Safer management of process changes in chemical reactors

Nowadays many chemical industries are SMEs where multi-purpose batch or semi-batch reactors are commonly used. Vent sizing for realistic runaway scenario is not an easy task for such enterprises since they have usually few resources and use multi-purpose reactors with fast process turnovers. As a consequence these batch and semi-batch reactors are usually equipped with emergency relief systems sized once forever when the reactor is designed. This can lead to a large underestimation of the vent area in case of runaway reactions occurring when processes different from the ones considered for originally sizing the vent are carried out.The approach proposed in this work aims to identify the maximum reactor load leading to safe conditions even in case of runaway phenomena to be handled with the emergency relief system already installed (or even with a smaller vent area). This approach allows avoiding the change of the emergency relief system with a larger vent area (as required every time a new more hazardous process has to be carried out on existing reactors) at the price of lower plant productivity.     

On the gasification of biomass: Data analysis and regressions

The use of solid wastes as a way to produce energy and chemicals is one of the frontiers in chemistry. One of these methods is the biomass gasification. In this thermal treatment the biomass is heated in a partially oxidising environment using different process conditions.The variability of both biomass composition and process conditions can lead the thermal treatment to several different results. In order to find a methodology for the classification of all the involved data a dataset containing biomass characterization, gasification process conditions and obtained syngas properties have been gathered from the literature.This dataset has been analysed through multivariate analysis. Principal component analysis (PCA) and a partial least square analysis (PLS) have been performed. Several correlations among different biomass and their gasification products have been found among input parameters, such as biomass properties and process conditions, and output variables like products composition and properties.     

Embryo/larval toxicity and transcriptional effects in zebrafish (Danio rerio) exposed to endocrine active riverbed sediments

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Sediment toxicity plays a fundamental role in the health of inland fish communities; however, the assessment of the hazard potential of contaminated...