Using A Digital Twin to Enable Safe, Reliable and Efficient Design and Operation

July 15, 2021 | 136 views

Subsea engineering and production present some of the most complex engineering challenges in the energy industry. Deepwater, harsh offshore environments and complex operating conditions make design, installation and reliable operation even more challenging than onshore or platform-based systems. In this white paper we look at the role of engineering simulation across a wide range of aspects related to the full lifecycle of subsea equipment and facilities throughout the operating life.

Spotlight

Salinas Valley Ammonia Safety Day

The Salinas Valley Ammonia Safety Day (SVASD) has been developed to increase company and public awareness about the importance of preparing for chemical emergencies and to encourage companies and their employees to take action. Our mission is to provide educational opportunities for the awareness and the safe use of ammonia and other hazardous chemicals.

OTHER ARTICLES
Chemical Technology

Petrochemical buyers, after a very difficult pandemic, can gain from China-driven deflation

Article | August 2, 2022

BUYERS OF polypropylene (PP) and other polymers and petrochemicals have had an incredibly difficult pandemic. Firstly, the converters and brand owners expected doom and gloom last March. At the time it seemed logical to expect a cratering of demand as the global economy pretty much imploded. Just looking at forecasts for GDP, parallels were drawn with the Global Financial Crisis when collapses in growth led to a cratering of polymers demand. The US is a good example where PP demand declined by 12% in 2008 over 2007. Demand then fell by a further 5% in 2009 over 2008.But what we all missed was the complete dislocation of polymers and petrochemicals demand from GDP. As economies registered historic declines, consumption went up. PP demand went through the roof, firstly for food packaging and hygiene applications.Then consumption for the durable goods made from PP also smashed through the rafters as we bought white goods (PP is used to make components of washing machines), consumer electronics (PP is used to make some electronic components) and carpets (PP fibres are used here).

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Chemical Technology

Global polyolefins for the rest of 2021: supply to lengthen as demand muddle continues

Article | June 11, 2021

SOMEHOW, despite the still very serious container freight shortages that have limited imports, buying sentiment seems to have weakened in the European polyolefins market, according to my outstanding ICIS colleague, Linda Naylor.

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Chemical Technology

Global polyethylene demand boom likely, increasing the sustainability challenge

Article | June 11, 2021

IT FEELS LIKE several lifetimes ago. If you recall, way back in November-December 2019 Asian variable cost integrated naphtha-based polyethylene (PE) margins turned negative because of the increase in US capacity. Then in January the following year, deep Asian and Middle East operating rate cuts returned some order to the market. Then, bang, as we all know, the pandemic arrived and turned everything on its head. The pandemic has, in my view, accentuated trends that were already well underway. I believe this means that the supply-driven downturn that started in late 2019 will not return.Long before coronavirus upended everyone’s lives, PE demand was becoming increasingly divorced from GDP growth because of the shifting nature of end-use demand. Booming internet sales was, I believe, a major factor behind the split between the growth of the overall economies in the developed world plus China and PE demand.The average product bought online is dropped 17 times because of the large number of people involved in the logistics chain, according to Forbes. This had led to a surge in demand for protective packaging made not from PE and other polymers such as polypropylene, expandable polystyrene and PET films (I will look at their demand growth prospects in later posts).Despite sustainability pressures, the scale of demand for stuff bought online translated to a lot more consumption of virgin polymers.

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Chemical Technology

Organic Catalyst Boasts Big Benefits

Article | June 6, 2022

An enzyme-mimicking catalyst opens a new route to important organic molecules such as glycolic acid and amino acids from pyruvate, report researchers in Japan. Moreover, the new catalyst is cheaper, more stable, safer and more environmentally friendly than conventional metal catalysts used in industry, they note, adding that it also displays the high enantioselectivity required by the pharmaceutical industry. “On top of these advantages, our newly developed organic catalyst system also promotes reactions using pyruvate that aren’t easily achievable using metal catalysts,” says Santanu Mondal, a PhD candidate in the chemistry and chemical bioengineering unit at Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) Graduate University, Okinawa, Japan, and lead author of a study recently published in Organic Letters. “Organic catalysts, in particular, are set to revolutionize the industry and make chemistry more sustainable,” he stresses. The researchers use an acid and an amine mixture to force the pyruvate to act as an electron donor rather than its usual role as an electron receiver (Figure 1). Effectively mimicking how enzymes work, the amine binds to the pyruvate to make an intermediate molecule. The organic acid then covers up part of the intermediate molecule while leaving another part that can donate electrons free to react to form a new product. Currently, the organic catalyst system only works when reacting pyruvate with a specific class of organic molecule called cyclic imines. So, the researchers now are looking to develop a more-universal catalyst, i.e., one that can speed up reactions between pyruvate and a broad range of organic molecules. The challenge here is to try to make the electron-donating intermediate stage of pyruvate react with other functional groups such as aldehydes and ketones. However, different catalysts create different intermediates, all with different properties. For example, the enamine intermediate created by the researchers’ new reaction only reacts with cyclic imines. Their hypothesis, currently being investigated, is that creation of other intermediates such as an enolate, if possible, would achieve a broader pyruvate reactivity. In terms of cost, the researchers note that a palladium catalyst used in similar reactions is 25 times more expensive than their organic acid — which also is made from eco-friendly quinine. In addition, they believe scale-up of the process for industrial use definitely is possible. However, the researchers caution that the current amine-to-acid-catalyst loading ratio of 1:2 probably would need to be optimized for better results at a larger scale.

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Spotlight

Salinas Valley Ammonia Safety Day

The Salinas Valley Ammonia Safety Day (SVASD) has been developed to increase company and public awareness about the importance of preparing for chemical emergencies and to encourage companies and their employees to take action. Our mission is to provide educational opportunities for the awareness and the safe use of ammonia and other hazardous chemicals.

Related News

Chemical Technology, Market Outlook

Technip Energies and LanzaTech to Collaborate on Breakthrough CO2-to-Ethylene Technology

Globenewswire | July 13, 2023

Technip Energies and LanzaTech Global, Inc. signed a Joint Collaboration Agreement to create a new pathway to sustainable ethylene utilizing their combined technologies. Together LanzaTech’s carbon capture and utilization technology with Technip Energies’ Hummingbird® technology transform waste carbon into ethylene, the most common building block in petrochemicals. Ethylene is a building block for thousands of chemicals and materials, including plastics, detergents, and coatings that keep hospitals sterile, people safe, and food fresh. Its traditional production process is also one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the chemical industry and remains one of its most challenging processes to decarbonize. This new joint process uses carbon emissions as the starting point rather than virgin fossil carbon. First, up to 95% of the CO2 in the flue gas is captured from the furnaces of an ethylene cracker and mixed with hydrogen. Next LanzaTech’s biorecycling technology transforms the captured waste carbon into ethanol. Finally, Technip Energies’ Hummingbird® technology dehydrates the ethanol to ethylene. Technip Energies and LanzaTech have collaborated on other sustainable solutions since 2020, including a partnership with Borealis and On, the Swiss running shoe company, to make EVA foam for the sole of running shoes. Technip Energies also partners with LanzaJet, an independent company formed and spun off by LanzaTech, which includes the Hummingbird® technology in the LanzaJet™ Alcohol-to-Jet process which makes sustainable aviation fuel from ethanol. Arnaud Pieton, CEO of Technip Energies, stated: “We are very pleased to work with LanzaTech on another sustainable solution, this time to decarbonize ethylene. This breakthrough technology will not only capture carbon but will use it to make a valuable end product.” Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, said: “By combining and integrating our process with that of Technip Energies, we have the potential to retrofit onto ethylene crackers around the world, supporting decarbonization of a sector that has limited choices today. The sustainable production of one of the most used commodity chemicals will have an impact on the lives of billions of people daily. Through partnerships such as this one with Technip Energies, we are creating meaningful pathways to break free from virgin fossil inputs for the things we use in our daily lives.” About Technip Energies Technip Energies is a leading Engineering & Technology company for the energy transition, with leadership positions in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), hydrogen and ethylene as well as growing market positions in blue and green hydrogen, sustainable chemistry and CO2 management. The company benefits from its robust project delivery model supported by extensive technology, products and services offering. About LanzaTech Headquartered in Skokie, IL, LanzaTech Global, Inc. captures waste carbon and transforms it into materials such as sustainable fuels, fabrics, packaging, and other products. Using a variety of waste feedstocks, LanzaTech’s technology platform highlights a future where consumers are not dependent on virgin fossil feedstocks for everything in their daily lives. LanzaTech’s goal is to challenge and change the way the world uses carbon, enabling a new circular carbon economy where carbon is reused rather than wasted, skies and oceans are kept clean, and pollution becomes a thing of the past.

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Chemical Management

Vantage® Launches "Effortless Color" Formulation Collection for Multifunctional Color Cosmetic Essentials

prnewswire | September 14, 2023

Vantage has just introduced "Effortless Color," a collection of eight color cosmetic formulations building on consumer trends for multifunctional products. The latest installment in its 'Spark Inspiration' quick formulation program offers cosmetic chemists and formulators a starting point to accelerate their innovation pipeline as they create new product formulations. The eight "Effortless Color" formulations range from hybrid foundations to multi-use blushes and bold lip products. These prototypes marry the advanced technology from Vantage's premium ingredients with formulations expertise from the Company's in-house research & development team. Supported by market trends and industry knowledge, the resulting kit offers beauty manufacturers high-performing, on-trend product formulations which can be used as is or as a starting point for their creations. "Guided by market insights revealing that more than two thirds of American makeup users seek multi-functional products, we've meticulously curated formulations that honor the diverse spectrum of beauty through effortless, yet multifaceted essentials. This new collection is the latest of our Spark Inspiration series, that are aimed at accelerating our beauty customers' innovation pipeline," said Sebastien Massard, Global Director Strategic Marketing, Personal Care. The collection's hybrid foundations, multi-use blushes and bold lip formulations feature the Company's high-performing ingredients including actives like the BP TRILURONIC ACID A and the STRATAPHIX series; natural oils such as LIPOVOL® GTB and DW JOJOBA OIL; and natural silicone alternatives from the JEECHEM® NDA line. The formulations include Three versatile face products. Fresh Canvas Multi-Use Concealer can be used as a spot treatment to hide blemishes or as a full-coverage foundation. Tinted Zinc Shield is a lightweight tinted moisturizer that also includes an SPF-30. Hydrating Tinted Face Oil offers a buildable finish and can be applied on its own or worn as a primer before adding concealer or foundation. Blush Duo to bring a pop of color and help create a cohesive makeup look. Color Sculpt Trio is presented as a stick formula that glides on smoothly and quickly as it's applied. All-Over Glow Blusher can be used to brighten cheeks and eyes, acting as a two-in-one liquid blush. Three formulated lip products that each provide a different finish and benefit. The Hydrating Satin Lipstick is made with hydrating ingredients which offer a rich, creamy formulation. Dreamy Velvet Lip, a bold, matte liquid lipstick, leaves a smooth, lush finish. Plush Fruity Gloss provides a glassy shine leaving the lips feeling full and plump. About Vantage Personal Care Vantage Personal Care is one of the fastest growing and most reliable suppliers of personal care and beauty formulations and ingredients. An agile provider of forward-looking solutions that delight our customers through a responsible portfolio of naturally derived products, Vantage Personal Care focuses on skin, hair and sun care and color cosmetics. Vantage Personal Care serves its customers with formulation troubleshooting, new product development, and alternative sourcing solutions and on being the fastest developer of new product concepts in sensorial textures, skin health & delivery systems, and natural oils.

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Chemical Management

908 Devices Enters Initial Production Phase of US Department of Defense Aerosol and Vapor Chemical Agent Detector Program

businesswire | September 28, 2023

908 Devices Inc. a pioneer of purpose-built handheld and desktop devices for chemical and biochemical analysis, announces that it has entered the initial production phase of the Aerosol and Vapor Chemical Agent Detector (AVCAD) program. The company and its partner on the project, Smiths Detection, will initially produce 122 systems in this next phase. The systems, which have been in development and testing since 2019, are a next generation chemical detector, designed to detect, identify, alarm and report the presence of traditional and advanced threat vapors and aerosols. Using a wireless remote alarm capability, the AVCAD, which can be mounted or portable, will support missions for the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. To ensure the highest level of detection and to meet the key deployment needs of the U.S. Department of Defense, the AVCAD features the company’s High Pressure Mass Spectrometry (HPMS) technology. Mass spectrometry is considered to be the gold standard of analytical lab techniques. 908 Devices’ proprietary HPMS technology leverages micro scale geometries and high frequency electronics to enable an efficient regime of vacuum operation for a significant reduction in device size and power consumption compared to conventional lab instruments. “908 Devices is pleased to continue working with the U.S. Department of Defense and our partner, Smiths Detection, on this enterprise, multi-year program,” said Kevin J. Knopp, CEO and Co-founder of 908 Devices. “Being selected for this limited production phase validates our technology as a new standard for chemical detection and we are truly honored to have a role in protecting our U.S. military.” About 908 Devices 908 Devices is revolutionizing chemical and biochemical analysis with its simple handheld and desktop devices, addressing critical-to-life applications. The Company’s devices are used at the point-of-need to interrogate unknown and invisible materials and provide quick, actionable answers to directly address some of the most critical problems in life sciences research, bioprocessing, pharma/biopharma, forensics and adjacent markets. The Company is headquartered in the heart of Boston, where it designs and manufactures innovative products that bring together the power of mass spectrometry, microfluidic sampling and separations, software automation, and machine learning.

Read More

Chemical Technology, Market Outlook

Technip Energies and LanzaTech to Collaborate on Breakthrough CO2-to-Ethylene Technology

Globenewswire | July 13, 2023

Technip Energies and LanzaTech Global, Inc. signed a Joint Collaboration Agreement to create a new pathway to sustainable ethylene utilizing their combined technologies. Together LanzaTech’s carbon capture and utilization technology with Technip Energies’ Hummingbird® technology transform waste carbon into ethylene, the most common building block in petrochemicals. Ethylene is a building block for thousands of chemicals and materials, including plastics, detergents, and coatings that keep hospitals sterile, people safe, and food fresh. Its traditional production process is also one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide emissions in the chemical industry and remains one of its most challenging processes to decarbonize. This new joint process uses carbon emissions as the starting point rather than virgin fossil carbon. First, up to 95% of the CO2 in the flue gas is captured from the furnaces of an ethylene cracker and mixed with hydrogen. Next LanzaTech’s biorecycling technology transforms the captured waste carbon into ethanol. Finally, Technip Energies’ Hummingbird® technology dehydrates the ethanol to ethylene. Technip Energies and LanzaTech have collaborated on other sustainable solutions since 2020, including a partnership with Borealis and On, the Swiss running shoe company, to make EVA foam for the sole of running shoes. Technip Energies also partners with LanzaJet, an independent company formed and spun off by LanzaTech, which includes the Hummingbird® technology in the LanzaJet™ Alcohol-to-Jet process which makes sustainable aviation fuel from ethanol. Arnaud Pieton, CEO of Technip Energies, stated: “We are very pleased to work with LanzaTech on another sustainable solution, this time to decarbonize ethylene. This breakthrough technology will not only capture carbon but will use it to make a valuable end product.” Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech, said: “By combining and integrating our process with that of Technip Energies, we have the potential to retrofit onto ethylene crackers around the world, supporting decarbonization of a sector that has limited choices today. The sustainable production of one of the most used commodity chemicals will have an impact on the lives of billions of people daily. Through partnerships such as this one with Technip Energies, we are creating meaningful pathways to break free from virgin fossil inputs for the things we use in our daily lives.” About Technip Energies Technip Energies is a leading Engineering & Technology company for the energy transition, with leadership positions in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), hydrogen and ethylene as well as growing market positions in blue and green hydrogen, sustainable chemistry and CO2 management. The company benefits from its robust project delivery model supported by extensive technology, products and services offering. About LanzaTech Headquartered in Skokie, IL, LanzaTech Global, Inc. captures waste carbon and transforms it into materials such as sustainable fuels, fabrics, packaging, and other products. Using a variety of waste feedstocks, LanzaTech’s technology platform highlights a future where consumers are not dependent on virgin fossil feedstocks for everything in their daily lives. LanzaTech’s goal is to challenge and change the way the world uses carbon, enabling a new circular carbon economy where carbon is reused rather than wasted, skies and oceans are kept clean, and pollution becomes a thing of the past.

Read More

Chemical Management

Vantage® Launches "Effortless Color" Formulation Collection for Multifunctional Color Cosmetic Essentials

prnewswire | September 14, 2023

Vantage has just introduced "Effortless Color," a collection of eight color cosmetic formulations building on consumer trends for multifunctional products. The latest installment in its 'Spark Inspiration' quick formulation program offers cosmetic chemists and formulators a starting point to accelerate their innovation pipeline as they create new product formulations. The eight "Effortless Color" formulations range from hybrid foundations to multi-use blushes and bold lip products. These prototypes marry the advanced technology from Vantage's premium ingredients with formulations expertise from the Company's in-house research & development team. Supported by market trends and industry knowledge, the resulting kit offers beauty manufacturers high-performing, on-trend product formulations which can be used as is or as a starting point for their creations. "Guided by market insights revealing that more than two thirds of American makeup users seek multi-functional products, we've meticulously curated formulations that honor the diverse spectrum of beauty through effortless, yet multifaceted essentials. This new collection is the latest of our Spark Inspiration series, that are aimed at accelerating our beauty customers' innovation pipeline," said Sebastien Massard, Global Director Strategic Marketing, Personal Care. The collection's hybrid foundations, multi-use blushes and bold lip formulations feature the Company's high-performing ingredients including actives like the BP TRILURONIC ACID A and the STRATAPHIX series; natural oils such as LIPOVOL® GTB and DW JOJOBA OIL; and natural silicone alternatives from the JEECHEM® NDA line. The formulations include Three versatile face products. Fresh Canvas Multi-Use Concealer can be used as a spot treatment to hide blemishes or as a full-coverage foundation. Tinted Zinc Shield is a lightweight tinted moisturizer that also includes an SPF-30. Hydrating Tinted Face Oil offers a buildable finish and can be applied on its own or worn as a primer before adding concealer or foundation. Blush Duo to bring a pop of color and help create a cohesive makeup look. Color Sculpt Trio is presented as a stick formula that glides on smoothly and quickly as it's applied. All-Over Glow Blusher can be used to brighten cheeks and eyes, acting as a two-in-one liquid blush. Three formulated lip products that each provide a different finish and benefit. The Hydrating Satin Lipstick is made with hydrating ingredients which offer a rich, creamy formulation. Dreamy Velvet Lip, a bold, matte liquid lipstick, leaves a smooth, lush finish. Plush Fruity Gloss provides a glassy shine leaving the lips feeling full and plump. About Vantage Personal Care Vantage Personal Care is one of the fastest growing and most reliable suppliers of personal care and beauty formulations and ingredients. An agile provider of forward-looking solutions that delight our customers through a responsible portfolio of naturally derived products, Vantage Personal Care focuses on skin, hair and sun care and color cosmetics. Vantage Personal Care serves its customers with formulation troubleshooting, new product development, and alternative sourcing solutions and on being the fastest developer of new product concepts in sensorial textures, skin health & delivery systems, and natural oils.

Read More

Chemical Management

908 Devices Enters Initial Production Phase of US Department of Defense Aerosol and Vapor Chemical Agent Detector Program

businesswire | September 28, 2023

908 Devices Inc. a pioneer of purpose-built handheld and desktop devices for chemical and biochemical analysis, announces that it has entered the initial production phase of the Aerosol and Vapor Chemical Agent Detector (AVCAD) program. The company and its partner on the project, Smiths Detection, will initially produce 122 systems in this next phase. The systems, which have been in development and testing since 2019, are a next generation chemical detector, designed to detect, identify, alarm and report the presence of traditional and advanced threat vapors and aerosols. Using a wireless remote alarm capability, the AVCAD, which can be mounted or portable, will support missions for the U.S. Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and Marine Corps. To ensure the highest level of detection and to meet the key deployment needs of the U.S. Department of Defense, the AVCAD features the company’s High Pressure Mass Spectrometry (HPMS) technology. Mass spectrometry is considered to be the gold standard of analytical lab techniques. 908 Devices’ proprietary HPMS technology leverages micro scale geometries and high frequency electronics to enable an efficient regime of vacuum operation for a significant reduction in device size and power consumption compared to conventional lab instruments. “908 Devices is pleased to continue working with the U.S. Department of Defense and our partner, Smiths Detection, on this enterprise, multi-year program,” said Kevin J. Knopp, CEO and Co-founder of 908 Devices. “Being selected for this limited production phase validates our technology as a new standard for chemical detection and we are truly honored to have a role in protecting our U.S. military.” About 908 Devices 908 Devices is revolutionizing chemical and biochemical analysis with its simple handheld and desktop devices, addressing critical-to-life applications. The Company’s devices are used at the point-of-need to interrogate unknown and invisible materials and provide quick, actionable answers to directly address some of the most critical problems in life sciences research, bioprocessing, pharma/biopharma, forensics and adjacent markets. The Company is headquartered in the heart of Boston, where it designs and manufactures innovative products that bring together the power of mass spectrometry, microfluidic sampling and separations, software automation, and machine learning.

Read More

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