http://www.che.com Chemical Engineering en-us 2013 Sat, 25 May 2013 12:09:21 EDT Increasing production of crude oil from shale deposits in the U.S. and oil sands in Canada offers North American petroleum refiners opportunities to access cost-advantaged feedstock. However, shifting product demand and hurdles in transportation logistics, along with technical issues associated with the properties of the crude from those areas, present challenges as refiners optimize their product mix. Crude oil from shale was among the many refining-related trends and issues discussed at the recent annual meeting of the American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers... http://www.che.com/news/10443.html Wed, 1 May 2013 0:00:00 EDT The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Admin. (OSHA; Washington, D.C.; www.osha.gov) has flagged combustible dusts as one of its top issues since the Imperial Sugar Mill explosion in Port Wentworth, Georgia, that killed 14 employees and injured many others in February 2008. Combustible dust is, in fact,... http://www.che.com/news/10456.html Wed, 1 May 2013 0:00:00 EDT The continuous quest to maximize process efficiency and boost product performance, in which all sectors of the chemical process industries (CPI) are engaged, is driving demand for technologically advanced coatings. And engineering at the nanoscale level is an increasingly common avenue to reach these goals in commercial coatings.... http://www.che.com/news/10370.html Mon, 1 Apr 2013 0:00:00 EDT Single-use equipment has come a long way from its modest origins as a convenient storage and transportation method. As a matter of fact,... http://www.che.com/news/10374.html Mon, 1 Apr 2013 0:00:00 EDT Bob Katin, chairman of the California Government Relations Committee of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and president of the California Legislative Council of Professional Engineers (CLCPE), is a persistent man. For more than 20 years he has fought to change the California Professional... http://www.che.com/news/10250.html Fri, 1 Mar 2013 0:00:00 EST Because many of their products go directly to the ultimate end user, polymer and plastic processors are being asked to make their final products safer. Both consumers and governments alike are demanding that plastics, especially those that are destined for food contact, contain lower residual solvent and monomer levels. At the same time, the biopolymer industry is exploding and processors want to get in on the ground floor. However, because of the... http://www.che.com/news/10260.html Fri, 1 Mar 2013 0:00:00 EST Unlike fossil fuels or precious metals, phosphorus has no alternatives — we (and all other life forms on the planet) need phosphorus; it’s in our DNA, our bones and our energy-producing chemicals (ATP). We get it from our food — meat, grains and vegetables — so it’s not surprising that phosphorus is a key ingredient in fertilizer, as well as a component of sewage, manure and slaughterhouse waste (bone meal).... http://www.che.com/news/10144.html Fri, 1 Feb 2013 0:00:00 EST Whether for pumping, mixing, compression or ventilation, motors are used everywhere in the chemical process industries (CPI). Unfortunately, they are notoriously energy intensive, accounting for about 65% of the electrical consumption of a chemical production site. However,... http://www.che.com/news/10152.html Fri, 1 Feb 2013 0:00:00 EST In the processing environment, powders often appear to exhibit variable flow behavior, which can be the cause of significant inefficiency in the form of unplanned shut downs or compromised product quality. However, the reality is that... http://www.che.com/news/10062.html Tue, 1 Jan 2013 0:00:00 EST Chemical Engineering magazine's biennial prize is looking to honor the most noteworthy chemical engineering technology commercialized during 2011 or 2012. Nominations may be submitted by any person or company, worldwide. The procedure consists simply of sending an unillustrated nominating brief of up to 500 words by March 22 to: Gerald Ondrey, Secretary, Kirkpatrick Award Committee c/o Chemical Engineering 11000 Richmond Ave, Suite 690 Houston, TX 77042 Email: awards@che.com (If you have any difficulty using the above email address, nominations can also be sent to our editors at dlozowski@che.com and gondrey@che.com)... http://www.che.com/news/10064.html Tue, 1 Jan 2013 0:00:00 EST