vital role at chemical

plants, oil refineries and other facilities, and repre-
sent major investments. Yet, despite all-too-frequent
incidents of wrinkled roofs, collapsed walls and
other failures, many people who design, construct,
operate and maintain low-pressure storage tanks
don’t appreciate how frail they are.
In his popular book “What Went Wrong? Case
Histories of Process Plant Disasters” [1], Trevor Kletz
starts the chapter on storage tanks by saying: “No
item of equipment is involved in more accidents than
the storage tank, probably because storage tanks are
fragile and easily damaged by slight overpressure
and vacuum. Fortunately, the majority of accidents
involving tanks do not cause injury, but they do
cause damage, loss of material and interruption of
production.”
Dramatic tank failures feature in about a quarter
of the case histories presented in the Beacon [2], a
free Internet publication of the Center for Chemi- tanks. (Some low-pressure tanks have a floating
cal Process Safety (CCPS) of the American Institute roof but we won’t discuss these here.) Another
of Chemical Engineers. The incidents covered stem popular choice is the API-620 tank, which is lim-
from causes such as overfilling, vacuum damage and ited by code to 15 psig. Its top resembles a puffed
explosions resulting from flammable mixtures in the cupcake. There also are small shop-built tanks,
vapor space. transportation vessels, plastic tanks and an array
So, here we’ll look at factors that can compro- of non-code vessels.
mise such vessels — and how to address them. In addition, a wide range of pressure vessels
are designed and fabricated to Section VIII of
TANK CLASSIFICATIONS the American Society of Mechanical Engineers
Tanks come in a variety of designs. Some low- (ASME) Pressure Vessel Code. Such pressure
pressure storage tanks, sometimes called at- vessels come in a variety of shapes — the more
mospheric storage tanks, are built to American popular ones are like a fat straight sausage or a
Petroleum Institute (API) 650 specifications. sphere. The ASME Code covers vessels with inter-
Many large API-650 tanks have a flat to slightly nal design pressures from 15 psig to 3,000 psig.
coned roof and appear similar to a can of tuna fish The largest low-pressure storage tanks often
or soup. However, a can of tuna fish or soup will are the most fragile and most vulnerable to failure
withstand many times more pressure than a typi- from both over-pressure and vacuum [3]. Basically
cal low-pressure tank [3]. The weight of the roof that’s because a slight pressure over a very large
often limits the pressure rating of low-pressure area creates a large force.

29  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010

CP1011_29_32_Fluids.indd 29 10/25/10 10:14 AM

 Tilting Tank

Figure 1. Over-pressure due to left-in-place blind caused

base of tank to give way.

— via alarms and high-high level interlocks — against

SOME COMMON PROBLEMS
Simple operational situations often cause tank failures.
Accidental overfilling, impeding exiting vent flow, and
not allowing in-breathing as a tank is being pumped out
are cardinal sins.
Overfilling. A recent CP article, “Don’t Underesti-
mate Overfilling’s Risks,” www.ChemicalProcessing.
com/articles/2010/143.html, focused specifically on the
hazards posed. It cited three major industrial accidents
resulting from overfilling — including a massive fire in
December 2005 at the Buncefield Oil Storage Depot in
Hertfordshire, England. The tank that caused the inci-
dent had an independent high-level alarm and interlock
but the system didn’t work. The September 2006 Beacon
provided details on that disaster and related that overfill-
ing has contributed to a number of serious incidents in
the chemical and oil industries in recent years.
Tanks must be engineered to provide protection
overfilling of hazardous materials and the resulting
spillage.
Over-pressure and under-pressure. It’s crucial to main-
tain the integrity of tank venting systems. Otherwise,
catastrophic damage may result.
Over-pressure caused a sudden drastic failure at
the base of a 12-ft-dia., 24-ft-high fiber-glass acid tank
(Figure 1). The tank was equipped with a separate vent
line, an overflow line and a vacuum breaker.
As a safety precaution when repairing an under-
ground sewer line that would receive acid if the tank
overflowed, supervision had the overflow line blinded
and instructed operators to run the vessel well below the
overflow line. The thought was that the vent line was
sized sufficiently for filling purposes.
Unfortunately, a blind from a previous job had been
left within the vent line and wasn’t detected. As opera-
tors started filling the fiber-glass tank, the inerts had no
place to go and the tank was pressurized to destruction.
Fortunately, no one was injured [4].
Under-pressure led to a well-maintained low-
pressure 20-ft-dia., about-30-ft-tall carbon-steel solvent
tank with ¼-in. walls ending up as scrap metal after
“improvements” to the vent system. To reduce emis-
sions, vent recovery compressors and more-sophisticated
instrumentation were replacing old-style conservation
vents.
While the first batch of material after the tank
conversion was being pumped out, the roof and two
courses of vertical walls were sucked in due to the lack of
the nitrogen padding and the vacuum protection system
being inadvertently isolated by a small block valve.
A simple hinged vent lid had served well for decades.
The lid was replaced with a much more complex system
involving a vent compressor to recover the vapors and
a nearly zero leakage pressure/vacuum device. The

REFERENCES
1. Kletz, Trevor A., “What Went Wrong? Case Histories of Process Plant Disasters,” p. 97, 5th ed., Gulf
Publishing, Burlington, Mass. (2009). Similar details are also found in all earlier editions.
2. Beacon, a free single-page monthly publication of the CCPS comes in many different languages.
To subscribe, go to: http://www.aiche.org/CCPS/Publications/Beacon/index.aspx.
3. “Safe Tank Farms and (Un)Loading Operations,” BP Process Safety Series, BP Safety Group,
Sunbury-on-Thames, U.K. (2008).
4. Sanders, Roy E., “Chemical Process Safety: Learning from Case Histories,” p. 108, 3rd ed., Elsevier
Butterworth-Heinemann, Burlington, Mass. (2005).
5. Sanders, Roy, “Human Factors: Case Histories of Improperly Managed Changes in Chemical
Plants,” p. 150, Process Safety Progress (Fall 1996).

NOVEMBER 2010 CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM 30

CP1011_29_32_Fluids.indd 30 10/25/10 10:15 AM

 operators were well trained on the new compressor but
not on the new piping arrangement. Worse yet, closure
of a single small-diameter impulse valve rendered all
the well-conceived improvements worthless. Oops, a
$100,000 mistake [5].
Plant designers must strive to develop user-friendly
piping, layout and control schemes, and must clearly la-
bel equipment safety systems to reduce opportunities for
failure. Venting systems should ensure proper protection
during all phases of operations.
Tank venting systems mustn’t be altered or tam-
pered with without a management-of-change review.
AN OLD STORY
None of this is new. In an ICI Safety Newsletter pub-
lished in the 1970s, Kletz predicted a storage tank would
be sucked in each year. Experienced process safety
people hear of such situations every so often.
CCPS has pointed out tanks’ vulnerability to
vacuum in two issues of the Beacon. Vivid photos of
failed tanks demonstrated the importance of maintain-
ing proper vacuum protection.
The February 2002 Beacon, titled “A Little ‘Noth-
ing’ Can Really be Deflating — VACUUM is a Power-
ful Force!,” showed a rail car sucked in and a tank that
collapsed while being painted. One main message was:
“Whenever vacuum relief systems are removed, covered,
modified, etc., special precautions are needed to prevent
an incident.”
“Vacuum Hazards — Collapsed Tanks” in the
February 2007 Beacon stressed three key points:
1. Well-intentioned people can easily block vents.
2. Never cover or block the atmospheric vent of an
operating tank.
3. Routinely check for plugging of vents on tanks in
fouling service.
RELATED CONTENT ON
CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM
“Don’t Underestimate Overfilling’s Risks,” www.
ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2010/143.html
“Bhopal Leaves a Lasting Legacy,” www.Chemical-
Processing.com/articles/2009/238.html
“It’s Time to Tank Complacency,” www.Chemical-
Processing.com/articles/2006/028.html
dike designs, demand professional handling.
• Venting systems not only must be well designed
but also must be inspected and maintained dur-
ing the life of the equipment. Tamper-proof vent
designs are ideal.
• Tank bottoms should be sloped and associated
piping should be laid out to facilitate complete
drainage. Tanks should be checked for internal
and external corrosion.
• Local conditions, such as the possibility of flood-
ing or hurricanes, which can affect low-pressure
storage tanks should be considered.
• Ongoing corrosion monitoring is essential. The BP
booklet [3] contains a number of photos and brief
descriptions of tank failures from corrosion.

OTHER FUNDAMENTALS
Always keep in mind the following points about low-
pressure tank layout and design:
• Tank spacing and layout are critical. Various prop-
erty insurance publications and pamphlets from
the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA)
offer some guidance about the proper spacing of
storage tanks, especially those that contain flam-
mable or toxic liquids.
• Tanks containing incompatible chemicals
shouldn’t be allowed within the same diking
systems.
• Fire-protection features, including static
electricity dissipation, vapor space inerting,
protective foam generators, water spray and

CP1011_29_32_Fluids.indd 31 10/25/10 10:15 AM

 Essential Effort

Figure 2. There is no substitute for an internal inspection to

help ensure mechanical integrity.

• Many helpful references are available. These

include API-650, API-620, API-510 “Pressure Ves-
sel Inspection Code — Maintenance, Inspection,
Rating and Alteration,” API-653 “Tank Inspec-
tion, Repair, Alteration, and Reconstruction,”
NFPA codes and Reference 3.

VESSEL INSPECTION
To quote from the BP booklet [3], “Most tanks are made
of carbon steel, which can corrode when exposed to air
and water. Over time, uncontrolled rusting can weaken
or destroy the components of a tank, resulting in holes
or possible structural failures, and release of stored prod-
ucts into the environment.”
Effective timely inspections can drastically reduce
failures from corrosion.
Three different approaches to tank inspections are
widely used.
A periodic visual inspection by operators is the
first line of defense. This type of routine monitoring
focuses on evidence of seepage or leakage, tank set-
tling, bulging or significant corrosion.
In-service inspections generally are less frequent
than operator reviews and typically are performed by

PROTECT PUMPS certified inspectors. Such checks often start five years
after commissioning, with frequency adjusted accord-
ing to tank history, the risk involved and the corrosion
• Dry Running rate. These most often involve taking ultrasonic thick-
• Cavitation ness readings at key locations.
Periodic internal inspections after the tank is
• Bearing Failure drained and washed are a must (Figure 2). These can
• Overload identify components that have shifted, localized pit-
TRUE POWER LOAD DISPLAY ting, etc., that may not be apparent from an external
• Best Sensitivity inspection. Typically internal inspections take place
COMPACT EASY MOUNTING at a frequency between annually and once every ten
• Starter Door • Raceway years. The exact frequency is best determined by the
• Panel • Wall corrosive nature of the fluid, including its trace com-
TWO ADJUSTABLE SET POINTS ponents, and the past history of similar equipment on
• Relay Outputs the site.
MODEL PMP-25 • Adjustable Delay Timers
4-20 MILLIAMP ANALOG OUTPUT DON’T TAKE TANKS FOR GRANTED
Tanks can and do hold large inventories of a wide
UNIQUE RANGE FINDER SENSOR
• Works on Wide Range of Motors
variety of raw materials, intermediates and finished
• Simplifies Installation products safely for decades. However, if a tank and its
accessories are poorly designed, abused by operations
or deprived of effective inspection and basic mainte-
CALL NOW FOR YOUR FREE 30-DAY TRIAL nance, bad things can happen.
888-600-3247 ROY E. SANDERS is a chemical process safety consultant based
in Lake Charles, La. E-mail him at Sanders.Roy@Suddenlink.Net.

WWW.LOADCONTROLS.COM

CP1011_29_32_Fluids.indd 32 10/25/10 10:16 AM

 MAKING IT WORK

Refinery Pumps Up Energy Savings

Switching to a steam-driven pump enhances condensate return system

By Michael Calogero, Armstrong International

Steam Pump
A SITE-WIDE steam and condensate system audit
of a Midwest refinery conducted by Armstrong
and its local representative, the Steam Econo-
mies Company, revealed that the refinery was
discharging condensate to the sewer through a
temporary hose due to a faulty condensate pump-
ing system.
As it investigated the situation further, the audit
team discovered the system that returned conden-
sate to the boiler house used electrically driven
centrifugal pumps. While these units worked most
of the time, they required significant maintenance
due to their numerous parts and sensitive sensors
that demanded ongoing calibrations. Because the
pumps were old, they also were unreliable and parts
were hard to fi nd. Moreover, the system needed
a pump-around loop to prevent burnout of the
pump and motor. Also, the controls to direct the Figure 1. Unit only operates when triggered by condensate level.
condensate were complicated and required periodic
maintenance.
Any replacement electrical pump would have to CHECK OUT PAST ARTICLES
meet all the electrical safety requirements of a Class Making It Work stories going back to 2005
1 Division 1 environment and its installation cost are available at www.ChemicalProcessing.com/
would be high. Other drawbacks of an electrical voices/making_it_work.html
pump in condensate service are cavitation issues due
to insufficient net positive suction head (NPSH) and unneeded piping, controls and valves. The payback
leaking pump seals. period should run two to three years.
Seeking a lower cost and a more dependable The Armstrong PT-516 steam pump has been in
solution, the refinery was drawn to the simplicity of service for more than a year with no interruptions
Armstrong’s PT-516 pump (Figure 1). It uses steam to returning condensate from the crude unit to the
from the plant rather than electrical power. And, boiler house. This has helped the refinery maximize
unlike the centrifugal pumps that ran continuously, energy savings and capture an additional $75,000
the PT-516 only consumes steam when the conden- annually.
sate level in the pump requires a pumping cycle. Now the refinery is investigating other opportu-
The refinery reports there no longer are any NPSH nities to use steam-driven technology for condensate
concerns and hotter condensate (212°F versus 180°F) collection and return.
now can be returned. The steam-driven pump can
handle up to 65,000 lb/hr of condensate. MICHAEL CALOGERO, P.E., is Allentown, Pa.-based refining
The pump plus accessories and check valves cost and petrochemical manager for Armstrong International. E-mail
about $20,000. Installation also involved removal of him at mvc@armstronginternational.com.

RELATED CONTENT ON CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM

“What’s Involved in Changing From an Electric Motor to a Steam Turbine?,” www.ChemicalProcessing.
com/experts/answers/2010/016.html
“How Do You Decide Between Steam or Electrical Turbines?,” www.ChemicalProcessing.com/experts/
answers/2009/119.html

33 CHEMICALPROCESSING.COM NOVEMBER 2010

CP1011_33_MIW.indd 33 10/22/10 10:30 AM

 PROCESS puzzler

Deal with a Decanter that Can’t

Readers recommend ways to save a standing separator

This month’s puzzler

Our decanter for separating a mixture of C10, C 20, C 30 and C 40
compounds from a water/toluene solution isn’t performing right.
To save space, we opted for a 3-ft-diameter vertical unit with a
length/diameter ratio of about 3:1. The flows are 6,000 pounds
per hour (PPH) of organic and 2,500 PPH of aqueous phase. The
viscosities are: 300 cP for the organic; 0.8 cP for the water. The
specific gravities are: 0.8 for the organic; 0.99 for the water. Feed
is at about 50% of the straight side length and we use a dispersion
layer of about 5%. Although the decanter is designed to capture
100 micron (μ) droplets, the carbon filter that’s supposed to serve
as a water polishing filter actually is removing them. We’ve had
to change it out every 30 hours at a cost of $250/500 pounds. On
examination, we discovered that during construction 1-in. high-flow
packing was dumped into the decanter. It fills the bottom third of
the column. How can we fix the decanter? Should we be happy with
100 μ? How can we reduce our carbon costs?
have a quick separation of the organic and water
phases. Based on your problem definition, if the
nozzle for removal of the organic layer is located at
about seven feet from the top straight side, there is
sufficient residence time to separate the two layers.
Actual time can be determined in the laboratory.
The feed location as described should be all right.
The following equation can be used to calculate
the height of the interface:
H2 = (H12 - Ht (ρ 1/ρ 2))/(1 - (ρ 1/ρ 2))
where ρ 1 is the light phase density; ρ 2 is the heavy
phase density; Ht is the distance between the exits,
light and heavy; H12 is the height of the riser in
the heavy-phase exit line; and H2 is the height of
the heavy phase (see Figure 1).
The top of the tank and the water outlet pipes
SG
should be connected in such a way that they equalize Simple design
Light
the pressure
(organic so phase)
that the liquid does not siphon out.
The water outlet pipe should have an adjustable arm SG

RE-EXAMINE THE DESIGN so that the height of the water layer can be adjusted.
SG
I would do the following to resolve the problem. It can be used to control the interface level.
SG
H1 the packing from the decanter as it is
Remove Don’t use the manual shut-off valves H1in the SG
Ht
Ht taking up valuable space. And install a dual basket waterHeavy and organic outlet pipes to adjust flow and Rag layer SG

filter in the Rag

feed layers SG
line to break the organic/water interface layer height. SG
(aqueous phase) SG
mixture and facilitate the phase separation in the Girish Malhotra, president Feed
SG
SG
H12
SG SG
decanter. Such filters are commercially available. EPCOT International, Pepper H2Pike, Ohio
Filter

Feed SG H12
Review your design against the following sug-
gested
H2 method. These Filter
gravity-based decanters are CHANGE THE CONTINUOUS PHASE
based on hydraulic balance and have been success- The viscosities are very different and, in this appli-
fully used for continuous processes. cation, the water should be the continuous phase Figure 1. Vertical decanter
The density numbers suggest that we should and the organic should be the dispersed droplet
phase. I would check this
Vertical Decanter
first. Because of the rela-
tive amounts of the two
SG Light phases (70% organic), the
(organic phase) organic is likely to be the
continuous phase. Look
at the process forming
H1 the emulsion.
Ht If the feed emulsion
Heavy
cannot be modified,
(aqueous phase)
SG
Feed SG H12 Figure 1. The inlet filter shown
usually isn’t necessary unless
lab tests indicate the rag
H2 Filter layer (layer of emulsion of the
liquids) is stable.

November 2010 chemicalprocessing.com  34

CP1011_34_35_Puzzler.indd 34 10/22/10 10:31 AM

 PROCESS puzzler

Hydrogenation Column

Hydrogen FT
ESTCODE

FC Figure 2. Venting from

vacuum pump incurs
C20+ branched oils* a hydrogen loss of as
much as 3 std. ft3/min.

Vent stack
TT

FT TT

TT

TT
Liq. ring vac. ESTCODE

FC
pump FT
Product SC
tank TT
LT

Knockout
Gear drum Interchanger FC
ESTCODE

Catalyst bed
pump
500°F, 400 psig
* Oil was pretreated to remove sulfur
and other impurities.

perhaps water could be recycled and added to the
feed, making water the continuous phase. The
decanter can give superior separation; even at the
higher total inlet feed rates needed for a system
with a recycle.
Look at the inlet and outlet nozzles. The inlet
velocity may be too high and may encourage
stirring and mixing in the dispersion band. If
necessary, add a diffuser internal to the decanter.
Consider the packing.
The packing in the bottom of the decanter is serv-
ing as a static mixer, decreasing separation perfor-
mance. Removing of the packing should be beneficial.
Lastly, the temperature is not discussed as a
variable. Running the decanter at a warmer tem-
perature may also improve separation.
Mike Gentilcore, principal research engineer
Covidien Imaging Solutions, Hazelwood, Mo.
REDUCE SURFACE TENSION
Dump the column, remove the packing. The
current mechanical design won’t work. Instead,
design an impingement plate for the entrance to
help divide the two streams in the dispersion zone.
If the feed pump permits, install a static mixer at
the inlet to the decanter.
The process design for the vertical decanter is
Response continues on p. 37

January’S PUZZLER
Our hydrogenation system, consisting of a column filled
with catalyst, an interchanger and a knockout drum
under vacuum (Figure 2), produces excess hydrogen. The
drum is meant to separate the hydrogen from the prod-
uct, which is then pumped to the tank farm. The vacuum
pump surges constantly, unable to find a sweet spot. The
pump vents to atmosphere perhaps as much as 3 std. ft 3/
min of hydrogen. Our plant manager wants to know if
there’s a way to recover the hydrogen and stabilize the
level feeding the pump. How can we address this situa-
tion? Is there any way to limp along with this process until
it’s convenient to shut it down?
Send us your comments, suggestions or solutions
for this question by November 13, 2010. We’ll include
as many of them as possible in the November 2010
issue and all on CP.com. Send visuals — a sketch is
fine. E-mail us at ProcessPuzzler@putman.net or mail
to Process Puzzler, Chemical Processing, 555 W. Pierce
Road, Suite 301, Itasca, IL 60143. Fax: (630) 467-1120.
Please include your name, title, location and company
affiliation in the response.
And, of course, if you have a process problem you’d
like to pose to our readers, send it along and we’ll be
pleased to consider it for publication.

35  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010

CP1011_34_35_Puzzler.indd 35 10/22/10 10:32 AM

 plant insites
Don’t Err with Air-Fin Exchangers
Take considerable care when specifying maximum air temperature
Deciding on the maximum air temperature is
one of the important steps in defining the basis for
air-fin heat exchanger design. Too low a maximum
air temperature may result in an exchanger that fails
to perform. Too high a maximum air temperature
can lead to excessive costs — and to an exchanger so
large it becomes a problem when air temperature is
Adjust the base lower than normal.
Air temperature selection affects both process and
climate tempera- mechanical design of a fin-fan. A vendor will design
ture to account to whatever temperature limit you give. It’s your job as
the purchaser to set the correct air temperature.
for any special Setting maximum design air temperatures involves
factors. finding answers to three important questions:
1. How critical is it to meet your process
temperature?
2. What are the climate data for your location?
3. W hat special or local factors should you
include?
The more critical meeting your process tempera-
ture is, the more stringent your air temperature selec-
tion guidelines.
The most conservative approach is to pick an air
temperature that’s never exceeded. However, this can
be surprisingly high. For instance, at one snow-belt
site, temperatures occasionally reach 70°F (24°C)
in December (Figure 1). This strategy is needed for
extreme cases — if exceeding the temperature will
cause a plant shutdown or pose safety or environmen-
tal consequences.
The second approach, which applies to plants
that have significant step changes in operation tied
to temperature, is to set the maximum to an air
temperature that’s exceeded only a specific number
of days per year. This is a stringent requirement that’s
Historical Data
Figure 1. December temperatures for location were obtained inexpensively from NOAA website.
November 2010 chemicalprocessing.com  36
CP1011_36_37_InSites.indd 36
usually imposed to forestall major plant problems.
As a result the percentage target generally is small,
e.g., 1% or 2% of the days.
Usually, I use a temperature that’s exceeded only
a certain number of hours per year, typically 1%
to 2% of the hours. This approach is less stringent
because it’s based on the temperature being topped at
any time during a day, not for the full day — 1% of
the days where the high temperature goes beyond a
certain value is a lot less than 1% of the hours where
the temperature passes the same value. The strategy
particularly suits plants where high air temperatures
pose an economic cost but don’t create safety, environ-
mental or major operational problems. Detailed data
are needed for this.
Another approach is to use the average high
temperature for the coldest month(s) of the year. This
is a relatively low temperature for most locations.
For example, the “mean max” temperatures for that
snow-belt plant are 24–25°F (~13–14°C) colder than
the maximum monthly temperatures (Figure 1). This
strategy suits processes with minor cost or operational
consequences from air temperatures higher than the
air-fin’s design basis.
There are sources of general data for local climate
conditions. For the U.S., the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a superb
website that gives climate data (www.weather.gov/
climate/ or http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/sta-
tionlocator.html). Find the weather station closest to
your location that has the same climate conditions.
The station you choose should be physically nearby,
at similar elevation, and in the same general type of
location — e.g., on the water or in the same valley (if a
mountain location). All of these factors can signifi-
10/22/10 10:33 AM

cantly affect local temperature patterns. Data available
will vary between different stations.
You can download the best data for a trivial fee.
Current pricing for the data used to generate this
starts at $3 and goes up gradually. Figure 1 shows an
extract from a NOAA report.
Another excellent source is the ASHRAE Funda-
mentals Handbook, which lists worldwide summaries
of temperatures that are exceeded 35 hours (0.4%), 88
hours (1%) or 175 hours (2%) during an average year.
Once you’ve selected a base climate temperature, you
must adjust it to account for any special factors — such
as air recirculation and potential air maldistribution
because of wind and the effect of nearby equipment.
Will layout considerations force placing the new
air-fin adjacent to an existing air-fin? If so, this may
require adding some temperature allowance due to the
neighboring unit. Watch out in particular for induced-
draft and forced-draft air-fin exchangers close to each
other and adjacent exchangers at different elevations.
Process Puzzler, continued from p. 35
even less promising. Although the residence time
for a 3-ft-diameter decanter is more than sufficient
to remove the droplets, the calculated entrainment
droplet size is about 2,000 μ. This is not the 100 μ
desired and explains why carbon is being rapidly
consumed. Carbon columns usually capture drop-
lets in the range of about 30 μ.
There is another reason for reducing the overuse
of the activated carbon — disposal: roughly $0.50/
lb for transportation (within 200 miles) and $0.60/lb
for disposal by drying and incineration via a thermal
oxidizer (TOX). Once you factor in the disposal, for this
example you’re paying $1.60/lb as the true cost of car-
bon. A more realistic price for activated carbon is about
$1.80/lb, including shipping to the site. The final price
would then be $2.90/lb. Regeneration is possible and co-
generation, typical of a TOX, might reduce costs. Let’s
reconsider the design again.
With decanters sometimes efficiency can be
improved by increasing the diameter or the tempera-
ture. However, a quick check with these parameters
shows no improvement: the viscosity of the continu-
ous phase, i.e., the light phase, is too high. We need
to consider other options.
CP1011_36_37_InSites.indd 37
plant insites
Large tanks, vessels, buildings and fired heaters
near the air-fin can starve the exchanger of air or force
hot air toward it.
The typical design method for handling such
issues is to adjust the design air temperature. Often
a 5–10°F (3–5°C) allowance will deal with most of
these special factors. If you really think a larger al-
lowance is needed, you should reexamine the entire
location selection logic for the exchanger.
Selecting maximum air design temperatures for
air-fins can dramatically change process economics:
too high and the equipment becomes very large and
expensive, too low and process performance suffers.
Select a temperature strategy consistent with your
requirements. Find good climate data on local condi-
tions. Then allow for special circumstances for your
plant and exact equipment location.
andrew sloley, Contributing Editor
ASloley@putman.net
PROCESS puzzler
If you can add a small trace element, perhaps
a surfactant that will not contaminate the organic
phase or can be separated easily, this might be the
direction to go. Anything that reduces the surface
tension may be effective.
Do a drain test in the lab. Cut a circular hole
in a small container with about 100 ml of the
organic phase. The hole should be smooth but
sharp, without a nozzle. Measure the time it takes
to drain through the hole after adding the chemi-
cal or doing whatever you decide to do. You’ll
want to run a standard first with the untreated
organic. If you’re making headway, the drain time
should decrease.
You must reduce the surface tension of the
dispersed light phase. Reducing the aqueous
phase by half will cause a phase inversion but this
trick won’t improve separation of the two phases.
Dirk Willard, contract staff engineer
Hemlock Semiconductor, Hemlock, Mich.
An additional response appears online at
www.ChemicalProcessing.com/
articles/2010/194.html
37  chemicalprocessing.com November 2010
10/22/10 10:34 AM
 Equipment & services

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 CLASSIFIED

Custom Services

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The Saflex™ 3000 semi-automated
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are flexible to go through bends in the tubes. NLB Corp., (248) 624-5555, 555 W. Pierce Road, Suite 301
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www.nlbcorp.com Phone: 630-467-1300 • Fax: 630-467-1109
Web site: www.chemicalprocessing.com

Brian Marz, Publisher

United States Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management, E-mail: bmarz@putman.net
Phone: 630-467-1300, x411
and Circulation (Requester Publications Only) Carmela Kappel, Assistant to the Publisher
1. Publication Title: CHEMICAL PROCESSING 10. Owner: Phone: 630-467-1300, x314
2. Publication Number: 0009-2630 Putman Media, Inc. 555 West Pierce Road, Itasca, IL 60143 Fax: 630-467-0197
3. Filing Date: 09/30/2010 John M. Cappelletti 555 West Pierce Road, Itasca, IL 60143
4. Issue Frequency: Monthly Julie A. Cappelletti - Lange 555 West Pierce Road, Itasca, IL 60143 SALES
5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 12 Jenny G. Cappelletti 555 West Pierce Road, Itasca, IL 60143
6. Annual Subscription Price: $68.00 Nicholas G. Cappelletti 555 West Pierce Road, Itasca, IL 60143 FAITH DALTON, District Manager
7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: Melody L. Cappelletti 555 West Pierce Road, Itasca, IL 60143 Digital Sales Manager
555 West Pierce Road, Itasca IL 60143 11. Known Bondholders, Mortagees, and Other Security Holders Owning Email: fdalton@putman.net
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555 West Pierce Road, Itasca IL 60143 The purpose, function, and nonprofit status of this organization
Phone: 630-467-1300, x804
9. Full Name and Complete Mailing Address of Publisher, Editor, and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes:
and Managing Editor • Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months
Publisher: Brian Marz, 555 West Pierce Road, Itasca IL 60143 13. Publication Title: Chemical Processing PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT/CLASSIFIEDS/AD-LITS
Editor: Mark Rosenzweig, 555 West Pierce Road, Itasca, IL 60143 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 2010
Managing Editor: Amanda Joshi, 555 West Pierce Road, Itasca IL POLLY DICKSON, Inside Sales Manager
60143 Average No.Copies No. Copies of Single E-mail: pdickson@putman.net
Each Issue Issue Published Phone: 630-467-1300, x396
During Preceding Nearest to Fax: 630-364-4175
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a. Total Number of Copies (Net press run) REPRINTS
39,672 39,547
b. Legitimate Paid and/or Requested Distribution (By Mail and Outside the Mail)
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c. Total Paid and/or Requested Circulation [Sum of 15b. (1), (2), (3), and (4)] 33,285 33,485 Baldor Electric Co. 44
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years old, Requests induced by a Premium, Bulk Sales and Requests including Association Requests,
Names obtained from Business Directories, Lists, and other sources Endress + Hauser 8
(3) Non-requested Copies distributed Through the USPS by Other classes of Mail (e.g. First-Class Mail, Flexim Americas 31
Non-requestor Copies mailed in excess of 10% Limit mailed at Standard Mail or Package Services Rates)
(4) Non-Requested Copies Distributed Outside the Mail (Include Pickup Stands, Trade Shows, Show- 120 0 Load Controls 32
rooms and Other Sources)
Lubrizol Corporation, The 2
e. Total Non-requested Distribution (Sum of 15d (1), (2), and (3)) 5,677 5,595 Material Transfer & Storage, Inc. 18
f. Total Distribution (Sum of 15c. and e.) 38,962 39,080
g. Copies Not Distributed 710 467 NLB 41
h. Total (Sum of 15f and g) 39,672 39,547
Parker Hannifin 20
i. Percent Paid and/or Requested Circulation (15c divided by f times 100) 85.43% 85.68%
16. Publication of Statement of Ownership for a Requester Publication is required and will be printed in the Putman Media 43
November 2010 issue of this publication.
17. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner Siemens Process Automation 6
Jeremy L. Clark, VP of Circulation Date: 09/30/2010 Vycom 19
I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or
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 END POINT
Chemical Processes Make Fashion Statement
Chemical technology developments add new twists to fashion trends
While chemical processing technology has long
been involved with both the production of fabrics
and their associated dyes, the Science in Style event at
Imperial College London on September 16th added
a novel twist to the industry’s relationship with the
fashion world
The event was chosen for the official launch of
Spray-on fabric Fabrican Spray-on: a fabric that can be sprayed directly
onto the body using aerosol technology. The spray
dries instantly to dries instantly to make innovative clothes that can be
make innovative washed and re-worn.
Fabrican Spray-on is the result of a collaboration
clothes. between Spanish fashion designer and academic visitor
at Imperial, Dr. Manel Torres, and Paul Luckham,
professor of particle technology in the school’s depart-
ment of chemical engineering.
The new fabric consists of short fibers that are
combined with polymers to bind the fibers together
and a solvent that delivers the fabric in liquid form and
evaporates when the spray reaches a surface. The spray
can be applied using a high-pressure gun or an aerosol
can. The texture of the fabric can be changed accord-
ing to which fibers — such as wool, linen or acrylic —
are used and how the spray is layered.
“When I first began this project I really wanted to
make a futuristic, seamless, quick and comfortable ma-
terial,” says Torres. “In my quest to produce this kind
of fabric, I ended up returning to the principles of the
earliest textiles such as felt, which were also produced
by taking fibers and finding a way of binding them
together without having to weave or stitch them. As an
artist, I spend my time dreaming up one-off creations,
but as a scientist I have to focus on making things re-
producible. I want to show how science and technology
can help designers come up with new materials.”
Fashion is just one of the uses of this technology.
Torres and Luckham have set up a spin-off company
called Fabrican to explore other applications such as
medicine patches and bandages, hygiene wipes, air
fresheners and upholstery for furniture and cars.
“The fashion application of spray-on fabric is a
great way of advertising the concept, but we are also
keen to work on new applications for the medical,
transport and chemical industries. For example, the
spray-on fabric may be produced and kept in a steril-
ized can, which could be perfect for providing spray-on
bandages without applying any pressure for sooth-
ing burnt skin, or delivering medicines directly to a
wound,” adds Luckham.
November 2010 chemicalprocessing.com  42
CP1011_42_EndPoint.indd 42
Chemical technology is at the heart of another
novel fashion development, too — this time at Kings-
ton University, London.
For part of her degree project, Master of Arts fash-
ion student Emily Crane has been working with top
U.K. chef Heston Blumenthal, chemical engineers and
couturiers on a range of edible clothes.
Kingston has a reputation for encouraging innova-
tive design and one of Crane’s first dresses was grown
from soap bubbles in her freezer. However, she was
determined to pursue the edible route and searched
out alternative ingredients. Gelatine, seaweed and food
dyes are now the primary raw materials.
A big turning point for the designer came when
she fortuitously discovered how her garments could
drape over a body: “I was designing a dress which
was half white and half black and experimented
using a black food dye. The white side stayed solid,
but the black side became soft. I realized that the
glycerol in the food dye had completely changed the
texture of the garment.”
Moving from high fashion to more practical wear,
Clariant, Muttenz, Switzerland, has announced the
latest advance in its Advanced Denim technology.
Known as Pad/Sizing Ox, the new dyeing procedure
will allow retailers to offer fashionable, high-quality
jeans based on what the company describes as the most
sustainable, resource-saving production method avail-
able today.
The new process allows textile mills to use up to
92% less water and 30% less energy, and reduce waste
cotton by 63%. Most of these savings come about as a
result of using ozone and peroxide for bleaching wash-
down, avoiding the use and consequently the presence
in wastewater of harmful chemicals such as hypochlo-
rite or permanganate.
Among the benefits being claimed for denim
manufacturers are: improved fastness, better reproduc-
tion of tones and shades, and easy application for more
precise results.
Clariant says this will expand the market’s poten-
tial to achieve new and interesting colors, deeper and
faster blues, “amazing” blacks and grays, finely-graded
shades and special wash-down effects. It will also meet
current market demands for an efficient process to dye
small and varied denim batches.
Seán ottewell, Editor at Large
sottewell@putman.net
10/22/10 10:36 AM
 Join Chemical Processing editors and industry experts as we engage in lively discussions about hot topics
challenging the chemical processing market today. Our 2010 CP Panel Discussion Series was a big success!
Join us in 2011 - each of these FREE 60 minute Webcasts will inform and educate. Plus, you’ll have the
opportunity to ask our panel of experts questions related to the topic being discussed. Mark your calendar
for the 2011 CP Panel Discussion Series topics now! Our 2011 line-up includes:

Energy Efficiency Condition Monitoring Security Asset Management

January 20, 2011
Electrical and thermal energy rep-
resent substantial operating costs
to plants. Increasing power and
fuel costs make it critical to boost
energy efficiency and lower energy
costs, especially since those sav-
ings go directly to the bottom
line. This panel discussion will
provide guidance on how plants
can improve energy efficiency and
optimize use of energy resources.
February 17, 2011
Plants are stepping up their efforts
to monitor the condition of key as-
sets to identify potential problems
before they effect operational
performance, damage equipment
or lead to costly downtime. This
discussion will review key tools and
solutions that will enhance your
operations, optimize efficiencies,
improve asset life and improve
overall reliability. Learn what you
need to do to bring your condition
monitoring program up to date.
March 17, 2011
Find out about the current and
pending legislative impact on man-
ufacturing, storage and the use of
Chemicals of Interest (COIs) — plus
practical advice for compliance.
Hear from industry professionals
who have helped companies with
CFATS compliance at many Tier
1-4 CFATS sites. Also, learn about
important legislative updates from
the SOCMA (Society of Chemical
Manufacturing & Affiliates).
April 21, 2011
Getting the most out of equip-
ment is crucial for efficient and
economic plant operations. This
discussion will provide practical
pointers for optimizing asset use,
improve efficiency and lower main-
tenance costs.

Emissions Alarm Management Dust Control CFATS

May 19, 2011
The materials that a plant emits
often pose regulatory, operational
and economic issues. Panelists will
examine effective approaches to
minimize and control emissions
and maintain regulatory compli-
ance.
June 16, 2011
Most plants have too many alarms,
hampering operators’ ability to
properly respond to issues. This
discussion will look at proven
methods to address the problems
and alleviate your alarm issues.
July 21, 2011 August 18, 2011
Many plants process solids and so Many chemical facilities now must
must contend with dust. Depend- comply with U.S. Department of
ing upon its composition, dust can Homeland Security anti-terrorism
present both environmental and standards. This discussion will
safety concerns. This discussion explore issues that plants must
will examine the various regula- address.
tions and standards that target
dust and dust-collection systems
and explore how to handle poten-
tially explosive dusts to reduce the
risk of explosion and fire.

Process Safety Energy Efficiency Dry Materials Handling

September 22, 2011
The chemicals and processes
involved in plant operations often
can pose significant hazards.
Panelists will offer advice on how
to successfully avoid or minimize
such risks.
October 20, 2011
Electrical and thermal energy rep-
resent substantial operating costs
to plants. Increasing power and
fuel costs make it critical to boost
energy efficiency and lower energy
costs, especially since those sav-
ings go directly to the bottom
line. This panel discussion will
provide guidance on how plants
can improve energy efficiency and
optimize use of energy resources.
November 17, 2011
Solids can pose tough challenges
both in processing and stor-
age. How materials like powders
behave depends upon a host of
factors such as size, shape, overall
particle-size distribution and cohe-
siveness. This panel discussion will
examine options for moving solids
through a process such as convey-
ing, mixing and drying in addition
proper assessment and character-
istics of the properties of solids.

For more information on each topic View our CP Panel 2010 Discussion Series
and to register, go to: archive at:
www.ChemicalProcessing.com/cpseries www.ChemicalProcessing.com/cpseries2010

Sponsorship opportunities available - contact Faith Dalton @ 630-467-1301 x 485 or email fdalton@putman.net

CP1011_full page ads.indd 43 10/25/10 10:19 AM

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