End-user Industries

New Process Uses Papermill Waste to Produce Chemicals for Making Nylon

A new processing method converts a primary waste product of the paper industry into chemicals used to make nylon.

A research project at the U.S. Department of Energy Ames Laboratory has developed a two-step process that transforms waste Kraft lignin into building blocks used in the manufacture of nylon.

Lignin, the “glue” that holds together wood fibers, is left over after the cellulose is separated from wood pulp for use in paper production. Worldwide, papermaking generates about 50 million tons (45 metric tonnes) of lignin annually. About 85 percent of this is Kraft lignin, a byproduct of the widely used Kraft pulping process, according to ScienceDirect.

Food and Beverage: Some Up, Some Down

Though food and beverage products in general are necessities, the industry’s trajectory through the pandemic has had ups and downs, according to Dave Fusaro, editor in chief at Food Processing magazine. Fusaro was one of the featured presenters at the VMA/Hydraulics Institute Market Outlook Workshop August 5 and 6.

“Big Food” companies (the big-name organizations in the industry) have lost sales in recent years, some of it going to upstart, entrepreneurial companies serving up selections such as natural and plant-based foods. At the same time, these bigger companies have been quietly buying up some of their small competitors.

The Outlook for LNG and Water/Wastewater Markets

Every valve end-user market is feeling the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the shock and uncertainty, each will find its way forward.

LOOKING AHEAD AT LNG

Though consumption of all fuels has taken a dive with the COVID-19 pandemic, the natural gas industry should recover and continue its healthy growth, said David Sword of dps360 Energy in a VMA webinar held May 14, 2020.

In less than a decade, North America has gone from a natural gas importer to an exporter. The natural gas that comes out of the ground is chilled to -265F (-160C), at which point it becomes a liquid (LNG—liquid natural gas) that is 600 times more dense than in its gaseous state.

COVID-19 Pandemic Shakes the Oil Industry

As the coronavirus pandemic brings society and business to a near standstill in much of the world, the demand for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel has crashed and so have oil prices. According to the BBC, over half the world’s 7.8 billion population was under some kind of containment intended to slow the spread of COVID-19.

How Valve Selection Can Impact SIS in Refining Applications

Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) provide a critical layer of protection for process facilities, which can be dangerous places because of the chemicals and processes involved. There are two main standards that exist to define the design and implementation of safety systems: IEC 61508 and IEC 61511. IEC 61508 addresses the manufacturers and suppliers of devices for safety systems while IEC 61511 is intended for the safety instrument systems designers, integrators and users.