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VOL. 49 NO. 1 January 2014 US $ 10 ` 150

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ChemTECH World Expo 201528-31 January 2015, Mumbai , India

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August 2013 • 3Chemical Engineering World

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4 • January 2014 Chemical Engineering World

ContentsCEW

Vol. 49 | No.1| JANUARY 2014 | Mumbai | ` 150NEWS ►

Industry News / 6

Technology News / 28

NEWS FEATURES ►Ban on Imports of Used Machines: A Hindrance on Growth / 34

Clariant: Leading the Pack / 38

FEATURES ►Filtration System: Basic Engineering Design / 42

– Nitin Nageshwar, Yoku Consultants & Yoku Filters

Experimental Study of Pyrolysis Gases for Thermo-Kinetic

Modeling of Dust Explosion / 49

– Dr Manju Mittal, CSIR-CBRI

Centrifugal Compressor Technology – Past, Present

and Future / 54

– Amit Mehendale, Ingersoll Rand India Ltd

Handling Corrosion at Elevated Temperature / 56

– Dhawal Saxena, Blast Carboblocks Pvt Ltd

Averting Coupling Crisis / 58

– Rathi Transpower Pvt Ltd

MARKET INSIGHTS ► F&S Projects Healthy Growth of Indian Chemical Industry / 63

PRODUCTS ► / 64

EVENTS ► / 70

PROJECT UPDATE ► / 73

BACK OF BOOK ►Ad Index / 75

Book Shelf / 76

INTERVIEW ►/ 77“There are No Thumb Rules to Understand What Goes

Inside the Heat Exchanger”

– H K Sippy, Chairman & Managing Director, TEMA India Ltd

Printed and published by Mr Maulik Jasubhai Shah on behalf of Jasubhai Media Private Limited, 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021

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published from 3rd Floor, Taj Building, 210, Dr. D N Road, Fort, Mumbai 400 001. Editor: Ms Mittravinda Ranjan, 26, Maker Chamber VI, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021.

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WORLDRNI REGISTRATION NO. 11403/66

Chairman Jasu ShahPublisher & Printer Maulik Jasubhai ShahChief Executive Officer Hemant Shetty

EDITORIALEditor Mittravinda Ranjan ([email protected])Editorial Advisory Board D P Misra, N G Ashar, Prof. M C DwivediContributing Editors P V Satyanarayana, Dr S R Srinivasan, R B Darji, R P SharmaSub Editor Bernard Rapose ([email protected]) Harshal Y Desai ([email protected]) Senior Correspondent Namrata Tanna ([email protected]) Design Team Arun Parab, Amol PatkarEvents Management Team Abhijeet MirashiSubscription Team Dilip Parab Marketing Co-ordinator Brenda FernandesProduction Team V Raj Misquitta (Head), Arun Madye

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116 • December 2013 Chemical Engineering World

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Industry NewsCEW


New Delhi, India: Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has revealed that the disinvestment process of Haldia Petrochemicals Limited (HPL) has become totally uncertain. A senior official from IOC has revealed that the company had submitted the bid on October 7 to West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation (WBIDC), and so far there has been no communication to it on the issue,‰ PTI reported. „The entire timeline has gone haywire and we do not know the future‰, the official said, adding the bid would remain valid if the terms and conditions were satisfied. The basic premise of validity hinged around the sale of 675 million shares. However, out of that, the ownership of 155 million shares has become contentious and thus doubtful,‰ the official was quoted as saying.

HPL Dis investment Uncer ta in: IOC

Pune, India: Praj Industries has restructured its business with second generation technology. „Ethanol will continue to be a major focus in PrajÊs business, the introduction of water, pharma and biotech-led businesses signifie our continued push for sustainability. Due to economic slowdown and policy changes in blending of ethanol in US and Europe, the business has been impacted. But markets like Thailand and Philippines have helped us to grow the business in the last three years. And now, we have transformed our company from being a single business sector company of ethanol solutions to multiple business organisation, providing solutions for brewery, water & waste water, process equipment & systems, high purity application and bio-products,‰ said Pramod Chaudhari, Executive Chairman, Praj Industries. In the last five years Praj has spent ` 500 crore on research & development and expansion of the business. It is setting up a new facility in North Maharashtra which will produce 50 lakh litres of ethanol every year. The ethanol will be produced from the agricultural bio-waste. The plant will be operational by end of this year.

Kolkata, India: The Munich-based chemical group Wacker is strengthening i ts presence in India by opening i ts expanded technical centre for si l icone products in Amtala near Kolkata. Operated by the joint venture Wacker Metroark Chemicals Pvt Ltd (WMC), the enlarged regional competence centre now comprises state-of- the-ar t appl icat ions technology and test equipment for silicone products needed in the textiles, personal care and construction industry. The group is thus responding to the growing demand for silicone products and the emerging needs of regional customers for technical suppor t and exper tise. The investment amounts to around half a million Euro. Continued growth in the Asian region prompted enlarging the technical centre in the north-east of India. The extended centre, now spanning about 1,800 square meters and furnished with state-of-the-ar t equipment, supports silicone customers in the personal care, textile, automotive and construction sector in the development of new products and applications for the regionÊs markets. This will help Wacker enhance its position as a market and technology leader for high-quality silicone products.

Pune, India: Kishor Pumps has been adjudged as the recipient of the 2013 „Customer Value Leadership Award‰ in submersible pumps for water and waste water segment. Frost and Sullivan, a reputed international market research and management consulting company conferred this prestigious award.

„Kishor Pumps has always had a customer centr ic approach right from requirement identification to after sales service. We cont inuously st r ive to understand the speci f ic needs of our customer and every pump supplied is selected after a thorough study of the liquid being pumped, the piping system characteristics and surrounding conditions that may affect the optimal performance of the pump. We have always believed in our motto that „service before sales, is more critical than service after sales,‰ a statement released by the company stated.

This recognition was the outcome of an extensive and in depth market research done by Frost & SullivanÊs qualified personnel. I t involved direct integration with al l the players in the value chain of submersible pumps including end users, consultants and contractors.

Praj Ind Restructures Business

Wacker Expands Technical Center in Kolkata

Kishor Pumps Awarded ÂLeadershipÊ Award

New Solar Unit to Come Up in Punjab

Chandigarh , Ind ia : Welspun Energy L i m i t e d ( W E L ) h a s a n n o u n c e d a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Punjab government to set up solar power project of 150 MW capacity. WEL will invest over ` 1300 crore for setting up this solar project over the next three ye a r s . W E L i s a l r e a d y d eve l o p i n g a 35 (DC) MW solar project in the state of Punjab. This 150 MW project, slated to begin commercial operations by 2017, will

bring relief to the state of Punjab that has been facing insufficient and erratic power supply and been battling high power tariffs. A recent report by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has claimed that the State of Punjab is likely to experience an overall power shor tage of 19.7 per cent and the peak shor tage of 25.6 per cent in 2013-14.

Vineet Mittal, Managing Director, Welspun Energy Ltd, said, „The partnership with Government of Punjab is in line with our commitment of lighting India with clean, sustainable energy. Our position as the leading clean energy developer in the country makes us the ideal partners for this project. We look forward to working in close collaboration with the local authorities to develop efficient and world class solar capacities for the state.‰

This 150 MW project would put Punjab in race for renewable energy with leading states like Gujarat and Rajasthan. The Photovoltaic project will supply clean energy to power 0.72 million families. With the commissioning of this project, an estimated 24,96,602 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions will be mitigated each year.

Vineet Mittal, Managing Director, Welspun Energy Ltd

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December 2013 • 117Chemical Engineering World


Industry NewsCEW


New Delh i , India: B h a ra t Pe t r o l e u m Corporation Limited (BPCL) has partnered with Chennai-based Manali Petrochemicals Limited (MPL) for a new project in Kerala.

For the new contract, BPCL and MPL would set up a ` 3,000-crore polyurethane project in Kerala. The capacity of the project would be increased to 3,50,000 tonnes. The original plan was to set up a 250,000-3,00,000 tonnes

capacity plant with an investment of about ` 2,500-3,000 crore. ÂNews updateÊ on companyÊs website has stated that BPCL is in talks with MPL to float a joint venture in which a few foreign companies are expected to participate to set up the project. The project will be IndiaÊs single-largest polyurethane (PU) manufacturing plant. MPL made a presentation before S Varadarajan, Chairman & Managing Director, BPCL, recently. Both partners would finalise the structure by mid-January or before January-end and will hold a 50 per cent stake each in the new JV. A pre-feasibility report is being prepared, the release reads.

Recently, South Korean major LG Chemicals had backed out of Bharat Petroleum Corporation LimitedÊs (BPCL) ` 5,000-crore petrochemicals project in Kochi.

LG Chemicals Backs Out, BPCL Finds another Partner

New Delh i , Ind ia : Gujara t Gas Company L td (GGCL) , the Ahmedabad-based company has signed an agreement with Gujarat State Petroleum Corp (GSPC) to purchase gas for about 12 years. According to the information provided by the company, it will buy „0.574 mmscmd (of gas) between March 1, 2014 up to July 01, 2025, and, purchase 0.076 mmscmd between January 01, 2014 upto July 01, 2025. GGCL and GSPC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for a long-term gas supply deal on September 3, 2013. Ahmedabad-headquartered Gujarat Gas was set up by BG Group of UK in 1980. But last year, the British firm sold its stake in the company to Gujarat government owned GSPC Group in June 2012 for ` 2,464 crore.

Mumbai, India: Wabag bagged its first ever order in Tanzania. The project is funded by Exim Bank of India under the Indian line of credit. The project is a ÂDesign and Build ContractÊ from Dar Es Salaam Water & Sewerage Authority (DAWASA) for a value of USD 40 million. The scope of the work comprises building of 130 MLD Upper Ruvu Water Treatment Plant in The United Republic of Tanzania. Commenting on this development, Rajiv Mittal, MD, Va Tech Wabag, said, „We are

delighted that our efforts in Sub-Sahara region have started yielding results. Wabag is already present in North African market and with this order we are further expanding our footprints into newer geographies.‰

Gujarat Gas to Purchase Gas from GSPC

VA Tech Bags Tanzanian Order

Vadodara, India: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has decided to dril l more wells in Cambay region of Gujarat after the successful dril l ing in near Jambusar about 60 km from Vadodara. „ONGC had drilled the first well in Jambusar in the last week of October in 2013 to exploit the natural gas trapped within the shale formations located in Cambay basin, which is estimated to have a shale gas potential of 20 tcf (tr il l ion cubic feet),‰ G C Katiyar, who took over as the Basin Manager of Western Onshore Basin of ONGC (headquar tered in Vadodara) told PTI.

The data from the first well near Jambusar has given ONGC more leads for fur ther exploration that will help the company ascer tain parameters in taking up commercial productions, he said.

Katiyar also added, „The results of the first exploratory well will open a new chapter in shale-gas exploration in the country. ONGC has been spending ` 2,000 crore per annum on the exploration of oil and gas in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Commenting on shale gas exploration in India, Sudhir Vasudeva, CMD, ONGC, had earlier revealed to CEW that shale gas E&P is a narrow margin business game hence efficiency of operations is the key word in making it successful.

A shale gas well D&C cost (dril l ing and completion) costs approx. USD 2.3 million and at gas price of USD 6.0/ mcf it gives an IRR of 16 per cent. Shale gas monetisation is long term plays and works best on economies of scale and on a life cycle approach.

New Delhi, India: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has issued notices to 18 sugar companies and asked them to provide information about their respective bids for ethanol purchase. The move came after a probe into the industry and state-run oil marketing firms (OMCs) for alleged rigging in the bids for ethanol purchase.

„Furnish the details of each activity in chronological order in respect of the joint tender issued by OMCs on 02-01-2013 for procurement of ethanol along with the copy of tender document submitted...Explain the basis of prices and quantity quoted by your company in the tender document⁄.. Furnish the details of meetings and discussions held with the other ethanol suppliers during the period of 0l-12-12 to 31-03-2013,‰ reads the notice.

In the month of June 2013, Competition Commission of India (CCI) had ordered probe into alleged car telisation in the sugar industry for quoting prices in the tenders for supply of ethanol to oil marketing companies.

The commission had found prima facie evidence of sugar mills collectively deciding to „fix price of ethanol for the supply to the oil marketing companies (OMCs).‰

Notices to 18 Sugarmills over Ethanol Bids

Rajiv Mittal, Managing Director, Wabag

ONCG to Drill More Wells in Cambay

S Varadarajan, CMD, BPCL


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Industry NewsCEW


Pune, India: Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL) has collaborated with Tata Power and installed the worldÊs largest water pumping system for Tata PowerÊs Mundra UMPP (Ultra-modern Power Plant).

A mammoth 10.5 million litres of water is circulated with the help of KBLÊs 10 sets of Concrete Volute Pumps every minute. The Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (CGPL), Tata PowerÊs wholly-owned subsidiary, which has implemented the 4000 MW (800 MW x 5 units) UMPP requires an enormous amount of water to condense the heat generated in the production of power. On a turn-key basis, KBL created an open loop type of circulating water system for Tata PowerÊs subsidiary, wherein sea water from the Arabian Sea is used as heat sink to condense the steam in the condenser. Cold water from the sea is pumped by KBLÊs unique circulating water pumps through the condenser going back to sea through an outfall structure. All of 10.5 million litres in 60 seconds!

Commenting on the achievement, Ravindra Ulangwar, Associate Vice President & Head - Power Sector, KBL, said, „The WorldÊs largest water pumping system is a salute to Indian engineering. The Mundra UMPP is IndiaÊs first and most energy efficient 800 MW unit coal-based thermal power plant, using supercritical technology to create lower greenhouse gas emissions. Its main power generation equipment is sourced from Japan and Korea. And thus came about Indian technology to create a water pumping system that rubs shoulders with world leaders.‰

Honeywell to Automate Systems for Largest Refinery

Bangalore, India: Honeywell has been selected by Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) to provide the Integrated Control and Safety System (ICSS) for its new 615,000 barrel-a-day Al Zour refinery complex to be built in Southern Kuwait. Honeywell will also provide the Front-end Engineering Design (FEED) for the system. This will be KuwaitÊs fourth refinery and the largest refinery in the entire Middle East. The total capacity of KuwaitÊs three current refineries is 930,000 barrels a day. The new refinery is targeted for start-up in 2018.

„With this new refinery, Kuwait will become one of the largest producers of clean fuels in the Middle East,‰ said James King, Honeywell General Manager, Kuwait. „HoneywellÊs suite of proven technologies for the refining industry is well suited to support a quick and safe refinery star t up, and efficient operations. We are pleased to have been selected for this important project,‰ he added. Honeywell has provided industry-leading technologies to KNPCÊs refineries for about 30 years through its Process Solutions (HPS) business and has long-sustained a presence in Kuwait. As the main automation contractor for the new Al Zour refinery, Honeywell will supply ÂExperion PKSÊ as the main control system for the refinery complex, as well as integrate all process automation systems throughout the site. Additionally, having HPS perform front-end engineering and design of the system will help drive consistent designs from other contractors throughout the entire project and help speed its completion.

KBL Churns 10.5 Million Litres of Water Every Minute from the Arabian Sea

New Delhi, India: Petroleum Minister, Dr M Veerappa Moily, who has recently took additional charge of the Ministry of Environment & Forests, has eased the environmental clearance process for the industry. In some projects relating to mining of minor minerals, river sand mining, thermal power plants with less than 5MW capacity, the ministry has done away with the mandatory environmental impact assessments and public hearings. The new guidelines are based on the recommendations of an expert committee, set up in January 2013 under the chairmanship of the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute Di rector to suggest ways to speed up c learances at the state level.

Projects that require clearances at the state level are referred to as „category B‰ projects with two sub-categories. Sub-category B1 refers to projects that require an environmental impact assessment and public consultation before clearance by the state authority or its counterpar t in the Union Territories. While projects categorised as B2 would be assessed for clearance on the basis of an application and a pre-feasibility repor t.

Dahej, India: Meghmani Finechem, Subsidiary of Meghmani Organics revealed that the company completed the expansion of their caustic chlorine and captive power plant expansion at GIDC Dahej in Gujarat. Meghmani Organics hold 57 per cent stakes in Meghmani Finechem. The company had raised their finance to ` 96.73 crore since caustic chlorine capacity was increased to 476 tonne per day (tpd) from 340 tpd, whereas; captive power plant capacity was raised from 40 MW to 60 MW. The company has used the latest 4th generation membrane cell technology from Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corporation (AKCC) Japan which is one of the most established technology providers for the manufacture of chlor-alkali chemicals in the world.

Mumbai, India: AkzoNobel has completed the sale of its Primary Amides chemicals business to PMC Group effective December 31, 2013. Financial details were not disclosed. Under the terms of the agreement, a manufacturing facility in Kyungju, South Korea, and all its 37 employees will transfer to PMC Group with immediate effect, along with the erucamide, oleamide and other primary and secondary amides sold under the ÂArmoslipÊ trade names. The sale follows a review of the businessÊ fit within Akzo NobelÊs Functional Chemicals portfolio, where it operated as a standalone activity. „Our focus is on extending our leading market position in organic peroxides and metal alkyls, as evidenced by our recent expansion investments in China, the US and Mexico,‰ explained Werner Fuhrmann, Executive Committee member responsible for the Specialty Chemicals business at Akzo Nobel.

Moily Eases State-level Green Clearance Norms

Meghmani Expands Caustic Chlorine Capacity

AkzoNobel Completes Sale of Primary Amides Business to PMC


Industry NewsCEW


Saroj Kumar Poddar, Chairman, Adventz Group

Mumbai, India: L&T Saudi Arabia LLC, the fully owned subsidiary of L&T Construction, has won an Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) order from the Saudi Arabian Oi l Company (Saudi Aramco). The total cost of the project is believed to be about ` 690 crore. During the project, wh ich w i l l be comple ted in about 26 months, L&T will construct 55 km of 230 kV double circuit overhead transmission line and underground cabling.

Commenting on the new job, S N Subrahmanyan, Senior Executive Vice-President, L&T, said that with significant growth potential in oil production in the Kingdom, the winning of this order not only came at a most oppor tune time but was also strategic from the point of view of L&TÊs capability to execute such projects in an extremely competitive environment. „It is also a significant step forward in L&TÊs expansion plans into the internat ional arena,‰ he added.

L&T wins Contract from Saudi Aramco

Greater Noida, India: Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has called upon global hydrocarbon industry to engage in partnerships to meet new energy challenges. Inaugurating IndiaÊs premier oil & gas industry conference and exhibition Petrotech2014 at Greater Noida (UP), he said, „Such partnerships could result in outcomes like improved recovery from mature fields, exploitation of ultra-deep water energy reserves and progress in complex frontier areas. They could also help in exploitation of unconventional forms of energy, apart from addressing concerns about environmental degradation and climate change.‰ Such a partnership is important as the global oil and gas industry today requires new technologies and processes, innovative thinking and creative business models to meet emerging challenges now on the horizon. This is also critical to make India more self-sufficient in the field of energy. India ranks 7th in terms of energy production and fourth in terms of consumption. It is slated to become the third largest by the year 2020. „This implies that we need to increase our energy supply by 3 to 4 times over the next two decades,‰ Singh said. He also informed that in order to bridge the gap between demand and domestic supply, the Government is encouraging domestic and global companies to explore potentially hydrocarbon-rich areas in the framework of a stable and enabling policy environment. Speaking on the occasion Petroleum Minister Dr M Veerappa Moily emphasised that there are tremendous opportunities in the Indian oil and gas sector. He called for faster, transparent and fair decision making which could take India towards realising its goal of achieving self-sufficiency in petroleum product supply as envisioned by him by the year 2030. Referring to the conference, Dr Moily stressed that energy requirement of emerging economies is growing at a rapid pace and must be met in order to satisfy socio-economic and lifestyle aspirations of a large part of the worldÊs population living in this part of the world.

PM Inaugurates Petrotech 2014

Banglore , Ind ia : Zuar i Fer t i l i ser and Chemicals may sell about 16.43 per cent stake to Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilizers (MCF) in the next month, media repor ts suggested. The company, which is controlled by Saroj Poddar, had acquired the stake at little over ` 40. The market value of its share is currently ` 58 a share. The company is hopeful to earn huge profit if the deal is materialised.

Deepak Fertilisers and Petrochemicals Corporation Limited, which has earlier shown its desire to enter into Southern market, may grab the opportunity. Sources close to the organisation said that the company was watching the development closely.

Zuari Fertiliser May Sell MCF Stake

S N Subrahmanyan, Senior Executive Vice-President, L&T,

Jebel Ali, UAE: Magnetrol International Incorporated, a leading manufacturer of level and flow process control instrumentation, has completed construction of a new Magnetrol International Un i ted Arab Emira tes (MIUAE) product ion fac i l i t y in Jebe l Ali, UAE.

The new production facility will operate under the ISO 9001 umbrella of Magnetrol International NV. The facility features a 550m production floor, which will enable Magnetrol to increase its production of external chamber devices to meet the needs of customers in the Middle East. This facility adds to the companyÊs existing production capacity in the USA, Belgium, Brazil and China. Jeffrey K Swallow, President and CEO, Magnetrol, presided over the grand opening of the new MIUAE facility, which took place on November 10, 2013. According to Swallow, „This new facility, combined with the recent expansions of our US headquarters and European regional headquarters, positions Magnetrol to provide our customers with extensive, efficient process control solutions worldwide.‰

Magnetrol International Opens New Production Facility in United Arab Emirates



Steam Tube Bundle Rotary Dryer


Industry NewsCEW


PMC Group Completes Acquisition of Arkema Beijing Chemical

Bei j ing, China: PMC Group, the US-based group, has completed the acquisition of Arkema Beijing Chemical. The company has been renamed as PMC Beijing Chemicals, which will operate as part of the company’s PMC Organometallix business unit . The deal includes the f inal por t ion of the acquisition of Arkema’s worldwide tin stabiliser organometallic a n d o rga n o p h o s p h i n e s p e c i a l i t y c h e m i c a l b u s i n e s s. A f te r comp le t ing th i s po r t i on o f the acqu is i t i on, PMC Organometallix will have global ownership and operational control of the families of Advastab and Thermolite tin heat stabi l isers, Ca/Zn heat stabi l isers, FASCAT catalysts and fine chemicals.

In July 2012, Arkema announced i ts plans to sel l i ts t in stabiliser business to the PMC Group. PMC Group is a global chemical and plastic company that provides solutions in a broad range of end markets including plastics, consumer products, electronics, paints, packaging, personal care, food, automotive and pharmaceuticals.

Factory Explosion Kills Five

ExxonMobil Expands Production Facility in Singapore

Arkema to Build Organic Peroxide Plant

New Styrene-butadiene Rubber Plant to Come Up in Armenia

Tokyo, Japan: Explosion and fire at Mitsubishi MaterialsÊ factory located in Yokkaichi, Japan, has killed about five people and injured 12. Media reports stated that the explosion reported to have occurred at 2:05 pm on 9th January 2014 when employees were rinsing heat exchange equipment at the silicon facility during maintenance. The company is investigating the cause of the explosion and damage incurred at the factory, which employs 170 personnel. Silicon is used in the production of wafers for semiconductors.

Singapore: ExxonMobi l re inforced i ts l ong - te r m supp ly commi tmen t to the fast-growing Asia-Pacific market dur ing an event celebrating the expansion of its Singapore chemical production facility.

„Global chemical demand will grow at a faster pace than GDP as people seek higher standards of living and purchase more household and packaged goods manufactured with chemical products,‰

Rex W Tillerson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Exxon Mobil Corporation, said at the event.

„Two-thirds of that growth in chemical demand wil l be here in the Asia-Pacific region. Exxon MobilÊs expanded Singapore chemical plant is uniquely positioned to serve these growth markets from China to the Indian subcontinent and beyond.‰ Exxon Mobil Ês expansion project doubled the size of its finished product capacity in Singapore, making it the largest chemical expansion in the companyÊs history.

The S ingapo re chemica l fac i l i t y, wh i ch now accoun ts fo r about one-quar ter of Exxon Mobil Ês global chemical capacity, incorporates more than 40 new propr ietary technologies and is designed to be one of Exxon Mobil Ês most energy eff icient and f lex ib le s i tes. For example, a new s team cracker can process an unprecedented range of feedstock, from light gases to crude o i l to produce an expanded s late of premium and commodity petrochemicals.

Beijing, China: Arkema has announced the construction of a new organic peroxide plant on its Changshu site in China. This investment will help double the siteÊs production capacity. By doubling its production capacity in China, Arkema will continue to support the strong growth in the organic peroxide market in Asia, a region in which the Group is also a producer in India, South Korea and Japan. The new Changshu plant is due to come on stream in early 2016.

„These new capacities reinforce our leadership position in the organic peroxide Asian market for the initiation of polymerisation reactions. Our customer service, together with an optimum industrial and logistics model as well these new capacities will enable us to support our customersÊ strong growth in China, particularly in the growing plastics markets for the construction, packaging and automotive sectors,‰ stated Manny Katz, Global President of Organic peroxides. Complementing investments made earlier in particular the announcement of the construction of a new plant in Saudi Arabia, the doubling of capacities at the Changshu organic peroxide site illustrates the development strategy pursued by ArkemaÊs High Performance Materials segment, while further boosting the GroupÊs presence in high growth countries where Arkema looks to achieve 30 per cent of its sales by 2016.

Yerevan, Armenia: As par t of a working visit to Armenia Rosneft President Igor Sechin met with the President of the Republic of Armenia, Serzh Sargsyan. A number of documents, pointed at extending cooperation with the republic, were signed in presence of the Armenian President Rosneft, LLC Pirelli Tyre Russia, and Oil Techno signed a Memorandum of Understanding with regard to es tabl ish ing s tyrene-butad iene rubber (SBR) product ion joint venture in Armenia. The realisation of the project will help implement new technologies in Armenia and create a modern production facility of state-of-the-ar t eco-friendly materials SBR is employed in the production of „Green tires‰, which improves fuel economy performance and also tire grip in wet and dry conditions.Under the terms of the Memorandum, Rosneft intends to be a leading investor and equity holder in the plant and Pirell i wil l cooperate jo int ly wi th Rosneft in research and development activities to develop SBR and is interested in entering into a long-term off-take agreement to purchase the SBR produced.

Rex W Tillerson, Chairman & CEO, Exxon Mobil Corporation


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Berlin, Germany: Capiton has entered into an agreement to acquire PRC, the European phenolic resins activities of the Nordic chemicals group Dynea, jointly with the senior management team.

PRC opera tes f rom seven p roduc t ion fac i l i t i es in s i x European countries (Germany, Finland, UK, France, Poland and Romania) and generates revenues of approximately � 220 million with more than 300 employees. The company develops, produces and sells liquid and solid phenolic resins, and is one of the leading producers in the European market. Phenolic resins are used in the insulation, construction, automotive and engineering industries. Overall, the company is well positioned to benefit from organic growth opportunities in existing and new markets and may drive further growth th rough se lec ted add-on acqu is i t i ons. C los ing o f the transaction is stil l subject to antitrust clearance. Financing will be provided through equity injected by Capiton’s fund IV and senior management as well as bank financing. The Parties have agreed not to disclose the financial terms of the transaction.

BMH Bräutigam & Partner (Legal), Ernst & Young (Financial and Tax), Rothgordt & Cie. (Commercial), Marsh (In-surance), ERM (Environmental), interim-it.net (IT) and Egon Zehnder (Management) advised Capiton in this transaction.

Capiton to Acquire Resins BusinessICIG Completes Acquisition of ClariantÊs Detergents Business

Luxembourg, Luxembourg: Internat ional Chemical Investors Group (ICIG) announced that it has completed the acquisition of Clar iant´s business unit Detergents & Intermediates (D&I), following the recent closing of the acquisit ion of Allessa, end of last year. Both acquisit ions ideally complement ICIG´s fine chemicals and custom manufacturing operations as well as the scope of services offered by the WeylChem Group.

The Detergents business of D&I and ICIGÊs Nease Corporation (USA) will form a new business line for „Detergent Chemicals‰ wi thin ICIGÊs f ine chemicals plat form WeylChem Group. The D&I Intermediates and Allessa businesses will also complement the Fine Chemicals and Custom Synthesis operat ions of the WeylChem Group, resulting in an increased market share and realising significant synergies, unified branding, and cooperation in marketing & sales. WeylChem will continue to operate the two manufactur ing si tes in Lamotte (France) and Wiesbaden (Germany), producing and marketing niche performance chemicals and organic fine chemical intermediates focused on the household/personal care, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals and food additives markets. I t is engaged in mature, wel l def ined markets with attract ive market posit ions in many of i ts niche applications, complementing the WeylChem product portfolio with products such as TAED, SAS, Glyoxal and C2 Building Blocks.

Amsterdam, The Netherlands: IMCD Group and SO.F.TER Group are delighted to announce the signing of an exclusive distribution agreement for South Africa. Effective immediately, this agreement includes the complete package of SO.F.TER products compr ising of the por tfol io of thermoplast ic elastomers, with elastomeric materials such as Forprene vulcanizates (TPV) and the styrene-based TPEs; as well as a wide range of engineering plastics based on polypropylene, polyamide, ABS and other engineering polymers. „We have cooperated with them in Benelux for many years and we are very satisfied with this new agreement for South Africa... this agreement allows us to fur ther expand our distribution network, in line with our strategic objective to be a global supplier,‰ Meucci said.

The deal allows IMCD South Africa to offer a complete product portfolio and increase its visibility within the plastics market. IMCD South Africa plastics business unit manager Darryl Bunyan said the deal will give the company an opportunity to develop new and complex projects and provide solutions for customers. „Thanks to this collaboration with one of the largest independent compounders, we can offer our customers a range of materials and technological solutions unmatched in the South African market,‰ Bunyan added.

IMCD, SO.F.TER. S ign Dis t r ibut ion Dea l for South Africa

Socar Awards Turk ish Ref inery Contract to Foster Wheeler

Bern, Switzerland: Foster Wheeler AG has announced that a subs id i a r y o f i t s G loba l Eng inee r i ng and Cons t r uc t i on (E&C) Group has been awarded a contract by STAR Rafiner i AŞ . , a subsid iar y of Socar Turkey, for pro ject management consultancy (PMC) services for its grassroots Aegean Refinery to be built within the Petkim Petrokimya AŞ. . (PETK M) facilit ies a t A l ia a , Turkey. Foster Wheeler Ês cont rac t va lue was not d isc losed and was inc luded in the companyÊs th i rd-quar ter 2013 bookings.

The new refinery is designed to process a range of different crude oils, including Urals, Azeri Light and Kirkuk, with a processing capacity of 10 million tons of crude oil per year. It is expected to start operations in 2017 and to produce a range of products including jet fuel, diesel, naphtha, petroleum coke and liquid petroleum gases.

Foster Wheeler executed the Front-end Engineering Design (FEED) for the entire refinery and also provided the license and basic design package for the delayed coker, which will use Foster WheelerÊs leading SYDEC (SM) delayed coking technology. „Having successfully delivered a high quality FEED, we are very pleased to continue to play a key role in this strategic investment in Turkey,‰ said Roberto Penno, Chief Executive Officer, Global E&C Group, of Foster WheelerÊs. „We believe that our proven project management and refining capabilities, our experience in executing mega-projects, and our long-established operation in Turkey were all instrumental in our success in winning this contract.‰


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Repsol Sells LNG Assets to Shell for $6.7 Billion

New York, USA: Repsol has reached an agreement with Shell for the sale of its LNG assets for USD 6.7 bill ion which includes the minori t y stakes in At lant ic LNG (Tr inidad & Tobago,) Peru LNG and Bahia de Bizkaia Electricidad (BBE) as well as the LNG sale contracts and time charters with their associated loans and debt. Excluding the financial leases and financial gross debt, the equity value of the assets included in the sale is USD 4.4 bill ion, generating a pre-tax capital gain of USD 3.5 billion for Repsol. The sale process attracted significant interest and led to more than a dozen bids from the world’s most significant liquefied natural gas operators, culminating in the agreement with Shell.

Chemtura Divests Consumer Products Business

Berkshire Hathaway to Acquire Flow Improver Business from Phillips 66

Pennsylvania, USA: Chemtura Corporation has announced that on December 31, 2013, it had completed the sale of its Consumer Products business, including dedicated manufacturing plants in the US and South Africa, to KIK Custom Products Inc („KIK‰) for an adjusted purchase price of USD 300 million. The USD 15 million reduction reflects the resolution of certain pre-closing matters by the parties. The purchase price is subject to a post-closing adjustment for working capital and assumed pension liabilities.

„Strategical ly, we can now focus on a ser ies of markets that benefit from global and secular growth trends, where we have the r ight to play and are positioned to win through our product technologies, operating scale, and market access,‰ said Craig A Rogerson, Chairman, President and CEO, ChemturaÊs. „We are better positioned to deliver growth in the faster-growing regions, and we are in a stronger position to meet our commitment to achieve adjusted EBITDA margins approaching 20 per cent. We expect to return a substantial por tion of the proceeds from the sale of the Consumer Products business to shareholders, as well as pay down debt such that we preserve the same leverage ratios as we had prior to the sale.‰ Chemtura began accounting for its Consumer Products segment as a „discontinued operation‰ in its third quar ter 2013 financial statements.

Texas, USA: Berkshire Hathaway Inc is acquiring Phillips Specialty Products Inc (PSPI), a flow improver business, from Phillips 66. In exchange for the share capital of the wholly owned subsidiary, Phillips 66 will receive shares of Phillips 66 common stock currently held by Berkshire Hathaway. The specific number of shares will be determined by the share price at deal closing. „I have long been impressed by the strength of the Phillips 66 business portfolio,‰ commented Warren E Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway chief executive officer. „The flow improver business is a high-quality business with consistently strong financial performance, and it will fit well within Berkshire Hathaway. I plan to have James L Hambrick, CEO of The Lubrizol Corporation, oversee its strategic direction.‰ PSPI leads the science of drag reduction and specialises in developing polymers to maximise the flow potential of pipelines. This transaction is part of Phillips 66Ês ongoing portfolio management and supports the companyÊs growth strategy. „Berkshire Hathaway made a strong offer for our high-performing flow improver business,‰ said Greg Garland, Chairman and CEO, Phillips 66. „This transaction optimises our portfolio and focuses growth on our Midstream and Chemicals businesses.‰

Texas, USA: LyondellBasell has announced that i ts methanol plant at Channelview, Texas, was placed into service in the fourth quarter 2013 to take advantage of low-cost natural gas from shale formations. The unit had been out of service since 2004 due to the rising cost of natural gas, the key feedstock for methanol production. „The methanol plant re-star t is the first in a series of US Gulf Coast projects by LyondellBasell to take advantage of the natural gas price advantage that we enjoy from shale gas,‰ said Patrick Quarles, senior vice president, Intermediates and Derivatives. Other Lyondel lBasel l growth projects inc lude expansions of ethylene capacity at La Porte, Channelview and Corpus Christi, Texas, that will add 1.8 billion pounds to the companyÊs annual capacity, and the expansion of a polyethylene facility in Matagorda County, Texas.

LyondellBasell Restar ts Methanol Plant

Minnesota, USA: The Mosaic Company announced that it has been advised that the United States Department of Justice has closed its review and terminated the waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act of MosaicÊs acquisition of the phosphate business of CF Industries, Inc. The waiting period was scheduled to expire at the end of the day, January 15, 2014. The closing of the transaction remains conditioned upon receipt of other regulatory approvals. Mosaic and CF announced on October 28, 2013 that they had entered into a definitive agreement relating to the proposed transaction.

Mosaic to Acquire Phosphate Business

Siluria Starts Construction of OCM Demonstration Plant in Texas

Texas, USA: Construction of oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) demonstration plant in La Porte, Texas, US, has been started by Siluria Technologies. This is companyÊs first such plant set up in collaboration with petrochemical company Braskem. The plant will help Siluria Technologies bring to market its OCM technology by showing direct conversion of methane in natural gas to ethylene. News update on companyÊs website stated that the company is building a demonstration plant at BraskemÊs site in La Porte, Texas, to show how oxidative coupling of methane, or OCM, can produce ethylene, the most used petrochemical and a key ingredient in plastics, the companies said in a statement.

The USD 15 million factory should open in the fourth quarter, Siluria Chief Executive Officer Ed Dineen said.


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Rentech Restar ts Product ion at Ni trogen Fertiliser Facility

New York, USA: Rentech Nitrogen Partners has resumed production at its East Dubuque nitrogen fertil iser facilit y in Ill inois, US, following a fire at the plant on 29th November 2013. Rentech confirmed that the incident was contained in the ammonia synthesis loop of the ammonia plant.

The facility required repair work to the foundation of one of the four syngas compressors, with an estimated cost of USD 1m to USD 2m. Production was resumed on 29th December 2013, and Rentech said the plant is currently producing ammonia at a rate of about 790t per day as of 5th January 2014. The company expects to increase the ammonia production rate to about 1,020t per day by the end of January this year.

Rentech Nitrogen was formed by Rentech to own, operate and expand its nitrogen ferti l iser business. Rentech Nitrogen’s assets include t wo fer t i l iser product ion faci l i t ies in East Dubuque and Texas, which are owned by i ts operat ing subsidiaries. The East Dubuque facilit y uses natural gas as a feedstock to produce primarily anhydrous ammonia and UAN solution for sale to customers in the Mid Corn Belt. The facilit y in Pasadena, Texas, uses ammonia and sulphur as feedstocks to produce ammonium sulphate and ammonium thiosulphate fertil isers, and sulphuric acid.

PolyOne to Further Re-align its Assets Acquired from Spartech

Sun Chemical Acquires Shares of Leading Colombian Ink Supplier Fluor to Support Kuwait Oil Capital Expenditure

Programme

Ohio, USA: PolyOne Corporation (NYSE: POL), a premier global provider of specialized polymer materials, services and solutions, today announced additional realignment actions to better serve customers and to increase util ization of its manufacturing assets in Nor th America.

These actions wil l include aligning assets that were acquired as par t of the 2013 acquis i t ion of Spar tech wi th PolyOneÊs Performance Products and Solutions (PP&S) segment. These assets are primarily located in Ramos, Mexico and will now operate within Producer Services, a business unit of PP&S, which has headquar ters in Seabrook, Texas.

„Our mul t inat ional customers are increasingly concentrat ing production in North America and often choose Mexico as a strategic location,‰ said Rober t M. Patterson, executive vice president and chief operating officer, PolyOne Corporation. „Under the leadership of our Producer Services team located in Texas, we look forward to expanding our capabilities in Mexico with improved customer service, quality and delivery.‰

„After nine months, we remain extremely pleased with the Spartech acquisit ion,‰ said Stephen D Newlin, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, PolyOne Corporation. „We continue to see upside oppor tunities to expand our por tfolio of offerings and better serve our customers, and we remain committed to delivering $0.50 of EPS accretion from the deal in 2015.‰

New Jersey, USA: Sun Chemical Group Coöperat ief UA has purchased the remaining shares held by Inversiones Mundial (Grupo Mundial) in their Colombian joint venture companies Tintas SA and Sinclair SA.

With annual sales over USD 100 million, the Tintas/Sinclair Group sells printing inks and related graphic arts products primarily to the packaging market in the Andean region of Latin America, which covers Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. „This acquisition reinforces Sun Chemical and DICÊs commitment to both the printing ink business and the growing Latin American market,‰ said Rudi Lenz, President and CEO, Sun Chemical. „Tintas and Sinclair are the market leaders of printing inks and related products in a region where the economies are growing. It is our intention to continue operating with the current successful management team and bring our customers the quality products, excellent service and new innovative solutions they expect from us. We look forward to continue working together in other businesses with Inversiones Mundial (Grupo Mundial).‰

„With the sale of Tintas, Grupo Mundial consolidates the strategy set a few years ago to focus on four core businesses: paints, chemicals, commerce and water pipes,‰ said Santiago Piedrahita, CEO, Grupo Mundial. „Proceeds of this sale will allow us to remain active in our investment portfolio in these lines of business,‰ he added.

London, UK: Fluor Corporation today announced that it was selected by Kuwait Oil Company (KOC), a subsidiary of Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC), to provide comprehensive consulting services, special ising in front-end design and project and construction management in support of KOCÊs capital expenditure program for Kuwait. This award follows 10 years of successful Fluor support to KOC. The value of the five-year contract is USD 410 million and will be booked in FluorÊs fourth quarter. The services related to the construction of new facilities and upgrading of existing facilities are broad based, and include project management, coordination, planning, front-end design, engineering, contracting, procurement, project controls, construction management and training of KOC project staff. Services will be performed at KOC headquarters in Ahmadi, Kuwait, with front-end design packages executed in FluorÊs Farnborough, U.K. office.

„Fluor has supported clients and executed Middle East projects for more than 50 years,‰ said Peter Oosterveer, President of FluorÊs Energy & Chemicals Group. „During that time we have developed a strong relationship with KOC by partnering with them and offering support with project development and management for its capital spending program. This new agreement strengthens that partnership and we are excited to provide our continued expertise to their projects.‰



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CNG petrol stations Biogas infeed plants


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Texas: USA: Fluor Corporation announced that its joint venture with JGC was awarded an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract by Chevron Canada Limited (Chevron) for the proposed Kitimat Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project in Bish Cove, British Columbia, Canada. Chevron and Apache Canada Limited (Apache) each hold a 50 percent interest in the proposed project. „We are excited to enter into the next phase of suppor ting the Kitimat LNG project for Chevron and their par tner Apache,‰ said Peter Oosterveer, President, FluorÊs Energy & Chemicals Group. „Kitimat has the potential to become CanadaÊs first major LNG production and export terminal. Our strategic relationship with JGC was a key to winning this project and is certainly proving to be a differentiator in our markets.‰ The project scope includes completion of the existing FEED package by f inalizing value-improving concepts for the proposed LNG facility. The scope of work also includes detailed engineering and procurement services for the initial phases of the project.

Fluor and JGC Awarded EPC Contract

Texas, USA: KBR has announced that it has been awarded a five-year Master Services Agreement (MSA) with DuPont Engineering (DuPont) to provide engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) services for most DuPont facilities in the USA and Mexico.

Expected revenue from the first year of the undisclosed contract value will be included in the Hydrocarbons segmentÊs backlog of unfilled orders in the fourth quarter of 2013. The balance of the contract value will be added to backlog during the life of the agreement.

This contract extends the long-standing EPCM services support of DuPont facilities in the U.S. Northeast region to now include the entire U.S. region and Mexico. In combination with the recently awarded industr ial services contract, KBR will now provide comprehensive engineering, procurement, construction management, and continuous construction and maintenance services for most DuPont manufacturing sites in the USA. As part of this expanded relationship, KBR will open a new office in Charleston, W. Va.

K B R A n n o u n c e s E P C M M a s t e r S e r v i c e s Agreement wi th DuPont Engineer ing

London, United Kingdom: AMEC, the international engineering and project management company, has been awarded a renewed contract by the Kuwait Oil Company (KOC) to provide Project Management Consul tancy ser v ices for a por t fo l io o f major upstream projects in Kuwait.

T h e f i ve - ye a r Â c a l l - o f f Ê c o n t r a c t i s w o r t h a p p r ox i m a t e l y 117 m i l l i on Kuwa i t i D ina rs ( app rox ima te l y £255 m i l l i on ) . I t wa s wo n i n a c o m p e t i t i ve t e n d e r a n d fo l l ow s A M E C Ês successful del ivery of two previous f ive-year contracts held since 2004.

Under the new contract, AMEC will provide the same services as the previous contracts, ranging from front end engineering design (FEED), Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services, engineering, construction management and training of Kuwaiti engineers. The work will be managed and delivered by a 250-strong team of AMEC engineers in Kuwait, with FEED execution from AMECÊs London design office.

„I am delighted that KOC has recognised our excellent performance over the last 10 years with the award of this significant contract,‰ said Alan Armstrong, AMECÊs Operations Director in Kuwait. „We are delivering value for our customer and helping them achieve their 2030 vision of maximising the strategic value from the countryÊs oil and gas reserves.‰ „The contract is a signif icant continuation of AMECÊs work in the Middle East and is fur ther evidence of our success in this strategically impor tant region.‰

AMEC Awarded PMC Contract

Sasol to Boost Polyethylene Production

Sasolburg, South Afr ica Sasol L imi ted Ês Chief Execut ive Officer, David Constable, and the South African Minister of Trade and Industry, Dr Rob Davies, inaugurated SasolÊs new ethylene purification unit, known as the Ethylene Purification Unit 5 (EPU5), in Sasolburg. Located at the Sasol Polymers Plant in Sasolburg, the R1.9 billion ethylene purification unit aims to address the growing demand for polyethylene material. The plant will also ensure better utilisation of SasolÊs existing downstream polyethylene facilities. In delivering his opening remarks at the official opening, David Constable said, „Through the installation of the new ethylene splitter, considerable production capacity has been freed up to produce more ethylene. In doing so, our investment in EPU5, together with a new compressor unit in Secunda, will provide the South African plastics manufacturing industry with an additional 47 000 tonnes of polyethylene annually.‰

Pennsylvania, USA: Air Products, one of the leading suppliers of liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) in the United States, announced the signing of a long-term agreement for the production of liquid CO2 with Southwest Iowa Renewable Energy, LLC (SIRE). Air Products will build a facility to produce 400 tonnes per day (tpd) of liquid CO2 at SIREÊs established ethanol production facility in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Air Products will market food and beverage-grade liquid CO2 from the new plant that is expected to begin production in early 2014.

„Following the EPCO acquisition last summer, we have been focusing our attention on expanding our presence in the Midwest and this project helps us in achieving that objective,‰ said Nelson Squires, Vice President and General Manager of North American Merchant Gases at Air Products.

Air Products and SIRE Sign Agreement


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NASI-Reliance Industries Platinum Jubilee Award For IICT Scientist

Hyderabad, India: The NASI-Reliance Industries Platinum Jubilee Award 2013 has been conferred on Dr S Sridhar, Principal Scientist & Project Leader, Chemical Engineering Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad and Dr S i rshendu De, Professor, Depar tment of Chemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering Division, Indian Institute of Technology,

Kharagpur for thier innovative research work in the field of Physical Sciences. The NASI-Reliance Industries platinum jubilee award-2013 award carries a plaque, citation and a cash prize of ` 2 lakhs which was presented by Goa Governor Bharat Vir Wanchoo at the 83rd Annual Session of NASI held at Goa on December 5, 2013.

ThyssenKrupp combines capabilit ies in Plant Technology

Honeywell Reduces ÂNuisanceÊ Alarms Study Finds Piece-by-piece Approach to Emission Policies Can be Effective

Mumbai, India: As part of its strategic way forward, ThyssenKrupp is strengthening its plant technology business as a major growth area for the Group. To better exploit global market opportunities the previously separate plant technology companies of the Group are being combined under the roof of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions. The merger of the German companies of ThyssenKrupp Uhde and ThyssenKrupp Resource Technologies (created from ThyssenKrupp Polysius and ThyssenKrupp Förder technik) with ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions is now an important milestone in the integration process. Dr Hans Christoph Atzpodien, CEO of ThyssenKrupp Industrial Solutions added, „Combining the strengths of our three successful long-standing plant technology companies and acting as one company on the global stage in the future will increase our impact particularly in the growth regions and enable us to carry out projects worldwide on a whole new scale. We plan to increase ThyssenKrupp Industrial SolutionsÊ sales by on average more than five per cent per year in the coming years.‰

Bangalore, India: Honeywell unveiled its new ÂDynAMoÊ Alarm Suite, an advanced alarm management software that reduces the overall number of alarms while helping operators focus and respond to those most cr i t ical. Process plants and pipel ines generate thousands of alarms from their automation systems every day many of which are not serious. Control room operators must then quickly distinguish between routine process alarms and critical alarms that warn of operating problems or safety issues.

At issue is the sheer number of alarms, which range from day-to-day activities (known as nuisance alarms) such as the opening of an electrical switch room door, to notification of a critical equipment failure. According to the Abnormal Situation Management (ASM) Consortium, ineffective management of nuisance alarms can lead to incidents that cost the process industry billions of dollars, and pose an increased risk of fatigue and stress for operators who must constantly make instant decisions on how to respond when an alarm sounds. DynAMo Alarm Suite leverages more than 20 years of alarm management experience in the process industries, and can help users reduce overall alarm count by as much as 80 per cent, identify maintenance issues, and increase visibility of critical alarms that require urgent attention. Its customisable, role-based dashboard enables operators, engineers and managers to view the health of their alarm system at a glance. A key feature of the new software is that it is compatible with many mobile devices, enabling personnel to view alarm metrics at any time, from almost any location.

This ease of access enables more frequent monitoring and faster corrective action, which helps alleviate a major fatigue factor of operators.„When operators are forced to deal with hundreds of alarms at any given point in time, there is increased risk to safety not to mention process efficiency,‰ said Vimal Kapur, Vice President and General Manager of Honeywell Process Solutions Advanced Solutions business.

Massachusetts, USA: Discussions on curbing climate change tend to focus on comprehensive, emissionsfocused measures: a global cap-and-trade scheme aimed at controlling carbon, or a tax on all carbon emissions. But a new study by researchers at MIT finds that a „segmental‰ approach · involving separate targeting of energy choices and energy consumption through regulations or incentives · can play an important role in achieving emission reductions. The new study, by Assistant Professor of engineering systems Jessika Trancik, is being published this week in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Trancik is joined on the paper by three MIT graduate students: Michael Chang and Christina Karapataki of the Engineering Systems Division and Leah Stokes of the Department of Urban Studies and Planning.

„A policy thatÊs focused on controlling carbon emissions is a different kind of policy than one thatÊs focused on the underlying demand-side and supply-side technology drivers,‰ Trancik says. And while those calling for sweeping, emission-focused policies have often faced uphill battles in regions, states, and nations, a wide variety of segmental policies have been adopted by such jurisdictions, making it important to understand the effectiveness of such approaches, she says.„There are some things that these segmental policies do very well,‰ Trancik says · in particular dealing with the inertia associated with existing infrastructure. „It will be expensive to retire new power plants early, and so with each power plant built we are committing to emissions not just today, but in future years,‰ she says.

The issue is urgent, Trancik says: The paper shows that when accounting for infrastructural inertia, the carbon intensity of new plants built over the coming decade · that is, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted per megawatt-hour of power produced · will need to be reduced by 50 percent, as compared to todayÊs levels, in order to meet emissions-reduction commitments that have been made by most nations.

Dr. Sirshendu De

new Technology News 22-24.indd 28new Technology News 22-24.indd 28 25-01-2014 10:33:4725-01-2014 10:33:47

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Massachusetts, USA: Boston College chemis ts have deve loped a new chemical synthesis methodology that converts chemicals known as alpha-olefins into new organic compounds. By combining a pair of catalytic reactions in sequence, the researchers converted inexpensive and plentiful chemicals into new boron-containing organic compounds. The team reports in the current online edition of the journal

Nature that their advance employed two catalytic reactions one developed in their Boston College lab and another developed by colleagues at MIT. Combining the two reactions in a sequential process resulted in an unprecedented reaction that offered high levels of purity and selectivity, according to the lead researcher, Boston College Professor of Chemistry James P. Morken.

Dual Catalysts Help Synthesise Alpha-olefins Into New Organic Compounds

Polymer Coatings Based On Molecular Structures

Berlin, Germany: A novel method developed by researchers from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Jacobs University Bremen enables manufacturing of polymer layers with tailor-made proper ties and multiple functions: A stable porous gel (SURGEL) for biological and medical applications is obtained from a metal-organic framework (SURMOF) grown on a substrate.

The method is presented in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. KIT researchers now have developed a completely novel method for producing a gel from cross-linked organic components. „Compared to conventional polymer coatings, this gel stands out by the fact that the pore size of the layers can be specifically adapted to the bioactive substances e.g., to pharmaceutical agents, to be embedded,‰ explains Professor Christof Wöll, Head of KITÊs Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG).

The gel fabrication method developed by researchers from the KIT Institute of Functional Interfaces (IFG), Institute for Biological Interfaces (ITG), and Institute for Organic Chemistry (IOC) together with the Jacobs University Bremen consists of several steps: First, a layer of a so-called metal-organic framework (MOF) is grown up on a solid substrate. In the obtained SURMOF (SURface-mounted Metal Organic Framework) layer, the size, shape, and chemical functionality of the pores can be tailored. The layer itself, however, is not suited for use in biological environments: Its pronounced sensitivity to water causes it to be degraded very rapidly and the copper ions contained in that special type of SURMOF are toxic to living beings.

Castelló, Spain: The Group of Photovoltaic and Optoe lec t ron ic Dev ices (DFO) o f the Univers i ta t Jaume I o f Caste l lón, led by Professor John Bisquer t Applied Physics, together with researchers from the prestigious University of Oxford, have created and characterized a photovoltaic device based on a combination of titanium oxide and burden graphene as collector and perovskite as sunlight absorber, which is manufactured at low temperatures and have high efficiency.

The results of this study were recently published in Nano Letters, a prestigious scientific journal with an impact factor of 13,025, leading the dissemination of news in all branches of the theory and practice of nano-science and nano-technology. The article is the result of research work carried out last year by the Group of Photovoltaic and Optoelectronic Devices on a topic of high impact in the scientific community of photovoltaic solar cells based on solid pigments with perovskite structure. This scientific work has combined new and promising materials based on perovskite structure, which absorb sunlight very effectively, with graphene, a material that arouses most interest today for its properties, versatility and low cost. Graphene is a mater ial consisting of carbon monolayers and generated huge expectations for use in new advanced technologies, such as lithium batteries high performance, electronics, video screens and technological applications.

The article presents a UJI record solar cell efficiency of 15.6 per cent graphene. This efficiency exceeds that obtained by combining graphene with silicon, which is the quintessential photovoltaic material.

Researchers Develop Most Efficient and Economical Solar Cell

Toward Lowering TitaniumÊs Cost and Environmental Footprint for Lightweight Products

Washington, DC, USA: A novel method for extracting titanium, a metal highly valued for its light weight, high strength, corrosion resistance and biocompatibility, could lower its cost and make it more widely accessible, for example, for producing lighter car parts to improve fuel efficiency. The method, which significantly reduces the energy required to separate it from its tightly bound companion, oxygen, appears in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Zhigang Zak Fang and colleagues note that while t i tanium is the four th most common metal in the Ear thÊs crust, the high-energy, high-cost method used to extract it prevents its use in broader applications. The metalÊs light weight, strength, stability and corrosion resistance earned i t valued roles on the Mars Odyssey mission, in wedding rings and in deep-sea submersibles. Titanium also could be used to significantly lighten and strengthen commercial products and mater ials. But currently, t i tanium is too expensive for widespread use. The most common technique, called the Kroll process, used to extract the metal from titanium oxide was invented in the 1930s and has undergone s l ight improvements. But by and large, the method, which requires temperatures over 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, keeps prices for the metal high. FangÊs team decided to try out a new approach to make titanium more accessible.

Boston College Professor of Chemistry James P Morken

Iván Mora, Eva Barea and Juan Bisquert


Technology NewsCEW


Energy Storage in Miniaturized Capacitors May Boost Green Energy Technology

London, UK: The capacitors of electronic circuits function something like batteries storing electrical charge that can be quickly dumped to power devices l ike camera flashes. So-called „supercapacitors‰ take the energy-storing abilities of capacitors a step fur ther, storing a far greater charge in a much smaller package. In a paper published in the journal AIP Advances researchers describe the possibility of fabricating a new class of high heat-tolerant electronics that would employ supercapacitors made from a material called calcium-copper-titanate, or CCTO, which the researchers have identified for the first time as a practical energy-storage material. Devices using CCTO supercapacitors could compete with similar devices currently in use and could operate at much higher temperatures than standard silicon circuits, „more like the temperature in an engine,‰ says William Stapleton, an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas State University (TSU) in San Marcos, Texas. CCTO had been identified as a promising supercapacitor material before, but its development for practical applications faced unexpected hurdles.

The lead author Raghvendra Pandey, Ingram Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas State University, San Marcos, TX along with Stapleton and other collaborators, showed that in CCTO two proper ties of fundamental impor tance for the efficiency of a capacitor device are tightly linked. The first proper ty, called permittivity, is the physical proper ty of the capacitor material that allows it to store energy with higher permittivity values representing a better capacitor. The second property, called loss tangent „has to do with how efficiently energy can be moved into and out of the capacitor, that is, how much is lost in the process to inefficiency,‰ Stapleton said.

Carbon Nanotube Sponge Shows Improved Water Clean-up

Renewable Chemical Ready for Biofuels Scale-up

Researchers Harness Energy

London, UK: A carbon nanotube sponge capable of soaking up water contaminants, such as fer tilisers, pesticides and pharmaceuticals, than three times more efficiently than previous effor ts has been presented in a new study published today. The carbon nanotube (CNT) sponges, uniquely doped with sulphur, also demonstrated a high capacity to absorb oil, potentially opening up the possibility of using the material in industrial accidents and oil spill clean-ups. The results have been published in IOP PublishingÊs journal Nanotechnology. CNTs are hollow cylindrical structures composed of a single sheet of carbon. Owing to their structure, CNTs have extraordinary thermal, chemical and mechanical properties that have led to an array of applications from body armour to solar panels.

They have been touted as excellent candidates for wastewater clean-up; however, problems have arisen when trying to handle the fine powders and eventually retrieve them from the water. Lead author of the research Luca Camilli, from the University of Roma, said: „It is quite tricky using CNT powders to remove oil spilled in the ocean. They are hard to handle and can eventually get lost or dispersed in the ocean after they are released. „However, millimetre- or centimetre-scale CNTs, as weÊve synthesised in this study, are much easier to handle. They float on water because of their porous structure and, once saturated with oil, can be easily removed. By simply squeezing them and releasing the oil, they can then be re-used.‰

Wisconsin, USA: Using a plant-derived chemical, UW-Madison researchers have developed a process for creating a concentrated stream of sugars thatÊs ripe with possibility for biofuels.

„With the sugar platform, you have possibil it ies,‰ says Jeremy Luterbacher, a postdoctoral researcher and the paperÊs lead author. „YouÊve taken fewer forks down the conversion road, which leaves you with more end destinations, such as cellulosic ethanol and drop-in biofuels.‰

Funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of EnergyÊs Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), the research team has published its findings in the Jan. 17, 2014 issue of the journal Science, explaining how they use gamma valerolactone, or GVL, to deconstruct plants and produce sugars that can be chemically or biologically upgraded into biofuels. With support from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the team will begin scaling up the process later this year.

North Carolina, USA: Solar energy has long been used as a clean alternative to fossil fuels such as coal and oil, but it could only be harnessed during the day when the sunÊs rays were strongest. Researchers led by Tom Meyer at the Energy Frontier Research Center at UNC-Chapel Hill have built a system that converts the sunÊs energy not into electricity but hydrogen fuel and stores it for later use, allowing us to power our devices long after the sun goes down. „So called Âsolar fuelsÊ like hydrogen offer a

solution on how to store energy for night time use by taking a cue from natural photosynthesis‰ said Meyer, Arey Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at UNCÊs College of Arts and Sciences. „Our new findings may provide a last major piece of a puzzle for a new way to store the sunÊs energy it could be a tipping point for a solar energy future.‰

In one hour, the sun puts out enough energy to power every vehicle, factory and device on the planet for an entire year. Solar panels can harness that energy to generate electricity during the day. But the problem with the sun is that it goes down at night·and with it the ability to power our homes and cars. If solar energy is going to have a shot at being a clean source of powering the planet, scientists had to figure out how to store it for night-time use.

Tom Meyer, Arey Distinguished Professor of Chemistry at UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences


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BAN on Import of Used Machines: A Hindrance on Growth

The chemical industry world-wide have witnessed a reversal in fortunes with rising profit, including

US chemical industry which recently bounced back after a huge set back. Even though, statistically there has been growth in the industry, the recovery has failed to boost aggregate capital spending and R&D spending. Chemical industries while dealing with production of chemical also have to deal with the process plant and machineries. The market for process plant and machinery in India is a very heterogeneous and has improvised on a larger scale but some of the hindrance stil l persists. Indian Process Plant and Machinery industry estimates capacity of USD 6 bill ion per annum which is leading to a significant contribution in establishing the Indian Process Industry.

Imports in India have increased from USD 33833.20 mil l ion in November, 2013 to USD 36486.30 mil l ion, December, 2013. As per the Indian Ministry of Commerce and IndustryÊs report, imports in India have recorded all t ime high since August, 1958. India is highly dependent on foreign coal, oi l and machinery for i ts industrial needs. (Reference: Trading Economics) The process plant and machinery industry caters to a wide range of process industries such as petroleum refining, oil and gas, fertil isers, chemicals, metal industry, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc, with specially designed and manufactured equipment and systems. With the high capital as well as labour concentrated sector, process plant and machinery

With India struggling with improvisation and up -gradation of machine industry, imposing ban on used process plant and machinery will certainly hammer the production and the manufacturing sectors in India. Upkar Singh, Joint Secretary, Chamber of Industrial Commerce Undertakings, urges government to reconsider the decision which is on hold.

industry have a strong engineering orientation wherein most of the products are customised. Thus scale of economy in this sector has less relevance and suffered crisis.

Due to lack of development in technology and quality of machines, companies started importing used process plants and machines from various countries. The decision to ban import of used plants and machinery have shook the major user industries whereas the government stresses the move aims to safeguard the productivity and competitiveness of Indian manufacturers.

Upkar Singh, Joint Secretary, Chamber of Industrial Commerce Undertakings, widely criticises the decision of ban on

Source: Ministry of Commerce and Industry, GoI

UCG_Revised.indd 34UCG_Revised.indd 34 24-01-2014 23:03:3824-01-2014 23:03:38


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imports of plant and machinery. Defending the user industry, he states that the ban will drastically lead to unemployment and corruption in this industry. The used plants and machines which smoothly functions even after first hand use of 10 years stil l cannot match the quality of Indian machines. With total 25 per cent of used plant and machinery market in India, it almost covers 1/4th of the Indian market.

The trend has been evolving and in the current scenario, heavy machines are highly in demand globally. And over the past few decades the process plant and equipment manufacturers have witnessed fragmentation mainly because of the shift in the base of manufacturing and the emergence of new companies. Singh refers, European Union, Russia, Germany and US as the key suppliers of second hand process plant equipment and machinery to other countries whereas. Second hand equipment from Japan Korea & Europe is very good in quality, whereas similar equipment from China is poor in quality and has very short life span.

On behalf of user industry, Singh precisely states that this ban will create a major hurdle for user industry since they are already struggling with unfavourable power policy and high rate of interest on capital goods. He further mentions that clinching down on such imports would actually limit production and almost certainly squeeze demand for producer goods as well. Secondly, the user

industry will have to compromise on the quality of machines eventually impacting the production percentage. There is huge recurring demand for second-hand machinery in Indian industry, to keep up front costs low, for instance, or simply because of local unavailability. The ban will impact approximately 5 per cent of countryÊs production.

Speaking on lack of development in technology, Singh mentions that India stil l requires 20 to 25 years to bridge the gap and compete with foreign manufactures. India has succeeded in various sectors and positioning our self globally but in the process plant and machinery industry there is long battle waiting in the future. Singh suggest that it is essential to establish cordial relations between academic institutions and organisations to innovate technologies which will lead proficiently globally and overcome the idea of reverse engineering concept.

European Union, Russia, Germany and US as the key suppliers of second handprocess plant equipment and machinery to other countries whereas. Secondhand equipment from Japan Korea & Europe is very good in quality, whereassimilar equipment from China is poor in quality and has very short life span.

- Namrata Tanna



News FeaturesCEW

Clariant: Leading the Pack

Mr. Sandeep Puri LBL Head Masterbatches, Clariant Chemcials (India)Ltd

C lariant Chemicals (India) Ltd has announced plans to acquire the masterbatches business of

Plastichemix Industries Ltd. for ` 135 crore. Post-acquisit ion, Clariant would be the largest specialty masterbatches business producer in India. The deal closure is planned for Q1, 2014.

Puri says that the acquisition is in line with the strategy to focus on core businesses and enable Clariant in India to be the largest player in the specialty masterbatches business. The company aims to double its masterbatches business in the next five years. „It will also aid a strong product portfolio; facilitate an extensive distribution network across the country, team enhancement, superior market intelligence and access to Global best practices and technology,‰ Puri reveals.

Commenting on the advantage of the acquisition, he adds that now the company will be able to integrate, improve the quality and consistency of products like white and black Masterbatches, woven sack packaging and many other such complimentary products into ClariantÊs product portfolio. Puri further reveals that the acquisition of Plastichemix, which has been renowned for its quality, will further boost ClariantÊs image in the Indian market. This natural synergy will enable Clariant to offer its customers an extensive product portfolio with consistent quality across all market segments.‰

Growth of Masterbatches Puri is of opinion that the packaging segment along with consumer goods will

Clariant in India is focusing on organic and inorganic growth by repositioning its product portfolio, in line with its global corporate strategy and with an increased focus on emerging markets in India, China, Middle-East, ASEAN and Latin America, says Sandeep Puri, LBL Head India Masterbatches, Clariant Chemicals (India) Limited.

be one of the key drivers for the growth of masterbatches business. However, he adds, textile as well as automotive segments are not far behind in terms of contributing to high growth rates. He notes that plastic industry market dynamics vary considerably from the mature markets, for example Europe, to emerging markets such as China, India and Brazil. He believes that need of a mature market is different from the need of an emerging market. According to him, „In the mature markets customers increasingly ask for high performing formulations for technologically and environmentally demanding applications. At the same time, they are looking to standardize operation across the region. In emerging markets growth is the main driver. Whereas, in emerging countries, the customers need flexible and reliable supply solutions combined with regional presence.‰

He emphasises that in the emerging markets, greater speed and flexibility is required to maximise growth and gain substantial market share. Localised manufacturing to offer tailor made solutions at ClariantÊs Technical Service Labs would be one of the key drivers for the growth of companyÊs business inthe country.

Biodegradable MasterbatchesPuri reveals to CEW how Clariant Masterbatches is making it easier for customers to use more recycled material

both post-industrial and Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) resins. „Masterbatches specially formulated for PCR resins

Clariant Masterbatches is making it easier for customers to use morerecycled material –both post-industrial and Post-Consumer Recycled(PCR) resins. “Masterbatches specially formulated for PCR resinsare able to overcome the grayish cast of recycled polyolefin plastic.



News FeaturesCEW

are able to overcome the grayish cast of recycled polyolefin plastic. Interest in biopolymers plastics made from corn, sugar, starch and other natural raw materials continues to grow and Clariant has played an important role in the development of color and additive options for these materials,‰ he shares.

Puri talks about RENOL-nature masterbatches and explains that i t combine all-natural colorants with biopolymer carrier systems to provide a 100 per cent renewable and completely biodegradable solution. Colors include red, orange yellow and green. CESA-natur masterbatches including sl ip or antiblock agents, UV/l ight stabil izers, antioxidants and antistatic agents also feature naturally occurring substances. More recently, Clariant introduced „OK-compost‰ cert i f ied masterbatches for biopolymer products and packaging. According to Puri, Clariant has been taking a proactive role in bringing environmental responsibi l i ty to the market for colorants, special effects and addit ives. „Instead of offering a single „eco-fr iendly‰ product or product l ine we approach our customers with a range of products and services that can help them reach sustainabil i ty objectives,‰ he adds.

New Paradigms When asked how other innovat ions such as development of ant i -microbial m a s t e r b a t c h e s , f l a m e r e t a r d a n t m a s t e r b a t c h e s , a n d a n t i o x i d a n t masterbatches in Industry are shaping up - in India and global ly, Pur i repl ies that global ly these products are already establ ished.

Puri elucidates that f lame retardant masterbatches are driven by str ingent regulatory culture of typical European and American Markets. In India, the market is start ing to understand the regulatory concepts and in future a strong regulatory framework wil l definitely boost the consumption of these types of masterbatches. Flame retardant addit ives can make plastics safer by making them more diff icult to ignite and by control l ing their burning behaviour. Widely used in transportation,

construction, appliance and electronics applications, CESA-flam addit ive masterbatches help manufacturers meet UL and other regulatory requirements by minimizing f lame propagation, smoke and heat generation.

And these developments are progressing within the organisation. Puri shares insight into the ÂHYDROCEROLÊ chemical foaming agents that provides its customers the benefits of weight reduction, raw material savings and increased wall st i f fness. Warpage and sink marks are minimised as well. HYDROCEROL CFAs have been used successfully across the industry, in packaging and consumer goods, as well as specialty applications l ike automotive, to reduce product weight and resin consumption. The family of HYDROCEROL chemical foaming and nucleating agents is a key component of ClariantÊs comprehensive product l ine.

Further, Puri informs that antimicrobial masterbatches are purely driven by the maturity and awareness of the population in specif ic markets. In Indian market there are some existing applications for the antimicrobial masterbatches. He also talks about ÂCESAÊ addit ive masterbatches from Clariant that offer opportunit ies to improve the performance of plastic products. While highlighting its characterist ics, Puri stats that these products can prevent degradation due to heat and shear during processing as well as UV l ight and oxidation in the end-use environment. They can l imit f lammabil i ty to comply with key regulations and can reduce product weight and resin consumption, prevent the build-up of static electricity, or make plastic surfaces easier to print or laser etch. Available in pellet, granule or l iquid form, as single-function masterbatches or custom-made combibatches, CESA addit ive masterbatches are also easy to handle and easy to store.‰

CESA-anti micro masterbatches include antimicrobial additives, which can extend antimicrobial options for plastic products. Typical applications for antimicrobial masterbatches include fibers and textiles used in athletic gear and household furnishings, kitchenware and bathroom

- Harshal Y Desai

products, automotive steering wheels and interior parts, and a broad range of other plastic applications requiring a high standard of hygiene. Clariant has a long-established collaboration with Sanitized AG, a Swiss company offering antimicrobial additives. Light radiation and oxygen in the air trigger decomposition processes in plastics, causing discoloration, embrittlement and eventual degradation of mechanical properties. CESA-light stabilizers when used for agricultural fi lms, construction materials, lawn and garden equipment and many other products used outdoors or under fluorescent light and filtered daylight indoors, e.g. in visible areas where discoloration over time is not desired.

Puri feels that there can be genuine demands for these products in segments like Automotive and Textiles in local Indian market. These products are already available in our existing portfolio and special needs will be addressed by project approaches. „I can confidently state that ClariantÊs Masterbatches is a world leader in color and additive concentrates, and technical compounds for the plastics industry are fully geared to meet the growing demands and needs of our customer in India. The combination of a global presence and strong local partnerships makes Clariant a preferred supplier for the sector. The business operates more than 50 full-service manufacturing facilit ies worldwide with a complete technical service offering for all products and applications,‰ he concludes.

The business is also supported by a dedicated network of ÂColorWorksÊ design centers to help customers reduce product development times and differentiate brands. These centers provide brand managers, designers, and marketing personnel with global color management services and design tools.



CEW Features

Filtration System: Basic Engineering Design

Filtration is defined as the process of separation of two or more substances. The particles present in the fluid i.e. liquid or gas is removed by passing it through the filter media. It is very important to size the filter for the required parameter so that it can give desired output for the specified period. The filter element or filter media is the heart of any filtration system, writes Nitin Nageshwar, CEO, YoKu Consultants & YoKu Filters.

Nageshwar further explains that suffi cient expertise is required in selecting the right media. Some of the important parameters infl uencing fi ltration system are - fl ow rate, pore size, material compatibility, differential pressure, viscosity, temperature, etc. Apart from this, selecting the right housing for holding fi lter element is also important. The housing should withstand housing pressure, temperature, corrosive property of the fl uid, etc. Finally, there should be some mechanism for removing contaminants from the fi lter either manually or automatically. There are various other factors which are important while designing a fi ltration system.

The simplest definition of filter is to pass a solution of a solid and fluid through a porous interface so that the

solid is trapped or retained, while the fluid passes through. This principle relies upon the size difference between the particles. The efficiency of a filtration process is influenced by several factors including filter design and configuration as well as host of other factors, such as material of construction, flow requirements, and the properties of the fluid and contaminants. Filter manufacturers spend a significant amount of research and development efforts, time and resources to focus on these aspects while improving the filtration processes for the end users. These factors have not only influenced the design of the filters but also the functional aspectsof the filters.

Filters are used to separate particles from the fluid in which they are entrained for the following reasons or applications: To separate large particles from

smaller ones. To recover solids from fluid streams as

a product. To recover solids from a fluid stream

where the fluid is the product and the solid is a contaminant.

The f i l ter mainly consists of f i l ter element and the f i l ter housing. Fil ter element or f i l ter media or membranes are made up of different materials of construction with specif ic pore ratings and chemistries and developed by using specif ic manufacturing process.

Pore size, resistance to chemicals, heat, strength are some of the unique properties of materials. A detailed understanding of the properties of these elements and their chemical and physical properties is required while selecting the right f i l ter media.

Apart from this, it is also important to understand the type of flow single or multi-phase, compressible or incompressible, laminar or turbulent, etc.

Filter ElementsI t is really diff icult to come out with the general standard guidelines for the f i l tration system because each application differs from other. There are f i l ters which are mass produced and others are custom designed. The f i l ters required for automobiles are produced at mass scale and there is a proven technology available. These f i l ters are

Guest Column

Points to Considered while Designing Filtration System

Important to understand the purpose of the filter or its exact application. Gas or Liquid Filtration here viscosity and sizing changes considerable. Cut-off point or how fine the particle size to be separated -this will help in deciding

the filter media. Surface or depth filtration. Whether filter used to recover valuable products or used for removing contaminants. Amount of suspended solids presents filtration area based on dirt holding

capacity. Maximum differential pressure drop this will help in the defining the size of filter

media required. Batch or continuous filter to define how the contaminants or the valuable

suspended solids will be removed. Position of filter based on space requirement also check if the filter is a retrofit.

Yoku.indd 42Yoku.indd 42 24-01-2014 23:02:1424-01-2014 23:02:14

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standardized for the specif ic automobiles and are very cost effective. The f i l ters used for the process applications are usually custom designed based on the parameters and are very expensive. These f i l ters are manufactured by independent f i l ter manufacturers based on their experience. The f i l ter manufacturers have their own research and development department where modif ied versions are added. They take a balanced approach while selecting the f i l tration solution and its economics to get optimum performance. It is not necessary that the best solution wil l be the most economical for a given f i l tration problem. For example, for an application, 40-50 microns cut-off part icle size is acceptable and for similar application at some other place requires particle size down to 2 microns. The decision is based on the crit ical feature of i ts operation i.e. f iner can save downtime and subsequently cost associated with the maintenance which is balanced with the addit ional cost of the f i l ter equipment. It is also important to consider the f i l ter eff iciency and operating costs etc.

The f i l ter is sized based on the acceptable pressure drop, f low rates and the t ime for which successive cleaning is required or replaced. If the suspended solids are high, chances are that f i l ter element may clog quickly, and to avoid this, larger f i l tration area is proposed than the normal one. For standard f i l ters, 6 to 10 t imes f i l tration area is considered. The f i l ter element of stainless steel mesh type - either in basket form or in pleated form - is fabricated to get addit ional f i l tration area. These f i l ter elements are custom designed. For standard ready made cartr idges, f i l ter manufacturers has come out with standard f i l ter sizing chart which is usually in the form of graph or nomograph. The standard chart consists of graph between flow rate and differential pressure drop for a specif ic micron rating cartr idge. These cartr idges are of 2 to 2.5 inch diameter

and 10 inch long. Accordingly you can select the number for cartr idges based on the required f low rate. This is usually for water or air at standard condit ions. Sometimes viscosity correction factor is also mentioned. The other form of chartis the Nomograph.

It is important to select the right filter formats i.e. Flat disc type filter elements, cartridge type cylindrical basket or plain or pleated type or custom design, etc.

Fi l ter cartr idges come in various material of construction. The required micron rating can be selected based on the requirement. It comes in standard sizes i.e. 10, 20, 30 & 40 inches and in various end connection. Cartr idge designs can be manifold. Not only size differences

are applicable, but cartr idge adapters, i .e. plug-ins, which f i t into f i l ter housings sockets and recesses are also considered. A single cartr idge with an end plug is used as a 10-inch f i l ter. Otherwise it can be joined by adapters to as many 10-inch double open-end cartr idges as are necessary to form the ult imate unit length desired. The f i l ter user needs stock only three items, namely the double open-end cartr idges, the adapters, andend plugs.

The end caps of a f i l ter cartr idge are the most crit ical units since they are terminals for the cartr idge and the pleat pack and are responsible for holding the cartr idge components together. The end caps are also responsible for providing the seal between the cartr idge and the O-ring recess on the cartr idge-housing outlet plate. End caps must be selected in order to be compatible with the f i l ter element material to insure integrity of the f i l ter. I t must also be compatible with the application streams (e.g., chemical and

Figure 1: Nomograph for Filter Cartridge Selection

The filters used for the process applications are usually customdesigned based on the parameters and are very expensive. Thesefilters are manufactured by the independent filter manufacturersbased on their experience.


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thermal stabil i ty). The outer support cage forms the outer cyl inder of the cartr idge and holds the pleated internal contents together. It also acts as a back-pressure guard by preventing loss of f i l ter medium integrity as a result of f luid f lowing in the opposite direction under excessive back-pressure. Addit ionally, i t faci l i tates easy handling of the f i l ter cartr idge during instal lation as well as prevents the user to come in direct contact with the pleats avoiding damage to the f i l ter. The inner core of f i l ter cartr idge serves as the inner hollow tube that supports the pleated pack. It confers strength to the cartr idge assembly and determines the length of the f inal assembly of the cartr idge. Moreover, the core is also the outlet port of the cartr idge. The f i l tered f luid is guided to the outlet plate of the f i l ter housing through the perforations of the inner core.

The O-ring materials used are of crit ical importance, as the chemical compatibi l i ty of the O-ring material has to be determined towards the f luid to be f i l tered.

Contamination LevelsThe level of suspended solids in the process l iquid is important while sizing the f i l ter element. Higher the percentage of solids in the f luid, higher wil l be the f i l tration area. The main idea is to minimise the cake thickness formation

Figure 2: Flow Rate vs Differential Pressure Graph

on the media over a given period of t ime. There should be some mechanism, either manually or automatically to remove the deposited cake fromtime to t ime.

Filter Rating & TestsFilters are rated according to their abil i ty to remove particles of a specif ic size from a f luid suspension. There are many different methods in which f i l ter performance may be specif ied. In absolute ratings, i f the f i l ter medium has an exact and consistent pore size or opening, then this cut-off point can be termed an absolute rating. Nominal rating is expressed in terms of percentage retention of a specif ied contaminant (usually spherical glass beads) of a given size. A mean fi l ter rating is a measurement of the mean pore size of a f i l ter element.

The beta ratio is a rating introduced with the object of giving both f i l ter manufacturer and f i l ter user an accurate and representative comparison among various f i l ter media. It is the ratio between the number of part icles per unit volume above a specif ic size in

the suspension upstream of the f i l ter to the same parameter in the f low downstream of the f i l ter, and it is determined in a test r ig that enables accurate particle counting in the two f low regions.

Material CompatibilityMaterial compatibi l i ty is very important when selecting the f i l ter media. The process l iquid should not degrade the selected material chemically. This information is usually available in the corrosion chart.

The f i l ter media should be resistant to such chemicals. Also, the end connection or the gasket used should be resistant to the process f luid. Corrosion is a complicated issue, depending on the combinations of materials and the f luids, the f luid temperatures, the surrounding environment and the galvanic currents in the constructions.

Compatibility with the fluid means freedom from degradation. Even sometimes, paper elements may be impregnated or treated so as to be compatible with a very wide range of fluids.

Mechanical compatibi l i ty is also necessary to ensure that the element is strong enough to handle given differential pressure. Sometimes f i l ter media is reinforced with other material to provide support to the f i l ter media to take care of high differential pressure. For housing pressure, the design pressure considered is 10 per cent higher than the maximum anticipated operating pressure and the design temperature is 25 per cent above the maximum anticipated operating temperature. The design calculations are carried out based on any of the international standards.

It is also important to understand the property of contaminants or material to be retained by the filter media i.e. hard abrasive materials

Material compatibil i ty is very important when selecting the filter media. The process liquid should not degrade the selected material chemically. This information is usually available in the corrosion chart.


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forced against soft media may damage thefilter element.

International Industry StandardsGood Manufacturing Practices (GMP or cGMP) are mandatory for manufacturing filters for the pharmaceutical industry. The filter must be easy to clean; materials of construction should not have any effect on the product, and must be designed so as to prevent product contamination. It requires qualification test to be carried out during manufacturing and the documentation such as drawings, material specifications, design calculations, manuals, QC certificates, etc. All items should be labelled and must have full traceability.

The Food and Pharmaceutical Industry should meet following specific requirements: Filter inner surface ultraclean High surface polish and low surface

roughness No threaded surfaces Low holdup volume High level of cleanability Complete drainability Ease of maintenance Secure housing sealing mechanism Secure cartridge filter sealing mechanism

Compatible with cleaning and sanitizing agents

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) has developed technical standards for the design, manufacture, and testing of pressure vessels , which can be used for industrial fi lters. The codes apply to materials of construction, inspection of vessels, vessel design, stamping of the vessel, fabrication and pressure relief devices. The ASME code is widely accepted as the standard of construction all across the process industry. There are „U‰ and „UM‰ grade stamps available.

Similarly, other International Standards such as British Standards, DIN & other European Standards, JIS Standards are also considered.

Corrosion ResistanceCorrosion is the result of a chemical reaction of metal with airborne oxygen to create a stable oxide, sulfide, amine, amide, sulfate, carbonate, nitrate, or other compound. As the oxide form, corrosion is the most thermodynamically stable state of the metal. However, corrosion reduces the strength and ductil ity of the base metal, and alters its physical dimensions.

There are various types of corrosion such as Uniform Corrosion, Galvanic Corrosion, Crevice Corrosion, Pitting Corrosion, Intragranular Corrosion, Erosion Corrosion, and Selective Leaching, etc.

Surface FinishingSurface finishing of the filter mainly consists of cleaning, sand blasting and painting. Surface Finish and Sheet Finish are grouped as i.e. unpolished, polished, and buffed finishes. The chemical surface finishing mainly involves pickling of stainless steel surfaces consists of immersing the metal into a bath of nitric and hydrofluoric acids, to remove surface impurities and leave the surface chemically clean and ready for further processing. The passivation process is an acid cleaning process that removes these surface contaminants and permits the stainless steel to form an integral passive layer when exposed to air. Electropolishing uses the stainless steel to be polished as an anode in a cell holding an electrolyte. It imparts bril l iance to the surface by removing the thin oxide surface layer.


January 2014 • 49Chemical Engineering World

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Experimental Study of Pyrolysis Gases for Thermo-Kinetic Modelling of Dust Explosions

This paper presents results of an experimental study undertaken to analyse the role of pyrolysis step in modelling organic dust explosions to develop adequate explosion prevention and protection measures. It covers detailed investigation of influence of temperature, particle size and residence time on the products formation and composition of gases during pyrolysis of an organic dust-maize starch using modified Godbert-Greenwald furnace, and influence of pyrolysis gases on ignition sensitivity and explosion severity of the dust using Hartmann apparatus and CSIR-CBRI 20-L Sphere. The decrease in particle size and presence of pyrolysis gases (~1% v) changes the rate limiting step of combustion reaction and induces significant decrease of minimum ignition energy and increase in explosion severity.

Dust explosion hazards are common in industries handling combustible dusts like coal, starch, flour, sugar,

drugs, dyestuffs, plastics, aluminium and magnesium. The unit operations involving these dusts, such as grinding/ and other modes of transportation, are associated with inherent explosion hazard. For designing suitable explosion prevention and mitigation measures the explosion parameters -minimum explosible concentration, minimum ignition temperature, minimum ignition energy, maximum explosion pressure and rate of pressure rise- have to be determined either experimentally or theoretically for each dust. Theoretical determination of explosion parameters needs development of models for these parameters which requires understanding of the mechanism of explosion of the dust.

The organic dust explosion involves three steps heating of part icles, their devolati l isation or pyrolysis and homogeneous combustion of the pyrolysis gases. The characterist ic t imes of these phenomena can be different and a rate-l imit ing step can be defined. Research on effect of part icle size on rate control l ing step during dust explosion indicates that for part icles sizes < 10-30 µm, heating as well as pyrolysis steps are very fast, and combustion kinetics can be assumed as oxidation in the homogeneous phase[1-3]. However, the devolati l isation of the sold particles

becomes rate-control l ing at high dust loadings and for large particle sizes heat transfer or oxygen diffusion becomes rate-l imit ing.

Addit ion of a f lammable gaseous compound even for gas concentrations lower than the lower explosivity l imit increases ignit ion probabil i ty and explosion severity leading to changes in design of safety measures. The characterisation of mechanism of pyrolysis step, composit ion of gases and their effect on ignit ion sensit ivity of dust cloud and f lame propagation is essential for developing models for organic dust explosions, designing adequate protection measures and understanding explosions of hybrid mixtures formed during the course of explosion[4].

A study was undertaken at CSIR-CBRI to develop models for predicting various explosion parameters of organic dusts based on detailed reaction mechanism and controlling step as pyrolysis or devolatilisation or gas combustion during dust explosion depending on particle size of dust. As a part of this study, pyrolysis products of some organic dusts – coal, polyethylene, cellulose and maize starch- were determined. The work on pyrolysis of maize starch dust under the conditions of explosion and influence of pyrolysis gases on ignition sensitivity and explosion severity is presented in this article.

EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUESMaize starch dust samples of sizes 22, 38, 74, and 125 µm were prepared and dried in an oven at 110oC for 24 hours. Experiments were carried out on dried samples for determination of volatiles and composition of pyrolysis gases and studying the influence of pyrolysis gases on ignition sensitivity and explosion severity.

The pyrolysis products measurement experiments were conducted in Godbert-Greenwald (G-G) furnace used to determine the minimum ignition temperature of dust cloud[5,6] and modified to produce and analyse the pyrolysis gases for present study. The heating conditions of dust particles in the furnace are similar to those obtained during explosion experiments in 20-L sphere i.e. high heat transfer. Furnace tube was made air tight by fixing an attachment at the open end. The pyrolysis experiments were carried out in nitrogen atmosphere. During each run, gases withdrawn from the furnace were passed through running water cooled gas-liquid separator where the condensed liquid was collected. The uncondensed products were passed through an activated carbon column and finally collected in plastic bags to be afterwards analysed. In a typical run dust sample was placed in a dust holder connected to G-G furnace. The system was purged with nitrogen a few minutes before the run to ensure that an inert atmosphere is maintained within the furnace. The samples were dispersed using nitrogen pulse once the furnace was heated to a selected

Technical Article


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temperature. The heating of samples inside the furnace to reach the furnace temperature could be considered instantaneous. The amounts of solids (residue in the furnace) and liquid obtained were weighed and the pyrolysis yields were calculated as weight percent with respect to dust sample. Pyrolysis gas yields were determined by difference.

Pyrolysis gases are principally H2, CH4, CO and CO2. The characterisation of these gases was done by determining their composition using gas chromatograph. The effect of residence time of particles in the furnace, furnace temperature and particle size on the gas composition were studied to obtain gas mixtures representative of those produced during pyrolysis phase of an organic dust explosion. Experiments were performed at various furnace temperatures between 550 to 850oC. The pressure of the nitrogen pulse was varied to obtain residence times of the dust particles in the furnace between 20 to 50 ms. The pyrolysis temperature of the particles during the study is unknown and lower than the furnace temperature.

The minimum ignition energy (MIE) has been determined with Hartmann apparatus[5,7] modified to obtain a vacuum-proof system to test hybrid mixtures formed by pyrolysis gases and dust during explosion. The explosion severity- maximum explosion pressure and the maximum rate of pressure rise were determined with CSIR-CBRI 20-L Sphere as per standard procedure[8,9]. The dust concentration has been expressed in equivalence ratio (the ratio of the dust-to-oxidiser ratio to the stoichiometric dust-to-oxidiser ratio). In case of hybrid mixtures, both fuels (pyrolysis gases as well as dust) have been considered.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONSMeasurement of Pyrolysis GasesExperiments were conducted for determining the pyrolysis gases for maize starch dust for particle sizes -22, 38, 74 and 125 µm for furnace temperatures 550, 650, 750 and 850oC. The dust concentration was selected closer to the stoichiometric maize starch dust concentration i.e. 233 g/m3 and experiments were performed for dust concentrations 150, 300 and 450 g/m3. The extent and nature of the reactants depend on the reaction temperature and also the residence time of the products

in the reaction zone. For some experiments residence time of dust in the furnace was varied from 20 to 50 ms which is comparable to reaction time of a dust explosion and long enough to generate pyrolysis gases.

Maize starch has a chemical formula (C6 H10 O5)n and consists of mostly volatiles with little fixed carbon or ash. The proximate analysis gives composition of maize starch on dry basis as: fixed carbon-14.9 per cent, volatiles 82.4 per cent and ash 2.7 per cent. The organic dusts such as maize starch are transformed to char, tar and gases during pyrolysis. At high temperature, which is the case during a dust explosion, there is a predominance of devolatilisation verses charring, leading to a significant increase of the gas formation rates. The gases during the pyrolysis experiments were analysed by means of a gas chromatograph equipped with columns and detectors enabling separation of H2, N2, CO, CH4,CO2 and hydrocarbons of the type C2Hx using nitrogen and helium as carrier gases. The volume proportion of these gases in a sample was determined periodically by means of an integrator. To

study the effect of residence time of dust in the furnace on yield of different phases, experiments were conducted for 38µm size dust for residence times 20, 30, 40 and 50 ms at various temperatures for a dust concentration of 300 g/m3. Experimental results summarized in Table 1 indicate that maximum gaseous products were obtained at a residence time of 50 ms for total experimental range of temperature. Further experiments were conducted for this residence time. The experimental results showing yield of liquid, solid and gases and composition of pyrolysis gases for maize starch dust for all the particle sizes for a range of temperature 550-850oC are given in Tables 2 and 3.

Residence Time, ms

Gas Yield, Wt. %

Furnace Temperature, oC

550 650 750 850

20 20.4 30.3 30.4 50.2

30 24.6 34.4 35.2 58.4

40 32.7 36.2 40.8 60.2

50 39.2 46.4 50.3 61.9

Furnace Temperature

0C

Particle Size,µm

Yield,Wt. %

Solid Liquid Gas

Dust Concentration, g/m3

Dust Concentration,

g/m3

Dust Concentration,

g/m3

150 300 450 150 300 450 150 300 450

550 22 22.4 21.9 23.6 21.6 26.5 27.2 56 51.6 49.2

38 30.7 32.5 34.5 26.1 28.3 29.4 43.2 39.2 36.1

74 39.0 38.5 41.6 34.9 35.2 36.3 26.1 26.3 22.1

147 43.6 43.8 43.8 40.2 39.1 40.4 16.2 17.1 15.8

650 22 12.8 16.2 17.3 17.2 22.6 24.6 70.0 61.2 58.1

38 29.5 29.3 38.9 22.1 24.3 16.3 48.4 46.4 44.8

74 36.7 36.4 36.5 35.2 33.4 36.1 28.1 30.2 27.4

147 42.7 41.5 43.3 40.1 37.2 39.8 17.2 21.3 16.9

750 22 10.6 9.3 10.1 3.2 9.1 10.6 86.2 81.6 79.3

38 28.7 27.4 26.2 18.1 22.3 26.4 53.2 50.3 47.4

74 33.5 33.4 34.2 35.2 32.4 36.0 31.3 34.2 29.8

147 37.4 37.0 37.4 36.3 34.2 35.4 26.3 28.8 27.2

850 22 3.2 3.3 4.0 1.7 6.1 7.8 95.1 90.6 88.2

38 21.6 20.8 22.2 15.1 17.3 19.4 63.3 61.9 58.4

74 25.5 25.7 23.0 30.2 26.1 33.2 44.3 48.2 43.8

125 31.4 31.3 29.5 32.4 28.2 33.1 36.2 40.5 37.4

Table 1: Influence of Residence Time of Dust in Furnace on Gas Yield for 38 µm Maize Starch (Dust Concentration 300 g/m3)

Table 2: Influence of Temperature, Dust Concentration and Particle Size on Maize Starch Pyrolysis


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Data presented in Table 2 show that an increase in temperature leads to increase in gas production and decrease in the solid fraction. Liquid fraction yield decreases as the temperature increases which shows that gas formation increase mainly happens from this point due to the cracking of liquid fraction. Figure 1 shows influence of pyrolysis temperature on gas yield for various particle sizes of maize starch dust at a dust concentration 300 g/m3. The

yield of gas increases with increase in temperature and decreases with increase in particle size. The effect of particle size on maize starch pyrolysis shows that for smaller particles (22 µm) more complete gasification is obtained at 750-850oC with ~ 80 to 90 per cent wt. of starch pyrolysed to gases. Experiments with 125 µm size maize starch showed that volatile yield were very low upto 650oC and at 850oC, yield of volatiles was ~ 40 per cent. Smaller sized particles decompose faster with higher volatile evolution. It was observed that within the experimental range, dust concentration (150, 300 and 450 g/m3) had no significant effect on the product yields during pyrolysis. Further experiments were carried out at 300 g/m3. The composition of gaseous products is shown in Table 3. Gas fraction mainly constitutes of H2, CO, CO2 and CH4. Generation of the principal pyrolysis gases is thermal. The reactions are favoured by temperature so that an increase of gas production is expected with the increasing temperature which exerts a positive effect for methane and hydrogen production and a negative effect for carbon dioxide production. Figure 2 shows influence of particle

Furnace Temperature, oC

Particle Size, µm

Gas, Vol.%

Carbon monoxide

Carbon dioxide

Methane Hydrogen Nitrogen

550 22 32.1 26.1 19.4 3.9 18.5

38 33.2 27.2 15.4 2.1 22.1

74 30.4 28.4 12.2 1.6 27.4

125 22.4 24.6 5.4 0.6 47.0

650 22 32.3 24.0 23.2 6.4 14.1

38 30.1 25.0 21.0 3.0 20.9

74 29.0 24.2 16.1 2.1 28.6

125 24.2 22.0 7.0 1.2 45.6

750 22 37.2 23.1 26.4 7.8 5.5

38 35.1 21.2 23.2 5.1 15.4

74 32.0 19.0 18.2 3.2 27.6

125 25.0 18.0 16.1 1.9 39.0

850 22 39.2 21.4 30.1 8.2 1.1

38 37.2 19.4 24.2 5.4 13.8

74 33.0 18.1 19.1 3.6 27.2

125 25.4 17.9 16.5 2.0 38.2

size and temperature on composition of hydrogen and methane evolved during pyrolysis of maize starch dust at a dust concentration of 300 g/m3. The decrease in CO2 at high temperature could be related to the rapid generation of carbon dioxide at high temperature and possible carbon gasification reaction.

The data reported in l i terature for pyrolysis products of maize starch under different condit ions of exposure [10,11] present similar trend of results. Investigation of pyrolysis of maize starch in a f ixed bed reactor in nitrogen f low (particle size: 1- 1.6 mm, reaction t ime- 30 min, temperature range 400-700oC) at isothermal condit ions fast pyrolysis regime, indicated that gas distr ibution varies strongly with temperature, formation of H2, CO, CH4 increases on increasing temperature and CO2 reaches a maximum at an intermediate temperature [10]. Study performed by heating maize starch dust (part icles size 15 µm, temperatures - 300, 450 and 550oC, stoichiometric concentration-233 g/m3) in a cyl indrical steel container placed in an oven showed that at 300oC the decomposit ion product is mainly CO2 and a small quantity of CO[11]. At higher temperatures the

Figure 1: influence of pyrolysis temperature on gas yield for maize starch dust (dust concentration – 300g/m3)

Figure 2: influence of particle size and temperature on hydrogen and methane evolution during pyrolysis of maize starch dust (dust concentration – 300g/m3)

Table 3: Composition of Pyrolysis Gases for Maize Starch : Influence of Temperature and Particle size (Residence Time of Dust in Furnace- 50 ms, Dust Concentration - 300 g/m3)– CSIR-CBRI Study


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relation between CO and CO2 becomes inverse, and some methane and hydrogen also occurs. As the products of thermal decomposit ion are dependent on the rate of temperature rise, results of measurement under very slow heating condit ions of a sample cannot be conclusive for processes going on under real condit ions, in an atmosphere of chemically active f lame. The heating rate and temperature values at which explosion occur are very high and the pyrolysis data obtained at highest temperatures 850oC in the present study can be used for model development.

Most of the previous studies of kinetics of pyrolysis of organic substances are based on rate of weight loss of the original sample. Since the pyrolysis of the organic dusts occurs as a result of a series of consecutive and competit ive reactions, the simple determination of kinetics in terms of total weight loss may be inappropriate for correlating the kinetics of formation of the various products. The pyrolysis can be control led by heat transfer, mass transfer or chemical reactions according to experimental condit ions and dust physicochemical properties. Characterization of the main processes involved during fast pyrolysis is needed to determine the rate control l ing step during organic dust explosion. The estimation of characterist ic t imes for these steps using various correlations [12,13] and experimental values of physicochemical parameter for the dust in question is required to ascertain the control l ing step.

Explosion ExperimentsAfter studying pyrolysis gases, inf luence of pyrolysis step on igni t ion sensi t iv i ty and explosion severi ty of organic dusts was studied. For this, experiments were conducted for measuring minimum igni t ion energy and explosion severi ty of dust c louds, pyrolysis gases and hybr id mixtures of pyrolysis gases and dusts.

Influence of Pyrolysis Step on Ignition SensitivityThe rate-limiting step in organic dust explosion is a function of particle size. The limiting particle size beyond which there is only minor variation in explosion data can be estimated by measuring the minimum ignition energies (MIE) of dust with decreasing particle sizes. The experimental results on MIE for all the dust samples, their pyrolysis gases and hybrid mixtures are presented in Figure 3. Similar study has been reported in literature[14]. For smaller particles (22 and 38 µm for maize starch dust) heating and pyrolysis steps are very fast, and the combustion kinetics involves oxidation in homogeneous gas phase. The model should be oxidation reaction controlled. For larger particles (74 and 125 µm in present study) the boundary diffusion limitation is important and devolatil isation of dust becomes rate controlling. This information will be used for modelling.

The experimental data for hybrid mixture explosion show that the addition of few per cents (1%) of pyrolysis gases to the dust suspensions changes the rate-limiting step of the combustion reaction and decrease of MIE to 3mJ.

Figure 3: Influence of particle size and presence of pyrolysis gases on minimum ignition energy of maize starch dust

Figure 4: Explosion severity data for maize starch dust (size – 38 µm), its pyrolysis gases and hybrid mixture


CEWFeatures

Influence of Pyrolysis Step on Explosion Severity To examine the influence of pyrolysis step on explosion severity during a dust explosion, explosion severity data were measured for 38 µm maize starch dust, its pyrolysis gases and hybrid mixtures over a range of dust and gas concentration. The fuel concentration has been expressed in equivalence ratio (defined as the ratio of fuel-to-oxidiser ratio to stoichiometric fuel-to-oxidizer ratio). In case of hybrid mixtures both fuels have been considered. The maximum explosion pressure and maximum rate of pressure rise were estimated for each experiment and value of the maximum explosion pressure and maximum rate of pressure rise for the optimum dust/ gas concentrations were determined. The resultant values for maximum explosion pressure and rate of pressure-rise for 38 µm size maize starch dust and its pyrolysis gases and hybrid mixtures are summarized in Figure 4. For hybrid mixtures the X-axis of data point presents the equivalence ratio value of dust. The total equivalence ratio has been fixed as one and the balance is the pyrolysis gas equivalence ratio. The presence of pyrolysis gases has a very strong influence on explosion severity data. At stoichiometric concentration, maximum rate of pressure-rise for maize starch is 6.5 times lower than the one of its pyrolysis gases. Such a difference can be explained by the predominance of the pyrolysis step and by changes in the initial turbulence level of the suspension. The difference between maximum explosion pressures for maize starch and its pyrolysis gases is very small and it varies from 7 to 8 bar.

The experimental results for hybrid mixtures show that there is a significant increase in explosion severity of dust by the addition of combustible pyrolysis gases. The maximum rates of pressure rise ranges between (dP/dt)max value of the dust and that of gas in the mixture. This difference is large for dust concentrations in the range nearly upto equivalence ratio of 0.5 and the dust plays a significant role in combustion kinetics down to this limit. For greater amount of gases, the specific behaviour of the combustible gases is predominant. It has been observed in ignition tests that addition of pyrolysis gases (~1 Vol. %) induces changes in the rate-limiting step of the combustion reaction, from boundary diffusion to homogeneous gas phase reaction and implies a decrease of the MIE. Addition of pyrolysis gases to maize starch increases their ignitability and decreases the effect of heterogeneous gas/ solid reaction on kinetics of dust explosion.

ConclusionsThe information and data on pyrolysis/devolatilisation of an organic dust maize starch presented above will be used for modelling of dust explosion. The study shows that pyrolysis phase can not be neglected when considering dust explosion kinetics. The pyrolysis gases are present with solid particles resulting in hybrid mixture of flammable gases and dust in organic dust explosions. Data on ignition sensitivity and explosion severity of the organic dust maize starch and its pyrolysis gases will be used to ascertain the predominant steps of the organic dust explosion kinetics. It will lead to the development of a predictive model which will be presented in a separate paper. A systematic determination of the pyrolysis gases should be undertaken for organic dusts and for particles having large diameters as the

dust explosion phenomena is governed by different mechanisms as a function of the particle size. Understanding the importance of the rate-determining step of the whole combustion process is a key to adequate prevention and protection measures

References1. Di Benedetto, A. and Russo P, 2007. Thermo-kinetic modelling of

dust explosions, Journal of Loss Prevention in Process Industries, 20, 303-309.

2. Hertzberg, M, Zlochower, IA and Cashdollar, K.L., 1988. Volatility model for coal dust flame propagation and extinguishment. In Twenty-First Symposium (International) on Combustion. The Combustion Institute: Pittsburgh, PA, pp.325-333.

3. Cashdollar, KL, Hertzberg M and Zlochower, IA, 1988. Effect of volatility on dust flammability limits for coals, gilsonite and polyethylene, In Twenty-Second Symposium (International) on Combustion. The Combustion Institute: Pittsburgh, PA, pp. 1757-1765.

4. Dufaud, O, Perrin, L and Traore, M, 2008. Dust/ vapour explosions: hybrid behaviours, Journal of Loss Prevention in Process Industries, 21(4), 481-484.

5. Mittal, M, 1996. An analysis of hazards in chemical industries, Indian Chemical Engineer, 38(2), 69-80.

6. ASTM, 2006. Standard test method for minimum autoignition temperature of dust clouds, E1491. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.

7. ASTM, 2007. Standard test method for minimum ignition energy of a dust cloud in air, E 2019-03. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.

8. Mittal, M, 2012. Dust explosion violence measurement with 20-L Spherical Vessel, Chemical Product Finder, 31(5), 34-36.

9. ASTM-2010. Standard test method for explosibility of dust clouds, E 1226. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM International.

10. Encinar, JM, Beltran, FJ, Gonzalez, JF and Moreno, MJ, 1997. Pyrolysis of maize, sunflower, grape and tobacco residues, Journal of Chemical Technology &Biotechnology,70,400-410.

11. Mazurkiewicz, J, Jarosinski, J and Wolanski, P, 1993. Investigations of burning properties of cornstarch dust-air flames, Archivum Combustionis, 13(3-4), 189-201.

12. Authier, O, Ferrer, M, Mauviel G., Khalfi AE and Lede, J, 2009, Wood fast pyrolysis: comparison of Langrangian and Eulerian modelling approaches with experimental measurements, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 48(10), 4796-4809.

13. Moghtaderi, B, 2006. The state-of-the-art in pyrolysis modelling of lignocellulosic solid fuels, Fire Mater, 30,1-34.

14. Khalili, I, Dufaud, O, Popeau, M, Cuervo-Rodriguez, N and Perrin, L, 2012. Ignition sensitivity of gas/vapour/dust hybrid mixtures, Powder Technology, 217, 199-206.

Author’s Details Manju Mittal

Sr.Pr. ScientistFire Research Laboratory CSIR-CBRI, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India

Email: [email protected]


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Cent r i f uga l Compresso r Techno logy - Past, Present and Future

Compressed air is one of the most expensive utilities, but more often than not, this fact is not understood. Axial flow compressors, reciprocating compressors, screw compressors, and centrifugal compressors, which have been evolved over the years, have been very well recognised by the industry and are being widely used for many purposes such as transporting natural gas, drilling, producing food and beverages, pharmaceuticals application, and manufacturing air tools.

A compressor is a device that delivers a gas at a higher pressure than naturally exists in the atmosphere.

Air is a compact and powerful medium used to transmit power that can be used for a variety of purposes. Typical uses include - power air tools, pneumatic cyl inder actuation, hoists and l i f ts, transportation medium, fermentation,and combustion but uses are not l imited to these applications only.

Air can be compressed using two basic methods positive displacement and dynamic compression. In the positive displacement method, air is trapped in a closed space and then reduced in volume to increase the pressure. Typical positive displacement compressors are reciprocating piston, rotary screw, scroll, lobe, hook and claw, and sliding vane.

Dynamic compressors are rotary f low machines that rapidly accelerate the gas (air) through rotating elements. Typical dynamic compressors are centrifugal, axial, and mixed f low.

Application and UsageCentrifugal compressor technology has been around for more than 100 years, but has been l imited mostly to process applications due to init ial cost. It is the preferred method of compression when the highest rel iabil i ty and absolute best air quality is required. Centrifugal compressors became popular during the

1960s with the advent of the integrally geared design. The integrally geared design uti l ises compression elements placed around a rotating bull gear al lowing for the pressure to be mult ipl ied independently of the previous stage. A ful ly packaged integrally geared design was developed and only a few companies at the t ime possessed the technological expertise to create such a machine.

Why do customers prefer centrifugal to other compressor technologies? The f irst reason is dependable long l i fe due in part to an inherently simple, rugged design. There are only three moving parts - a bull gear and two rotating impeller assemblies. Fewer moving parts means less opportunity for something to fai l . Moreover, centrifugal compressors are not subjected to the annual overhaul requirements customary with other technologies. Ult imately, centrifugals ensure greater availabil i ty for production use and lower maintenance costs.

The second reason is the dynamic compression process itself. In dynamic compression, the air is compressed by converting velocity energy imparted by the impeller to pressure energy without any contact between mechanical components. The design ensures 100 per cent oi l- and particle-free air. I t is not uncommon for a centrifugal compressor to run at least 7 years without needing

to be overhauled. Unlike posit ive displacement technology, compression components do not wear.

The third reason is that centrifugals maximise energy eff iciency by using mult iple stages in conjunction with constant pressure control operation. Three stages of compression improve eff iciency by dividing work evenly across each stage. Lower compression ratios are borne by each stage, result ing in lower operating temperatures, and ensuring that cooler air moves from one stage to the next. The compressor produces air more eff iciently, and requires less mechanical power and less energy.

The fourth reason is the space. No other technology can offer the space-saving attr ibutes of a centrifugal compressor. T h e u l t r a c o m p a c t , s p a c e - s a v i n g design lends itself well to f lexibi l i ty. A centrifugal unit is capable of delivering

Technical Article

Ingersoll Rand’s Centac C1000 Centrifugal Compressor

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CEWFeatures

twice the flow for the same amount of floor space as opposed to competing technologies.

Customers demand rel iabil i ty, and they depend on a mature product that has been validated at test faci l i t ies. Customers prefer not to stock replacement parts (even key parts) to maintain continuous operations. Instead, customers depend on proper customer service and support worldwide to keep them operational. One of the features engineers str ive for compressor design is minimising part count. The fewer the parts, the more rel iable the product becomes. Another approach to ensure rel iabil i ty is by testing and continuous monitoring. Testing and validation is comprised of operational tests that address specif ic areas such as:

Aerodynamics performance Impeller geometry validation of models generated using

computational f luid dynamics to verify f low, pressure, turndown range and eff iciency

Stage matching Impeller and diffuser combinations and optimisation

Heat exchanger Cooling water to control air temperature performance Condensation removal eff iciency

Rotor dynamic performance Stabil i ty (crit ical speeds and resonances) Unbalanced response and coast down Vane passing frequencies and other high frequency drivers

Mechanical testing Bearing stabil i ty and damping Vibrations of compressor components Oil and package subsystem reliabil i ty and performance

Overall system validation also includes a separate set of tests conducted to simulate operation of the compressor in an environment that approximates a typical real-world compressor. This includes a rigorous duty cycle of starting and stopping as well as load or unload operation at a variety of set pressures using cycling valves.

Recently, Ingersoll Rand launched a new line of centrifugal compressors known as the Centac C-Series. This compressor represents a fourth-generation of centrifugal compressor platforms that will replace current models and form the core of a family of innovative products. C1000 is unique for many reasons

it represents a major departure from the traditional design, development, and manufacturing approach of the past.

AuthorÊs Details Amit Mehendale

Strategic Marketing Leader ITS IndiaIngersoll Rand (India) Limited

Email: [email protected]

Ingersoll Rand.indd 55Ingersoll Rand.indd 55 24-01-2014 19:33:4824-01-2014 19:33:48


CEW Features

Handling Corrosion at Elevated Temperature

Equipment manufacturers now look at graphite linings as a very promising option for chemical processing equipment because of high thermal conductivity and resistance to corrosion. The author delves further on use of graphite as feasible how use of graphite can allow handling the corrosive chemicals at elevated temperatures.

Chemical Process Industry is the only industry in the world that struggles round-the-clock - with

the teams of engineers and technicians to serve the needs of humanity, improve our day-to-day life with their innovative research towards making it economically feasible and acceptable; and developing eco-friendly green processes with Zero

Liquid Discharge (ZLD) plants.

Handling the effluents, managing steam economy, increasing the productivity by reducing batch time and handling the heated mother liquor after the reaction is over are the critical factos towards making ZLD plants economically feasible.

While processing chemicals, limitations become more serious due to chemical compatibility of the equipment or machinery construction material to sustain operational parameters, or a range of parameters in which, an equipment or machinery can perform.

Usually in industry, the material of construction (MOC) is High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) or Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) with a temperature limitation of 800C to maximum 1000C. These intermediate storage tanks or hold-up tanks play an important role for handling intermediates or mother liquor; or effluent that is to be sent to Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP).

In cases, where the temperature of such fluids is more than 1000C (which is a usual case for chemical process industries), the main reactor holds up the fluid with cooling to be provided with agitation, and to cool down and empty the main reactor by transferring the fluid to intermediate tank

before sending to next reaction step or ETP ,the practice of cooling down and keep the reactor running is to performed due to the temperature limitation of the MOC of intermediate storage tank. Development in polymer technology has made possible to withstand the corrosion caused due to many chemicals, and also handle all the solvents or sometimes mix of chemicals, solvents both organic or inorganic to a great extent.

It was a challenge to search and develop an MOC , which shows corrosion resistance at elevated temperature and develop equipment to solve this issue by increasing the productivity, reducing batch time and the productivity cost.

Low porosity pure graphite blocks, with porosity after molding less than 4 per cent and density 1.8+g/cc and compressive

strength (Cold Crushing Strength) more than 750 Kg/cm2 proved to be the answer, after making them impervious (0% porosity or leak proof) by impregnation with modified phenolic resins, it becomes resistant to temperature and chemicals or mix of chemicals, solvent etc even at temperature as high as 1700C.

Another challenge was to make economically feasible equipment with these impervious graphite blocks for chemical process industries so that the hot mother liquor or intermediates could be flushed down easily and save the down-time and cost. Development of graphite lining made this possible. With this technique, graphite lining can be done on MS/SS fabricated equipment to protect them from corrosion even at elevated temperatures, upto 1700C. The mix of chemicals or mother liquor; or inorganic-organic solvents can be drained directly to these graphite lined vessels.

Technical Article

Figure 1: Comparison of thermal conductivity of various MOC’s

Usually in industry intermediate storage tanks are of MOC HDPE or FRP with a temperature limitation of 800C to max 1000C. These intermediate storage tanks or hold up tanks play an important role to handle intermediates or mother liquor or effluent to be sent to ETP.

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CEWFeatures

Apart from being a good thermal and electrical conductor, (See Figure 1 for comparison of thermal conductivity with other MOCs) graphite is highly thermal shock resistant and improves logevity of the equipment. However, these equipment should be provided with earthing-boss. The bar chart clearly indicates that thermal conductivity of high-density graphite block is approximately four times higher than CS/MS and stainless steel etc.

Graphite lining has proved to be a boon for the chemical process industry and today, it is further developed to graphite lined jacketed agitator vessels, where all wetted parts are graphite lined.

Graphite t i le l ining is done with the help of graphite t i les bonded with graphite cement and bonding resins with surface preparation procedures and is quite similar to any other l ining. Here MOC plays a very important role with taking precautionary measures. The l ined surface can be tested by performing aqua-test with hot water at around 70-800C. Spark test proves to be irrelevant for graphite-l ined surface as graphite is a good conductor. The total curing t ime for graphite l ining is 48 hours.

Although the total manufacturing process is t ime consuming and slow but i t surely is more promising than any other MOC. All these parameters change as per cl imatic and surrounding condit ion thus i t is advisable to search for a ski l led and reputed vendor with al l the necessary technical knowledge and experience.

Graphite lining has also proved to be useful for scrubbing columns specifically for diameters that are above 925 mm with column packing, trays and inlet nozzles etc.

It can be concluded that graphite has proved to be a true answer for corrosion at elevated temperature and today, it is serving the industry with reduced break downs and increasing the productivity, quality and performance of chemical process industry with its contribution in achieving ZERO Discharge plants and make a better tomorrow.

AuthorÊs Details Dhawal SaxenaEx Assistant MD

Blast Carboblocks Pvt LtdEmail: [email protected]

Base Stock Specifications (Before Impregnation)

Bulk Density 1.8 g / cc

Open Porosity < 0.2%

Ash Content <1%

Total Porosity 4%

Cold Crushing Strength 800 kg/cm2

Handling Corrosion at Elevated Temperature.indd 57Handling Corrosion at Elevated Temperature.indd 57 24-01-2014 19:12:4024-01-2014 19:12:40


CEW Features

Averting Coupling CrisisThis article provides insights into the causes of coupling failure including Human Errors, Corrosion Induced Failures, Fatigue Failure, Hardware Failure, Shaft Failures and Failures Caused by Wear, and method to eliminate them in an efficient manner.

Shaft couplings are critical parts of any transmission system, providing the smooth transmission of power

from drive to driven equipment. If properly designed, selected and maintained, the coupling can last long and give satisfactory service on drive and driven equipment. However, the useful life of flexible coupling is limited due to several factors such as human errors, corrosion, wear, fatigue hardware failure & shaft failure

Investigating the causes of coupling failure and to eliminate them is important. However, often, the maintenance personnel rushes to eliminate the effect of failure, rather than probe the cause, so as to get the equipment quickly back on stream. This Âlack of eliminating the causes

of failureÊ may translate in reoccurrence of the same problem.

Human ErrorsHuman errors relating to coupling failures are inevitable. They can be divided into:

Improper selection: Many coupling failures happen because of incorrect type and size of coupling that cannot accommodate the requirement of the application. Coupling manufacturers can guide in the selection of the best coupling for an application. Coupling failures that are caused by improper selection are usually very costly.

An oversized coupling is specified with the hope that it will last longer. However,

Technical Article

Incorrect Type Solutions Over Loading

Incorrect Selection - Lower Size Undersize Coupling for Application

Tyre Failure

this may not be true, as it will increase the radial loads on the shafts if misalignment exists. If the load transmitted is too low, the oversized coupling may actually wear out much faster. When oversized coupling is selected due to shaft sizes, care must be taken to align the coupling more accurately than usual.

Speed limits should be strictly adhered to for elastomeric couplings. Speed generates centrifugal forces that can place high stress on the flexible components. Tyre type elastomeric coupling can „Balloon‰ and eventually rupture at high speed. Compression type elastomeric couplings may whirl or vibrate laterally. Many of these couplings may need some type of lateral support for use at high speeds.

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CEWFeatures

Improper manufacturing: It is not only important to design & select proper coupling, it should also be properly manufactured, installed and maintained to get satisfactory performance. Finish bore and key way with appropriate tolerances as per various international standards also needs to be maintained. Con—centricity of finish bore with respect to power transmitting part is very important.

Incorrect installation: There are many reasons why incorrect installation results in coupling failure, the most frequent being improper tightening of bolts, use of low quality bolts, keys made of soft steels, incorrect hub spacing, incorrect hub installation, guards that are too close to elastomer elements, improper coupling sealing etc.

A coupling is to be installed within the „Initial Alignment Limit‰ specified by the manufacturer. This is around 25 per cent of the misalignment limits specified by the manufacturer. It has been observed that lack of Installation and alignment procedure results in improper installation. This will result in vibration and additional loads which, depending on their severity, can produce premature wear, or even catastrophic failure of bearings, seals, the coupling itself, and other machine components.

Coupling alignment should be an organised and simple process. It is important to establish a set procedure to perform alignments. Identifying a simple shaft alignment procedure that can be followed for every alignment saves time effort and money. Six steps to form a comprehensive outline to follow for every shaft

1 Elastomeric Jaw coupling-Jaw OD, 2 Gear Coupling-Teeth OD,3 Pin Bush Coupling - PCD ,4 Metallic Disc Coupling - Locating steps, 5 Maintaining centre line of bore and key way width within specifi ed limit is also important along with the tolerances, key size, and key material.

Procedure for fi nish bore

1

2

3

4

5

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CEW Features

alignment include : Safety Clean up Rough Soft Foot Correction Rough Alignment Final Soft Foot Correction Final Alignment.

Horizontal coupling used vertically Over loading/ loose clamping

Excessive interference fi t: Hub cracked at 3 holes

Incorrect Lubrication, Insuffi cient Lubricant, - No maintenance

Metallic disc failure

No lubrication

However, it is a misunderstanding to take advantage of coupling flexibility for accommodating excessive misalignment, as flexing of the coupling and the shaft will impose forces on the drive and driven equipment bearings. Effects of these forces include premature bearing, seal or coupling failures, shaft breaking or cracking, and excessive radial and axial vibrations. Secondary effects include loosening of foundation bolts, loose or broken coupling bolts. Operating life is shortened whenever shafts are misaligned.

Lack of Periodic MaintenanceCoupling maintenance is generally a simple matter. It requires a regular scheduled inspection of each coupling. The inspection can include: Performing visual inspection, checking for abnormal

operating characterist ics such as unusual noise, excessive component temperature, vibrations, and signs of wear or fatigue.

Misalignment Failure Fatigue Failure

Sketch of elongated bolt holes - Loose Bolts

Checking and changing lubricant i f the coupling is lubricated. This maintenance is required at regular interval say twice in a year for most couplings and more frequently for couplings operating in adverse environments or in demanding operating condit ions.

Documenting the maintenance performed on each coupling, along with the date.

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CEWFeatures

Excessive angular misalignment beyond limits Misaligned coupling - Vibration

In most cases, these maintenance steps should be suff icient to keep couplings working smoothly and to enable them to reach their ful l service l i fe. In addit ion to these, i t is also recommended that after the equipment has operated long enough to become temperature stabil ized, i t is best to shut i t down and immediately recheck alignment. Due to thermal growth, equipment that are al igned in the „COLD‰ pre-operating condit ion are almost always out of al ignment when operating temperatures are attained.

Alignment can be performed with lot of different tools. The easiest way is to use a ruler or a straight edge and f i l ler gauge over the two coupling halves and align by eyesight. This is called as EYEBALL alignment. The result is not very accurate, but widely used for general industrial applications. To achieve a better result is to use mechanical dial indicators. A ski l led and experienced user can achieve good and rel iable result. The easiest way, and most accurate, is to use laser based alignment system. They do not require special ski l l and delivers very accurate and repetit ive results.

With todayÊs optimised equipment, al ignment is a vital part in the daily maintenance work. Equipment need to be on-l ine continuously with a minimum of interruptions. Equipment breakdown causes divesting loss of production and nearly 50% of equipment breakdowns are caused by misalignment. The costl iest fai lures are those where maintenance is not performed even when alarms are tr iggered by high vibrations, temperatures, or high noise. Overfi l l ing of grease should be avoided, as it locks the movement of hubs.

Recognising Misalignment: There are several symptoms indicating misalignment. By keeping eye on them, one can find the fault without any special instruments. These include: Premature bearing, seal, shaft and coupling fai lure Excessive radial and axial vibrations High casing temperature at or near the bearings or high

temperature discharge oil Excessive amount of oi l leakage at the bearing seal Loose foundation bolts Loose or broken coupling bolts The coupling is hot while i t is running and immediately after

the unit is shut down. Look for rubber powder inside the coupling shroud

Excessive amount of grease on the inside of coupling guard. The shafts are breaking (or cracking) at or close to the

inboard bearings or coupling hubs

Misalignment and Power Consumption: Misalignment has a direct impact on the power consumption. It is proved the power saving is between 2 and 12 per cent.

Effects of Base Conditions and Thermal Variations: I f the equipment are al igned when they are cold and no compensation for thermal growth is considered, the equipment wil l probably be running severely misaligned at running

temperature. The couplings that accommodate misalignment through sl iding, the useful l i fe is determined by the type of wear and by its rate. For example: Lubricated metall ic Flexible couplings.

The couplings that accommodate misalignment through flexing of metallic element, the useful life is determined by fatigue, in some cases by corrosion & fretting. For example: Dry Metallic Flexible Couplings.

The couplings that accommodate misalignment through f lexing of elastomeric element, the useful l i fe is determined by the deterioration in properties which is caused either by aging of the material or by damping. For example: Elastomeric couplings in compression and Shear.

Corrosion Induced FailuresCorrosion affects every type of couplings: Salt, chlorides, hydrogen among others corrode ferrous components. Aluminum is corroded by alkali and salt. Rubber elements are affected by some hydraulic oils and by ozone. There are applications which suffer from corrosion namely Air born corrosion: Flexible couplings create air movement

through and around them. Air / gases / steam / hydrogen gas enters into a coupling above the shaft key depending on the environment in which the coupling is running, corrosion takes place. The solution to this problem is quite simple. Before instal l ing hubs on the shaft a bead of sealant compound should be placed on the top of the key. The sealant wil l close the gap that MUST exist over the key, and prevent any corrosive gases to penetrate in tothe coupling.

Just as air or corrosive gases can enter into a coupling over the key, so can water. Water is often found in grease lubricated coupling that operate outdoors. Rain water can be sucked inside a coupling, it is retained by centrifugal effect.

Frett ing Corrosion Failure to provide air circulation in the coupling enclosure

leads to fai lure. Oil borne corrosive elements are normally found in oi l-

lubricated gear couplings, corrosive agents carried into couplings by oi l . Acids and water are found mixed in the lubricants.

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CEW Features

Failures Caused by WearAbrasive wear can occur in all couplings that accommodate misalignment through sliding, whenever lubrication conditions become poor or marginal. Marginal lubrication causes tooth surfaces to wear. These wear particles mix with the remaining lubricant, creating an abrasive lubricant.

If couplings are not periodically cleaned of the contaminated lubricant, the wear rate becomes higher and higher, and coupling teeth can become so thin that they fail in bending.

Steel Grid couplings can wear at the hub teeth, at the grid spring, and also at the covers. The spring and hub teeth wear in a similar way as the gear coupling. Wear of cover is an indication of unusual operating conditions, to be checked and rectified.

Wear of cover is caused by the large forces generated when the coupling operates at excessive misalignment, or when large amplitude torsional vibrations are present.

Fatigue FailureAll types of couplings suffer from fatigue failures which occurs gradually. Here are some of examples: Lubricated coupling failure is caused by operating the coupling

at an excessive misalignment than specified. Fatigue failure of metallic disc coupling is very different than

the gear coupling, and most often the failures of metallic discs occur without any kind of warning. Once the stresses in a flexible disc exceed the endurance limits, failure occurs within a short period without alarm of failure.

Fretting: Discs fai l due to Frett ing. Frett ing occurs because adjacent blades sl ide back-and-forth over each other under the influence of misalignments. Discs of metall ic couplings can also fai l i f the bolts are loose and do not provide required clamping force. All elastomers have a certain amount of damping property,

which causes some of the energy that is used to flex them, which gets converted into heat. The amount of energy absorbed depends on the characteristics of the material, on the amplitude and frequency of the flexing. If the heat generated by damping cannot be dissipated at the same

rate, the temperature of the elastomer will increase and the ability of the element to flex and transmit torque is decreased. Rubber becomes brittle with time, particularly in the presence of ozone. Brittle flexible element can accommodate less and less misalignment and eventually fail.

Hardware Failure Incorrect Selection or Incorrect Installation Coupling bolts main function is to clamp together various components. Failures of coupling bolts occur exclusively in fatigue, which in turn occurs whenever bolts are not properly tightened. Bolts can fail if the holes in the coupling flanges are not equally spaced. Bolts can also fail if they have the wrong geometry, or too weak material

Shaft FailuresMachine shaft failures can be caused by couplings in an application that had a relatively large offset between shafts. Loosely fitted hub on the shaft generates cyclic forces in the shaft. Under this condition besides the cyclic stresses, a shaft suffers a fretting fatigue and ultimately leads to failure at keyway. Keyless couplings induce large compressive stresses in the shaft. This stress is added to the shear stress caused by torque transmission, and can become excessive in the plane where the shaft enters its hub. Another reason of the higher stress is improper surface finish of the parts coming in contact with each other.

When power transmission equipment fails, user often blames the coupling rather than looking for the real causes. If more time is spent on selecting the coupling with proper analysis to suit the power transmitting train, it will result in fewer failures. Equipment user may well assume that they have the best coupling for application, never suspecting that it is the coupling that is causing the periodic failure of bearings, shafts and other equipment components.

The majority of the problems described are caused by vibrations, and the phenomena of vibration are as complex as they are misunderstood. Misalignment is the principle source of most vibrations. In many years industry experience, vibration due to misalignment has been found to be the largest cause of premature failure in rotating equipment. These vibrations generate its own rotating force with exciting impulses that are related to the amount of misalignment and the speed of rotation.

Misalignment DataInformation on misalignment is not given freely to the coupling manufacturer although it is probably the most important piece of data needed to determine the best coupling for the job. Excessive misalignment is the killer of flexible couplings. Any rotating equipment works well when it is well aligned and the couplingÊs misalignment characteristics act as a fall back when something goes wrong. Better initial alignment of the coupling enhances its survival chance and that of the driving and driven equipment.

Incorrect selection / Incorrect installation

Courtesy: Rathi Transpower Pvt LtdContact: [email protected]

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Market Insights CEW


F&S Projects Healthy Growth of Indian Chemical Industry

The Indian Chemicals Industry earned revenues in the range of USD 155-160 bill ion in 2013.

It is likely to grow at a rate of 11-12 per cent in the next two to three years. Though commodity and bulk chemicals are likely to experience slow growth, owing to reduced industrial output, the specialty chemicals segment should show considerable growth.

Personal care ingredients and additives, knowledge chemicals like Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs), paints and coatings, and construction and water chemicals are some of the segments that are likely to perform well. Even in 2013, these sectors showed good growth and companies in this segment have been investing and expanding.

The specialty chemicals sector is characterized by requirements for high-value products, high-volume requirements with expanding customer base, a product-driven market, and addition of new participants at various

Source: Frost & Sullivan

Source: Frost & Sullivan

levels of the value chain. Overall, the market is likely to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13-14 percent. The sector forms about 15-16 percent of the total chemical industry; dyes and pigments, leather chemicals, construction chemicals, personal care ingredients, and other specialty chemicals form part of the sector (this excludes pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals). Product customization and understanding

of unique customer needs has been one of the key success levers for the Indian chemical industry. In terms of production value, the specialty chemicals sector forms about 18-20 percent of the total chemical production in India.

T h o u g h i n c r e a s i n g r e g u l a t o r y requirements and raw material price fluctuations (India is dependent on imported raw materials) have posed challenges for manufacturers, exports have been increasing at a rate of 8-9 per cent. The growth is likely to continue due to a good and established customer base for specialty and niche products.

Sabic.indd 63Sabic.indd 63 25-01-2014 11:33:2625-01-2014 11:33:26

ProductsCEW


Vacunair Engg Co Pvt Ltd offers energy savings centrifugal air blower with fans utilising variable inlet vanes up to 75,000 m3/hr and pressure up to 1,500 mm WG.

Features high pressure atomization/combustion air as per specific requirement to suit burners; efficiently designed impeller dynamically balanced in aluminium/MS riveted fitted with hub; minimum overhung and weight design for low starting inertia; different drive to directly coupled/directly mounted on motor shaft/vee belt; etc.

Optional accessories like inlet/outlet silencer, air filter, air control devices can be supplied. It finds application in cooling, conveying, air knives, fluidizing system, glass blowing, drying and various process system.

For details contact:Vacunair Engg Co Pvt LtdNr Gujarat Bottling, Rakhial Ahmedabad, Gujarat 380 023Tel: 079-22910771 | Fax: 91-079-22910770E-mail: infoWvacunair.com

Centrifugal Air Blower

End Suction Pump

Strength and eff iciency are the hallmarks of this newly developed Grundfos end suction pump range. These powerful single-stage pumps are designed to work hard in

the most demanding industr ial environments, where only the f i t test pumps wil l survive in the long run.

Grundfos NB close coupled and Grundfos NK long coupled end suction pumps in SS offer increased rel iabil i ty in demanding application areas.

All Grundfos NB/NK stainless steel end suction pumps are excellent solutions for industr ial applications where both small and large volumes of media need to be transferred or circulated. Exceptional performance when pumping clean sl ightly dir ty or aggressive media is just an example of the many benefits the pumps can provide.

For details contact:Grundfos Pumps India Pvt Ltd118 Old Mahabalipuram RoadThoraipakkamChennai 600 097Tel: 044-24966800Fax: 91-044-24966969

or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 2 or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 3

or Circle ReadersÊ Service Card 1

Aseptic Connectors

Pure Fit SC fittings provide the ideal aseptic connector for your bioprocessing lines. Each connection features a triple redundant locking mechanism to help eliminate the chance of operator error. Caps on

both barbed and aseptic connection ends protect the fitting from contaminants and damage prior to installation. To use, install the connector halves in tubing lines. Remove protective caps and line up locks on the inner and outer housings. Insert inner housing into outer housing; rotate inner housing to lock. Press down on the lock clip to allow the inner fitting to slide into the inner housing and rotate to lock. The connection is completely aseptic and fluid can now flow through it. Choose from three sizes: 1/4‰, 3/8‰ or ‰ tubing inner dia. All sizes are designed for a maximum operating pressure of 3.45 bar over a temperature range of 0 to 40oC. Connectors are made from completely animal derived component free materials and are sterilisable. Characterisation data is available. Choose from complete connections or connector halves. All parts are double bagged and non-sterile.

For details contact:Cole-Parmer India Pvt Ltd403-404 B-Wing, DelphiHiranandani Business Park, Powai, Mumbai 400 076Tel: 022-67162222 | Fax: 91-022-67162211E-mail: [email protected]

cew November must 4 new file.indd 64cew November must 4 new file.indd 64 24-01-2014 18:47:5924-01-2014 18:47:59

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SEMI -GAS Sys tems o f fe rs Mob i l y t i x fo r analyzing impurities within a process gas line. Created to monitor and protect various critical downstream gas processes and tools, the new Xturion system features a flexible design that allows for customized instrumentation and data collection. The standard Mobilytix is designed

to monitor moisture, oxygen and particle levels as well as trace impurities of nitrogen, argon and oxygen. As with all SEMI-GAS custom Xturion systems, each unit can be engineered to meet application-specific requirements including numerous mechanical, electrical and enclosure design upgrades. Various analyzer configurations are also available for each application. This new mobile car t features a colour touch screen, with intuitive navigation, views and sample trends to control day-to-year sampling and data presentation. An integrated automatic data logging controller collects and compiles analytical data from each analyzer. Each unit features lockable heavy-duty steel casters for both stationary and mobile analytical monitoring.

For details contact: Applied Energy Systems, Inc180 Quaker Lane, Malvern, Pa 19355, U.S.A.Tel: (610) 647-8744E-mail: [email protected]

Mobile Analytical Cart



In order to treat microorganisms, oxidizing as well as non-oxidizing biocides are commonly used. Oxidizing

biocides react readily with the general protoplasm of bacteria, and kill very quickly. Non-oxidizers can handle organisms that are not or poorly effected by oxidizers. LANXESS offers active ingredients with several biocidial applications. LANXESS has the capabilities to develop the right solution for every microbiological problem in water treatment applications. While some are commodities, there are some specialty variants with unique applications for water treatment. Following are examples of the active ingredients used for formulation of Veriguard: DGH (dodecyl guanidinium hydroxide);MBT (Methylene bis thiocyanate)Ê and SULFONE.

For details contact: LANXESS India Pvt LtdLanxess House, Plot No: A-162, A-163, A-164Road No: 27 Wagle Estate, Thane (W), Maharashtra 400 604Tel: 022-25871000, 25871540, Telefax: 91-022-25826742E-mail: [email protected]

Effective Water Treatment with Biocides

Regenerative Thermal Oxidation (RTO) is a highly effective technology for the c lean ing o f exhaust a i r laden wi th hydrocarbons or odours that has proven successful in many areas of industry. Dürr has successful ly engineered the compact Ecopure CTO regenerative thermal oxidizer series for process exhaust air flows of between 5,000 and 20,000 Nm/h. The Ecopure CTO regenerative thermal oxidizer comes in two standard engineered models. The first, a two chamber design, achieves up to 98% destruction efficiencies while remaining supremely cost efficient. Additionally, a three chamber design is available to attain the highest of destruction efficiency requirements, greater than 99%. Further, various options are available that enable the CTO system to be ideally adapted to even the most unique processes and stringent compliance requirements.The Ecopure CTO regenerative thermal oxidizer is skid mounted and completely assembled mechanically and electrically in any one of DürrÊs fabrication facilities.

For details contact: TEMA Technologie Marketing AGTheaterstr. 74, 52062 Aachen, GermanyTel: +49 241 88970-40 | Fax: +49 241 88970-42E-mail: [email protected]

Eff ic ient Ai r Pol lu t ion Contro l



Agilent Technologies Inc offers large valve oven for the 7890B gas chromatograph system. Precisely engineered for thermal isolation from the GC oven, the oven provides a homogeneous isothermal environment for up to six positions for columns and valves.

Its vertical design orientation allows for convenient maintenance. The Agilent large valve oven supports standard Agilent multi-valve analyzers such as refinery gas analyzers and natural gas analyzers with factory-tested methods and guaranteed chromatographic performance. The flexibility and configurability of the new external valve oven enable multiple ASTM and EN methods to be implemented on a single GC system, providing a smaller laboratory footprint and more information from a single system.

For details contact: Agilent Technologies Inc5301 Stevens Creek Blvd, Santa Clara, CA 95051, U.S.A.Tel: +1 408 553 7093 E-mail: [email protected]

External Valve Oven for Gas Chromatograph


ProductsCEW


Hanna Ins t ruments o f fe rs edge, a laboratory meter with revolutionary design features. edge measures pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen; blending elements of portable meters and bench top meters into a seamless design. This versatile design allows customers to use edge as a bench top meter, a portable meter, or even attached to a wall to free-up valuable bench space in a laboratory.

In addition, edge features a large 5.5‰ LCD with a wide viewing angle, capacitive touch keypad, dual USB ports, cradle with swivel arm electrode holder and an included wall mount. edge works with digital smart electrodes. These electrodes are nearly as advanced as the meter itself: featuring a built-in microchip that stores sensor type, ID and calibration information that is automatically retrieved by edge once the electrode is plugged in. The electrodes have a 3.5 mm connector so customers donÊt have to worry about alignment and pins bending or breaking.

For details contact: Hanna Equipments (India) Pvt LtdAum Sai Bldg., 3/4/5/6, 1st FloorPlot No: 23-C, Sector 7, KhargharNavi Mumbai 410 210 Tel: 022-27746554, 27746555E-mail: [email protected]

Fluidyme Process Flow Technologies offers static mixer, It features different static mixing element configurations so designed that it offers minimal energy consumption and better process optimization; no maintenance or spares required; capital cost is very low; installation is as easy as standard piping; mounting can be vertical or horizontal; very low pressure drop; and desgined to blend, disperse, react or shear two or more fluids within minimum span of pipe length.

It finds application in chemical industries, paint, pharmaceutical and cosmetics, food processing, oil, brewing, water and wastewater, effluent treatment plants, mineral, pulp and paper, mining industries, etc.

For details contact:Fluidyme Process Flow TechnologiesB-6 Ganesh ComplexGandhi Bhavan RoadKothrud, Pune, Maharashtra 411 029Telefax: 91-020-5389688

Static Mixer

Double Flanged Dual Plate Check Valves

Advance Valves have been supplying customized face-to-face double-flanged dual plate check valves in the past in order to cover the dimensional differences of the older swing check valves being used by industry. Their full range of valves were provided as a standard product in double flanged end connecitons. From 2‰ onwards,

these cater to the special requirements of the oil and gas sector clients. Given the compact design of these valves as covered in API 594, certain sizes cannot be provided in this configuration.

However, with this added range, the complete product range can be supplied and installed as double flanged to meet stringent thermal expansion concerns over time of high end oil and gas users.

For details contact:Advance Valves Pvt Ltd142-A & B, NSEZ, Phase 2Noida Uttar Pradesh 201 405Tel: 0120-4796900Fax: 91-0120-4796948E-mail: [email protected]

Laboratory Meter




CEWProducts


Hydropure Systems offers PW and WFI storage tanks as per ASME Sec VIII, Div 1. Wetted parts are of SS-316L, internally electropolished up to 0.4 Ra finish. Plain and jacketed tanks are provided with insulation and SS cladding, and flush nozzles to ensure minimum dead lag. All tanks are Riboflavin tested. Dual jackets are provided for day and

night mode of operation. Tanks are provided with accessories like dynamic spray ball; electrical heat traced vent filter housing with 0.2 micron hydrophobic vent filter and rupture disc, sanitary level sensor, compound pressure gauge, etc.

For details contact: Hydropure Systems412 Diamond EstateOff Western Express Highway, Dahisar (E), Mumbai 400 068Tel: 022-28978725, 28979097E-mail: [email protected]

High Purity Water System


This type of distributor is primarily used in low liquid flow service. Flow multipliers are used below each orifice to increase the drip point density.

Construction is similar to the riser deck distributor/trough type distributor except that the orifices are located on the wall of the tubes instead of the deck. Tubes are welded to and extend below the deck. At the end of the tube, liquid is divided into three or more streams by means of flow point multipliers. This distributor is clamped on ledge/support rings.

For details contact: Kevin Enterprises Pvt LtdPlot No: 11, Street No: 10MIDC, Andheri (E), Mumbai 400 093Tel: 022-61478000Fax: 91-022-61478001E-mail: [email protected]

Flow Mul t ip l ier D ist r ibutor /Redist r ibutor

The dual plate check valve is an all purpose non-return valve that is much stronger, lighter and smaller in size compared to a conventional swing check valve or life check valve.

The dual plate check valve employs two spring-loaded plates hinged on a central hinge pin. When the flow decreases, the plates close by torsion spring action without requiring reverse flow. This design offers the twin advantage of no water hammer and non-slam simultaneously. It is also referred as silent check valve.

The valve design conforms to APS 594 as well as API 6D except face-to-face dimensions of ANSI 125 cast iron valves of sizes 65 to 300 mm. Valve inspection and testing conforms to API 598.

Dual plate check valves are available in wafer design, flanged wafer design and extended design with flanged ends having face-to-face dimensions as that of a swing check valve.

The valve has cylindrical body, which makes the valve look like any other pipefitting. A cylindrical body has much more uniform distribution of stress compared to a conventional swing check valve. A cylindrical body of the pressure containing part of the dual plate check valve can be designed to withstand extreme much to the weight (thickness) of valve. Thus, for severe/rugged loading conditions, these valves have a distinct edge over the conventional valves.

For details contact:Advance Valves142 A & B, NSEZNoida, Uttar Pradesh 201 305Tel: 0120-4796900 Fax: 91-0120-4796948E-mail: [email protected]


Dual Plate Check Valve


ProductsCEW


Horizontal peeler centrifuge is sturdy and extremely user-fr iendly. The drive system is separated from the process system thereby occupying very l i tt le space in clean rooms.

The scraper is designed such that it can handle hard cakes with ease. The residual heel removal system ensures that there is minimum product left over

in the basket hereby making the machine completely ready for the next operation.

The monitor casing when opened fully enables easy access to all wetted par ts and satisfies GMP requirements.

The bear ing housing is completely sealed with special sealing technology..

For details contact: Joflo Industries Pvt LtdPlot No: 70, Road No: 9 IDA MallapurR R Dist, HyderabadAndhra Pradesh 500 076Tel: 040-27171918, 27177356Fax: 91-040-27171312E-mail: [email protected]

Indo Vacuum Technologies Pvt ltd (formerly Indo Woosung Vacuum Co Pvt Ltd) offers wide range of vacuum pumps and products from RotoVac, Singapore.

Oil-sealed rotary vane vacuum pump features high ultimate vacuum <5 x 10-4 Torr; inbuilt advanced design pump isolation and anti-suck back valve mechanism; constant pressure oil circulation system; anti-corrosive

materials including sealing parts; fine control gas ballast valve; very low noise and vibration levels with low vacuum oil charge; etc. Advance compact design offers high degree of vacuum with low power consumption. All components manufactured on very high precision CNC machines.

For details contact:Indo Vacuum Technologies Pvt LtdR S No: 609/2B Machine Indl AreaMachhe, Belgaum, Karnataka 590 014Tel: 0831-2443717 | Fax: 91-0831-4202130E-mail: works@indovacuum .com

Oil-sealed Rotary Vane Vacuum Pump

Heat Exchangers

Sigma heat exchangers provide optimum solution for all requirements encountered because of the wide range of heat exchangers available. Heat exchangers are used for condensation of vapours or cooling of gas or cooling of liquids. Two basic types of glass heat exchangers are available.

Coil type and shell and tube type. Glass coil type heat exchangers are available as condensers, boilers and immersion heat exchangers with heat transfer areas up to 8 m2. Shell and tube type heat exchangers are designed for use with tubes in widest possible range of corrosion resistant materials. Shell and tube type heat exchangers are available with glass or mild steel shells in combination with glass tubes as standard. The advantage of using shell and tube type heat exchangers are larger heat transfer area in single unit; low-pressure drop and easy tube replacement.

For details contact:Sigma Scientific Glass Pvt Ltd4606 GIDC, Ankleshwar, Gujarat 393 002Tel: 02646-225326, 226629Fax: 91-02646-226364E-mail: [email protected]

Horizontal Peeler Centrifuges




CEWProducts


Model 5R7-388 RoHS compliant controller is a bi-directional control for independent thermoelectric modules or in conjunction with auxiliary or supplemental resistive heaters for both cool ing and heating applications. The „H‰ bridge configuration

of the solid-state MOSFET output devices allows for the bi-directional flow of current through the thermoelectric modules. This controller is PC programmable via an RS232 communication port for direct interface with a compatible PC. The easily accessible communications link permits a variety of operational mode configurations. Field selectable parameters or data acquisition in a half-duplex mode can be performed. This controller will accept a communications cable length in accordance with RS232 interface specifications. Once the desired set parameters are established, the PC may be disconnected and Model 5R7-388 becomes a unique, standalone controller. All parameter settings are retained in non-volatile memory.

For details contact: Oven Industries 5060 Ritter Rd, Bldg C, Suite 8Mechanicsburg, PA 17055, U.S.A.Tel: (717) 766-0721 | Fax: (717) 766-4786E-mail: [email protected]

Precision Temperature Controller


DeZURIK offers a new urethane lined knife gate valve, designed for On-Off and throttling applications of abrasive slurry and dry abrasive materials.

Urethane lined knife gate valves (KUL) are 100 per cent port area and are ideally suited for applications in mining, chemical and food industries. KUL valves feature a

one-piece, cast-in-place liner that provides bi-directional, drip-tight shutoff to either 150 or 250 psi (1,030 or 1,720 kPa) CWP. All wetted surfaces of the ductile iron body is lined with urethane.

Urethane lined knife gate valves are available in sizes 2-48‰ (50-1,200 mm) with temperature ratings from -40 to 180oF (-40 to 82oC) as standard, with a variety of urethane compounds available on application.

For details contact: DeZURIK250 Riverside Avenue NorthSartell, MN 56377, U.S.A. Tel: 320-259-2000 Fax: 320-259-2227

Urethane L ined Kni fe Gate Valve

Rollon slide bearing supports/PTFE bearings are engineered product of Rollon slideway material. Rollon slideway is a proven linear bearing material used globally by OEMs and re-conditioners for machine tool guideways, jibs, wedges, rotary tables or any linear movement application to check metal to metal contact, where reduced friction and wear resistance are critical design considerations.

Rollon slide bearing supports are simple and economical structural supports allowing simultaneously for thermal, seismic and mechanical expansions and contractions. Rollon slide bearing supports

are abrasion resistant and tend to embed foreign particles without any apparent effect on function or life of the bearing material. They exhibit exceptionally low friction over a wide range of temperatures. Their purpose is to allow for the effects of dead and live loads on structural members. Rollon slide bearing supports are designed and manufactured considering the design specification, the design generally confirms to BS 5400 standard. Rollon also supplies the slide bearing supports as per customer requirements, the bearing material offered are Rollon slideway (bronze filled PTFE with special wear resistant additives), virgin PTFE, glass filled PTFE or graphite. It finds application in pressure and storage tanks, and pipe slides.

For details contact:Rollon Bearings Pvt LtdShah Sultan Complex, Cunningham Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560 052Tel: 080-22266928, 22250287 | Fax: 91-080-22250319E-mail: [email protected]

Slide Bearing Supports/PTFE Bearings



Chemical Engineering World 70 • December 201370 • January 2014

OYCE 2014

Dates: 8-9 March 2014Venue: Thadomal Shahani Engineering College, Bandra, MumbaiDetails: An annual competition organised by the IIChE, Mumbai Regional Committee. The competition is open for the participants from all over IndiaOrganiser: IIChE, Mumbai Regional CentreContact: +91 77387 88556; +91 88988 45219Email: [email protected] Website: www.oyce2014.com

PU TECH

Dates: 12-14 March 2014Venue: India Expo Centre and Mart, Greater NoidaDetails: An exhibition highlighting developments in the polyurethane industryOrganiser: The Indian Polyurethane AssociationContact: +91 44 2499 5923; +91 44 2496 4131Email: [email protected]: www.putechindia.com

India Chem

Dates: 9-11 October 2014Venue: Bombay Convention & Exhibition Centre (BCEC), MumbaiDet a i ls : An exh ib i t i on on chemica l , pe t rochemica l and pharmaceutical sectorOrganiser: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & IndustryContact: +91 11 2373 8760; +91 11 2376 5081Email: [email protected]: www.indiachem.in

Petroleum Istanbul

Dates: 10-13 April 2014Venue: Tuyap Fair Convention & Congress Center, Istanbul, TurkeyDetails: Trade fair for petroleum upstream and downstream Equipment, technology and servicesOrganiser: Hannover Messe International Istanbul LimitedContact: +90 212 334 69 48; +90 216 466 74 96Email: [email protected] Website: www.petroleumistanbul.com.tr

Global Petroleum Show

Dates: 10-12 June 2014Venue: Big Four Building, Calgary, CanadaDetails: Global Petroleum Show presents a world throbbing with power - the world of oil & gasOrganiser: DMG World MediaContact: +1 403 209 3555 (Toll-free: 888 799-2545)Email: [email protected] Website: www.globalpetroleumshow.com

Chemspec Europe

Dates: 18-19 June 2014Venue: HUNGEXPO Budapest Fair Center, Budapest, HungaryDetails: Exhibition of fine and speciality chemicalsOrganiser: Quartz Business Media LimitedContact: +44 1737 855 076; +44 1737 855 000Email: [email protected]: www.chemspecevents.com

Saudi Plastics and Petrochem

Dates: 17-20 February 2014Venue: RICEC, Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaDetails: Saudi Plastics and Petrochem is dedicated to the plastics and petrochemical industryOrganiser: Riyadh Exhibitions Co LimitedContact: +966 1 4541448Email: [email protected]: www.saudipp.com

Dye+Chem Sri Lanka International Expo

Dates: 6-8 March 2014Venue: SLECC, Colombo, Sri LankaDetails: An exclusive International exhibition on all kinds of dyes and fine & specialty chemicals for the Sri Lankan IndustryOrganiser: CEMSContact: +91 11 4200 4700/12; +94 11 2591 750/2Email: [email protected], [email protected] Website: www.dyechemonline.org

AZeotropy 2014

Dates: 8-9 March 2014Venue: IIT Bombay, MumbaiDetails: IIT BombayÊs Annual Chemical Engineering SymposiumOrganiser: : IIT BombayContact: +91 77384 35775: +91 94040 64510Email: [email protected]: www.azeotropy.com

Events new 65.indd 70Events new 65.indd 70 24-01-2014 19:04:2824-01-2014 19:04:28


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CEWAd Index


1 Atomic Vacuum Company (Exports) Inside Cover I

2 Azeotropy 37

3 Bartec India Pvt Ltd 25

4 BHS-Sonthofen (India) Pvt Ltd 55

5 Bonfiglioli Transmissions (Pvt) Ltd 13

6 Bry-Air (Asia) Pvt Ltd 47

7 Busch Vacuum India Pvt Ltd 9

8 Chempro Technovation Pvt Ltd 80

9 Chemtech World Expo 2015 39

10 Dipflon Engineering & Co 7

11 Emjay Engineers 45

12 Environmental Engineering Consultant 47

13 Everest Blowers 31

14 Filter Concept Pvt Ltd 23

15 Garnder Denver Engineered Products India Pvt Ltd 8

16 Gopani Product Systems Back Cover

17 Hitech Applicator 11

18 Kirloskar Brothers Ltd Inside Cover II

19 KSB Pumps 5

20 Leister Technologies 29

21 List AG 33

22 NNE Pharmaplan 17

23 OYCE 2014 35

24 Raj Process Equipments & Systems Pvt Ltd 15

25 Samarth Engineers 47

26 Super Industrial Lining Pvt Ltd 3

27 Suraj Ltd 45

28 Uni Klinger Ltd 27

29 Warade Automation Solutions Pvt Ltd 19

Sr No Client’s Name Page No Sr No Client’s Name Page No

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AD Index 68.indd 75AD Index 68.indd 75 25-01-2014 14:20:2825-01-2014 14:20:28


Book ShelfCEW

Authors : David Reay, Colin Ramshaw, Adam HarveyPrice : USD 150 (Use code PBTY14 to avail 25 per cent discount)Pages : 540 (Paperback)Imprint : Elsevier Reviewed by : Mittravinda Ranjan

Process Intensification, 2nd Edition

About the Book: The book provides a comprehensive overview of ÂProcess

IntensificationÊ which has been in use almost since the first quarter of twentieth century in industry; however, the term was recognised much later. The concept of PI started in Europe and later was picked up by East Asian countries like China Japan & Korea. The authors have gone into the details of how PI activity has evolved over the years across various industries citing experiments and industry studies, challenges and solutions.

The second addition of book has come at the right time as Process Intensification is getting significant attention across various industry applications. Twelve chapters of the book offer a clear insight into PI which is supported by proper industry case studies, comparisons with the conventional techniques and results that the industry has seen. What I like about the book is the in-depth insight it offers into the heat and mass transfer operations, reaction kinetics and detailed information on PI for application. The authors examine the mechanism of process intensification across the heat exchangers, reactors and in the processes of separation and intensified mixing. Separate chapters on industrial applications across petrochemicals, fine and specialty chemicals, offshore processing, nuclear industry, food processing, metal & metallurgy, textiles, leather, aerospace and biotechnology follow.

Reay, Ramshaw and Harvey observe that though processors can use PI equipment for different processes in the plant; however, a PI process plant is still a challenge. Authors have concentrated on chemical process industries ranging from bulk chemicals, petrochemicals, bulk chemicals, fine chemicals and pharmaceutical industries where PI can have visible impact. The trio advocates application of PI in pharma and specialty chemical industries and discuss the concept of ÂDesktop Process PlantsÊ that can bring paradigm shift in commercialising the innovations. PI can enable the researchers to increase the productivity many times at the lab scale and eliminate the need to set up separate facility to scale up the production capacity, especially in the field of pharma and specialty chemicals, and be a complete game changer for new products.

Authors highlight application of PI in the offshore oil & gas industry, where it can have profound impact on sea borne oil processing, storage and distribution systems associated with existing refinery systems. Instead of following conventional route of transporting sea borne crude to on-shore processing facilities, it can be processed on board and converted to fuel and petrochemicals thus resulting in significant cost reductions and curb the safety and environmental risks. Reducing the weight of heavy equipment for offshore processing is one of the critical challenges for the hydrocarbon producers in terms of cost as well as risk. They have cited the

example of VelocysÊ microreactors which have gained significant recognition among hydrocarbon producers. The chapter also includes detailed view of technical experts from BP on downhole processing from a decade ago and current observations of Conoco PhillipsÊ experts. Authors go on to discuss the possibility of using PI equipment like compact heat exchangers in offshore processing, enhancing oil recoveries, and also the concept of using mini refineries in oil well heads. They have also touched upon refineries, where PI could be used for overcoming process restrictions due to heat and mass transfer rates, in two pages. Adding few case studies on PI in refineries would perhaps create greater interest amongst the Indian refiners.

The writers have concluded that two emerging technologies in PI may have significant impact on the entire hydrocarbon value chain. First, on small scale, the concepts of lab- on-a-chip and plant-on-a-chip that may open up many new possibilities for online real-time analysis and screening, and distributed processing, possibly even downhole. Second, at larger scale concept of combining gas turbine, heat exchanger and reactor technologies offers some very interesting possibilities in gas processing and conversion as well as in power generation.

Chapter on ÂSystematic Approach to Selecting PI TechnologyÊ underscores the fundamental approach that manufacturers need to adopt depending completely on the requirement of the process and emphasise on the need of bringing the engineer in the beginning and work in tandem with the chemists. In addition to use of PI technologies in high risk applications, authors explore the future application areas viz. Clean Technologies which demand greater use of sustainable materials where PI is still in infancy stage; Modern Flow Chemistry where Nano-reactors have garnered special attention from chemists; Solar Energy; and Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS).

The authors have gone to the extent of compiling the list of companies, research and development organisations and engineering consultants towards the end which would come in to be very handy for those who are looking out to connect directly with the experts engaged in the field. Wherever the authors have touched upon a topic in brief, the references are cited. All the topics have been covered in detail in the book, which makes it a very easy for the reader to navigate, and also choose how one wishes to read. The book has very handy information on critical design, application and selection aspects of process intensification along with the industry case studies for the working professionals to know the latest trends. It is an ideal reference book for process and mechanical engineering students to have in-depth insight into latest and future technology trends.

new Bookshelf 69.indd 76new Bookshelf 69.indd 76 24-01-2014 23:09:4824-01-2014 23:09:48


CEWInterview

“There are No Thumb Rules to Understand

What Goes Inside the Heat Exchanger”

H K Sippy, Chairman & Managing Director, TEMA India Ltd, recalls his experience when he saw the very first air-receiver being built at his uncle’s tiny workshop for Volkart Bros (Now known as Voltas). It was a big challenge, especially the tori-spherical dished-end in the knuckle and the straight face region being hammered out of the red-hot CS plate by a blacksmith called Motilal. This was in the year 1956 when Sippy was only ten years old. After graduating from engineering, he built a heat exchanger manufacturing factory. It has been over 40 years now since he started designing heat exchangers and constantly innovated new ways to address the operational challenges associated with the equipment at the design stage. In an exclusive interview with Mittravinda Ranjan, he asserts that though heat exchanger is static mechanical equipment, there is lot of action that takes place within.

TEMA.indd 77TEMA.indd 77 24-01-2014 22:59:4024-01-2014 22:59:40


InterviewCEW

Let us talk about the early years of your career and your experience in the thermal and mechanical designing over the last four decades.I remember how I detested doing calculations manually using log, antilog, and later the Âslide ruleÊ. When one of my friends introduced software called MathCAD Student version, I was amazed. Developing the correlations and several iterations that were earlier done manually and were very time consuming became easier and faster. Moreover, MathCAD factored the thumb-rules for thermal design established by Kern and correction factors introduced by Bell and Delaware, which enables the design engineers to produce designs at faster rate and with higher accuracy.

We realised while submitting the mechanical design for a project in early 80s to a leading EPC company, that the required bolt load in our case was more than what they calculated. This was due to the reason they did not consider the tolerance required between the nut and the bolt. Later, they did correct their design according to our suggestions.

We believe Tema was the first company in India to have in-house design for heat exchangers. We called it Sigma for mechanical design, Sigma+ for thermal to mechanical, and then came Sigma++ for thermal to mechanical to manufacturing drawings.

When we submitted these manufacturing drawing in A4 size computer printouts in several sheets - one for the assembly and bill of material and the rest for the sheets with details of every part, they were rejected. We had to fight out our case telling them that it is easy for us to use them in our shops as compared to the A1 size blue-prints that could have drafting errors and the dimensions that may not be clearly visible as you generally need to fold these huge blue-prints. This

got them thinking and we were lucky to draw attention from the high-ups of EPC companies who came down to our tiny set-up to see what we were up to. Entire design department consisted of two 286 desk-tops and one 386 desk-top which replaced 10 drawing boards with ITI draftsmen.

Later on, many organisations switched over to using CAD, and since then designing changed entirely. This became a threat to the draftsmen as the software could complete the work of 10-12 draftsmen with higher accuracy at a greater speed. The same situation arose in our company as well, however, we trained our staff on different other things (including on shop-floor), and today, they are all well-established engineers at Tema and elsewhere.

What has been your philosophy for designing heat exchangers?Well, I used the correlations from our great grandpa Mr D Q Kern the pioneer and heat transfer Guru. Exchangers, so designed were very safe. The efficiency is much more than required even after several

years of service. I tried to leverage that by reducing the surface area but that did not always work; sometimes, it backfired. I later graduated to Bell-Delaware method. This was a big improvement. However, nothing is foolproof as the variables may be too many and beyond human imagination as it is difficult to correlate to empirical formulas. In other words, you canÊt confine nature.

You cannot generalise designing merely based on correlations as the variables cannot be confined to one specific set of correlations. Although heat exchangers are static equipment, there are so many activities happening inside it - in terms of flow, direction and velocities, and fouling which governs the heat transfer that takes place depending on the kind of deposits that are formed inside the tube, that there are no thumb rules to understand what goes inside the equipment at any given point of time. It is much easier to understand your wife than a heat exchanger!!

It is very important to read the kind of fluid that goes inside the heat exchanger and the process conditions it is exposed to as they directly impact the performance of the heat exchanger during operation through its entire lifecycle.

I remember while designing a high pressure heat exchanger for ONGC, we attempted to bring down the cost by

We bel ieve Tema was the f i rs t company in India to havein-house design for heat exchangers. We cal led i t S igmafor mechanical design, Sigma+ for thermal to mechanical,a n d t h e n c a m e S i g m a + + f o r t h e r m a l t o m e c h a n i c a l t o manufacturing drawings.



CEWInterview

using our proprietary ÂDÊ type closure. We were not allowed to do so unless it was endorsed by ABB Lummus. I, then, successfully brought down the cost by reducing the number of tubes by exploring the heat exchange potential around the ÂUÊ bends in the tubes. My two good friends, Dr Sanjeev Mal and Mr Prakash Patel, renowned fellows in research from the Princeton University, USA, helped me develop the correlations. With just few changes in calculations, we had the high pressure heat exchanger with 115 per cent efficiency, and the restis history.

Now, of course, we are on a common platform with the most powerful tool HTRI software that was earlier out of reach of many engineers like me. However, in order to leverage it in totality, experience of the end-user of heat exchanger is a must.

What about the ÂHigh Pressure High TemperatureÊ heat exchangers? Please talk about the proprietary shrink fitted technology?Well, cost is a major factor in designing such crit ical process equipment because of large diameter that requires huge f langes and gasket joints result ing in very high bolt loads. While working on a cl ientÊs project, we came across this situation and proposed using our own proprietary breech locks which was rejected as the cl ient did not found this to be safe considering the wearing of threading. Using screw plugs was the other option, which too was rejected due to high risk of bell mouthing and plugs l ikely to gett ing stuck over a period of t ime thus raising a question mark on the safety while operating heat exchanger.

This was when shrink f i t ted technology came into picture. We used shrunk-fi t ted Âr ingÊ in the area that was bell-mouthing as the cost-effective solution instead of making thick forging, which might had helped, but the cost would have escalated manifolds.

Shrink fitting of low alloy steel is risky because of the chances of cracking are very high. We had developed the expertise and later patented this as our own proprietary technology. It is now offered to our clients globally for industrial applications in chemicals and petrochemicals industries. Tell us about your passion for helical heat exchangers and the success of TEMA India in supplying it in the Indian market. Helixchangers perform very well for applications involving viscous f luids, where pressure-drop is low and because of smooth f low between the helices - the vibration factor is minimal. Pressure drop is one of the crit ical variables which has signif icant impact on the performance of heat exchanger. Larsen & Toubro (L&T) was the only company having this technology; however they did not have any orders at that point of t ime in Indian market.

We offered the double helix heat exchanger to Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) that was for the first time in India

- when RIL was consulting us to increase the capacity of one of their installed shell and tube heat exchangers which required redesigning of tube bundle and replacing the old exchanger with the new one.

We have sold over 150 heat exchangers so far, most of them being screw plug heat exchangers, but not many helixchangers. The lack of established design standards is the reason behind the low popularity of these heat exchangers.

What is it that has kept you going all these years? What are your plans for the future? Desire to achieve excellence in operations has kept us going all through these years. We just want to outdo our own work and serve the industry in much more meaningful mode. Our current capacity is close to ` 600 - 630 crore. We are looking

at taking turnkey projects and target increasing capacity up to ` 1,000 crore. One of the things that saddens me sometime is the lack of innovations in India. We are stil l adhering to old heat exchanger designs. So far, we have not spent anything on research and innovated much for on-the-job ideas, except occasional need-based instances. As we plan to increase our business turnover, this is one area which is high on my agenda, and I would like to dedicate my maximum time and energy in it, and hopefully establish a proper in-house research division.

I seriously feel there is ample scope in this field and with the talent pool that we have in our country, I wish to see more and more young engineers coming forward to work for research in the field of heat transfer - which resultantly can bring phenomenal changes in the productivity and plant efficiencies.

Shrink fitting of low alloy steel is risky because of the chances of crackingare very high. We had developed the expertise and later patented this asour own proprietary technology. It is now offered to our clients globallyfor industrial applications in chemicals and petrochemicals industries.



Final Ad template amol.indd 114 03-01-2014 18:27:22

R.N.I. No. 11403/1966 Date of Publication: 1’st of every month. Postal Registration No: MH/MR/SOUTH-125/2012-14. Posted at Patrika Channel Sorting Offi ce, Mumbai 400001, on 29th & 30th of every month. Total Page No.: 82

At Gopani Product Systems we provide high quality filtration solutions to meet the process needs of wide range of markets.

Total Filtration SolutionWe are passionate about what we do. We ensure that our customers get latest technology, most economical solutions and the best in class service.

medias provide microniccontamination removal from 0.05 micron to1000 micron in efficiencies fromabsolute to nominal.

Applications

Contact Us:Gopani Product Systems 104, Kashiparekh Complex, B/h.Bhagwati Chamber, Nr. Swastik Cross Road, Navrangpura, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. - 380009T: + 91 - 79 - 2644 1951 T: + 91 - 79 - 2644 1972 Website: www.gopani.com Mail: [email protected]

S ince 1991

Our product line Filter Vessels Membrane Cartridges Pleated Cartridges Reusable SS Filter Elements Reusable Porous plastic Filter ElementsMelt Blown CartridgesString Wound Cartridgesand more

er Elements

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Our products are backed by trained technical support team.

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