Chemical Processing Distilled

Objectively assessing operator knowledge and skills is important. The Center for Operator Performance developed a validated 47-question test on distillation knowledge administered across multiple companies. The test revealed variations in knowledge between companies and individuals, helping identify areas for improvement. The goal is to create more tests on different topics. Key findings include:

1. Simulation-based training correlated with better performance

While watching the movie "Christmas Vacation" for the 67th time, I finally realized that Clark Griswold was a chemical engineer. I leaped down the rabbit hole looking for more famous ChemEs in real life and movies. I found several.

The top trending news stories from August 2024 as reported on ChemicalProcessing.com.

Cheers! Whiskey Waste Becomes Biochemicals

A new method to extract valuable bio-based chemicals from whiskey distillery waste streams could be worth up to £90 million ($US 115 million) in global chemical manufacturing markets.

Rice Engineers Design Eco-Friendly Ammonia Reactor

New electrochemical process could revolutionize ammonia production, reducing carbon emissions and water pollution

BASF to Produce Bio-Based Ethyl Acrylate, Phasing Out Fossil-Derived Version

New product with 40% bio-content from grain sources to launch Q4 2024, reducing carbon footprint by 30% while maintaining specifications.

Get Ready for Our Special Workforce Series

CP’s upcoming 5-part series will provide insight into the state of the chemical industry workforce.

Deconstructing the Chemical Industry’s Skills Gap

An aging workforce, fierce competition for graduates and culture clashes: Inside the chemical industry's struggle to fill critical roles.

Level indicators and pressure applications are crucial in ensuring efficient operations and safety. From basic visual indicators to advanced electronic transmitters, the range of technologies available is vast and constantly evolving. 

As winter approaches, you should assess how well your plant is protected from problems that frigid conditions can pose. In this episode, Managing Editor Amanda Joshi reads a column from Dirk Willard. If you don't have a mother or spouse nagging you to wear a coat, give this a listen. And don't forget to take out the trash!

Original column: Safety: Winterization Goes Beyond Equipment

Articles referenced in this podcast:

Get Ready for the Next Big Freeze

Time to Prepare for Winter

Prevent Accidents During Subfreezing Weather

Winter Weather Dangers: Why Winterizing is Crucial for Chemical Plants.

Winter-proof Your Workplace to Prevent Slips and Falls

Operator roles have expanded beyond valve-turning. Future operators will need broader understanding of chemistry, equipment and instrumentation to effectively troubleshoot and communicate issues.

In this podcast we discuss the changing landscape of operator training. Three key factors are driving change: a new generation of workers comfortable with mobile technology, emerging technologies like virtual reality and evolving job expectations.

Here is a look at the three top trending stories as reported on ChemicalProcessing.com.

• Explosion at Honeywell Plant Occurred Two Years After Replacement Recommendation, CSB Reports --Management approved the project but did not purchase or install a replacement shell before the Jan. 23, 2023, explosion.

In Case You Missed It brings the written word to life. In today’s episode, Editor-in-Chief Traci Purdum will be reading an article from Tom Blackwood, Chemical Processing’s Solids Advice columnist. This article “Combat Fine Particle Challenges -- What makes them good is also why they’re bad” was published to ChemicalProcessing.com July 22, 2024.

Here is the full column

Readers ask questions about their motors and our expert responds.

Proper troubleshooting is important. Here are a few questions that were posed to our motors expert, Tom Bishop, over the years. 

Bishop is a senior technical support specialist with the Electrical Apparatus Service Association (EASA). He joined the EASA staff in 2002 with over 30 years of hands-on engineering experience at electrical machinery manufacturing and apparatus service firms. He has a BS in Electrical Engineering and is a licensed professional engineer.

Read by Editor-in-Chief Traci Purdum.

This cognitive bias has operators clinging to beliefs despite contrary evidence.

In this episode, we discuss fixation, also known as confirmation bias or tunnel vision. It’s a cognitive bias in which people cling to beliefs despite contrary evidence. Dave Strobhar and Traci Purdum discuss how fixation can be problematic in industrial settings, citing examples like the Yom Kippur War and the Three Mile Island incident. Dave offers strategies to combat fixation, including the two-strike rule, testing hypotheses, shift changes, maintaining situational awareness, and fostering open team communication.

ChemicalProcessing.com