Chemical Processing - January 2008 - (Page 7) 555 West Pierce Road, Suite 301, Itasca, IL 60143 Phone: (630) 467-1300 Fax: (630) 467-1109 www.chemicalprocessing.com E-mail: cpnews@putman.net Subscriptions/Customer Service: (888) 644-1803 or (847) 559-7360 EdItoRIaL StaFF MaRk RoSEnzWEIg, editor in chief, x478 mrosenzweig@putman.net kEn SChnEPF, managing editor, x442 kschnepf@putman.net MIkE ERMItagE, Senior Web editor, x346 mermitage@putman.net SEán ottEWELL, editor at large ireland sottewell@putman.net ContRIbutIng EdItoRS andREW SLoLEY, troubleShooting columniSt LYnn L. bERgESon, regulatory columniSt gaRY Faagau, energy columniSt dIRk WILLaRd, columniSt C. kEnna aMoS, neWS dESIgn & PRoduCtIon StEPhEn C. hERnER, group art director, x312 sherner@putman.net toM WaItEk, aSSociate art director, x413 twaitek@putman.net RIta FItzgERaLd, production manager, x468 rfitzgerald@putman.net EdItoRIaL boaRd Vic edWardS, aker Kvaerner tim franK, dow chemical ben paterSon, eli lilly roy SanderS, ppg industries ellen turner, eastman chemical ben WeinStein, procter & gamble Jon WorStell, Shell chemical Sheila yang, fluor corp. MIkE bREnnER, group publiSher, x487 mbrenner@putman.net bRIan MaRz, publiSher, x411 bmarz@putman.net adMInIStRatIvE StaFF John M. CaPPELLEttI, preSident/ceo JuLIE CaPPELLEttI-LangE, Vice preSident RoSE SouthaRd, it director JERRY CLaRk, Vice preSident of circulation JaCk JonES, circulation director REPRIntS CLaudIa StaChoWIak, marKeting manager claudia@fostereprints.net 1-866-879-9144 x121 fax: 219-561-2019 FoStER REPRIntS 4295 ohio Street michigan city, in 46360 FROM THE EDITOR << Just call it alchemical engineering Technology really can transform worthless materials into gold The lead news sTory in This issue (p. 13) reminds me once again of the power of chemical engineering. researchers in the u.K. are developing a process to use glycerol for making hydrogen. This would offer a pair of significant benefits — providing an outlet for glycerol, which is a byproduct of burgeoning biodiesel manufacturing, and enabling a renewable resource to displace natural gas as a feedstock for hydrogen. Biodiesel certainly is attracting increasing interest (www.ChemicalProcessing.com/ar ticles/2007/177.html). if growth in demand of the glycerol byproduct can’t keep pace with that of biodiesel, producers face the prospect of an ongoing glut. Finding uses for the byproduct beyond those established, which are mainly in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, could transform excess glycerol from a worthless or worse material into a valuable feedstock that actually could boost the economics of biodiesel. This has led to a number of other initiatives. For instance, a consortium called The Glycerol Challenge, based at the university of Cardiff, Cardiff, u.K., that aims to develop processes for making intermediates and end products (www.ChemicalProcessing.com/in dustrynews/2007/020.html) should start operation in March. ashland, Covington, Ky., and Cargill, Minneapolis, Minn., in mid-2007 formed a 50/50 joint venture whose initial thrust is to build a 65,000-metric-ton/year plant to convert glycerol into propylene glycol. Meanwhile, FutureFuel Chemical, Batesville, ark., and Virent energy systems, Madison, wis., are working together on glycerol-based propylene glycol as are, individually, both dow, Midland, Mich., and huntsman, salt lake City, utah (www.ChemicalProcessing. com/articles/2007/099.html). Granted these efforts don’t involve turning base metals into gold, but they do address an up-to-date alternative. i’d be remiss not to note that this issue reflects some significant changes at Chemical Processing. Mike spear, who served as our editor at large based in england, retired in december (see www.ChemicalProcessing. com/articles/2007/226.html). replacing Mike is seán ottewell, another veteran of technical journalism, who is based in ireland. among his credentials is a long stint on the editorial staff of The Chemical Engineer, the publication of the u.K.’s institution of Chemical engineers, including four years as its editor. he recently wrote stories on cyber-security (www. ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/152. html) and disposable equipment (www.Chem icalProcessing.com/articles/2007/185.html) as well as this issue’s economic outlook story, p. 18, and the end Point column about a nucleation theory, p. 50. Meanwhile, Gary Faagau takes over energy saver from Christopher russell, who A byproduct may change from a burden to a boon. had been writing the column since its inception. Gary is a managing principal at i Cubed energy Consulting in houston. a chemical engineer, he has extensive experience in the field, including at major operating companies. as you’ll see on p. 16, Gary provides practical plant-focused insights about trimming energy consumption. CP Mark Rosenzweig Editor in Chief mrosenzweig@putman.net January 2008 • 7 Folio editorial excellence award Winner www.chemicalprocessing.com http://www.chemicalprocessing.com http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/226.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/226.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/152.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/177.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/152.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/177.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/152.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/185.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/185.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/industrynews/2007/020.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/industrynews/2007/020.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/099.html http://www.ChemicalProcessing.com/articles/2007/099.html
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