Tag: Hydrogen

Fires are known to occur in sulphur storage pits and tanks somewhat frequently due to the presence of both flammable material and air, so methods for preventing and extinguishing these fires are critical. D. J. Sachde, K. E. McIntush, C. M. Beitler, and D. L. Mamrosh of Trimeric Corporation review fire suppression methods used in the industry including snuffing/sealing steam, rapid sealing, water mist, and inert gas blanketing. Protective tank design features to reduce the likelihood of a sulphur fire are also reviewed. Benefits and limitations, design considerations, and recommended guidance for suppression and preventative measures are discussed.

Failure investigations, equipment design and process upgrade projects for SRUs often overlook the impact of water quality. In this article E. Nasat o of Nasato Consulting and L. Huchler of MarTech Systems explore impacts of higher heat transfer rates, control of boiler and condenser water chemistry, conventional equipment design/configurations and monitoring program designs. SRU operators can improve the effectiveness of their failure investigations by implementing a broader, more holistic approach that assesses equipment design, process conditions, operating protocols and water quality issues.

Construction work has begun on a new hydrocracking complex for the Assiut refinery in Egypt, in the central Nile valley, according to TechnipFMC plc, who won the $1 billion engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the project. The contract involves construction of new processing units including a vacuum distillation unit, a diesel hydrocracking unit, a delayed coker unit, a distillate hydrotreating unit and a hydrogen production unit which will use TechnipFMC’s proprietary steam reforming technology.

Brimstone STS Ltd. today announced a new partnership with Sulphur Recovery Engineering Inc (SRE). The two companies say that this collaboration will bring together decades of experience and the latest technology in support of the sulphur recovery and gas treating industry worldwide.

Demand for oil in developed countries was already falling before the coronavirus outbreak, and consumption growth is slowing in the developing world. Peak oil demand may arrive in the next decade. Coupled with more reinjection of sour gas rather than sulphur extraction, could we be seeing falling elemental sulphur production in a decade or so?

Several highly corrosion resistant materials are available today for use in handling process fluids encountered in the production of concentrated sulphuric acid. These alloys, properly selected for the operating conditions, provide the benefits of long operating life under harsh operating conditions extending the period of uninterrupted production cycles and lowering the incidence of catastrophic equipment failure. In this article, M. J. Cooke of Weir Minerals discusses materials of construction for pumps, valves and piping used in the production of sulphuric acid.

Illinois-headquartered CF Industries has made a long-term commitment to low-carbon ammonia production and net-zero emissions.

Johnson Matthey and KBR have announced that they have signed a global strategic alliance agreement to license a new ammonia-methanol co-production process that combines the companies’ ammonia and methanol process technologies. The companies say that the co-production process makes the most of synergies between the two technologies, maximising savings while offering the highest levels of safety, flexibility and reliability.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have announced the ‘Next Gen Fertilizer Challenge’, a joint EPA-USDA partnership and competition to advance agricultural sustainability in the United States. The competition includes two challenges that seek proposals for new and existing fertilizer technologies to maintain or improve crop yields while reducing the impacts of fertilizers on the environment.

Every five years since 1955, the Chinese government has prepared its ‘Five Year Plan’ for the country’s economy over the coming half decade. This year, the 14th Five Year Plan is being drafted, and given the influence of the Chinese economy over the global chemical sector, its conclusions will be eagerly awaited.