ChemicalEngineering Chemical Engineering March 2022

March
2022
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Crystallization page 28
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March 2022 Volume 129 | no. 3
Cover Story
28 Part 1. Crystallization for Ultra-Pure Chemicals
Optimized crystallization units can help address the challenges posed
by product-purity requirements in the battery industry
33 Part 2. Smarter Chemical Recovery in

Pulping Facilities Evaporation and crystallization
technologies have the abilty to create advantages for
pulping facilities by improving operational efficiency and
reducing waste, while simultaneously producing high-
value product streams
.In the News

5 Chementator
This heat battery is a decarbonized, ‘drop-in’ replacement
for industrial boilers; Solar clinker produced for the first
time; PFAS destruction using supercritical water; Ultra-
rapid production of battery materials using plasma technology; A
sulfur-tolerant catalyst for the deoxygenation of sulfoxides; and more
11 Business News 28
Lummus and Synthos double planned capacity of bio-butadiene
plant; Linde to build hydrogen plant for BASF in France; Eastman
completes significant expansion of tertiary amine capacity; Sabic to
purchase Clariant’s stake in Scientific Design JV; and more
13 Newsfront Corrosion Under Insulation Gets

Attention at CPI Sites Corrosion under insulation (CUI)
remains a persistent challenge at chemical process industries (CPI) 33
sites, but the issue is receiving renewed attention amid a host
of technologies, materials and methodologies for detection and
prevention of CUI
.Technical and Practical 13
26 Facts at your Fingertips Respiratory Protection

Equipment Types This one-page reference provides
information on the main categories of devices for respiratory protection
27 Technology Profile Production of L-Lysine

This one-page summary describes the industrial process for 36
generating the biologically active amino acid L-lysine from glucose
36 Feature Report Centrifugal Pumps: When to

Repair, Replace or Modify When a pump operates
inefficiently, or fails altogether, the challenge is to make the most
economical decision on how to remedy the situation. Some guidance
is provided here
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MARCH 2022 1

42 Engineering Practice An Overview of Synthetic
Filter Media Many factors will impact the performance of synthetic
filtration media, from thread-and-weave styles to drainage and coverage
considerations
.Equipment and Services

18 Focus on Flow Measurement and Control
Thermal flowmeter supports compressed air systems; SAW flowmeter with
explosion protection approval; This ultrasonic clamp-on flowmeter has new
features; Wheel flowmeter measures high-temperature oil; and more
42
21 New Products
An extractor for valorization of functional nutrients; Swing check valves for
fluegas desulfurization; This heat exchanger provides 330°F air for drying
process; This silencer helps protect workers from gas-process noises;
These bolt washers are also tension sensors; and more
18
.Departments
4 Editor’s Page A vision for chemical engineering
A recently concluded three-year study offers direction for where chemical
engineers can make the most impact over the next 30 years
48 Economic Indicators
21
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Cover image: The cover image shows a microscopic view of sodium borate crystals
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2 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MARCH 2022

Editor s Page
EDITORS DANIELLE ZABORSKI
A vision for chemical engineering
C
List Sales: Merit Direct, (914) 368-1090
DOROTHY LOZOWSKI
Editorial Director
dzaborski@meritdirect.com hemical engineering is a discipline with far-reaching and di-
dlozowski@chemengonline.com ART & DESIGN verse applications. The list of industries that employ its pro-
GERALD ONDREY (FRANKFURT) TARA BEKMAN fessionals is extensive: petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals,
Senior Editor Graphic Designer
gondrey@chemengonline.com tzaino@accessintel.com biomedical, basic and specialty chemicals, mining, agricul-
PRODUCTION
ture, energy and food-and-beverage, to name a few.
SCOTT JENKINS
Senior Editor
GEORGE SEVERINE
While the basic principles of chemical engineering remain steadfast,
sjenkins@chemengonline.com Production Manager rapid advances in technology and the evolving needs of society create
gseverine@accessintel.com
MARY PAGE BAILEY new directions and areas of focus for chemical engineers. Recently,
Senior Associate Editor INFORMATION
mbailey@chemengonline.com SERVICES
leaders from the chemical engineering community concluded a three-
GROUP PUBLISHER CHARLES SANDS
year study to outline a vision for the direction of the profession for
Director of Digital Development the next 30 years. This culminated in the report “ New Directions for
MATTHEW GRANT csands@accessintel.com
Vice President and Group Publisher, Chemical Engineering” by the National Academies of Sciences, En-
Energy & Engineering Group
mattg@powermag.com
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
gineering and Medicine (Washington, D.C.; www.nationalacademies.
AUDIENCE
SUZANNE A. SHELLEY
sshelley@chemengonline.com
org). The chair of the committee that wrote the report, Eric Kaler, presi-
DEVELOPMENT dent of Case Western Reserve University, said: “Chemical engineering
PAUL S. GRAD (AUSTRALIA)
JOHN ROCKWELL pgrad@chemengonline.com is often at the heart of solutions to many of the problems we face, but
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JENNIFER McPHAIL
Marketing Manager JOY LEPREE (NEW JERSEY)
jmcphail@accessintel.com jlepree@chemengonline.com Opportunities for chemical engineering
GEORGE SEVERINE A brief summary from the over 300-page report on areas where chemi-
Fulfillment Manager
gseverine@accessintel.com cal engineers can have the most impact in the coming years follows:
Decarbonization. Chemical engineers are making important con-
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD
tributions to address climate-change-driven efforts to lower carbon
JOHN CARSON JOHN HOLLMANN emissions through technologies that support low-carbon energy
Jenike & Johanson, Inc. Validation Estimating LLC sources, energy efficiency, carbon capture and storage, “green”
DAVID DICKEY HENRY KISTER chemistry, energy storage to support electrification and more. The
MixTech, Inc. Fluor Corp.
report recommends that federal research funding be directed to fur-
ther develop technologies that enable lower-carbon energy sources,
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Chementator
This heat battery is a decarbonized, Edited by:
Gerald Ondrey
‘drop-in’ replacement for industrial boilers
A
s the cost of renewable energy de- do’s technology does not depend on combus- 2D POLYMER
creases, many organizations are tion or phase change, and with its low-cost Chemical engineers at
looking to electrify their operations solid heating media, there is no possibility of the Massachusetts Insti-
to reduce carbon emissions. One gas or liquid being released. “The units are tute of Technology (MIT;
promising area for decarbonization is in- safe and compact, and can tie into existing fa- Cambridge; www.mit.
dustrial heating, which accounts for a large cilities the same way that existing gas- or coal- edu) have synthesized
two-dimensional sheets
fraction of global emissions. However, heat- fired boilers do today,” adds O’Donnell. Fur-
of polyaramide. The
ing networks in plants can be very complex, thermore, Rondo’s system can achieve very achievement, described
making modifications to existing configura- high temperatures (up to 1,000°C), whereas in a February issue of Na-
tions extremely costly. energy-storage systems that employ liquid ture, is said to be the first
Now, a new “heat battery” developed by salts may only reach 570°C, which limits their time a polymer has been
Rondo Energy, Inc. (Oakland, Calif.; www. use for industrial applications. grown in 2D, creating
rondo.energy) aims to provide affordable, de- The company expects to announce its first a material with unusual
carbonized process heat in a drop-in module commercial installations later this year and properties: films of the
that can be easily integrated into an existing was recently awarded $22 million in Series A material have a 2D elas-
boiler network, either to replace aging boil- funding. “We’ve made the transition from the tic modulus of 12.7 GPa
(4–6 times greater than
Variable electricity input High temperature heat storage Continuous, configurable that of bullet-proof glass)
heat output
and a 2D yield strength
Hot air
of 488 MPa (twice that
of steel). Combined with
a density that is one-
sixth that of steel, these
properties could make
Steam the material find appli-
cations as lightweight,
durable coatings for mo-
bile devices and cars, or
as building materials for
bridges and buildings.
Rondo Energy
Feed water The new material,
dubbed 2DPA-1, is made
ers or to complement those still in operation. laboratory to prototypes to first field installa- by the homogenous
“We found a way to use well-proven materials tions. These units are now industrial scale — 2D irreversible polycon-
in a new combination to build a heat battery the standard unit delivers 20 MW of steam, densation of melamine
that uses renewable electricity to deliver high- which is like a boiler that’s burning 85 million — a spontaneous self-
temperature heat by circulating air through a Btu/h,” says O’Donnell. Furthermore, be- assembly process. The
solid material to deliver hot air or high-pres- cause the units are equipped with both con- synthesized material can
then be spin-coated into
sure steam at any condition,” explains John ventional and dynamic outer insulation layers,
thin films. These films are
O’Donnell, CEO of Rondo Energy. To meet the heat losses are minimized, resulting in a 98% not only strong, but also
safety requirements of industrial plants, Ron- heat-delivery efficiency. impermeable to gases,
which would make them
Quantum-inspired computing technology useful as barrier coatings
drastically accelerates materials design for metal structures.
S
Further experiments
emiconductor materials contain nu- fujitsu.com) that is inspired by quantum tech- are underway to learn
merous ingredients in various mixing nology (but not directly using quantum ef- more about the formation
ratios, and high-performance mate- fects). Showa Denko developed an AI model mechanism of 2DPA-1, as
well as changing the mo-
rials are obtained by optimizing the for predicting the properties of semiconductor
lecular makeup to create
formulation. However, more than 1,050 theo- materials. To make the AI model computable other types of materials.
retical combinations of ingredients and mixing on Digital Annealer, Showa Denko expressed Two patents have al-
ratios need to be analyzed, so it would take the AI model as an Ising model, a statistical ready been filed on the
more than dozens of years to explore all pos- mechanical method. By simulating the Ising production process.
sible combinations of these ingredients and model on Digital Annealer, the company says
their mixing ratios with conventional artificial it has reduced the exploration time to dozens
intelligence (AI) methods, according to Showa of seconds, about 72,000 times faster than BIO-HMDA
Denko K.K. (Tokyo, Japan; www.sdk.co.jp). the time required by conventional AI meth- A partnership between
To reduce the time required for the explo- ods. The optimal formulation designed with Genomatica (San Diego,
ration, the company used high-performance the Ising model is expected to obtain semi- Calif.; www.genomatica.
com) and Covestro AG
computing technology, Digital Annealer, a do- conductor materials with 30% higher perfor-
(Leverkusen, Germany;
main-specific computer architecture devel- mance than the formulation designed with
oped by Fujitsu Ltd. (Kawasaki, Japan: www. conventional AI methods, the company says. (Continues on p. 6)
Solar clinker produced for the first time
L
www.covestro.com) has
produced the first industri- ast month, Cemex, S.A.B. de C.V. with the Synhelion solar receiver. The pilot
ally significant volumes of a (Cemex; Monterrey, Mexico; www. was installed at the Very High Concentration
plant-based version of hexa- cemex.com) and Synhelion SA (Lu- Solar Tower of IMDEA Energy, located near
methylenediamine (HMDA).
gano, Switzerland; www.synhelion. Madrid, Spain. Synhelion’s solar receiver
HMDA, traditionally derived
from petroleum, is a chemi-
com) successfully connected the clinker consists of a cavity filled with a greenhouse
cal intermediate widely used production process with the Synhelion solar gas (GHG; typically water vapor or mixtures
in the manufacture of Nylon, receiver to produce solar clinker. The mile- of H2O and CO2) flowing from the aperture
as well as in coatings and stone is a first step towards fully solar-driven towards the back of the cavity. Solar radia-
adhesives. Production of cement plants. tion coming from the 1,000-m2 field of 169
ton quantities of bio-based Clinker — a solid material used for making mirrors enters the cavity through a transpar-
HMDA from the fermenta- Portland cement — is produced by fusing ent window and is absorbed by the black
tion of sugar allows those together limestone, clay and other materi- surface of the cavity walls. The energy is
products to be produced als in a rotary kiln at temperatures nearing then thermalized and reradiated back into
more sustainably.
1,500°C. Because fossil fuels are typically the cavity to heat up the GHGs, which is
Highly efficient engineered
bacteria metabolize sugar
used to heat the kiln, they are responsible for then used as a heat-transfer fluid to deliver
and produce, in one step, an approximately 40% of direct CO2 emissions process heat for clinker production. With
aqueous solution of HMDA. of the process. Replacing fossil fuels entirely this design, record-breaking temperatures
This “broth” is worked up in with solar-thermal energy is a gamechanger above 1,500°C are achieved.
a dedicated process to pro- in the industry’s efforts to achieve carbon The pilot, which produced a few kilograms
duce HMDA that is suitable neutrality by 2050. per batch, is the first successful calcination
for polyurethane and nylon The Synhelion and Cemex R&D teams set and, more importantly, the first success-
6,6 applications. up a pilot batch-production unit to produce ful clinkerization ever achieved using only
Genomatica is developing clinker from concentrated solar radiation by solar energy. The next step this year will
the complete, integrated
connecting the clinker production process target continuous production (during day-
process to make HMDA
from renewable feed- Excess CO2 stream Separation unit time), which will be followed by
Synhelion/Cemex
stocks, along with the steps CO2 a dedicated pilot facility with a
needed to build and operate ten-fold increase in capacity. A
Receiver
a production plant, while Preheating
H2O first small-scale industrial plant
Covestro is contributing its tower
Return stream to receiver
is envisioned by 2026 and a
expertise in separating and Thermal energy full-scale industrial plant (150
purifying HMDA and testing
Sensible heat recovery stream
storage (TES) Receiver outlet
stream
MWth solar input power, 900
in polyurethane applications. Precalciner ton/d production capacity) by
Covestro has secured an 2028. The process (diagram)
option to license Genomati-
will use Synhelion’s thermal-
ca’s integrated GENO HMD Kiln
process technology for
energy storage, which will en-
commercial production.
Grate cooler able continuous operation —
Sensible heat recovery stream return even at night.
PSILOCYBIN
Vocan Biotechnologies Inc.
(Victoria, B.C., Canada; A new catalyst for the oxidative dehydration of
www.vocanbiotech.com) propane with CO2
C
has optimized its recom-
binant production system, onverting propane to propylene tivity at 550°C and compared the results
successfully testing its by oxidative dehydrogenation with with existing catalysts. They also performed
proof of concept for the bio- CO2 is an alternative route to con- a mechanistic study to understand the
synthesis of psilocybin suit- ventional propane dehydrogena- functions of the different components and
able for use in future scale- tion, but existing catalysts for this conversion found the catalyst links the propylene-form-
up. A patent application
are not very efficient. Now, in a study de- ing reaction to the deoxygenation of CO2,
has been filed. Psilocybin
is a psychedelic compound
scribed in a recent issue of Nature Cataly- and ensures the catalytic activity is specific
that is showing enormous sis, researchers at the Institute for Catalysis, to propane; water and carbon oxides are
promise in treating addic- Hokkaido University (Sapporo, Japan; www. formed as byproducts. They also found that
tion and depression. cat.hokudai.ac.jp) have developed a highly the catalyst increased the reaction rate ap-
Scientists at Vocan have efficient catalyst — a Pt-Co-In ternary nano- proximately five-fold compared to the typi-
constructed optimized DNA alloy on a ceria (CeO2) support — that exhib- cal values reported from other systems. The
sequences that can pro- its a very high catalytic activity, C3H6 selectiv- reaction produced a higher ratio of propyl-
duce enzymes replicating ity, stability and CO2-utilization efficiency. ene and utilized more CO2 at 550°C com-
the biosynthetic pathway Each of the three metals were chosen pared to previous catalysts. The stability of
used by Psilocybe mush-
for their specific properties: Pt as the main the catalyst is greatly enhanced by combin-
rooms. Vocan’s biosynthetic
process retains the stereo-
active metal due to its ability to break C–H ing the strong CO2 activation ability of the
chemistry of the natural bonds; Co for accelerating CO2 capture and alloy with the oxygen-releasing ability of the
psilocybin molecules found activation; and In to enhance the selectivity. ceria support, which facilitates Mars–van
The researchers tested the catalyst’s ac- Krevelen-type coke combustion.
(Continues on p. 8)
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PFAS destruction using supercritical water
T
he presence of per- and polyfluoro- Air cooler
alkyl substances (PFAS) in wastewa- Raw PFAS H2O2
ter and groundwater has garnered Feed tank
increased attention as a health and Salt separator

environmental issue because of their recalci- Pre treatment
(if needed)
trance and bioaccumulation. To complement
Furnace 1
Furnace 2
Furnace 3
Heat Heat
existing PFAS separation technologies, the exchanger exchanger
Concentrated
Battelle Memorial Institute (Columbus, Ohio; PFAS water tank
www.battelle.org) has developed a technol-
ogy, known as the PFAS Annihilator, for de- Sample
stroying both short- and long-chain PFAS location Reactor
compounds using supercritical water oxida- Sample

tion (SCWO). This month, the first on-site de- location Furnace 6 Furnace 5 Furnace 4
ployment of the technology has begun at a Cooling tower

Back pressure Sample location
wastewater treatment plant. NaOH
tank
regulator
Above its critical point (>374°C and >221 Gas liquid

separator
bars), water has both liquid and gas proper-
ties. The Battelle process uses water around PFAS-free
these temperatures and pressures to min- Sample
location
effluent tank
eralize a wide range of PFAS species. This Battelle Memorial Institute Heat exchanger
new SCWO technology is related to similar that can concentrate the PFAS before it is destroyed,”
processes used previously to destroy polychlorinated bi- explains Dan Longbrake, director of commercial busi-
phenyls (PCBs), but now has been optimized to destroy ness at Battelle. “To date, our focus for PFAS Annihilator
PFAS molecules. has been on aqueous wastes, such as PFAS-containing
In the process (diagram), an oxidant is introduced into wastewater or landfill leachate, but Battelle is also de-
the supercritical water reactor, and a base (NaOH) is veloping SCWO for destruction of PFAS in solid materi-
added to neutralize the hydrofluoric acid formed by the als, such as contaminated soil,” notes Longbrake. The
reactions. The PFAS Annihilator has demonstrated the technology will also be deployed to reduce or eliminate
ability to destroy 99.99% of total PFAS in various aque- stockpiles of firefighting foams, which contain high lev-
ous feeds, Battelle says, leaving inorganic salts, such as els of PFAS.
NaF and Na2SO4, as inert end-products. The PFAS Annihilator is available as a mobile unit that
“Battelle’s SCWO PFAS-destruction technology can can be transported on a trailer for episodic and demonstra-
be used alone or in combination with another process tion uses. Battelle is also constructing a larger mobile unit.
in hallucinogenic mushrooms, A sulfur-tolerant catalyst for the

which are known to have a more deoxygenation of sulfoxides
T
positive effect than the chemi-
cally synthetized counterpart. he transformation of sulfur-con- integrating phosphorus into the metal
taining molecules is an important framework using a technique known as
CARBON FIBERS reaction in organic and pharma- phosphorus-alloying. In doing so, the
The Competence Center Bio- ceutical chemistry. However, the catalytic performance of the precious
polymer Materials of the German sulfur atom strongly coordinates with metal nanoparticles is said to be greatly
Institutes of Textile and Fiber Re- the active sites of metal catalysts, sig- improved. In particular, the ruthenium
search (DITF) Denkendorf (Ger- nificantly decreasing the catalytic per- phosphide nanoparticles (Ru−P/SiO2)
many; www.ditf.de) has devel- formance. Sulfur impurities contained in exhibited a ten-times higher catalytic
oped a sustainable process for
chemical feedstocks also cause catalyst activity than Ru/SiO2. In one of the reac-
the production of carbon fibers.
The HighPerCellCarbon technol-
deactivation. Therefore, the develop- tions studied, the deoxygenation of di-
ogy is a patented process, which ment of a new sulfur-tolerant and highly phenylsulfoxide, (C6H5)2SO, over Ru-P/
has been further developed active catalyst is desired. SiO2 (with 50 bars H2 at 453K) exhibited
under the leadership of Frank To meet this need, researchers at a turnover number of 12,500 — the high-
Hermanutz, that enables carbon Osaka University (Japan; www.osaka- est to date, according to the research-
fibers based on biopolymers to u.ac.jp) have developed a highly active ers — and a yield of more than 99% for
be produced in a sustainable and durable metal-phosphide catalyst diphenyl sulfide, (C6H5)2S.
and particularly environmentally for the deoxygenation of sulfoxides into According to the researchers, this cata-
friendly process. The process in- sulfides. As described in a recent issue lyst shows wide substrate applicability and
volves the wet spinning of cellu-
of the Journal of the American Chemi- can deoxygenate structurally complex
lose fibers using ionic liquids (IL)
as direct solvents. The filament
cal Society Au, the developed catalyst drug intermediates to produce bioactive
spinning-process takes place has a high durability against sulfur-poi- sulfides in high yields. Moreover, Ru−P/
in a closed system, and the IL soning in contrast with the conventional SiO2 can promote sulfoxide deoxygen-
solvent is completely recycled. metal catalysts. ation even in the presence of a lot of sulfur-
The cellulose fibers produced The catalyst — precious metal phos- containing molecules where conventional
(Continues on p. 9) phide nanoparticles — is prepared by Ru/SiO2 is completely deactivated.
Ultra-rapid production of battery materials in this way are converted
using plasma technology directly into carbon fibers
by a low-pressure stabi-
A
lization process, followed
new ultra-rapid plasma-based pro- span of particle sizes for a single process, while
by a carbonization pro-
cess could significantly expand the also demonstrating many different chemistries cess. Petroleum-based
availability of premium materials for are possible,” notes Trinch. Currently, one of raw materials, which are
battery applications. Developed by industry’s most attractive chemistry blends is usually used in the indus-
6K, Inc. (North Andover, Mass.; www.6kinc. nickel-manganese-cobalt oxide (NMC), and trial production of carbon
com), UniMelt is a single-pass, continuous with the UniMelt process, the stoichiometry of fibers, are substituted by
process that employs a proprietary microwave the blend, as well as the final particle size, can renewable biopolymers.
torch technology to create a ball of plasma at be finely tuned by simply controlling the pro-
6,000K, which can be stretched into a large portions in the aqueous feed, as well as the E-CRACKING
production zone. The base materials for bat- process gases (such as N2 or O2) injected dur- Coolbrook Oy (Hel-
tery cathodes are dissolved in an aqueous so- ing the reaction. Beyond NMC, UniMelt is also sinki, Finland; www.cool
lution, which is sprayed into the plasma reactor expanding the exploration of additional battery brook.fi) and ABB Ltd. (Zu-
using a high-speed droplet sprayer, where the materials, such as lithium titanate (LTO), lithium rich, Switzerland; www.
water from the solution is immediately evapo- lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO) and various abb.com) have signed a
memorandum of under-
rated and captured as steam. “Then, over the silicon anodes.
standing (MoU) to com-
next 2–3 s, the battery materials travel through The company is operating two 100-ton/yr mercialize and accelerate
the production zone and the particle is synthe- UniMelt units in Pittsburgh that produce the adoption of Roto Dy-
sized. Depending on the battery chemistry, the powders for additive manufacturing, and namic Reactor (RDR) tech-
particle is either ready for use, or it may need the company is investing $35 million to nology that promises to
a 1–3-h heat treatment to complete the final scale up the process for battery applica- significantly reduce green-
product,” explains Sam Trinch, 6K’s president. tions at a dedicated facility in Massachu- house gas emissions from
This is a vast improvement over current pro- setts. “The new center will have ten manu- steam cracking of olefins.
cesses, such as coprecipitation, which can facturing systems for pilot production. By The agreement will unite
take as long as 3 d. the end of 2022, we should have roughly the two companies’ exper-
tise and create a combined
“We can process materials from 10 nm up to 200 to 300 MWh worth of active cathode
hundreds of micrometers, which is a very large materials capacity,” adds Trinch. (Continues on p. 10)
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offering of Coolbrook’s electri- Rubber electrolytes could stretch the capabilities
cally driven RDR technology
and ABB’s integrated, pre-
of solid-state batteries
A
engineered energy solutions,
new class of electrolyte aims to bridge to-roll manufacturing processes employed in
initially for use in petrochemi-
cal and chemical markets.
the performance gaps between the battery manufacturing. “Compared to other
Coolbrook’s RDR turboma- electrolytes used in conventional electrolytes, rubber electrolytes have a high
chine will be able to replace lithium-ion batteries and solid-state ionic conductivity at room temperature and
a conventional furnace by batteries. The new rubber electrolytes, devel- excellent mechanical toughness. Thus, batter-
directly imparting the rotor oped by a team of researchers from Georgia ies with rubber electrolytes can be more safely
shaft’s mechanical energy to Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech; At- operated at room temperature,” explains Lee.
the hydrocarbon fluid. This is lanta; www.gatech.edu), led by mechanical The rubber electrolyte is composed of
achieved by aerodynamic ac- engineering professor Seung Woo Lee, pro- lithium salt, a cross-linked elastomer ma-
tion through a rotating blade vide several distinctive benefits for batteries in trix (poly butyl acrylate) and a plastic crystal
flow (for more details, see
terms of safety and mechanical stability. (succinonitrile). The materials are synthesized
Chem. Eng., May 2017, p. 9).
When powered by electricity
A major drawback of conventional liquid into a 3D-structured rubber electrolyte ma-
from renewable sources, the electrolytes is their flammability, which has trix. Upon polymerization, the plastic crys-
technology completely elimi- spurred much research into solid-state bat- tal component creates 3D interconnected
nates CO2 emissions in the teries. However, explains researcher Michael pathways for lithium ion transport, enabling
steam-cracking process. Lee, solid electrolyte materials often require high ionic conductivity at room temperature,
ABB will deliver automation, complex manufacturing processes, and the while the elastomer component provides
electrification and digitaliza- materials may decompose at ambient condi- mechanical stability. The team at Georgia
tion to optimize operational tions, potentially releasing toxic chemicals. Tech has fabricated a 4-in. × 7-in. free-
processes and simplify inte- Furthermore, they exhibit low ionic conductivity standing rubber electrolyte, and is working
gration, as well as enhance
at room temperature, meaning that they often on scaling up rubber-electrolyte assembly
the energy efficiency of Cool-
brook’s solution through the
require an elevated temperature to operate, for pouch-type batteries. The team has re-
integration of ABB’s electric which may necessitate thermal management ceived funding from major battery manufac-
motors and variable-speed systems in some applications. The new rub- turer SK Innovation Co. (Seoul, South Korea;
drives. ❐ ber electrolytes are not only flame-retardant, eng.skinnovation.com) to further develop
but also can be fabricated using current roll- next-generation battery materials. n
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Business News
Plant Watch capacity, while the Pace expansion has improved
production flow, making it the world’s largest
LINEUP
Lummus and Synthos double planned
tertiary amine unit. AIR LIQUIDE
capacity of bio-butadiene plant
February 10, 2022 — Following a successful ALPEK
feasibility study last year, Lummus Technology Kemira starts up first production line for
BASF
(Houston; www.lummustechnology.com) bio-based polyacrylamide
and Synthos S.A. (Oswiecim, Poland; www. February 3, 2022 — Kemira Oyj (Helsinki, BOREALIS
synthosgroup.com) announced that their Finland; www.kemira.com) announced that
CLARIANT
new bio-butadiene technology is ready for it has started the first full-scale production of
implementation, and the companies have its newly developed polymer based on bio- EASTMAN
agreed to move into the next phase of the based feedstock — a biomass-balanced
EUROCHEM
project. Synthos has committed to building polyacrylamide. These water-soluble polymers
a plant with a capacity of 40,000 metric tons can be used in various industries, such as EXXONMOBIL
per year (m.t./yr) of bio-butadiene — twice as water, energy and papermaking. HEXION
much as the companies had originally planned.
Stamicarbon announces startup KEMIRA
Hexion to expand capacity for fire- of Brunei fertilizer plant LINDE
protection products at Montana plant February 3, 2022 — Stamicarbon BV (Sittard,
February 9, 2022 — Hexion Holdings Corp. the Netherlands; www.stamicarbon.com) LUMMUS
(Columbus, Ohio; www.hexion.com) is announced the successful startup of Brunei NOURYON
strengthening its manufacturing footprint for Fertilizer Industries’ new urea melt plant in
Brunei. With a nameplate capacity of 3,900 PPG
the ArmorBuilt fire-protection product through
an expansion of its site in Missoula, Mont. m.t./d, the plant is the largest to be licensed SABIC
Hexion previously announced two ArmorBuilt by Stamicarbon to date.
SOLVAY
capacity expansions at its Portland, Oregon
manufacturing site in 2021. The Missoula site Nouryon commissions STAMICARBON
expansion will significantly increase ArmorBuilt chelates plant in the Netherlands SYNTHOS
capacity when it comes online in late 2022. February 1, 2022 — Nouryon (Amsterdam, the
Netherlands; www.nouryon.com) completed TOTALENERGIES
Linde to build hydrogen a production facility for sustainable chelates, VEOLIA
plant for BASF in France which will double the company’s production of
February 9, 2022 — Linde plc (Guildford, U.K.; methylglycine N,N-diacetic trisodium salt (MGDA),
www.linde.com) will design, build, own and glutamic acid, N,N-diacetic tetrasodium salt
operate a new hydrogen production facility at (GLDA) and other ingredients. The startup of
Chalampé, France, effectively doubling Linde’s the new site in Herkenbosch, the Netherlands
current capacity in the Chalampé chemical park is expected in the second quarter of 2022.
where it already has one plant. This second plant The new site will complement the company’s
will supply BASF SE’s (Ludwigshafen, Germany; existing plants in China and Ohio.
www.basf.com) new hexamethylenediamine
facility, which is slated for startup in 2024. Solvay announces PVDF capacity
expansion in France
Air Liquide to build world-scale February 1, 2022 — Solvay S.A. (Brussels,
biomethane plant in Illinois Belgium; www.solvay.com) is expanding its
February 4, 2022 — Air Liquide S.A. (Paris; production capacity of polyvinylidene fluoride
www.airliquide.com) plans to construct its (PVDF) at its site in Tavaux, France. Building
largest biomethane production unit in the world on its previously announced PVDF capacity
in Rockford, Ill. The site will be designed to increase in Changshu, China, this new project
produce 380 GWh/yr of biomethane from solid- will expand Solvay’s capacity in Europe to
waste-derived biogas. It will be operational 35,000 m.t./yr, creating the largest PVDF
by the end of 2023. An additional biomethane production site in the region. This investment
production unit from another landfill is also will be completed by December 2023.
being built in Delavan, Wisconsin, and will be
operational in the second quarter of 2022. BASF to increase production capacities
for chloroformates and acid chlorides
Eastman completes significant January 31, 2022 — BASF plans to modernize
expansion of tertiary amine capacity the entire infrastructure, including the facilities
February 3, 2022 — Eastman Chemical for the production of chloroformates and acid
Co. (Kingsport, Tenn.; www.eastman.com) chlorides, at its Ludwigshafen Verbund site.
completed a significant expansion of its tertiary The measures, which are anticipated to be
amine capacity, at both its Ghent, Belgium, completed by 2025, will increase the company’s Look for more
and Pace, Florida, manufacturing sites. The capacity for these products at the site by latest news on
Ghent expansion has led to an increase in around 30%. chemengonline.com
Mergers & Acquisitions Sabic to purchase Clariant’s stake packaging in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia;
PPG to acquire Milan-based in Scientific Design JV and 576,000 m.t./yr of PET resin in
powder coatings business February 2, 2022 — Sabic (Jubail, Salalah Free Zone, Oman.
February 7, 2022 — PPG Industries, Saudi Arabia; www.sabic.com) agreed
Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.; www.ppg.com) to purchase Clariant AG’s (Muttenz, TotalEnergies and Veolia join
entered into an agreement to acquire the Switzerland; www.clariant.com) forces for biomethane production
powder coatings business of Arsonsisi, 50% stake in the companies’ 50-50 February 2, 2022 — TotalEnergies SE
an industrial coatings company based joint venture (JV), Scientific Design. (www.totalenergies) and Veolia (both
in Milan, Italy. As part of the transaction, Headquartered in New Jersey, Scientific Paris; www.veolia.com) signed an
PPG will acquire Arsonsisi’s automated, Design is a licensor of high-performance agreement to produce biomethane
small- and large-batch-capable powder process technologies and a developer from Veolia waste- and water-treatment
manufacturing plant in Verbania, Italy. of catalysts that are used in over 100 facilities operating in more than 15
plants across more than 30 countries. countries. The partners will jointly develop
EuroChem offers to acquire and co-invest in a portfolio of projects,
Borealis’ nitrogen business Alpek acquires PET sheet with the ambition to produce up to
February 3, 2022 — Borealis AG manufacturer Octal 1.5 TWh/yr of biomethane by 2025.
(Vienna, Austria; www.borealisgroup. February 2, 2022 — Alpek S.A.B. de C.V.
com) has received a binding offer from (San Pedro Garza Garcia, Mexico; www. ExxonMobil to combine its
Eurochem AG (Zug, Switzerland; alpek.com) has signed an agreement chemicals and refining companies
www.eurochemgroup.com) for the to acquire Oman-based Octal Holding February 2, 2022 — ExxonMobil
acquisition of Borealis’ nitrogen SAOC, a manufacturer of polyethylene Corp. (Houston; www.exxonmobil.
business, including fertilizer, melamine terephthalate (PET), for $620 million. com) is combining its chemical and
and technical nitrogen products. The acquisition adds over 1 million downstream companies into a new
The offer places the business on an m.t./yr of installed capacity to Alpek’s business line, ExxonMobil Product
enterprise value basis at €455 million. existing footprint, comprising: 400,000 Solutions. Effective April 1, the company
The transaction is subject to certain m.t./yr of PET sheet in Salalah Free will be organized along three business
closing conditions and regulatory Zone, Oman; 33,000 m.t./yr of PET lines: Upstream, Product Solutions
approvals, with closing expected for sheet recycling in Cincinnati, Ohio; and Low Carbon Solutions. ■
the second half of 2022. 11,000 m.t./yr of PET thermoform Mary Page Bailey
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Newsfront
Corrosion Under Insulation
Gets Attention at CPI sites
Corrosion under insulation (CUI) remains a persistent challenge at chemical process industries
facilities, but the issue is receiving renewed attention amid a host of technologies, materials
and methodologies for detection and prevention of CUI
C
orrosion of process equipment,
IN BRIEF
piping and structural elements is CORROSION
an ongoing problem at chemical KNOWLEDGE BASE
process industries (CPI) facilities ISOLATED AND
because of its potential to contribute to cat- AGGRESSIVE
astrophic failures, safety concerns and in-
CUI-RESISTANT
creased cost and effort for maintenance. The COATINGS
corrosion subcategory known as corrosion
under insulation (CUI) is a particularly difficult COATINGS AS
challenge for plants to address as industrial INSULATION
sites continue to seek efficiency gains and Acuren ALLOYING
avoid heat loss by insulating process equip-
FIGURE 1. Corrosion under insulation (CUI) is a phenom- CUI DETECTION
ment. By its nature, CUI is hidden from view,
enon that can be particularly aggressive when the pres- ADVANCEMENTS
and it can progress quickly under certain ence of moisture is combined with contaminants at a steel
circumstances. The renewed attention on surface, and so it can progress rapidly between asset
CUI has been highlighted by new coating inspection intervals
technologies and detection methods, aimed
specifically at the problem of CUI. Castenada-Lopez says the issue of corro-
sion under insulation (CUI) has been garner-
Corrosion knowledge base ing significant focus recently, because it re-
Professor Homero Castenada-Lopez, the mains a large problem for which there have
director of the National Corrosion and Mate- not generally been efficient solutions. “It’s a
rials Reliability Center at Texas A&M Univer- stubborn problem that is going to be worse
sity (College Station, Tex.; www.tamu.edu), in the future,” he says.
works with companies on improving corro- Steven Reinstadtler, infrastructure mar-
sion performance for their assets, including ket manager at Covestro LLC (Pittsburgh,
testing different materials in various environ- Penn.; www.covestro.com) and committee
ments and identifying which control actions chair with the Association for Materials Pro-
would be most effective at increasing safety tection and Performance (AMMP; Houston;
and reliability. “The ultimate goal is to avoid www.ampp.org), has also seen a renewed
all catastrophic incidents,” Castenada-Lo- focus on CUI. “In the past, any solutions for
pez says, “and when you have aging infra- CUI were extremely limited and individual
structure and assets, it requires that we be components-based,” he says, “Now, while
proactive, rather than reactive, at preventing CUI remains a significant problem, some
corrosion.” In part, that requires closing the solutions are available that do address the
current knowledge gaps and developing a issue, although they tend to be complex
deeper and more widespread understand- and involve multiple components working in
ing of corrosion,” he notes. concert, and so therefore, can be somewhat
“While most people on industrial sites expensive,” Reinstadtler comments.
have a general awareness about corrosion’s
potential impact, there remains a great need Isolated and aggressive
for improving the knowledge base on cor- CUI occurs when moisture mixes with con-
rosion, not only for chemical engineers, but taminants in a “corrosion zone” between
also for mechanical engineers and others,” the interior of the insulation and the coat-
says Castenada-Lopez. ing on the surface of the asset. “Moisture

ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF ANTICORROSION COATINGS velop, Crenshaw says. “Shutdowns
Aside from CUI prevention, another promi- with Desmodur aliphatic hardeners to create and turnarounds allow the process
nent trend in industrial coatings is the pur- a polyaspartic coating. The system is sched- equipment to be at risk for signifi-
suit of enhanced environmental performance uled be discussed in full detail at the AMMP
of anticorrosion coatings, in part by lower- conference this month.
cant corrosion, as condensation is
ing the level of volatile organic compounds The effort to reduce VOCs without compro- likely to occur at lower temperatures,
(VOCs) in the coatings and also by using bio- mising on anticorrosion performance has also and that moisture will later boil on
based materials. been taken up by BASF SE (Ludwigshafen, the steel surface when temperatures
Covestro’s Reinstadtler explains: “over the Germany; www.basf.de). Although solvent- rise” (Figure 2). Steam-out cleaning
past few years, substantial VOC reductions borne systems are still prominent in many and processes that normally experi-
have been achieved for coatings that are de- direct-to-metal (DTM) coating applications,
ence temperature swings are other
signed for more aesthetic purposes, and that water-based binders are increasing in popu-
don’t place such a premium on durability, larity because of the lower VOC profile offered
examples of situations that can lead
such as architectural and decorative paints. by waterborne systems, as well as their ability to conditions that promote CUI.
But the push for lower-VOC coatings had to combine the physical characteristics of a
not extended to the same degree to indus- top-coat system and a primer in one layer, CUI-resistant coatings
trial protective coatings until now, because reducing time and cost of application. BASF Over the last decade, Sherwin-Wil-
the need for performance and durability was says “coatings formulators have struggled to liams has made numerous improve-
so high.” obtain the same levels of performance with
Now, regulators at the state and federal
ments to a silicone-based, inert
waterborne DTM coatings,” so the company
levels are taking a tougher look at lowering developed Acronal Pro 770, “a new acrylic multipolymeric matrix (IMM) coating
VOC requirements for industrial coatings, high-performance binder with improved cor- aimed at preventing CUI on pro-
and possibly de-listing solvents that are cur- rosion protection compared to other one- cess equipment due to its resistance
rently exempt from VOC limits. As a result, component binders at the same DFT.” to thermal shock and cycling. The
coatings manufacturers are investing a lot of The “greening” of corrosion coatings extends company’s Heat Flex 1200 coating is
development effort toward making formula- to efforts to increase the bio-based content currently in its third generation, and
tions that will address anticipated lowering of in coatings formulations as an alternative to
VOC levels and elimination of some exempt petroleum-derived components. In that area,
most recently, the company added
solvents for industrial coatings. VOC and sol- Covestro has developed Desmodur eco N, an a curing additive to the formulation
vent discussions relative to industrial coat- aliphatic hardener containing 71% bio-based for improved mechanical protection.
ings are happening now with the California content. “It’s the first new aliphatic hardener in Sherwin-Williams says the Heat Flex
Air Resources Board and the South Coast 30 years,” says Covestro’s Reinstadtler. While 1200 IMM product met the most
Air Quality Management District, Reinstadtler it was originally designed for the automotive stringent pass criteria for oil-and-gas
says, and will extend to other regulatory bod- sector, Desmodur eco N is now being evalu-
ies in the future.
atmospheric systems and resisting
ated for other sectors, he says.
An example is the recent development by The Desmodur eco N hardener is used stress corrosion cracking in acceler-
Covestro of a new technology using polyas- with typical polyurethane resins. “It’s close ated CUI simulation testing with no
partic resins and unique aliphatic hardeners to being a drop-in replacement for a tradi- cracking, flaking or rusting occurring
for anti-corrosion topcoats. Designed to tional aliphatic hardener — there are similar before 265°C (509°F).
“future-proof” the product line by meeting properties in the final coating,” Reinstadtler Another recent advancement in
anticipated future regulations on lower VOCs says. Besides polyurethane clearcoats for the company’s silicone-based anti-
and the delisting of exempt solvents, the new the automotive sector, Covestro is testing
coating contains less than 100 g/L VOCs the bio-based aliphatic hardener for other
corrosion coating line is the addition
and does not use any exempt solvents, low-VOC applications, such as corrosion- of micaceous iron oxide (MIO) flakes
Reinstadtler says, explaining that the tech- resistant, light-stable topcoats for steel in- to the Heat Flex 1200 coating.
nology is a two-component system using frastructure, as well as roof and industrial “The MIO flakes form a layered
Desmophen NH polyaspartic resins reacted concrete floor coatings.  barrier that blocks moisture, oxygen
and other elements from penetrating
mixed with contaminants frequently fied between inspection intervals, he the coating and also deflects ultra-
enters this area through small gaps explains (Figure 1). Also, engineers violet (UV) rays to minimize coating
in the insulation system’s cladding,” often fail to take into account that
explains Thomas Crenshaw, the process equipment will experience
downstream facilities subject matter upset conditions, which may include
expert at Sherwin-Williams’ (Cleve- temperature spikes that exceed the
land, Ohio; www.sherwin-williams. applied coating’s exposure limits,
com) protective and marine division. causing the material to crack or blis-
“The moisture and contaminants be- ter. Planning ahead and specifying
come trapped in the corrosion zone more robust materials to accommo-
and face thermal cycling, eventually date potential spikes is helpful, Cren-
causing CUI,” he says. shaw says.
CUI is a particularly vexing prob- Heat-cycling and large tempera-
lem for plant personnel for several ture swings are important factors in Sherwin-Williams
reasons, according to Crenshaw. CUI. The temperature swings don’t

FIGURE 2. Heat-cycling is an important factor in
When CUI occurs, it is typically in cause corrosion by themselves, but causing CUI, because it can lead to condensation,
isolated locations and especially they cause coatings to crack and which introduces moisture into the corrosion
aggressive, so it may not be identi- age rapidly, allowing corrosion to de- zone at the component surface

Sherwin-Williams
degradation from sunlight,” explains against corrosion. This can extend
Crenshaw. “Considering the plate- maintenance intervals and minimize
like structure of the MIO pigment, it the risk of unexpected shutdowns,”
creates a very difficult path for water the company says.
to permeate the coating and reach HI-TEMP 1027HD coating also
the substrate.” protects coated pipes, parts and
Sherwin-Williams has also recently assemblies in changing ambient
completed testing on the inclusion of temperature conditions. This is criti-
MIO flakes in other coatings, some cal during shipping, because these
of which have shown promise for components are commonly trans-
CUI resistance. Among them is a ported between continents and FIGURE 3. An industrial anticorrosion coating
high-temperature epoxy phenolic exposed to months of rain, snow, under development by Sherwin-Williams serves
— a two-component, amine-cured ultraviolet (UV) light and other envi- as its own insulation. Infrared imaging, like the
one shown here, illustrates the heat-retention
lining with excellent resistance to ronmental hazards, PPG notes. ability of the coating where it is applied (blue
chemicals and hydrocarbons that color) compared to where it is not (red-orange
showed promise in the laboratory Coatings as insulation color)
as a CUI mitigator, achieving a maxi- A different approach addressing CUI
mum temperature rating of 205°C, is to eliminate the “corrosion zone” monolithic barrier that bonds to the
the company says. Also, a MIO-filled between an asset’s coating and the surface of the asset, leaving no gaps
high-temperature epoxy based on interior of traditional insulations, such or corrosion zone for moisture to get
flake-filled advanced alkylated amide as mineral wool. A new coating now close to the substrate.
technology resisted CUI in tempera- undergoing trials at Sherwin-Wil- The newly developed insulative
tures ranging from cryogenic levels liams has the potential to eliminate coating allows for a maximum tem-
to 200°C (392°F). CUI altogether in many applications perature exposure of 177°C (350°F)
“While MIO-enhanced coatings by acting as its own insulation, thus with excursions to 205°C (400°F)
haven’t been historically viewed as alleviating the need for traditional permitted, plus a higher temperature
a solution for CUI in various opera- insulation. The coating creates a limit anticipated in the future, ac-
tions, successful laboratory tests for
the coatings noted above give the in-
dustry hope for better CUI mitigation
tools when assets require external
insulation systems,” Crenshaw says.
Another CUI coating option fo-
cused on resisting temperature cy-
cling comes from PPG Industries
Inc. (Pittsburgh, Pa.; www.ppg.com).
Last year, PPG launched its HI-TEMP
1027HD coating into the North
American market. The coating is de-
scribed as a next-generation, ambi-
ent-cure coating engineered for chal-
lenging CUI conditions. PPG says the
product is “a high-build coating that
offers dry-film thickness of 10 to 12
mils in a one-coat application.” The
HI-TEMP 1027HD coating provides
“excellent protection” against cor-
rosion on pipes, vessels and con-
struction parts when plants are in
operation, the company says. The
highly durable coating is formulated
to withstand severe temperature cy-
cles ranging from –320°F (–196°C) to
1,000°F (540°C), and resists dry ex-
posure with intermittent temperature
peaks of up to 1,200°F (650°C). “Be-
cause of its hardness and resistance
to thermal shock and cycling, PPG
HI-TEMP 1027HD coating more ef-
fectively protects these critical assets

Acuren
LABOR ISSUES well, including an applica-
Covestro’s Reinstadtler commented on a tion process that is not af-
non-technology-related aspect to the corro-
fected by high humidity and
sion protection field that has to do with per-
sonnel. “There’s a profound labor shortage
requires minimal surface
of both skilled and unskilled labor surround- preparation, and no con-
ing the corrosion coatings field,” he says. cerns about VOCs and haz-
And the labor shortage is connected to a ardous air pollutants.
drive for higher-durability coatings.
Although polyaspartic (an aliphatic poly- CUI detection
urea) technology has been around for
awhile, it is now playing an increasing role
advancements
because of its potential ability to help save Another dimension in ad-
labor. Polyaspartic resins are similar to dressing the problem of CUI
aliphatic polyurethanes, but they have an at industrial sites is its de-
amine that reacts faster than existing res-
FIGURE 4. Technicians use non-destructive testing to detect tection on in-service equip-
ins, so coatings based on polyaspartics the presence of moisture, an indication of where CUI may be ment, piping and structural
cure faster, Reinstadtler says. With this type a problem elements at a plant site.
of technology, less time is required between
coats, and it can be applied thicker, so
tally different approach to corrosion Technological improvements
there are fewer coats required. Often, one prevention that involves the forma- in the methods and instruments that
coat can be eliminated while still fulfilling tion of an inert passivated layer at detect the presence of CUI are also
the coating-system thickness specification. the carbon-steel surface. Rather making their way to plant sites.
This saves on labor needs. “Polyaspartics than applying a polymeric coating, Brian Anderson, director of ad-
are one of the fastest-growing classes of the EonCoat system chemically vanced technologies at the materi-
topcoats right now,” he says. 
bonds with iron at the component’s als testing company Acuren Group
surface to create a protective layer Inc. (Webster, Tex.; www.acuren.
cording to Sherwin-Williams’ Cren- of iron-magnesium-phosphate com- com), says companies are starting
shaw. “This higher thermal perfor- pounds that are inert, explains Eon- to accept the need to invest in com-
mance rating means the coating can Coat founder Tony Collins. prehensive CUI programs to avoid
be used on a wide range of heated On top of this protective alloy layer, costly failures. Among the keys to
assets, enabling owners to forgo EonCoat creates a layer of ceramic such a program is ensuring physical
traditional insulation systems and material made of phosphates and access to the assets on the part of
eliminate the issue of CUI in more silicates. “If the alloy layer gets dam- technicians. Acuren has pioneered
applications,” he says. Further, the aged, this ceramic will leach a little innovative methods to allow roped
coating’s thermal performance is re- phosphate onto the steel and fix the access by technicians to inspect and
tained over time, in contrast to tradi- alloy layer,” Collins says, adding that test process equipment, pipes, stor-
tional insulation systems, which lose the healing mechanism lasts for the age tanks and structures.
performance when they become life of the asset. Once the equipment is accessible,
laden with moisture, he adds. After first introducing a coating for instruments for non-destructive test-
Sherwin-Williams has based the atmospheric corrosion a decade ago, ing (NDT), such as real-time radiog-
new coating on existing products EonCoat more recently introduced a raphy (RTR) and moisture detection
designed for CUI, but the coating is variation of the coating that is specifi- imaging, become critical. “For CUI
applied much thicker than any other cally designed for CUI. EonCoat CUI/ testing, RTR is really taking off at the
now on the market, Crenshaw re- High-Temperature Coating is similar moment,” Anderson says. In RTR,
marks — up to 10 mm dry-film thick- in principle to the original product, X-ray radiation is used to generate
ness in one or two coats, plus a top- but contains additives to resist ther- digital images of the outer profile of
coat to seal and smooth the finish. mal shock, Collins points out. equipment that is covered by insula-
“At that thickness, the coating retains Use of the EonCoat CUI coat- tion, without the need to remove any
heat similarly to traditional insulation, ing product has expanded recently, insulation. For example, RTR can de-
as proven in forward-looking infrared spurred by positive results from tect changes to the outer diameter of
(FLIR) imaging taken on a ground field testing by Chevron Corp. (San a pipe that might indicate corrosion.
storage tank being tested with the Ramon, Calif.; www.chevron.com). Acuren is currently developing new
coating,” Crenshaw says (Figure 3). Chevron tested the EonCoat CUI versions of its radiography instru-
coating at its Pascagoula, Miss. pe- ments with enhanced capabilities for
Alloying troleum refinery and found that the measuring insulation surfaces that
In a marked departure from other EonCoat system prevented CUI on are aimed at increasing the speed
anticorrosion approaches using or- surfaces that had been intentionally and effectiveness of testing while re-
ganic coatings to prevent moisture scratched and mechanically dam- ducing costs, Anderson says.
from contacting a component sur- aged after 335 hours of exposure to Since the presence of water is a
face, the company EonCoat LLC salt fog. prerequisite for CUI, NDT methods
(Fuquay-Varina, N.C.; www.eon- Collins says the EonCoat system that can detect moisture, such as
coat.com) has taken a fundamen- also offers other advantages as Compton backscatter, can be used.
DIGITALIZATION INCREASES THE NEED FOR COATINGS THAT reveal locations that might be sus-
PROTECT ELECTRONICS ceptible to CUI, Anderson says.
Digital transformation initiatives are increas- HZO is developing new coating materi- As part of its comprehensive CUI
ing the need for corrosion resistance of elec- als, as well as application processes and
tronic components. “Connected devices re- equipment for coating components, such
program, Acuren has also developed
quire more reliability when deployed in harsh as printed circuit boards for computers. Last a proprietary method for moisture
environments,” says Ryan Moore, market- year, the company received ISO 9001 certifi- detection using the Compton back-
ing manager for HZO Inc. (Morrisville, N.C.; cation for its facility in Vietnam. scatter method, known as Moisture
www.hzo.com). Moore’s company is devel- Dow Inc. (Midland, Mich.; www.dow.com) Detection Imaging (MDI). Acuren
oping a range of nano-engineered coatings recently introduced Dowsil CC-2588, a tough, MDI does not require any insulation
for protecting electronic components from abrasion-resistant conformal coating de-
corrosion. These coatings allow compact
removal and can scan large areas
signed to protect printed circuit boards from
electronics to be coated with thinner layers. humidity and corrosion. The silicone-based
rapidly to confirm the presence of
“Conventional coatings may provide reli- coating has “extremely low” VOC content and moisture without being affected by
ability, but they must be applied in thick lay- cures at room temperature. “While traditional temperature conditions.
ers to allow a product to be truly depend- silicones offer good resistance to humidity Remotely operated aerial drones
able. So, the sheer thinness of the coatings and chemicals, they may lack abrasion resis- are also becoming important tools for
are an important performance character- tance because of their rubbery nature,” Dow screening for and assessing CUI at
istic,” Moore says. Nanoscale engineering says. “However, Dow’s new DOWSIL mate-
also allows for more customization because
industrial sites. Jennifer Dowdle, ma-
rial, once cured, is comparable to other resin
more materials can be used, he adds. conformal coatings in terms of toughness.  terials engineer and senior inspector
at Acuren, says that while drones will
not be suitable for all situations, they
As X-rays hit an object, some are with the lower-atomic-number ma- have been used by Acuren to carry
absorbed, producing a transmission terials scattering more strongly than out initial assessments of assets for
X-ray image, and others are scat- the higher-numbered ones, Hydro- CUI. In those cases, the drones were
tered (Compton scattering). Back- gen, being a low atomic number, re- outfitted with infrared thermography
scatter images are formed from the turns higher Compton backscatter, sensors and ultrasonic probes for
X-rays that are scattered back to- so areas that have higher levels of performing follow-up thickness mea-
ward the X-ray source. Compton hydrogen (from water) can indicate surements, she says. n
scattering is material-dependent, the presence of moisture and can Scott Jenkins
Mass Flow Meters / Controllers
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Flow Measurement & Control
Thermal flowmeter supports suited for measuring the flows of
compressed-air systems conductive liquids, as well as for
FS10i Series compressed-air flow- volume measurement of water and
meters (photo) helps users improve corrosive liquids (Promag W/H/D
productivity by measuring accu- 10), and chemically aggressive flu-
rately and quickly detecting system ids (Promag P 10). Promass K 10
leaks, which improves overall pro- Coriolis flowmeters measure the
cess quality while simultaneously mass flow of both liquids and gases
reducing system energy costs. in utilities, with minimal operating
The compact FS10i flowmeter se- costs to maintain the flowmeter.
ries measures the flowrate of com- Proline 10 provides optimum prod-
pressed air, air and natural gas. uct quality and process monitoring
They are accurate to ±1.5% of measurements via the simultaneous
reading; ±0.5% of full scale; with measurement of additional process
repeatability of ±0.5% of reading; variables. In addition to mass flow,
Fluid Components International
and have a response time of 4 s. Promass K 10 also measures vol-
They are SIL-2 rated for safety in- ume flow, temperature and option-
strumented system (SIS) critical ally density. — Endress+Hauser,
processes. Providing precise direct Greenwood, Ind.
mass-flow measurement, the FS10i www.us.endress.com
flowmeters require no additional
pressure or temperature sensors This ultrasonic clamp-on
or other components to infer flow flowmeter has new features
measurement. Their sealed and The ultrasonic clamp-on flowmeter
no-moving-parts sensor does not Optisonic 6300 (photo) is now avail-
foul or clog, and requires no routine able with new designed stainless-
maintenance, which ensures years steel sensor rails and an enhanced
of trouble-free, continuous opera- signal converter for quick and easy
tion. — Fluid Components Interna- setup. The ultrasonic clamp-on
Endress +Hauser tional, San Marcos, Calif. flowmeter is suitable for temporary
www.fluidcomponents.com or permanent-mount installation on
virtually any pipe up to DN4000,
A new line of flowmeter with process temperatures up to
measures more than just flow 200°C. It allows for flow measure-
The Proline 10 product family ment of non-conductive liquids in
(photo) provides time and money main and utility applications where
savings over the entire product inline measurement is not possible
lifecycle without any limitation on or desirable. The new stainless-
measurement performance. Every steel 316L sensor rails are designed
device is tested on accredited and for quick, easy and accurate in-
traceable calibration rigs per ISO/ stallations and can be mounted to
IEC 17025. Proline 10 provides a any pipe within minutes. The same
high level of simplicity, safety and rail type can be used in hazardous
Krohne Messtechnik
reliability. Both commissioning and areas, in extended temperature ap-
operation can be done quickly, plications, in harsh conditions like
in the field, as well as in the con- offshore environments, or as IP68/
trol room. A commissioning wizard NEMA 6P version in submerged ap-
enables on-site configuration with plications. — Krohne Messtechnik
either the auto-rotatable and high- GmbH, Duisburg, Germany
contrast LCD touch screen, or the www.krohne.com
SmartBlue app via Bluetooth. The
latter approach is particularly use- SAW flowmeter with explosion
ful when devices are installed in protection approval
difficult-to-access locations. Proline This company’s FLOWave flowme-
10 flowmeters cover a wide range ters (photo) are now approved for
of basic applications in all kinds of use in potentially explosive atmo-
industries. Proline Promag elec- spheres. Hygienic measurement
Bükert Fluid Control Systems tromagnetic flowmeters are ideally without media contacting sensor
elements in the tube is thus also transducers mounted on the out-
possible in Ex zones with flamma- side of the pipe. Fluxus F/G831 has
ble solvents, such as alcohols, for two intrinsically safe (Ex-ia) process
the production of pharmaceutical inputs for connecting pressure and
products, spirits, semiconductors temperature sensors. This allows
and paints. For a reliable process, the transmitter to directly determine
quality and production guidelines the output mass flow or standard
must be observed and production volumetric flowrate. The new se-
parameters documented, even ries of instruments has been devel-
with frequent product changes. oped for demanding measurement
The FLOWave flowmeter Type tasks in challenging environments.
8098 is offered as an ATEX-cer- Inside the hermetically sealed en-
tified version up to Ex zone 2 for closure, a digital signal processor
production processes in poten- ensures the highest measurement
AW-Lake
tially explosive atmospheres. The performance. The integrated dis-
flowmeter operates according to turbance correction ensures good
the surface acoustic wave (SAW) measurement accuracy, even at
method. With this measuring prin- unfavorable measuring points. Fur-
ciple, there are no dead legs or thermore, the high-performance
sensor elements in the measuring processor supports fast switching
tube. The clean- and steam-in- between two measuring channels.
place-capable flowmeters can thus Synchronized channel averaging
be cleaned just as easily as normal enables immediate compensation
pipelines. — Bürkert Fluid Control of measured value fluctuations re-
Systems, Huntersville, N.C. sulting from disturbances of the
www.burkert.com flow profile due to turbulence or
difficult inlet conditions. — Flexim
Wheel flowmeter measures GmbH, Berlin, Germany Flexim
high-temperature oils www.flexim.com
The TRP Pelton Wheel high-tem-
perature turbine flowmeter (photo)
is designed to monitor and control
the cooling and process efficiency
of high- and ultra-high-temperature
oil used in heating and cooling cir-
cuits. With accuracies of 2.5% and
repeatability of 0.5%, the device
provides cost-effective measure-
ment of oil volume flowrates in
heating and cooling circuits, even
in applications with contaminated
or extremely hot media. Four
flow ranges are offered across all
meter sizes from ½ to 1 in.: 75 to
7.5 gal/min, 2.5 to 25 gal/min, 4
to 40 gal/min and 8 to 75 gal/min.
Media temperature range for non-
Ex zones is –76 to 662°F and –4°F
to 464°F for Ex zones. The meters
can tolerate operating pressures up
to 290 psi and has a 303 stainless-
steel housing. — AW-Lake Co.,
Oak Creek, Wis.
www.aw-lake.com
Explosion-proof flowmeter for

liquids, gases and steam
The Fluxus F/G831 ultrasonic flow-
meter (photo) measures liquids,
gases and steam and is approved
for operation in ATEX/IECEx Zone
1. The flow measurement is carried
out non-intrusively with ultrasonic For details visit adlinks.chemengonline.com/82579-10

A compact, ultrasonic fered by the IQ3 SET is appropriate
liquid flowmeter/controller for legacy actuators on sites that
The new, compact ES-Flow ultra- have non-integral starters (known
sonic flowmeter/controller Series as SyncroSET). The IQ3 SET fea-
ES-113C (photo) was designed for ture facilitates obsolescence man-
the OEM market to measure or dose agement and future-proofs plants
without affecting the plant infra-
structure. It is a bridge between
legacy products (stretching back
to this company’s A-Range actua-
tors) and investment in the latest
actuation technology. It is compat-
ible with existing site cabling and
control systems, so there is no
need for new cabling and associ-
ated costs. There is minimal down-
time during upgrades. The IQ3 SET
option works with and supports
Bronkhorst High-Tech
the features of older versions, with
low-volume flows with high preci- seamless integration into existing
sion, high linearity and low pressure plant architecture and no need to
drop. Liquid flows from 2 up to 1,500 change existing cables or control
mL/min can be measured using ul- systems. IQ3 SET allows access
trasound in a small-bore tube. This to the many benefits an IQ3 brings
technology is independent of fluid to modern plant and network de-
density, temperature and viscosity,
so the instrument does not require
recalibration when switching fluids.
Thanks to the combination of a
straight sensor tube with zero dead
volume and transducers positioned
at the outer surface, the flowmeter
is self-draining and easy to clean.
Wetted parts are made of stain-
less steel, and the exterior design Rotork Plc.
is rated to IP66/IP67. The on-board
proportional-integral-derivative (PID) sign, operation and maintenance,
controller can be used to drive a ensures continuous reliability, con-
control valve or pump. This makes nectivity and performance, and of-
it possible to establish a complete, fers advanced IQ3 functionality. In-
compact control loop. Moreover, serting IQ3 technology into a legacy
the instrument features various system also brings the benefits of
fieldbus options, customizable I/O improved connectivity and service
functions and temperature as sec- support through the wider Lifetime
ondary output. — Bronkhorst High- Management program. — Rotork
Tech B.V., Ruurlo, the Netherlands Plc., Bath, U.K.
www.bronkhorst.com www.rotork.com n
Gerald Ondrey
New actuator enables
backwards compatibility
Lifetime Management, the service
and maintenance program from
this company, has been enhanced Written for engineers,
by the launch of IQ3 SET (photo), by engineers
offering backwards compatibility to February
2015
To subscribe or
the 1960s. Lifetime Management www.chemen
gers:
Heat Exchan Report
Two-Part Feature
gonline.com
learn more about

helps users manage the risk associ-
02 Advances
in 3-D Printing
membership,
Fundamentals
l
Focus on Industria
Housekeeping
oF HigH-sHear
ated with ageing assets. It includes

dispersers
please visit
• Heat excHangers
Fingertips:
Facts at Your Numbers
Dimensionless
Valves for
tiered maintenance options, up- www.chemengonline.

Extreme Service
als of
Fundamentr Dispersers
High-Shea
grade services, planned shutdown page 40
com/subscribe
Vol. 122 No.
support and life cycle services.

2 february
2015
The backwards compatibility of- www.chemengonline.com


40642 CHE House Ads Resize.indd 1 2/11/22 4:12 PM
New Products
Introducing a large mill- shut-off is ensured by a rubber-lined
discharge slurry pump valve disc without rotating parts
The MDM900 mill-discharge slurry and without extensions through the
pump (photo) is the latest addition to body wall. Because all wetted parts
this company’s flagship Mill Discharge are rubber-lined, they are highly re-
(MD) Pump Series. The MDM900 is sistant to corrosion and abrasion,
designed for heavy-duty use in con- such as in fluegas-cleaning systems.
centrator plants, where capacity and The swing check valves are fluid-
wear-resistance are essential. The controlled, which means their func-
MDM900 is an all-metal, thick-walled, tionality cannot be manipulated from
extra heavy-duty pump designed for the outside. In low flowrates — that Metso Outec
extremely arduous mill-duty applica- may occur when operating variable

tions. The advanced design of the speed pumps — the valve disc re-
MDM900 enables minimized slurry mains stable in its position and does
velocities in the pumps, thus reduc- not tend to chatter. With their stream-
ing the rate of wear significantly. This lined design, the flow resistance
translates to increased uptime and of these valves is up to 45% below
productivity, says the company. The that of alternative check-valve types.
pump delivers flowrates up to 13,500 The valve can be mounted in either a
m³/h (60,000 gal/min) with heads up horizontal or a vertical position. The
to 40 m (132 ft). Its impeller has a di- bodies made of nodular cast iron are
ameter of 2,100 mm (83 in.) and an available in nominal sizes 25 to 300
Andritz
inlet size of 900 mm (36 in.) — Metso and designed for a nominal pressure
Outotec Corp., Helsinki, Finland of 16 bars. — Sisto Armaturen S.A.,
www.mogroup.com Echternach, Luxemburg
www.sisto-aseptic.com
An extractor for valorization of
functional nutrients This silencer helps protect
The Turbex extractor (photo) helps workers from gas process noise
to produce high-quality extracts from The Fisher WhisperTube Modal At-
botanicals and natural products and tenuator (photo) was introduced
to turn waste, such as orange peel recently for noisy gas or vapor ap-
or brewer’s spent grain (BSG), into plications. The modal attenuator is a
revenue-generating nutrients. This full-bore device offering 15-dB sound
patented extraction technology uses suppression to reduce noise inside Sisto Armaturen
a series of rotors and stators to cause pipes produced by sources up-
thousands of cavitation events per stream, such as control valves, pres-
second, resulting in higher yields in sure-relief valves, pumps, compres-
shorter processing times. Assisted sors and other devices that generate
by a counter-current process, Turbex noise. It is installed downstream of
delivers yields up to 50% higher than these types of devices in place of a
conventional systems, says the com- pipe spool piece, generates no addi-
pany. The low extraction temperature tional pressure drop and has no im-
combined with the short processing pact on process flow. WhisperTube
time improves the product quality devices are offered in sizes from 2 to
since oxidization of valuable poly- 12 in., with AMSE flange ratings of
phenols and antioxidants is avoided. Class 150, 300 and 600. Pressure Emerson Automation Solutions
Requiring up to 30% less energy than ratings match the flange rating sizes,
conventional extraction methods, and the maximum temperature is
Turbex is said to have a faster return 700°F. — Emerson Automation
on investment and less environmental Solutions, Marshalltown, Iowa
impact. — Andritz AG, Graz, Austria www.emerson.com
www.andritz.com
This heat exchanger provides
Swing check valves for 330°F air for drying process
fluegas desulfurization The custom designed three-stage
The maintenance-free RSK swing heat exchanger (photo) will be used
check valves (photo) offer a high to increase temperature of a 25,000
functional reliability because a tight std. ft3/min airflow from 50°F to Xchanger

330°F using 145 psig steam. Each A pair of evaporators for
stage is nearly 7 ft tall and 8 ft wide. well plates
Heated air will be used to dry crumb The TurboVap 96 Dual (photo) is a
rubber during processing. The design second-generation well plate evapo-
uses seven identical internal cores, rator system with two separate, and
each with two stacked steam circuits. independently controlled evaporation
— Xchanger Inc., Hopkins, Minn. compartments. The TurboVap 96 Dual
www.xchanger.com has been designed to support en-
hanced well-plate evaporation within
These bolt washers are also the sample-preparation workflow.
tension sensors With its unique two-in-one functional-
TensionPro
This company has introduced a ity, users can run the same method on
range of ultra-low profile bolt-load two plates simultaneously, or two inde-
washers that is ideal for bolt-load pendent evaporations, essentially dou-
and tensioner tool calibration. Called bling throughput. The capability to act
TensionDisc (photo), the washers are as two single units and a dual enables
specially designed load sensors that laboratories an opportunity to bal-
monitor bolt loads in bolted joint as- ance their evolving sample throughput
semblies. A simple handheld reader needs. TurboVap 96 Dual is dedicated
with a wired or infrared connection to the evaporation of solvents in 24,
allows for simple reading of the bolt 48, or 96 well-plate-array formats. The
load. These data can be exported system can evaporate solvent levels
via USB to a PC. Optional connec- from microliters up to 10 mL per well.
tivity options allow for multiple uses The system applies user controlled
of the data. Accurate and reliable for heated nitrogen from the top, while
long-term use, as well as very easy simultaneously heating the bottom of
Nord Gear to set up, TensionDisc is available the well plate by convection. Evapo-
for bolt sizes M20 to M72 (and inch rated solvent vapors are contained and
equivalents). Special designs are also evacuated under negative pressure. —
available on request. — TensionPro, Biotage GB Ltd., Ystrad Mynach, U.K.
Norton Canes, U.K. www.biotage.com
www.tensionpro.co.uk
A compact controller with
Condition monitoring for integrated I/Os
optimizing drive systems The Compact Controller 100 (photo) is
Condition monitoring for predictive a small controller with integrated input/
maintenance (photo) is a drive solu- outputs (I/Os) that is suited for smaller
tion that focuses on status-oriented automation solutions. Thanks to its
maintenance rather than traditional design as a DIN-rail built-in installation
time-based maintenance. Status and device according to DIN 43880, the
drive data are recorded periodically new controller can also be mounted
or continuously via the program- in small distribution boards. The I/O
mable logic controller (PLC) output unit is housed with the controller in
Biotage parameters and can be viewed or a compact enclosure, so it requires
saved to a local dashboard via an no additional space for other control
Industrial Ethernet protocol such as components. The wiring interface is
EtherNet/IP. The collected data are removable, which is advantageous
analyzed and used to detect any for installation and facilitating device
suboptimal operating conditions replacement. The Compact Control-
so that machines and systems can ler 100 can be freely programmed ac-
be proactively maintained, and un- cording to IEC 61131 with CODESYS
planned downtimes can be avoided. V3. Extensive IEC libraries and macros
In addition to digital and analog sen- simplify the process of creating appli-
sors that monitor internal values, the cations. The compact controller uses
drives can also evaluate external a real-time Linux operating system
conditions with temperature and vi- and supports standard fieldbus pro-
bration sensors. — Nord Gear Corp., tocols. — WAGO GmbH & Co. KG,
WAGO
Waunakee, Wis. Minden, Germany
www.nord.com www.wago.com
Modular plug connectors for outward through the radial channels.
use in hazardous areas Every pass through the rotor/stator
This company has launched a new exposes the product to tremendous
generation of plug connectors with shear due to the combination of very
www.ekato.com
the Ex e and Ex d types of protection tight tolerances and extremely high
for quick connection of explosion- tip speeds. Compared to traditional
colloid mills, the X-Series routinely
R. Stahl
achieves a higher reduction in droplet
or agglomerate size, says the com-
pany. — Charles Ross & Son Com-
pany, Hauppauge, N.Y.
www.mixers.com
Fire-rated buildings for

storing chemicals
The new Rack Fire Protect (RFP)
protected electrical equipment. As buildings (photo) are fire-rated for
a solution that is particularly easy to 2 h at 2,192°F (1,000°C), minimiz-
mount and maintain, the modularly ing the risk of fire spreading within
designed miniCON series (photo) of- the workplace. Designed in Ger-
fers a wide range of options, which many and proven in hundreds of
can be designed for in-line connec- installations worldwide, they are
tion of portable control systems,
Denios
electrical systems, moving machines
and drives, as well as camera and
human-machine interface (HMI) sys-
tems. The eight-pole plugs and cou-
plings are designed for cable cross-
sections from 0.25 to 2.5 mm². — R. now manufactured in the U.S. for
SOLUTIONS FOR
Stahl AG, Waldenburg, Germany
www.r-stahl.com
North American installations. The
buildings provide safe and legally
CRYSTALLIZATION
compliant storage of flammable
Ultra-high shear mixer for and corrosive chemicals. Adjust-
EFFICIENT SUSPENDING
sanitary applications able racking provides the flexibility WITH GENTLE TREATMENT
to store up to forty-eight drums
Charles Ross & Son Company or twelve intermediate-bulk con- OF CRYSTALS

tainers (IBCs). Single or double-
tiered designs keep dangerous HIGHLY EFFICIENT DESIGN
n
chemicals organized and correctly
separated. RFP buildings are built
LOW SHEAR MIXING
n
in accordance with FM Approval EXCELLENT ENGINEERING
n
6049, NFPA, OSHA, EPA-CFR 40,
NBCC, NFCC and ETA/21/0642. — SUPPORT
Denios, Inc. Louisville, Ky. PROCESS GUARANTEE
n
www.denios-us.com
Container mixer sets new

The Model HSM-409XSHD-125 standards in safety, productivity
Catch up on our current workshop
(photo) is a clean-in-place (CIP)-ca- The CMQ container mixer (photo,
and seminar program:
pable sanitary mixer featuring a type p. 24) supplies a product that
316 stainless-steel mixing chamber, a meets the requirements for mix- www.ekato.com
150-psig jacket for cooling and heating quality, dispersion, efficiency
ing up to 250°F, and an X-5 Series and safety. This is proven by the
9-in. dia. AL6XN stainless-steel rotor/ recently issued E.U.-type examina-
stator that operates up to 5,700 rpm). tion certificate according to ATEX
The X-Series mix head is a patented Directive 2014/34/EU, meaning Your fast lane to production:
design made up of concentric rows that the CMQ container mixer is Phone: 1 201 825 4684 Ext.: 205
of intermeshing teeth. Product enters approved for mixing bulk materials usa@ekato.com
at the middle of the stator and travels that require a design in equipment

category 1/3 D (zone 20 inside, zone 22 out-
side). The patented CMQ container mixer can
also meet the requirements of dust-explosive
Get your Zeppelin
ticket now!
substances, thus making inerting obsolete. In

addition to meeting high safety standards, the
CMQ container mixer guarantees very high dis-
persion thanks to its innovative design. The air-
foil mixing tool in combination with the winglets
ensures good formation of the mixing stream,
fast material movement and keeps mixing re-
sistance low. This protects the products and
can reduce the temperature rise to a minimum,
for example by a maximum of 2°C/min for a
powder-coatings premix. — Zeppelin GmbH,
Garching near Munich, Germany
www.zeppelin.com
INSPIRING
A new product enables remote
machine monitoring in real time
Smart Connected Product (photo) is a new, IIoT
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over the Smart Connected dashboard — all in
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www.achema.de WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM MARCH 2022
Facts At Your Fingertips
Respiratory Protection Equipment Types
Department Editor: Scott Jenkins
C
hemical process industries matter filter is the N95 filtering face-
(CPI) facilities often present a piece respirator (Figure 1). N95 masks
number of potential respiratory are so-called because they remove
hazards, including airborne particles, 95% of airborne particles 0.3-mi-
toxic chemicals and low-oxygen envi- crons and larger in size. Some N95
ronments, that may require the use of masks have a valve to reduce breath-
respiratory personal-protective equip- ing resistance during exhalation. The
ment (PPE). This reference outlines “N” refers to the mask’s resistance to
the major categories for respiratory oil. N stands for “not resistant to oil.”
protection commonly used in indus- The other two categories are R (resis-
trial production settings. tant to oil) and P (oil-proof).
Particulate respirator Chemical cartridge respirator

Particulate-matter respirators are es- Chemical cartridge respirators (gas FIGURE 2. Chemical cartridges remove hazardous
gases and vapors from breathed air
sentially mechanical filters and are masks) use replaceable chemical car-
often the least expensive respiratory tridges or canisters to remove haz- to draw air through the filter to the
protection devices. Particulate-mat- ardous gas and vapor contaminants user’s nose and mouth. They con-
ter respirators are made from non- from the air. This type of respirator sist of some type of headgear (either
woven polypropylene fibers and are can be a half-mask (Figure 2; nose a facemask or a hood), as well as a
designed to prevent particles, such and mouth covered), or a facepiece motor-driven fan that forces ambi-
as dust and mist (liquid droplets sus- (covers eyes also) that are secured ent air into the device, and some
pended in air) from entering breathing to the head with straps. Air passes type of filter to remove contaminants
passages. They are not designed to through a cartridge or canister, which from the air before it reaches the
protect against chemicals, gases or filters hazardous gases and vapors mouth and nose. PAPRs are easier to
vapors, and are intended only for low- from air by various means, including breathe through than gas masks and
hazard levels. absorption, adsorption and chemi- nonwoven fiber masks, but they re-
Within regulations to certify the sorption, depending on the type of quire a fully charged battery to work
selection and use of air-purifying substance being removed. Chemical properly. They use the same type of
particulate respirators, the National cartridges may also have a filter for filters/cartridges as other air-purifying
Institute of Occupational Safety and solids as well. respirators, so it is equally essential
Health (part of the U.S. Centers for Gas masks are effective only if to know which hazards are present,
Disease Control and Prevention; used with the correct cartridge or fil- and at what concentration, in order to
www.cdc.gov/niosh) has established ter (these terms are often used inter- select the proper type of cartridges.
three designations for filter efficiency changeably) for a particular biological
and three categories for filter efficien- or chemical substance. Cartridges Self-contained breathing
cy degradation. The filter efficiency are available that protect against Self-contained breathing apparatus
refers to the percentage of particles more than one hazard, but there is (SCBA) systems use a dedicated air
greater than a given size that are re- no “all-in-one” cartridge that protects tank to supply clean air to the user, so
moved from air. The designations are against all substances. no filters are required. This type of re-
95%, 99% and 99.97%. A color-code scheme is used to spiratory protection is capable of pro-
A commonly known particulate- aid in selection. For example, a can- tecting against higher concentrations
ister coded white is of dangerous chemicals. However, a
designed for acid gas, SCBA system is heavy (30 pounds or
while a green code more), and requires special training
means the canister is on how to use and maintain it. A typi-
for ammonia. Other col- cal SCBA air tank lasts about an hour
or designations include or possibly less, depending upon the
blue (carbon monox- rating of the SCBA and the breathing
ide), black (organic va- rate and intensity of the user. n
pors) and purple (radio-
active materials). Resources
OSHA, General Respiratory Protection Guidance for Employers and
Workers, U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, OSHA
Powered respirators Bulletin, 2011.
Powered air-purifying California Department of Industrial Relations, Respiratory Protec-
tion in the Workplace: A guide for employees, updated April 2021,
FIGURE 1. Particulate respirators, like the N95 mask shown here, are respirators (PAPRs) use accessed online at: www.dir.ca.gov/DOSH/DOSH_Publications/
made from non-woven polymer fibers a battery-powered fan respiratory-protection-employer-guide.pdf.

Technology Profile
Production of L-Lysine
By Intratec Solutions
L
ysine (Figure 1) is an α-amino Pathway A Pathway B
acid used in the biosynthesis Glucose syrup
Fermentation Fermentation
Raw sugar
of proteins. The compound
contains an amino group and
a carboxylic acid group. Under bio- L-Lysine-HCl
logical conditions, the amino group is
protonated (–NH3+) and the carboxylic Pathway C
Raw material(s)
Cyclohexene
acid group is deprotonated (–COO–). Chemical synthesis Pathway
The α-carbon of lysine is a chiral Product under analysis
Other product(s)
center, so two enantiomers of the
compound exist. Only L-lysine is bio- FIGURE 3. Several pathways for making L-lysine exist, including fermentation and chemical synthesis,
logically active. Lysine is an essential which is less common
amino acid that must be supplied comprises three major sections: (1) with an aqueous ammonia solution.
through the diet. It is commercially fermentation; (2) product recovery; Product concentration, drying and
produced as L-lysine monohydrochlo- and (3) product concentration, drying packaging. The L-lysine eluate from
ride (L-lysine·HCl) and L-lysine sulfate. and packaging (Figure 2). ion exchange columns is mixed with
L-lysine·HCl is a yellowish-white, crys- Fermentation. The culture media mother liquor from the product filtra-
talline powder, mainly used as a food used in fermentation is prepared by tion step and concentrated by evapo-
and feed supplement. Other uses re- mixing process water, invert sugar ration. The concentrated lysine solu-
late to cosmetics, human medicine, and nutrients. The fermentation is per- tion is acidified with hydrochloric acid,
culture media and pharmaceuticals. formed in fed-batch mode and under and free L-lysine is converted to L-
Lysine is produced from raw sug- aerobic conditions. To start the batch lysine·HCl. Subsequently, the L-lysine
ar (sucrose) using a conventional phase, the microorganism seed is fed ·HCl solution is sent to the crystallizer,
fermentation process in which raw into the fermenters, which were previ- and lysine salt is filtered. The mother
sugar is hydrolyzed into glucose and ously filled with the fermentation batch liquor is recycled to the evaporator
fructose (invert sugars). The invert medium. After glucose exhaustion, the and the wet cake is conveyed to dry-
sugars are then fermented to pro- batch phase is finished and the fed- ers. Final dry L-lysine·HCl (98.5 wt.%)
duce L-lysine, which is recovered via batch phase is started, during which, is obtained and sent to packaging line
ion-exchange adsorption. glucose and nutrients are continuously before being stored in bags. L-lysine
supplied until the desired L-lysine con- is hygroscopic, so it must be stored in
Process centration is achieved. At the end of tightly sealed containers tightly in dry,
Fermentation-based lysine produc- the fermentation, the broth is sent to cool conditions.
tion from raw sugar is similar to the a buffer tank to provide a continuous
Archer-Daniels-Midland process, and flow in the further process steps. Pathways and uses
Product recovery. The fermenta- The L-lysine·HCl process involving
tion broth is sent to an ultrafiltration sugar fermentation is accomplished by
system for the removal of cell debris modified microorganisms. The sugar
and other suspended solids. Subse- used in the bio-based chemical route
quently, the liquor from ultrafiltration is can be derived from sugarcane, beet
fed to ion-exchange columns, where or corn. L-lysine can also be produced
L-lysine is selectively adsorbed. The from cyclohexene via a chemical path-
FIGURE 1. L-lysine is an essential amino acid with adsorbed L-lysine is then eluted from way. However, only a few plants use
a chiral center
the ion-exchange resins by washing this alternative (Figure 3). n
1. Sugar inversion Editor’s note: The con-
2. Medium vessels tent for this column is de-
3. Fermenters veloped by Intratec Solu-
tions LLC (Houston; www.
4. Buffer tank
intratec.us) and edited by
5. Ultrafiltration unit Chemical Engineering.
6. Ion-exchange unit The analyses and models
7. Evaporator presented are based on
8. Crystallizer publicly available and non-
9. Product filter confidential information.
10. Dryer The content represents the
opinions of Intratec only.
11. Chiller
12. Cooling tower
13. Steam boiler
CW Cooling water
ST Steam
CHW Chilled water
FIGURE 2. The diagram shows the production process for L-lysine
Cover Story Part 1
Crystallization for
Ultra-Pure Chemicals
Optimized crystallization units can help address the challenges posed by product-purity
requirements in the battery industry
C
John Warner and rystallization is a key purifica- This article reviews the aspects of crystal-
Nipen Shah tion process that has been used lization technology that particularly impact
JordProxa for decades to refine sugar, pro- the purification of chemicals, and identifies
duce essential pharmaceuticals challenges that operators must overcome,
and recover valuable salts. Producers of as well as key design features that can be
chemicals for applications that demand optimized to overcome these challenges.
IN BRIEF ultra-high purity, such as rechargeable This article uses battery-grade nickel sulfate
CRYSTALLIZATION batteries, which require extremely pure hexahydrate as an example, but the prin-
TECHNOLOGIES nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium, ciples could be applied to the purification of
PRODUCT PURITY are now turning to crystallization tech- other ultra-pure chemicals as well.
nologies to meet continually increasing
PURITY ENHANCEMENT
purity requirements. Crystallization technologies
FACTORS
In recent years, a rapid increase in de- There are three major types of crystallizers
THE BENEFITS OF LARGE mand for electric vehicles has fueled fast in service today. They are described below:
CRYSTALS product advancements. As a result, the • Forced circulation (FC) crystallizers,
CONTINUAL cost of battery storage decreased by a fac- which rely on crystallization in a mixed sus-
IMPROVEMENT IS KEY tor of six in just five years. pension, may either incorporate mixed prod-
From this period of development, the uct removal or classified product removal
nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) chemis- • Fluidized-bed, or Oslo, crystallizers, in
try blend emerged as the top-performing which natural circulation is used to enable
blend for lithium-ion battery performance. fine crystals to be separated by size
Furthermore, automakers learned that • The draft-tube baffle (DTB) crystallizer, in
the key to mass adoption of electric ve- which forced circulation is used to enable
hicles is affordable range. This is best fine crystals to be separated by size
achieved by increasing the energy density
of the batteries through a higher ratio of This article focuses on qualitative insights
nickel in the blend. However, an increased that are or particular relevance to battery
amount of nickel in the batteries comes chemicals. How the configurations of the
with a greater risk of the batteries over- three types of crystallizers impact the for-
heating due to traces of impurity present mation and growth of crystals is discussed
in the nickel-containing battery chemical in Ref. 1. Table 1 provides a high-level
(nickel sulfate hexahydrate; NiSO4·6H2O). comparison of the three different types
To ensure there are no extraneous compo- of crystallizers [2].
nents that will cause the batteries to over- Oslo and DTB crystallizers are both de-
heat, it became critical to use ultra-pure signed to produce larger crystals than the
battery chemicals. FC type by: (a) managing the circulation of
The challenge for the nickel sulfate indus- slurry to avoid excessive supersaturation;
try today, as it strives to meet the rapidly and (b) providing a means of separating
increasing demand for nickel, is to achieve fine crystals, which can then be preferen-
the exceptionally high purity levels that are tially circulated to the heating loop. The first
required for high energy density in batteries. of these features helps prevent nucleation.
A well-designed crystallizer is emerging as The second helps destroy any fine crystals
the critical technology for meeting such pu- that are formed by re-dissolving them into
rity requirements. Figure 1 shows a crystal- the mother liquor as it passes through the
lizer unit that was designed to deliver nickel heating loop. Acting together, these two
sulfate hexahydrate. features narrow the particle-size distribu-
to be removed.
Fines are returned and will greatly ease the require-
ments imposed upon the upstream
back to the crys-
refining steps.
tal magma
To better understand the role
In the extreme
a crystallizer can play, it is use-
case where high
ful to consider the various ways a
rates of fines
crystal can become contaminated
destruction and
with impurity.
very efficient
A crystal is a three-dimensional
elutriation legs
matrix of atoms arranged in an
are employed
orderly sequence. Theoretically,
to generate very
it should be possible to produce
large crystals
a pure compound by growing the
(greater than 2
crystals from a suitably saturated
mm in diameter),
solution and then separating them.
there is a risk
However, in practice, there are sev-
that the surface
eral ways impurities can be included
FIGURE 1. Due to crystallizers’ unique abilities to deliver high-purity chemi- area of the crys-
either onto or within the crystal ma-
cals, they are being frequently deployed to purify critical battery materials,
such as nickel sulfate hexahydrate tal population will
trix, as shown in Figure 2. These
be insufficient to
were classified in a recent investiga-
tion and increase the mean particle absorb the fresh solids leaving so- tion by Urwin and others [3]. They
size. It is not possible to incorporate lution. Spontaneous nucleation can identified five principal mechanisms
these features into the FC design, occur, resulting in a sudden drop based on the location of the impu-
where the full inventory of slurry is or “crash” of the average crystal rity within the crystallization prod-
well mixed. size. Plant operators have learned
uct: agglomeration; surface de-
The following must also be con- to avoid the population “crashing” position; mother liquor inclusions;
sidered in order to grow and recover by adding mid-sized crystals to the co-crystal formation; and solid
large crystals: crystallizer as “seed” to provide ad-
solution formation.
• Mixing within the crystallizer ditional surface area. Co-crystal formation and solid-
should be as gentle as practically solution formation are controlled by
possible to reduce damage to crys- Product purity the chemistry of the solution, which
tals. Larger crystals will become Since the development of NMC in large part is determined by the
damaged due to momentum chang- batteries with high nickel content, composition of the feed to the crys-
es within the crystallizer. However, there has been increased focus tallizer. We can consider this to be
mixing must be sufficient in order to on the purity of nickel sulfate. In the responsibility of the upstream
suspend the largest of the crystals particular, a de-facto standard of refining process, although it is ac-
and transport them to the boiling four nines purity (99.99% w/w) has knowledged that there is a need to
surface (zone where the highest level been adopted for nickel sulfate provide feedback about the compo-
hexahydrate destined for use in
sition of the concentrated mother li-
of supersaturation exists)
lithium-ion batteries. That allows a
quor, which will be derived from the
• Fines will be generated from
maximum of 100 mg of impurities
feed when the crystallizer reaches
natural breakage (or chipping) of
per kg of nickel sulfate
crystals, as well as by spontaneous hexahydrate product.
nucleation from the supersaturated Nowadays, serious
solution consideration is even
• Although fines destruction in- being given to achiev-
creases the average size of the ing five nines purity. That
crystal population, it significantly would allow just 10 mg of
reduces the available surface area impurity per kg of nickel
for deposition of new solid mat- sulfate hexahydrate
ter. Too little surface area can lead product. Meeting these
to a sudden burst of spontaneous product standards pres-
nucleation ents serious challenges
• Sufficient time must be allowed for nickel refiners. How-
in the magma (semifluid) phase for ever, a properly designed
the growth of large crystals crystallizer can play an
• Classification (or elutriation) of the important role in helping
product removed from the crystal- to achieve four, and then FIGURE 2. There are several inclusion mechanisms for impurities
lizer enables only the largest fraction five nines product purity associated with crystallization

of impurity
• A typical feed has 1,000 mg/kg
of impurity
• A good feed has 100 mg/kg
• An excellent feed has 50 mg/kg
of impurity
In Figure 3, the ratio of mass of
impurity in the inclusion to the mass
of the crystal is plotted versus the
ratio of the diameter of the inclu-
sion to the diameter of the crystal.
If the desired product purity is four
nines, then a ratio of 10 mg of im-
purity per kg of product is signifi-
cant, because this represents 10%
of the maximum allowance. For the
typical feed, this is achieved once
the ratio of diameters exceeds
0.1. We typically grow nickel sul-
FIGURE 3. The ratio of mass of impurity in the inclusion to the mass of the crystal is plotted versus the ratio fate hexahydrate crystals with an
of the diameter of the inclusion to the diameter of the crystal average size of 1,200 μm using a
DTB crystallizer. Thus, an inclusion
steady state. Therefore, our focus Inclusions. If crystals grow too would have to exceed a 120-μm
is on the mechanisms that are di- fast, then impurity-rich mother li- dia. to have a significant influence
rectly controlled by the crystalli- quor can become trapped within on the desired purity. In practice,
zation process — agglomeration, the growing crystal. Measures inclusions of this size are rarely ob-
surface deposition and mother can be taken to restrict the rate served. The impact of inclusions
liquor inclusions. of growth, but sometimes it is in- upon nickel sulfate hexahydrate
Agglomeration. When particles evitable. It is possible to deter- purity is therefore not considered
aggregate during a crystallization mine the impact of these inclu- to be significant at the four nines
process to form larger agglom- sions based on the ratio of the level for feeds that are typical or
erates, pockets of impurity-rich diameter of the inclusion to that of better. For the poor feed, the ef-
mother liquor can become trapped the crystal. The case of nickel sul- fect of an inclusion becomes sig-
between the particles. Agglomera- fate hexahydrate, a common bat- nificant if the ratio of diameters ex-
tion can be prevented by operating tery chemical, is considered as an ceeds 0.08, equivalent to a 96-μm
with a low degree of supersaturation illustrative example. inclusion for the product from a
and paying careful attention to the A nickel sulfate crystallizer will DTB crystallizer. Inclusions smaller
circulation patterns of liquor within typically operate with a mother li- than 100-μm are sometimes ob-
the crystallizer. quor concentration up to 20 times served with consequent impact
Surface deposition. The amount that of the feed. It is convenient to on purity.
of mother liquor that is entrained express the concentration of im- If the desired product purity is
on the crystal surface decreases purity in the feed relative to nickel five nines, then a ratio of 1 mg of
relative to the crystal mass as the as the equivalent amount of nickel impurity per kg of product is signifi-
diameter of the crystal increases. sulfate hexahydrate, which is the cant, because this represents 10%
A high-efficiency wash can be desired product. The concentration of the maximum allowance. For the
used on a pusher centrifuge to can range from as low as 50 mg/kg typical feed, this is achieved once
dilute the concentration of the to as high as 2,000 mg/kg, depend- the ratio of diameters exceeds
mother liquor by a factor of five or ing on the upstream process to 0.05, which is equivalent to a di-
more, thereby further reducing the remove impurity. General purity ameter of 60 μm. Whereas for the
amount of impurity entrained on the considerations are detailed below: good feed, this is achieved once
crystal product. • A poor feed has 2,000 mg/kg the ratio of diameters exceeds
0.1, which is equivalent
TABLE 1. COMPARISON OF CRYSTALLIZER DESIGNS [2 ] to a diameter of 120 μm.
Forced circulation (FC) Oslo (Growth ) Draft-tube baffle (DTB) Consequently, the impact
Operability Excellent Satisfactory Good
of inclusions upon prod-
uct purity may become
Crystal size Poor Satisfactory Excellent
significant at five nines
Energy requirements Good Good Better purity for feeds contain-
Typical operating solids in 20 to 25% 50% (In settling zone) 30 to 40% ing more than 100 mg/kg
suspension of impurity.
ratio of 10 is achieved by the current,
and an enhancement ratio of 40 by
the optimized design.
The analysis shows that current
crystallizer technology is capable
of achieving four nines purity when
the feed is of typical purity and five
nines purity when it is good or bet-
ter. However, it cannot achieve four
nines purity when the feed is of
poor grade.
On the other hand, the optimized
FIGURE 4. This plot shows that the mother liquor that is entrained on the crystals increases markedly as crystallizer technology is capable of
crystal size decreases achieving four nines purity on poor
feed grade. The challenge for the fu-
ture is to develop crystallizer technol-
ogy capable of achieving five nines
purity on typical feed for which a
crystallizer performance ratio of 70
or better will be required.
The benefits of large crystals

A simplified analysis based on sur-
face area shows that the benefits
of growing large crystals are signifi-
cant. Consider a population of one
million crystals of 1-mm dia. The
total surface area is 3.14 m2 and
the total mass of the population is
1,084 g for a density of 2,070 kg/
m3 corresponding to nickel sulfate
hexahydrate. At 5% entrainment of
FIGURE 5. As the crystal diameter decreases below 1 mm in diameter, the amount of impurity in the prod- mother liquor on the crystals, there
uct increases relatively quickly
will be 54.2 g of mother liquor on
Purity enhancement factors may be determined. It is this impurity the surface of the crystals. Taking
It is useful to measure crystallizer that is ultimately dried on the crys- the density of the mother liquor at
performance in terms of the im- tal surface, and that contaminates 1,400 kg/m3, the average thickness
provement in the mass ratio of im- the product. of the liquor layer on the crystals will
purity to desired crystal product. The crystallizer performance is be 12.3 μm.
In a well-designed crystallizer, the measured by dividing the ratio of im- It is reasonable to assume that the
impact of agglomeration and inclu- purity to nickel sulfate hexahydrate thickness of the liquor film on the
sions is negligible. The amount of in the feed, by the ratio of impu- crystals after centrifuging at given
impurity present in the surface de- rity to nickel sulfate hexahydrate in conditions in a pusher centrifuge is
position (or entrainment) can be de- the product. relatively constant. In which case,
termined from a relatively straight- To demonstrate the impact of feed it has been demonstrated that the
forward mass balance, where the on crystallizer performance and pu- mother liquor entrained on the crys-
impurity in the feed is equal to the rity, two different crystallizer designs tals increases markedly as crystal
summation of the following: were analyzed to represent the cur- size decreases [5]. This phenom-
1. Impurity leaving in the purge rent standard design versus an opti- enon is shown in Figure 4.
2. Impurity in the entrained liquor mized design scenario for enhanced Using a mass balance for the crys-
3. Impurity in the condensate outcomes [4]. In an optimized de- tallizer system, the concentration of
4. Impurity in the dryer vent sign, the rate of purge is increased, impurity in the liquor at steady state
The latter two are minor flows and the efficiency of the centrifuge is im- may be determined for a given en-
may be disregarded in the calcula- proved to reduce entrainment and trainment on the product crystals if
tion of the steady-state concentra- efficiency of the cake wash func- the purge flow and wash efficiency
tion of impurity in the mother liquor. tion at the centrifuge is increased are known. Once the concentration
Once the steady-state concentra- to further dilute the impurity in the in the liquor is known, the amount of
tion of impurity in the mother liquor is entrained liquor. The results of the impurity that remains on the product
known, then the amount of impurity analysis are given in Table 2. In sum- crystals at different levels of entrain-
in the entrained liquor on the crystals mary, a performance-enhancement ment is readily calculated. Typically, a

TABLE 2. PRODUCT PURITY FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF FEEDS TO NICKEL SULFATE CRYSTALLIZERS
FEED CURRENT CRYSTALLIZER TECHNOLOGY OPTIMIZED CRYSTALLIZER TECHNOLOGY
Design parameters
Ni in feed, g/L 180 180
Purge, % of feed 5 10
Entrainment, % w/w 5 3
Wash efficiency, % 80 85
Feed type Poor Typical Good Excellent Poor Typical Good Excellent
Impurity in feed relative to NiSO4·6H2O, 2,000 1,000 100 50 2,000 1,000 100 50
mg/kg
Impurity in feed relative to Nickel, mg/kg 8,951 4,475 448 224 8,951 4,475 448 224
Impurity in feed , mg/L 1,611 806 81 40 1,611 806 81 40
Crystallizer performance
Ratio of impurity in feed to that in product 10 10 10 10 40 40 40 40
Product purity
Impurity in product relative to NiSO4·6H2O, 200 100 10 5 50 25 2.50 1.25
mg/kg
Impurity in product as mg per 100 mg 0.020 0.010 0.001 0.001 0.005 0.003 0.000 0.000
Purity of product NiSO4·6H2O, % w/w 99.980 99.990 99.999 99.9995 99.995 99.998 100.000 100.000
Product purity designation 3 nines 4 nines 5 nines 5 nines 4 nines 4 nines 5 nines 5 nines
crystallizer will operate with a purge consumer demand. ect references in Australia, Europe and the Middle East.
Prior to the formation of JordProxa, he designed and
flow that is set to no more than 5% When used well, it is clear that crys- sold process plant equipment (often in modular form) for
of the desired product and wash ef- tallization technology achieves the Jord International, and he was instrumental in introduc-
ficiency on the centrifuge that dilutes high degree of purity that is required ing new products into the company’s portfolio to serve
leading global companies. Warner has worked exten-
the entrained mother liquor by a fac- to maximize energy in lithium-ion bat- sively on clean air and clean water projects in both the
tor of five or more. These limiting teries. To stay at the forefront, battery- research and corporate sectors in Australia, the U.S.,
values were used to determine the chemical producers, the minerals Korea, India and Chile. These projects have included the
application of evaporation and crystallization technology
predicted amount of impurity in the processing industry, and their tech- to achieve zero liquid discharge solutions. He holds a
product versus the average diameter nology partners must continue to re- B.S.Ch.E. and a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the
University of Melbourne in Australia.
of the crystals. The results plotted alize efficiencies that lower costs and
in Figure 5 show that as the crystal deliver increasing value. They must
Nipen Shah is the head of sales at
diameter decreases below 1 mm di- also leverage green energy sources to JordProxa (40 Oxley St, St Leon-
ameter, the amount of impurity in the offer a lower carbon footprint for how ards NSW 2065 Australia; Email:
product increases relatively quickly. to build and operate the plant. ■ nshah@jordproxa.com), a com-
pany specializing in the recovery of
Edited by Mary Page Bailey pure solids from liquid solutions
Continual improvement is key References using evaporation and crystalliza-
Crystallization is critical to meeting 1. Samant, K.D. and O’Young, L., Understanding Crystalliz- tion. Shah oversees the design,
ers and Crystallization, Chem. Eng. Progress, pp. 28–37, costing, proposals, sales and busi-
the benchmark for purity in battery October 2006. ness development activities for the
chemicals. However, if crystallization 2. Shah, N. M., Bradbury, D.S., Rogans, D. M. and Warner, J.J., De- supply of crystallization and evaporation plants for ap-
sign of Battery Grade Purity Nickel and Cobalt Sulphate Crystal- plications involving battery-grade nickel sulfate, cobalt
is to be an acceptable part of the sup- lisation Plants, ALTA Conference Proceedings, May 2019.
sulfate and lithium hydroxide, ammonium sulfate and
ply chain for electric vehicle makers, it 3. Urwin, S.J., Levilain, G., Marziano, I., others, A Structured Ap- zero liquid discharge (ZLD). Shah has a Ph.D. in chemi-
proach to Cope with Impurities during Industrial Crystallization
must also meet the benchmarks for Development, Org. Process Res. Dev., 24, 8, pp. 1,443– cal engineering with specialization in process optimiza-
sustainability and value. Tesla has set 1,456, July 2020. tion from Monash University in Australia.
benchmarks for the industry, which 4. Shah N. M., Bradbury, Warner, J.J., Market Outlook for Bat-
tery Grade Nickel Sulphate and Implications of Varying
have been widely endorsed by other Product Specifications, ALTA Conference Proceedings, Further reading
November 2020.
electric vehicle and battery makers: 5.Warner, J.J., Bradbury, D.S., Shah N. M., The Production of High
For more information on crystallization, please read the
following articles:
• Purity — Battery chemicals must Purity Nickel Sulphate Hexahydrate Suitable for Lithium-Ion Bat-
1. Crystallization: Contributing to Circularity, Chem.
teries by Evaporative Crystallisation, ALTA Conference Proceed-
be free from impurities to allow high ings, May 2018. Eng., March 2021.
2. Moisture Measurement in Solid Materials, Chem.
energy density to be safely achieved. Eng., January 2021.
• Sustainability — The sustainabil- Authors 3. A Simplified Approach to Crystallization Mass Bal-
ity of producing battery chemicals John Warner is the managing di- ances, Chem. Eng., July 2020.
rector at JordProxa (Unit 28/63 4. Nucleation Phenomena in Crystallization, Chem.
must be consistent with the “green” Knutsford Ave, Rivervale WA Eng., May 2020.
credentials of the vehicles that the 6103 Australia; Email: jwarner@ 5. Industrial Crystallization for the CPI, Chem. Eng.,
jordproxa.com). Since the joint November 2017.
chemicals will help power. venture was established in 2018, 6. Confronting Issues in Industrial Crystallization,
• Value — The ratio of perfor- Warner has led JordProxa in its Chem. Eng., November 2017.
mance to cost must increase growth to become a leading sup-
plier of crystallizers to the battery
with time to help drive increased chemical market, with major proj-
Part 2 Cover Story
Smarter Chemical Recovery
in Pulping Facilities
Evaporation and crystallization technologies have the ability to create advantages for pulping
facilities by improving operational efficiency and reducing waste, while simultaneously
producing high-value product streams
T
Scott Silverstein
he emergence of new prod- and Michael
ucts and markets is driving Begley
a global renaissance of the Veolia Water
pulp-and-paper industry Technologies
due to increased global demand
for cardboard and paper packaging
products, as well as the rise in the
need for hygiene products, such as
IN BRIEF
CHEMICAL RECOVERY
paper towels, tissues and nonwoven
AND ASH TREATMENT
wipes. To adapt to these drivers and
meet this steep demand increase, CHLORIDE REMOVAL
pulp producers and integrated PROCESS
paper manufacturers have been rac- PRODUCING SOP
ing to expand their pulping opera-
tions. In addition to these increased FIGURE 1. A typical chloride-removal process (CRP) in a pulping mill
treats dissolved precipitator ash to remove contaminants and recover
production demands, producers are sodium salts
also feeling pressure from regulatory
agencies, as well as consumers, to con- byproducts, such as high-quality fertilizers.
tinually identify process improvements to Though these sustainability-focused proj-
enhance their sustainability efforts. ects may appear aggressive and require
Pulping facilities require a great deal of investments in new technologies or pro-
water, chemicals and energy, which creates cess changes, in many cases, they can
many challenges when it comes to sustain- significantly improve overall operational
ability. Although the modern pulping process performance within the pulping process
includes sophisticated closed-loop pro- and achieve a quick payback on the capi-
cesses with the ability to recover and reuse tal investment. As a result, both greenfield
water, chemicals and energy, manufacturers and existing pulping facilities can har-
should always keep a keen eye for additional vest the benefits from implementing up-
opportunities that allow companies to lighten grades to their chemical-recovery and
their environmental footprint. One of the key ash-treatment operations.
areas pulping facilities can target is to in-
corporate sustainability projects within the Chemical recovery and ash treatment
plant’s ash-treatment recovery loop. In most modern pulping mills, during the
By enhancing the ash-treatment recov- kraft pulping process, wood is cooked with
ery process with capital improvements, water and chemicals at high temperatures
companies can generate an advantageous in order to separate the cellulose from lignin
proposition. In addition to improving overall and hemicelluloses. The resulting pulp is fur-
plant efficiency, sophisticated ash-treatment ther washed with water. The water used to
projects can significantly reduce discharged wash the pulp, plus the cooking liquor from
waste materials and extend the lifespan of the digester, is called “black liquor.”
critical utility equipment, such as plant boil- Black liquor is concentrated using evapo-
ers — all top-of-mind issues for mill man- ration in order to be combusted as a form
agers. On the sustainability side, enhanced of renewable energy within the recovery
chemical recovery within the ash treatment boiler. Combustion of the black liquor’s
process has the potential to yield valuable solids leads to the generation of energy

CASE STUDY: This closed circula-
BRAZIL PULPING MILL tion loop maximizes
A
leading integrated producer, ex- the economics of
porter and recycler of pulp and chemical recovery,
paper in Brazil was looking to ex-
pand its pulping operations.
reducing chemical
discharge and raw
Challenge chemical makeup,
The Kraft process used in the production but also creates
of pulp enables the efficient recovery of challenges for han-
chemicals and heat in a closed-cycle pro- dling and treating
cess. However, it also allows the undesired liquor streams. Non-
buildup of chloride and potassium in the
process elements
recovery cycle, which if left uncontrolled,
can create corrosion and boiler fouling.
(NPEs), including
chloride and potas-
sium entering the FIGURE 2. Glaserite crystals can form during the chloride-removal
process when the crystallization chemistry exceeds solubility limits for
mill through the raw potassium before reaching the chloride solubility limit
wood and chemical
makeup, accumulate in the recovery under-saturated solution feed to the
cycle. Over time, they create condi- CRP system. The CRP system oper-
tions for scaling and plugging in the ates as a true crystallizer, with proper
boiler, leading to lower energy pro- crystal generation, growth and wash-
duction. If left uncontrolled in the ing to maximize the removal of con-
precipitator ash, NPEs can become taminants and recovery of sodium
a significant problem — causing cor- salts. Crystallization occurs through
rosion and boiler fouling — ultimately evaporation of water, causing the
resulting in a reduction in recovery solubility limit of sodium salts to be
boiler capacity and an increase in exceeded. The resulting sodium salt
operating costs. crystals are dewatered and washed
By integrating advanced chloride- in a centrifuge and returned to the re-
and potassium-removal systems to covery cycle via sluicing with black li-
treat the precipitator ash, mills can quor. Chloride and potassium remain
unlock significant operational ben- in solution and are purged from the
Solution
efits and reduced chemical costs, crystallizer in a concentrated stream
After analyzing the composition and per-
forming small-scale pilot testing, it was while simultaneously generating with minimal sodium losses. The CRP
confirmed that the installation of an en- additional revenue streams from system is typically thermally inte-
hanced chloride removal process (ECRP) produced byproducts that also in- grated with a mill’s black-liquor evap-
as a second stage to the site’s existing crease the sustainability of the oration system in order to achieve low
system would be able treat the additional production facility. operational costs.
feed of precipitator ash and prevent signifi- The conventional CRP system
cant boiler-capacity losses and increased
operating costs. With the new system, the
Chloride removal process will achieve a maximum chloride-
site was able to treat up to 10 ton/h of pre- A two-stage crystallization process removal efficiency of 98–99% at a
cipitator ash (equivalent to 240 ton/d). can be used for enhanced removal sodium recovery of 85–95%. For
of NPEs. The first stage consists mills with higher potassium levels,
Creating value from byproducts of a conventional chloride-removal the sodium recovery will be lower.
In this particular case, the SOP produced process (CRP)
from the ECRP system was used by the system (Figure 1)
mill to fertilize its forest reserves to en-
operating close to
hance growth rates for the next genera-
tion of trees. In doing so, the facility was atmospheric pres-
able to close the loop by returning high- sure, followed by
quality nutrient compounds back into a second-stage
the environment. ❑ crystallization pro-
cess designed to
target potassium
and steam, which is used else- within the chemical
where within the plant. Contained recovery process.
in the molten salts (smelt) are most Stage 1 — CRP.
of the needed pulping chemicals, Precipitator ash
which are collected from the re- is dissolved with FIGURE 3. For mills with a particularly high concentration of potassium in
covery boiler and can be reused in condensate, re- the chemical-recovery unit, a second stage can be added to crystallize addi-
the digester. sulting in a slightly tional sodium salts and potentially produce a sulfate of potash (SOP) stream
For the vast majority of pulp mills, duction of sulfate
the crystallization chemistry will ex- of potash (SOP;
ceed solubility limits for potassium K2SO4) fertilizer.
before reaching the chloride solubil- A portion of the
ity limit. In this case, a portion of the glaserite crystal-
potassium present will crystallize as lizer mother liquor
glaserite (3K2SO4·Na2SO4), which is is purged from
shown in Figure 2. The glaserite will the mill to further
be returned to the mill cycle with the enhance overall
other sodium salts, thereby reducing chloride-removal
the CRP system’s overall potassium- efficiency, with the
removal efficiency. As most pulp mills remainder of the FIGURE 4. SOP is a high-value, crystallized fertilizer product that can create
are more focused on chloride reduc- mother liquor re- an additional revenue stream from pulping mills
tion, the CRP system typically will cycled to the first-
be operated in a way to maximize stage CRP crystallizer. Advanced chemical recovery tech-
chloride removal and soda recovery, Water added to the melter results nologies at pulping facilities can in-
while the potassium removal gener- in selective dissolution of the so- troduce significant benefits for com-
ally ends up in the 70–90% range. dium sulfate and potassium sulfate panies, including reduced operating
Pulp mills with high potassium inputs from the glaserite, leaving purified costs, reduced downtime, and of
may instead wish to maximize potas- potassium sulfate in the solid phase. course the creation of high-value
sium removal and can be limited to The potassium sulfate may then be byproducts, such as SOP fertilizer,
60–80% sodium recovery when op- centrifuged and dried to produce a which can create additional revenue
timal potassium removal is targeted. high-quality SOP byproduct. streams. With respect to sustainabil-
Most high potassium mills must bal- ity, these enhancement projects gen-
ance potassium removal and sodium Producing SOP erally result in reduced water usage,
recovery in order to minimize the cost Crystallized SOP fertilizer (Figure 4) improved energy consumption, less
of sodium losses. is a premium, water-soluble fertil- waste, and in the case of sites that
As a true crystallizer, the conven- izer that is uniquely positioned as a recover nutrients and produce SOP,
tional CRP system is a highly selec- “smart fertilizer” that can allow for these sites can also play a leading
tive purification process to maxi- more consistent results and a higher role in helping secure the global food
mize chloride removal efficiency and quality crop yield. SOP’s enhanced chain, as well as support fertilization
achieve high recovery of sodium water solubility allows the fertilizer to of carbon-capturing forests. ■
salts. Mills that have a high level of be injected into advanced irrigation Edited by Mary Page Bailey
potassium in their chemical recovery systems, which allows for a more ef-
loop have a unique challenge and op- ficient transfer of nutrients to plants. Authors
portunity. By implementing a second SOP fertilizers are also gaining trac- Michael Begley is a senior pro-
stage to the CRP, mills can produce tion over traditional fertilizers be- cess engineer at Veolia Water
Technologies (23563 W Main
additional byproduct streams while cause of their extremely low levels Street, Plainfield, IL 60544; Email:
simultaneously removing high levels of impurities like sodium, chlorine michael.begley@veolia.com) spe-
of chloride and potassium. and heavy metals. These impurities cializing in HPD Evaporation &
Crystallization technologies. His
Stage 2 — Potassium-handling not only can create issues by scal- work involves the design of sys-
enhancements. For mills with high ing and clogging within application tems for thermal evaporation and
crystallization, primarily in the
levels of potassium in the chemical- equipment, but they can also cause pulp-and-paper industry. With more than 33 years of
recovery loop, a second stage can adverse effects to crop quality, es- experience as a chemical engineer, his focus is to de-
be added to complement the initial pecially those sensitive to chlorides. velop new and improved technologies and support busi-
CRP stage (Figure 3). After the CRP Because of these advantages, the ness for the pulp-and-paper sector. He holds a B.S.Ch.E.
from the University of Illinois.
stage, which is operating close to demand for “smart fertilizers,” such Scott Silverstein is a sales man-
atmospheric pressure, sodium salts, as SOP, is expected to significantly ager at Veolia Water Technologies
such as sodium sulfate, burkeite increase. This allows pulping facili- focusing on the commercialization
and distribution of HPD evapora-
(2Na2SO4·Na2CO3) and sodium car- ties to be uniquely positioned as key tion and crystallization technolo-
bonate, are crystallized in the first contributors within the supply chain gies (Same address as above;
stage and returned to the recovery of SOP. With pulping facilities conve- Email: scott.silverstein@veolia.
com). His work involves developing
cycle. The second-stage crystallizer niently positioned across the globe, business projects and managing
acts as an adiabatic flash-crystallizer they can act as decentralized, local accounts for thermal evaporation
unit operating at lower temperature producers of this valuable resource. and crystallization in various water-treatment-related
industries. With more than 17 years of experience as a
to take advantage of the reduced This has the potential to reduce mechanical engineer, project manager and sales man-
glaserite solubility. Crystallized gla- supply-chain logistic costs and en- ager, his focus is to find sustainable water solutions for
serite solids are dewatered in a cen- vironmental impacts by shortening the mining, power generation, lithium-ion battery prod-
ucts, and pulp-and-paper sectors. He holds a B.S. de-
trifuge for subsequent disposal or the distance between the source gree in manufacturing and mechanical engineering from
otherwise further processed for pro- and user. Miami University in Ohio.

Feature Report
Centrifugal Pumps:
When to Repair,
Replace or Modify?
When a pump operates inefficiently, or fails all together, the challenge is to make the most
economical decision on how to remedy the situation. Some guidance is provided here
C
Robert X. Perez
and Heinz P. entrifugal pumps are widely used the hydraulic minimum flow.
Bloch throughout the chemical process in- Regardless of the reason for pump misap-
Consultants dustries (CPI). Their reliable and effi- plication, the effects of a poor hydraulic fit
cient performance plays a significant will typically be dismal reliability performance
role in plant operations. This article considers and poor overall system efficiency. Figure
the different options on what to do when a 1 shows the numerous adverse effects of
pump begins to operate unreliably or fails. operating too far away from a pump’s BEP
IN BRIEF “sweet spot.” In the field, problems related
PUMP HYDRAULICS Pump hydraulics to off-design operations are typically mani-
HYDRAULIC RERATES
Operation far away from a pump’s best ef- fested by higher than normal vibration levels
ficiency point (BEP) is a common cause of and frequent bearing and seal failures.
PUMP FAILURES pump unreliability. There are a number of rea-
REPAIR OR REPLACE? sons why a centrifugal pump may be found Hydraulic rerates
operating in an off-design condition: The One solution available to avoid problems
REPAIR/SPARE PART
pump may either have originally been mis- caused by an oversized centrifugal pump is
PHILOSOPHIES
applied or the process requirements may to perform a hydraulic rerate on the pump’s
MAKING THE CASE FOR have changed since its initial specification fluid end. The basic idea of a pump hydraulic
UPGRADES and installation. Two minimum flows must rerate is to fit an impeller with a lower flow
PAYBACK TIME be satisfied on the pump curve for reliable rating inside the existing oversized pump
EXAMPLES service: 1) The minimum continuous stable casing. To accommodate a new impeller,
flow (MCSF), which prevents internal recir- case-wear-ring adapters are used to allow
PUMP REPLACEMENT
culation; and
2) the mini-
mum ther-
mal flow, the
point where
rapid inter-
nal heating
begins. The
pump manu-
facturer will
usually state
the MCSF for
its pumps in
its documen-
tation. For
best overall
performance,
it is always
best to keep
the operating
FIGURE 1. The Barringer-Nelson curve shows reliability impact of pump operation away from BEP (Source:
point above Paul Barringer)
for smaller diameter sets of casing and impeller wear
rings. This would also be a fine opportunity to consider
advanced perfluoralkyl (Vespel CR-6100) stationary
wear parts.
In addition to these modifications, volute throat
area(s) must be matched to the new impeller. This is
done by cutting out the original volute lips and welding
in custom-designed volute lips. This simple, straight-
forward design approach can provide pump users a
cost-effective solution to chronic failures caused by
hydraulic instabilities.
Performing a hydraulic rerate is the task of mechani-
cal engineers, and outside the scope of this article.
More information on how to do this and the benefits
can be found in Ref. 1. We now focus on the decision-
making process for handling a pump failure.
Pump failures
When a centrifugal pump fails, there are several pos-
sible paths forward that a processing facility may con-
sider. The following options are possible:
• Repair the existing pump (Figure 2) at an outside
shop or in-house using replacement parts from stores
• Replace it with a rebuilt pump (in kind) kept in
stores
• Replace it with an identical pump kept in stores or
purchased from a distributor or manufacturer
• Repair it with key upgraded mechanical
component(s) to improve mechanical reliability
• Perform a hydraulic rerate using the existing pump
casing to improve the hydraulic fit (as briefly described
above)
• Replace existing pump with a completely different
model pump that better fits the service
It is important that all centrifugal-pump maintenance
decisions be economically justified, meaning that the
benefits derived from the repair, replacement or modifi-
cation must be of greater value than the base cost. For
maintenance events, such as repairs, the value added
by the repair should exceed the cost of the repair. For
major modifications, economic criteria, such as the in-
vestor rate of return (IRR) and net present value, should
be used to objectively evaluate the benefits of the initial
investment. The benefits of modifications and replace-
ments are typically increased reliability, an improvement
in efficiency, or both. A faithful economic justification
requires that the user understands all the benefits de-
rived by the modification along with all the associated
modification costs.
To decide which path forward makes the most eco-
nomic sense, the reliability professional first needs to
know the following:
1. What is the length of time since the last repair or
the current mean time between failures (MTBF) met-
ric? Best-of-class pumps easily reach MTBF between
six to ten years. Pumps with MTBF of less than two
years should be considered completely unaccept-
able. Therefore, pumps providing MTBF performance
greater than six years should con- the economic test for deciding if a we see that $1,500 < $4,000. In this
tinue to be repaired as usual and pump should be repaired or replaced case, a repair is not justified since the
pumps providing MTBF performance can be stated as follows: If the value value added by the repair is less than
less than two years should be scruti- added by the repair is greater than the repair cost.
nized for improvement opportunities. the repair cost minus its salvage The reader will note that the lower
Pumps with MTBF between two and value, then it makes more sense to the replacement cost, the more likely
six years should be reviewed on a repair the pump than replace it. This it will make sense to replace a pump
case-by-case basis. can be expressed by Equation (1): than to repair it. Some facilities set
2. What is (are) the root cause(s) of a horsepower limit to define when
the most recent failure? The pump failed pumps are simply replaced,
owners must understand why their (1) which simplifies the decision-making
pump is failing before an upgrade process for a repair shop.
or replacement pump can be evalu- Where:
ated. The most effective modifica- ms = market salvage value Repair/spare part philosophies
tions are those that address the root mpr = market value of the pump after Once a pump is installed, site man-
cause of past failures. repair agement decides its criticality and if
3. How is the pump performing and rva = value added to the pump by the it makes sense to repair it or replace
how close to BEP is it operating? repair it when it fails. Pumps that are fully
4. What is the cost to restore the rc= repair cost spared are considered less critical,
pump back to the manufacturer’s while pumps that are unspared (non-
specifications? From this relationship, we can con- spared) are considered more critical.
5. What is the value of process clude that only repairs that produce There are several cases to consider,
downtime related to an unplanned an added value greater than the cost as follows:
pump failure? of repair makes economic sense. • For smaller, less critical pumps
6. What is the cost of an in-kind re- This statement assumes that the (<5 hp), which are uneconomi-
placement pump and its delivery time. pump in question can be removed cal to repair, either keep complete
7. What is the cost to keep a re- from service and repaired without an pump replacements in stores or
placement pump in stores? economic penalty. order replacement pumps from the
8. What is the cost of design im- Here are a few examples illustrat- manufacturer or distributor when re-
provements being considered? ing how the value-added relation- quired. The decision to either stock
9. What is the total cost of a cen- ship works: a complete spare pump or order it
trifugal pump hydraulic rerate being Example 1. Consider repairing a when required will depend on the
considered? 150-hp centrifugal pump with the expected delivery time.
10. What is the total cost to replace following costs:
• For a fully spared pump that can
an existing pump with one that has a Pump salvage value = $2,000
be removed and repaired because
better hydraulic fit? Post repair pump value= $20,000
the other installed spare is deemed
Value added = $20,000 – $2,000 =
Repair or replace? $18,000 to be reliable and capable of supply-
A common question that comes up Repair cost = $8,000 ing the required flow on its own: In
when pumps fail: Which pump war- Plugging these values into Equation services with medium- to large-size
rants repair and which should simply (1), we see that $18,000 > $8,000. pumps, it makes sense to pull the
be replaced? As described in Ref. 1, Therefore, a repair is justified in this failed pump and repair it — either in
case since the value the shop or off site.
added by the repair is • For a fully spared pump that
greater than the repair can be removed without impacting
cost. the process but takes too long to
Example 2. Consider repair: This might apply to trouble-
repairing a 5-hp cen- some pumps that fail frequently,
trifugal pump with the which may mean that time to repair
following costs: may approach or exceed the time
Pump salvage value = between failures. In these services,
$500 it makes sense to keep a rebuilt or
Post repair pump new pump in stores. When needed,
value = $2,000 the replacement pump can be
Value added = $2,000 removed from the warehouse and
– $500 = $1,500 installed in the field.
Repair cost = $4,000 • For when an unspared pump’s
FIGURE 2. A mechanic inspects a centrifugal pump impeller during a Plugging these val- downtime must be minimized due
repair ues into Equation (1)
TABLE 1. LIKELIHOOD PROJECT WILL BE
APPROVED, BASED ON THE PAYBACK PERIOD • Warehouse spares
other inputs are held fixed, a • Required training and modifica-
Payback Period Range Comment point will eventually be reached tion/updating of operating procedures
< 1 year Sure to be approved at which additions of the input
>1 year but <2 years Likely to be approved yield progressively smaller, or The annualized benefits may include
>2 years but <5 years Difficult project to sell
diminishing, increases in output. the following:
In centrifugal pump applica- • Reduction in repair costs
>5 years Not likely to be approved
tions, the pump’s reliability or • Reduction in production losses
process capability are usually • Increase in process throughput
to its potential economic impact
considered the commodity of inter- • Energy savings
on the plant: These pumps tend
est, while various design improve-
to be more complex and costly, so
ment options can be considered Note that annualized benefits are
it makes sense to store a pump inputs to improve reliability or capa- relative terms. To define an economic
bundle or rotating assembly in the bility to a given economic evaluation. benefit, you need to have a future
warehouse to minimize the repair There is a limit to how many eco- case and a base case. For example,
time in the event of major failures. nomical improvements can be made if a pump is failing twice a year and
Spare seals, bearings and couplings to any given machine. Eventually, costs $10,000 per repair, then the
should also be kept in stores for the nth improvement will no longer base maintenance cost is $20,000/
minor repairs. be economically justified. Here are yr. If you expect the pump failure-rate
An ineffective spare-parts man- some examples of common centrifu- interval to increase to once every 5
agement program can negatively af- gal pump improvements: years, then the future maintenance
fect pump reliability at your site. For • Upgrading mechanical seals and costs are expected to be $10,000/5
this reason, spare parts manage- related sealing systems in a pump or $2,000/yr. In this example, the an-
ment should be an integral part of to improve reliability nualized benefits of the upgrade are
every pump reliability program. How- • Upgrading pump casing metal- expected to be $18,0000 per year.
ever, often spare parts management lurgy to increase useful life The point here is you must always
tends to fly below the radar and is • Installing vibration monitoring consider the future case and the
often given little thought or consider- equipment to prevent catastrophic base case in determining the annual-
ation. To maintain the effectiveness failures ized benefits,
of the program, a team consisting • Rerating a pump to allow op-
of a rotating equipment engineer (or eration closer to its best efficiency
professional), shop foreman, ware-
point (BEP) flow to improve hydrau-
house specialist and a management (3)
lic stability
representative should be involved in
• Installing a spillback line in a
all critical spare part decisions and
tracking. The team should also meet pump’s discharge line to prevent The annualized risk, or simply
regularly to discuss: 1) the status of operation below its minimum contin- risk, is defined here as the sum of
all critical spares; 2) current spare- uous stable flow (MCSF) to prevent all the annualized losses associ-
part stocking levels; 3) changes in internal recirculation at low-flow ated with the failure mode being
stocking levels; 4) decisions to dis- demand conditions analyzed. Therefore, the annualized
pose of obsolete inventory; 5) ad- The payback-period method ex- risk is equal to the annualized main-
dition or deletions of suppliers; 6) plained here is a simple means of tenance costs plus the annualized
stocking upgraded parts, if available, evaluating the benefits of a potential process losses plus the annualized
and so on. After some trial and error, upgrade to management. The pay- environmental fines plus the annu-
an optimal mix of spare parts will be back period is defined as the initial alized demurrage costs and so on.
determined for your given centrifugal investment divided by the expected When evaluating the economics of
pump population. annual revenue realized by the im- reliability projects, we need to know
provement. The payback period of a the differential between the base risk
Making the case for upgrades modification is determined by divid- and the future risk expected from
Rotating machinery professionals are ing the total installation cost of the the improvement. This differential is
always looking for ways to improve upgrade by the annualized benefits: defined as the △Risk, which is the
the reliability or capabilities of their annualized benefit, or revenue, ex-
process pumps. However, there is pected to be realized from a reliability
always a limit to the level of improve- improvement project.
ments that are economically justified. (2) For example, assuming a pump
The economical limit is governed by Installation costs can include, but is failure results in a $20,000 repair,
the law of diminishing returns [2], not limited to, the following items: a $50,000 process loss, and a
which is an economic law stating • Cost of new components and $100,000 demurrage cost, then the
that if one input in the production of equipment losses experienced per seal failure is
a commodity is increased, while all • Demolition and installation costs $170,000. If the pump is failing twice

TABLE 2. PUMP REPLACEMENT replaced, then the non-leaking seal year. Every time the failure occurs, it
ECONOMICS
will normally fail within a few days. costs $100,000/yr to pull the pump,
Year Revenue For this reason, it is considered good replace with casing with a spare cas-
0 ($500,000)* practice to replace both seals when ing in stores, and expedite the reas-
1 $64,990 either one of the seals has failed. sembly and installation. An RCFA
2 $66,940 Root-cause failure analyses indicates that the current metallurgy
(RCFAs) in the pump’s historical re- and coating combination is unsuited
3 $68,948
cord indicate that most of the seal for the application.
4 $71,016 failures are due to abrasives embed- Assuming we believe you can im-
5 $73,147 ding in the softer primary ring and prove the MTBF of these pumps from
6 $75,341 causing a leak. After considering sev- once every year to once every four
7 $77,601 eral options, it has been deemed that years, then the annualized benefit of
installing double seals with a dedi- a casing upgrade will be $100,000/
8 $79,930
cated pressurized-seal oil system is yr – $25,000/yr = $75,000/yr. If the
9 $82,327
the most attractive of the upgrade cost of the new upgraded casing
10 $84,797 options considered. It is believed that is $60,000, then the total project
11 $87,341 a pressurized sealing arrangement cost will be $180,000 (for the main,
12 $89,961 will increase the mean time between installed spare, and warehouse
13 $92,660
seal failures from 6 months to 8 years. spare). We won’t include the cost
If the cost of replacing inboard and of installing the new casings, since
14 $95,440
outboard seals is $40,000, then the future repairs have already been ac-
15 $98,303 annualized reduction in maintenance counted for.
16 $101,252 costs realized from the upgrade is ex- Using Equation (3), we find that the
17 $104,290 pected to be: payback period for this example will
18 $107,419
be $180,000/$75,000/yr = 2.4 yr.
$40,000/(0.5 yr) – $40,000/8 According to Table 1, a project with a
19 $110,641
= $80,000 – $5,000 payback greater than two years may
20 $113,960 = $75,000/yr be difficult to sell to site management.
IRR 14.41% To increase the chances of getting
NPV $617,276.87 The upgrade costs include pur- this upgrade approved, the user may
Rate 4% chasing four seals (two to install and have to find additional upgrade ben-
two to put in stores), a pressurized- efits, such as listing any production
*Note: Investment
seal oil system, and the cost of in- downtime events caused by unex-
stalling the required seal auxiliary pip- pected failures or taking a salvage
a year, then the annualized base case ing and instrumentation for the new credit for the existing casings.
risk is 2 × $170,000 or $340,000/ seal oil system. No modifications to Remember that the payback pe-
yr. If we believe an upgraded pump the pump shaft or pump casing are riod evaluation method does not
will only fail every five years, then the required for the seal upgrade. The consider the time value of money
annualized future risk is expected total project cost of the upgrade is as considered in other economic
to be 0.2 × $170,000 or $34,000/ estimated to be $120,000. analysis methods. However, most
yr. Therefore, the annualized △Risk Using Equation (3), we see that managers tend to find the payback
for this project is $340,000/yr minus the payback period for this project is method to be an intuitive and ac-
34,000/yr or $306,000/yr. $120,000/$75,000 = 1.6 yr. Referring ceptable means of evaluating the
Table 1 tabulates some improve- to Table 1, we can see that this proj- economic benefits of smaller proj-
ment-project payback-period ranges ect has a good chance of getting ap- ects. Other larger or more complex
along with the likelihood projects that proved. (Notice that this simple eco- projects may require more sophisti-
fall in these ranges will be approved nomic analysis did not take credit for cated economic evaluations, such as
by management (based on the au- any pipeline outages or slowdowns determining the internal rate of return
thors’ experiences). caused by unplanned seal replace- (IRR) or net present value over the life
ments. Taking credit for any process of a project.
Payback time examples related losses will decrease further Some final advice on upgrades: To
Two examples of determining the improve the payout period and make be successful, centrifugal pump pro-
payback time are presented here. this upgrade project even more eco- fessionals should 1) use economic
Upgrading mechanical seals in a nomically attractive.) thinking when considering all poten-
pipeline pump. Assume there is a Upgrading slurry-service pump tial upgrade decisions; and 2) always
multistage (double-ended), pipeline casings. Let’s say you own a pair try to justify your projects using clear,
pump that is experiencing a seal fail- of 500-hp slurry pumps that, due well thought out project scopes that
ure every six months. Experience has to severe casing erosion, are cur- have compelling payback time cal-
shown that if only the leaking seal is rently experiencing one failure every culations. Never push improvement
projects that are not justified and al- more reliable pump pair will, on aver- Authors
ways listen to your managers’ con- age, have a MTBF of 10 years, which Robert Perez is a mechanical en-
cerns if they question your calcula- equates to a maintenance cost sav- gineer and semi-retired consultant
based in San Antonio, Tex. (Email:
tions or assumptions. Don’t let your ings of $20,000 – $20,000/10 or rxperez1665@msn.com), with
enthusiasm get in the way of your $18,000/yr. These findings mean over 40 years of rotating equip-
company’s best interests. that the project will attain a total an- ment experience in the petro-
chemical industry. He earned a
nual revenue stream of $46,990/ BSME degree from Texas A&M
Pump replacement yr plus $18,000/yr (or $64,990/yr). University at College Station, an
MSME degree from the University
Typically, the costliest way to im- (Note that this total does not include of Texas at Austin and holds a Texas PE license. Perez
prove a pump’s reliability perfor- any process losses or additional op- has authored numerous articles for magazines and con-
mance is by completely replacing erational labor costs.) ference proceedings, five books, and coauthored five
books covering machinery reliability.
it with one that is better suited for After researching pump and pip-
the application. Initially, site person- ing options, the project group has
Heinz P. Bloch is a consulting
nel tend to seek improvement with determined that replacing these engineer at Process Machinery
mechanical seal, metallurgy, bearing pumps will cost $500,000, which in- Consulting, and resides in Mont-
upgrades or modifications to oper- cludes the cost of two new pumps gomery, Tex. (heinzpbloch@gmail.
com). His professional career
ating procedures in their attempts to (assuming there is a main and an commenced in 1962 and in-
gain better reliability. Yet, after years installed spare) all design costs, rec- cluded long-term assignments as
of frustration, site management may ommended spare parts, and all field Exxon Chemical’s Regional Ma-
chinery Specialist for the U.S. He
eventually have to concede that the modifications and installation costs. has authored or co-written over
existing pump or pumps were com- If we enter these data into an Excel 790 publications, among them 24 comprehensive
pletely misapplied. spreadsheet and solve for the inter- books on practical machinery management, failure
analysis, failure avoidance, compressors, steam tur-
When considering a centrifu- nal rate of return and the net pres- bines, pumps, oil mist lubrication and optimized lubri-
gal pump replacement, the project ent value (NPV), we get the output cation for industry. Bloch holds B.S. and M.S. degrees
(cum laude) in mechanical engineering from the New
group must first find a pump that fits data shown in Table 2. There we can Jersey Institute of Technology. He is an ASME Life Fel-
the current hydraulic requirements. see that the IRR (14.41%) and NPV low and was awarded life-time registration as a Profes-
If several pump designs are being ($617,276) for this project are fac- sional Engineer in New Jersey.
considered, the pump that requires torable, which is the first hurdle the
the least piping modifications is usu- project will face.
ally favored above the other options. Next, management will compare
If the selected pump will not fit on the these economic projections with
existing foundation, then the cost of the other competing projects being
the new foundation, or modifying/ considered at the time. Since capital
adapting foundations and/or base budgets are finite, only the most at-
plates must be included in the total tractive projects will be funded. The
project cost. Other miscellaneous possible outcomes are that the proj-
project costs, such as replacing ect will either be fully funded, deferred
warehouse spares, training of main- until the next capital budget review,
tenance and operations personnel, or canceled. Reliability profession-
required control modifications, and als must realize that many reliability-
so on, must also be included in the improvement projects never see the
total cost of the project. light of day for reasons outside of
As an example, consider having their control. At the end of the day,
two 150-hp pumps that are over- remember that only well-conceived
sized and operate at 25% of the reliability improvement projects are
BEP flow. The repair history shows ever fully approved and eventually
that the pumps have been repaired, realized. To have a realistic chance of
on average, once yearly at a cost of approval, reliability projects need to
$20,000 per repair for the past five have excellent economics numbers
years. A review of the pump curve and key sponsors who will support
shows that the current hydraulic ef- the project every step of the way.
ficiency is about 27%. The most at- Sponsors can be reliability manag-
tractive replacement pump option ers, operations superintendents,
being considered can provide an ef- plant managers, and executives. n
ficiency of 67%. The energy savings Edited by Gerald Ondrey
from the more efficient pump have
been calculated to be $46,990/yr Reference
(based on an energy cost of $0.097/ 1. Perez, R. X. and Bloch, Heinz P., “Pump Wisdom — Problem
Solving for Operators and Specialists,” 2nd Edition, John Wiley
hp-h). We will assume that a new, & Sons, Hoboken, N.J., 2022.

Engineering Practice
An Overview of Synthetic Filter Media
Many factors impact the performance of synthetic filtration media, from thread and
weave styles to drainage and coverage considerations
Jose M. Sentmanat
still used as filter media, this article
Liquid Filtration Specialist, LLC
covers synthetic filter media and wire
U
cloth only.
nder the broad umbrella
FIGURE 2. Square weave is the most basic weave
of filter media, there are Common fiber types style used with synthetic materials and wire cloths
many synthetic media ma- As shown in Figure 1, there are sev-
terials, including woven eral common types of fibers used in
filter cloths, woven and non-woven synthetic filter media, as follows:
fabric filter media and filter felts. • Staple fiber fabrics — Yarns made
The term “synthetic” encompasses of many short fibers
cloth materials made of polyeth- • Spun filament fibers — Yarn made
ylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), from multiple discontinuous, small
polyester or nylon, as well as other monofilaments twisted together
specialty materials, such as Saran, • Monofilament fabrics — Fibers
polyamide, Nomex (flame-resistant produced from single extruded
meta-aramid), polyether ether ke- yarns
tone (PEEK), fluoroplastics and other • Multifilament fabrics — Fabric
specially made materials for spe- made from yarns that have several
cific applications. A sub-category of continuous monofilament strands
such media includes wire-cloth filter bundled together FIGURE 3. Square weaves imbue media with high
media. These are woven wire mesh • Woven wire fabrics — Media pro- permeability and stability
made of a variety of metals, the most duced using metallic wires
common being wire mesh made of Also note that combination materi-
stainless steels, such as 316 SS als are available, such as mono/mul-
and 316-L SS. tifilament, mono/staple and multi/
Originally, the materials used for staple combinations.
filter media were silk, cotton and Monofilament fibers offer many
wool. Due to the limitations on the benefits, including excellent diam-
usability of those materials, synthetic eter control for precise fabric open-
materials are used much more often ings, high flowrates, low pressure FIGURE 4. A taffeta weave gives media a rougher
in industrial filtration applications drops, relatively high stiffness and surface that mimics silk cloths
since their introduction around 1945. tensile strength. With these fibers,
Since then, rapid development ac- the filtration mechanism is surface
tivities have widely expanded syn- particle capture, exhibiting excellent
thetic fibers’ applicability in industrial surface particle release. This media
filtration. While cotton and wool are is easy to clean, and also demon-
FIGURE 5. Closed twill weaves are denser, and

result in strong and durable media
strates limited liquid absorption.
With multifilament fibers, users
should note that the twisted yarns
can often result in uneven yarn di-
ameters, and pore sizes can be
uneven and difficult to measure.
With this type of media, the filtra-
FIGURE 1. The fiber type used for filtration media can impact its final performance tion mechanisms include particle
open-weave style, high-flowrate applications. Its shute
employing a simple wires are smaller than its warp wires
o v e r- a n d - u n d e r (Figure 8). A benefit of this weave
pattern (Figures 2 style is a low pressure drop across
and 3). It provides the media.
a straight flow path Double-layer weaves. Double-
with a large open layer weaves are used with synthetic
area. Some of the media. These can be of the mono-
main benefits of filament or mono-multi-weave vari-
square weaves ety. In double-layer weaves, the filter
are: high permea- layer (for example, a closed twill-
bility, minimal bind- weave filter) and the support layer
ing, easy cleaning (for example, an open-square weave)
FIGURE 6. In calendering, controlled heat and pressure are applied to a ma- and high stability. are woven together. This configura-
terial, yielding a more compact, denser fiber Taffeta weave. tion results in fine filtration capabili-
capture on the surface, as well as This weave style is typically used ties, as well as exceptional strength
between twisted strands. Multi- with synthetic materials only. It is a and durability. There are various
filament media elements exhibit fair variation of square weaves where constructions available for double-
surface particle release, but they are two small-diameter threads alternate layer woven media (Figure 9). Since
somewhat difficult to clean. Their with larger-diameter threads in the fine fabric is woven onto a strong
benefits include excellent tensile warp direction (Figure 4). “Warp” re- support layer, fabric pores tend to
strength, flexibility, pliability and fa- fers to the wires running the length “blind-off” against a perforated metal
tigue resistance. It also should be of the cloth as it is woven. This style, support, as seen in Figure 10. In a
noted that multifilament yarns can with its rougher surface, mimics silk monofilament configuration, lateral
absorb liquids. molting cloths. flow through the coarse mesh bot-
Spun filament fibers are charac- Closed twill weave. This weave tom layer results in improved flow
terized by a somewhat uneven fiber style is used with synthetic materials. and throughput (Figure 11).
size and density, and like multifila- The denser weave pattern involves
ment fibers, their pore sizes can be the warp threads going over three Performance considerations
uneven and difficult to measure. times, then under one weft thread When selecting the proper filter
The filtration mechanisms for spun (Figure 5). This weave style promotes media, the main performance issues
filament fibrous media include par- excellent strength and durability. Fil- taken into consideration are par-
ticle capture on surface, as well as ter media employing this weave style ticle capture efficiency, throughput
within the fiber structure. While these may be calendered to control air per- capacity, washability, cake release,
media are indeed flexible and pliable, meability. Calendering is a fiber treat- temperature resistance and chemi-
they exhibit poor surface particle re- ment process whereby pressure and cal resistance. Table 2 provides infor-
lease, and are difficult to clean. As heat are applied at the same time mation on temperature and chemi-
with multifilament fibers, spun fila- to compress the fibers together, re- cal resistance for several common
ment yarns can absorb liquids. sulting in a thinner and tighter fabric synthetic materials.
with better filtration quality. As seen Particle capture efficiency. It is im-
Common weave styles in Figure 6, calendering results in a portant to note that 100% particle
The method used to weave fibers more compact, denser fiber. capture efficiency is often not neces-
into the larger filter-media elements Twill Dutch weave. This weave style sary, as it may be too costly to be
can make a significant difference in is used with wire cloth media. It pro- feasible in a particular project. Fur-
performance parameters. Several vides the finest particle retention with thermore, fabric pore size does not
weave styles are described in the its two-over, two-under pattern. In necessarily have to exactly match
following sections. The pore sizes this style, the warp wires are heavier
available for the main weave catego- than the shute wires (the wires run-
ries are given in Table 1. ning across the width of the cloth).
Square weaves. This weave style is Plain reverse Dutch weave. This
mainly used with synthetic materials weave style is used with both syn-
and wire cloth. It is the most basic thetics and wire cloth media. It has a
higher warp thread count versus weft
TABLE 1. PORE SIZE OPTIONS FOR WOVEN threads (Figure 7). The warp yarn di-
FILTER CLOTH MEDIA ameter is generally two-thirds of the
Synthetic materials weft yarn diameter. This weave style
Plain square weaves — down to 5 µm can accommodate high flowrates,
Closed Dutch and twill — down to 10 µm and it provides excellent longitudi-
Wire cloth nal flexibility, transversal rigidity and
tortuous flow.
Plain square weaves — down to 20 µm
Closed Dutch weaves — down to 1 µm Plain Dutch weave. This weave FIGURE 7. Filtration media employing plain reverse
style is used with wire cloth media in Dutch weaves can handle high flowrates

TABLE 2. FILTER CLOTH CHARACTERISTICS the capture objective (as
Fiber Acid Alkali Recom- Flex and Wet filtration characteristics in cake filtration, for in-
resistance resistance mended abra- stance).
temperature sion Throughput capac-
limit, ºF
ity. When considering
Cotton Poor Fair 210 Fair Offers good particle retention; is unaffected throughput capacity, it
by dilute acids, but is susceptible to hot, weak should be understood
acids or cold, concentrated acids; poor resis-
tance to mildew and fungi that media with the same
pore sizes can exhibit dif-
Nylon Fair Excellent 275 Excellent Very good abrasion resistance; high tensile
strength and elasticity; unaffected by mildew ferent throughputs, as
and fungi; degraded by oxidizing agents and shown in Figure 12. The
mineral acids, but resists most common open area of the media
alkalis is what will ultimately set
Polyester Very good Good 300 Very Highly tolerant of oxidizing agents; good the capacity.
good resistance to acids, except for concentrated Washability and cake
nitric and sulfuric acids; Highly resistant to release. These consider-
solvents; Degrades under hydrolysis
ations describe how well
Acrylic Excellent Fair 285 Good Very resistant to mineral acids; medium re- the cloth can be washed,
homopolymer sistance to weak alkalis and strong alkalis at
room temperature; not harmed by common
and how well the filter
solvents cake releases when clean-
Polypropylene Excellent Excellent 200 Very Lower density than all other synthetic fibers;
ing the filter cloth. Both of
good resistance to alkalis and acids, as well as these factors help to pre-
many solvents, except aromatic and chlori- dict the lifecycle effective-
nated hydrocarbons ness of the media.
Polyethylene Excellent Excellent 180 Good At room temperature, can withstand alkalis,
acids and many organic chemicals; features Drainage
good elasticity and recovery Consideration must also
Saran Excellent Excellent 180 Good Can resist mineral acids, most alkalis, chlorine be given to providing a
and alcohols; is very durable in the presence drainage support be-
of acids, particularly HCl and alkalis, except tween the filter media and
ammonium chloride
the surface underneath.
Nomex Fair Excellent 425 Very Very similar to nylon, but can withstand higher In the case of filter cloth
good temperatures
media, it has been found
Glass Excellent Fair 600 Poor Highly resistant to acids, except hydrofluoric in some cases that pro-
acid and hot phosphoric acid in their con-
centrated forms; vulnerable to abrasion and
viding a drainage support
flexing consisting of a coarse,
open media types may
increase flow by as much
as 20%. The drainage support is
either an open-square weave made
FIGURE 10. In double-layer weaves, fine fabric is
with coarse threads or filaments,
often woven onto a perforated metal support or what is known as honeycomb.
The drainage member separates
the cloth from the metal support
and thus creates more flow, since
it allows for a lateral flow under the
FIGURE 11. In monofilament double-layer weaves,

FIGURE 8. The plain Dutch weave style enables a improved throughput is achievable due to lateral
very low pressure drop across the media flow across the coarse, mesh bottom layer
FIGURE 12. Throughput capacity is not dictated

FIGURE 9. Double-layer weaves can be configured as monofilament or mono-multi weaves. Both options by pore size, but rather the open area of the media
involve a filter layer that is woven together with a support layer

cloth. In the case of the woven wire any wear, tears or holes in the cloths.
mesh, the drainage member is usu- Such damage will most certainly af-
ally a more open coarse-square fect the filter’s performance. A good
mesh, such as 8 × 8 mesh. Figure preventative measure is to supply
13 shows a metal filter leaf with the the cloth covers with reinforcement
honeycomb support and the syn- patches either on the corners, or
thetic cloth cover open to show any areas where the bags may be
the support. Figure 14 shows a subject to friction or wear. ■
five-ply filter-leaf construction with Edited by Mary Page Bailey
drainage mesh.
Acknowledgements
Filter-cloth covers The author acknowledges the valuable contribution
While filter-cloth covers are sewn toward writing this article of Sefar Americas Inc. (Buf-
falo, N.Y.) and Filter-All, Inc./Sewn Weld Industries Inc.
when originally installed onto the (Magnolia, Tex.)
filter leaves, replacement filter-cloth
covers may be supplied with either Author
FIGURE 13. This metal filter leaf is equipped with
a honeycomb-style drainage support, which helps
Velcro closures or zippers to facili- Jose M. Sentmanat is the presi-
to increase flow through the filtration elements tate field installation and eliminate dent of Liquid Filtration Specialist,
LLC (P.O. Box 1064, Conroe, TX
the need to be sewn, which may 77305-1064; Website; www.
require sending the filter leaves to filterconsultant.com; Email: info@
a shop for sewing. Care must al- filterconsultant.com; Phone: 936-
ways be taken to prevent dragging 756-5362). Sentmanat has over
50 years of experience in applica-
filter leaves with cloth covers on tion engineering, sizing and selec-
them across the floor. This will tear tion of filtration equipment for a
or rip the cloth. Also, users must multitude of process-related industries in the food-and-
beverage, pharmaceutical, consumer, chemical and
be careful not to hit the covered petrochemical sectors. Sentmanat has authored several
leaves against sharp surfaces that publications, references and operations manuals, and
FIGURE 14. Drainage mesh on filter leaves can
help separate the cloth from the metal support
might damage the cloths. The cloths has given numerous seminars and short
courses worldwide.
should be inspected periodically for
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Economic Indicators
2019 2020 2021
Download the CEPCI two weeks sooner at www.chemengonline.com/pci
950
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING PLANT COST INDEX (CEPCI) 900
(1957–59 = 100) Dec. ’21 Nov. ’21 Dec. ’20 Annual Index: 850
Prelim. Final Final
2013 = 567.3
CE Index_______________________________________________ 776.9 773.1 606.9 800
Equipment _____________________________________________ 979.7 973.8 737.3 2014 = 576.1
Heat exchangers & tanks __________________________________ 832.6 825.7 621.4
Process machinery ______________________________________ 977.6 976.7 737.7 2015 = 556.8 750
Pipe, valves & fittings _____________________________________ 1415.0 1402.1 998.7 2016 = 541.7
Process instruments _____________________________________ 564.0 569.3 433.4 700
Pumps & compressors ____________________________________ 1179.4 1178.8 1086.2 2017 = 567.5
Electrical equipment _____________________________________ 679.0 672.4 571.2 2018 = 603.1 650
Structural supports & misc. ________________________________ 1064.9 1056.6 772.5
Construction labor ________________________________________ 348.0 348.2 336.4 2019 = 607.5
Buildings ______________________________________________ 808.1 796.3 621.0 2020 = 596.2 600
Engineering & supervision __________________________________ 303.3 310.5 311.6
Starting in April 2007, several data series for labor and compressors were converted to accommodate series IDs discontinued by the 550
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Starting in March 2018, the data series for chemical industry special machinery was replaced
because the series was discontinued by BLS (see Chem. Eng., April 2018, p. 76–77.)
500
J F M A M J J A S O N D
CURRENT BUSINESS INDICATORS LATEST PREVIOUS YEAR AGO

CPI output index (2017 = 100)_____________________________________________________ Dec. '21 = 99.8 Nov. '21 = 99.9 Oct. '21 = 98.9 Dec. '20 = 95.0
CPI value of output, $ billions _____________________________________________________ Nov. '21 = 2,108.1 Oct. '21 = 2,090.2 Sept. '21 = 2,020.8 Nov. '20 = 1,711.2
CPI operating rate, % ___________________________________________________________ Dec. '21 = 79.5 Nov. '21 = 79.7 Oct. '21 = 78.9 Dec. '20 = 75.6
Producer prices, industrial chemicals (1982 = 100) _____________________________________ Dec. '21 = 340.0 Nov. '21 = 340.5 Oct. '21 = 332.8 Dec. '20 = 240.0
Industrial Production in Manufacturing (2017 =100)* ____________________________________ Dec. '21 = 100.2 Nov. '21 = 100.5 Oct. '21 = 99.9 Dec. '20 = 96.8
Hourly earnings index, chemical & allied products (1992 = 100) _____________________________ Dec. '21 = 195.8 Nov. '21 = 194.6 Oct. '21 = 195.1 Dec. '20 = 194.3
Productivity index, chemicals & allied products (1992 = 100)_______________________________ Dec. '21 = 96.4 Nov. '21 = 96.7 Oct. '21 = 358.0 Dec. '20 = 92.1
CPI OUTPUT INDEX (2017

(2000 = 100)† CPI OUTPUT VALUE ($ BILLIONS) CPI OPERATING RATE (%)
110 2300 80
105
2000 75
100
1900
95 70
1800
90
65
1700
85
60
80 1600
75 1500 55
J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D J F M A M J J A S O N D
*Due to discontinuance, the Index of Industrial Activity has been replaced by the Industrial Production in Manufacturing index from the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.
†For the current month’s CPI output index values, the base year was changed from 2012 to 2017
Current business indicators provided by Global Insight, Inc., Lexington, Mass.
CURRENT TRENDS
T he preliminary value for the CE Plant

Cost Index (CEPCI; top) for De-
EXCLUSIVE AD SPACE AVAILABLE! cember 2021 (most recent available)

rose compared to the previous month,
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JASON BULLOCK TERRY DAVIS PETRA TRAUTES
(middle) showed slight decreases in the
jbullock@chemengonline.com tdavis@chemengonline.com ptrautes@accessintel.com
713-974-0911 404-634-5123 +49 69 58604760 CPI output index and CPI operating
27206 rate for December 2021, and a small
increase in the CPI value of output for
November 2021.

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