The goal of debottlenecking is to increase production capacity at an existing plant by making modifications to the equipment configuration or workflow. This is accomplished by eliminating bottlenecks that limit throughput. It can be an extremely profitable exercise for users, because in most cases debottlenecking adds extra capacity at a fraction of the cost of new build or expansion. PROCESS has put together some practical examples.

The Gravejo (Poland) plant of particle board manufacturer Pfleiderer was too frequently replacing high-pressure pumps on its production lines. The pumps play an essential part in the main continuous production process, delivering resinous glue to nozzles where it is sprayed on to the wood fibers.

Users increasingly look at the foreseeable lifetime costs of a planned investment when making their investment decisions. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is, in that regard, always also a question of how good the seal engineering is. How long do seals in fact last? The Parker Seals group has developed processes which not only investigate this question, but provide the answers. They make forecasting of lifetimes possible where previously they were impossible in this way.

Fine chemical manufacturer Cabb has replaced the amalgam electrolysis plant for chlorine production at its Pratteln site in Switzerland with a plant using the latest generation of membrane technology. The new plant, which entered operation in October, consumes around a third less energy per metric ton of caustic soda than its predecessor. Mercury is also no longer required. The manufacturing process is automatically controlled, with over 1,000 test points.

The aim of a new initiative of the German Catalysis Society (Gecats) is to unlock the enormous wealth of catalysis research data. In the recently published whitepaper "The Digitalization of Catalysis-Related Sciences", experts from academia and industry outline how "digital catalysis" can accelerate research processes and lead to new insights.

Fine chemical manufacturer Cabb has replaced the amalgam electrolysis plant for chlorine production at its Pratteln site in Switzerland with a plant using the latest generation of membrane technology.

Thyssen Krupp has won a major order from the Egyptian chemical and fertilizer manufacturer NCIC (El Nasr Company for Intermediate Chemicals) for the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of a new fertilizer complex.

While the growth of Asia's ethylene market slows down, the US cashes in on their shale gas boom: The availability of huge volumes of cheap ethane in the states “makes ethylene production highly attractive,” an analyst says.

India's vaccine industry ranks third in terms of volume globally in the world. Yet the question remains of why deaths are being reported even after immunization against a disease. One of the reasons for this is the improper transport of vaccines which cause the vaccine to lose its effectiveness. Use of phase change materials (PCMs) can help reduce vaccine wastage during transportation.

When building stadiums, planners are increasingly taking advantage of the benefits offered by membrane architecture, enabling the creation of new and modern forms. Two well-known examples are the Olympic Stadium in Berlin and the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.