Chemical Engineering

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Shiv Nadar University

Semicarbazones of substituted benzaldehydes were synthesized and their effect on endogenous protein hydrolysis in liver homogenate was studied. It was found that p-nitrobenzaldehyde semicarbazone exerted maximum effect.

World University root node

(SoE) School of Engineering

Asian Journal of Chemistry

Effect of semicarbazones on endogenous protein hydrolysis in liver homogenate

The oil and gas industry forms a vital and large part of the economy of any country. It provides crucial support to transport, manufacturing and energy sectors, produces valuable exports and provides huge employment. This industry along with fertilizer plants, petrochemical plants, etc., which handle hazardous chemicals, are potential targets for deliberate actions by terrorists, criminals and disgruntled employees. The process industries face different levels of threats. It is imperative to analyze the entire threat scenario before taking steps to counter it, otherwise each and every threat will have to be treated as most severe, thus resulting in a huge and wasteful expenditure. The Security Risk Factor Table (SRFT) and a Stepped Matrix Procedure (SMP) have been developed to assess the security risk of oil and gas industry as well as the other chemical process industries. While the SRFT deals with the effects of individual threats, the SMP deals with the cascading/domino effects which a lone, low probability event can cause. A case study of a refinery has been performed to show the application of the ideas presented. © 2010 The Institution of Chemical Engineers.

Process Safety and Environmental Protection

New methodologies for security risk assessment of oil and gas industry

Synthesis of 14-membered macrocyclic complexes of cobalt(II) and nickel(II) of the type [M(mac1-3)] are reported. The complexes have been characterized on the basis of analytical, metal conductivity, magnetic susceptibilities, infrared, electronic, spectral data and electrochemical studies. Infrared spectral data show that the ligands behave in a diabasic tetradentate manner in all the complexes. Electronic spectral data and magnetic moment value are indicative of square planar geometry. The nickel complexes were red or orange to yellow in colour, whereas cobalt(II) complexes were chocolate brown in colour. High dilute conditions were maintained to dispense with polymerization reaction. The thermodynamic parameters E1/2 are found within the range -1.34 to -1.50 V.

Synthesis, spectroscopic and electrochemical studies of Cobalt(II) and Nickel(II) macrocyclic complexes derived from Oxalodihydrazide and Aldehydes/Propanone

Methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKPO) is an unstable material above certain limits of temperature, decomposing into chain reactions by radicals. The influence of runaway reactions on this basic characteristic was assessed by evaluating kinetic parameters, such as activation energy (E a ), frequency factor (A), etc., by thermal activity monitor III (TAM III). This was done under three isothermal conditions of 70, 80, and 90 °C, with MEKPO 31 mass% combined with nitric acid (HNO3 6 N) and sodium nitrate (NaNO3 6 N). Nitric acid mixed with MEKPO gave the maximum heat of reaction (δH d ) and also induced serious reactions in the initial stage of exothermic process under the three isothermal temperatures. The time to maximum rate (TMR) also decreased when HNO3 was mixed with MEKPO. Thus, MEKPO combined with HNO3 6 N forms a very hazardous mixture. Results of this study will be provided to relevant plants for alerting their staff on adopting best practices in emergency response or accident control. © 2009 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary.

Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry

Runaway effects of nitric acid on methyl ethyl ketone peroxide by TAM III tests

Nicotinic acid (also known as pyridine-3-carboxylic acid) is widely used in food, pharmaceutical and biochemical industries. The extraction of nicotinic acid by tri-noctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) with kerosene (diluent) is studied. The equilibrium experiments are carried out to investigate the effects of diluent, extractant (TOPO) composition and initial acid concentration on extraction efficiency. The extraction efficiency is found to increase with increasing TOPO composition concentration (0.10 to 0.60 mol.L -1) and found to decrease with increasing initial acid concentration (0.02 to 0.12 mol.L -1). The number of TOPO molecules in the acid:TOPO complex is estimated through proposed mathematical model using graphical methods as well as though an optimization route using the differential evolution algorithm and found to be 1:1 complexes of TOPO and acid with loading ratio of less than 0.5. The extraction equilibrium constants are also determined. Equilibrium extraction constant (K E1) is found to be 3.27 L.mol -1 in the complete range of acid concentrations and extractant (TOPO) concentrations.

AIChE Annual Meeting, Conference Proceedings

Recovery of nicotinic acid from aqueous solution using reactive extraction with tri-n-octyl phosphine oxide (TOPO) in kerosene

Correlations for bubble point pressure, solution gas-oil ratio, oil formation volume factor (for both saturated and undersaturated crude) and viscosity (for both saturated and undersaturated crude) have been developed for Indian crude using support vector regression (SVR). Detailed comparisons have been made with various important correlations currently available in the literature. Radial basis function (RBF) kernel was used along with ε-insensitive loss function for developing the SVR models. The model hyperparameters were optimized using a combination of grid search and Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm. The quadratic programming (QP) problem resulting from the SVR formulation was solved using sequential minimal optimization (SMO). It was found that the developed models outperformed most other existing correlations by giving significantly lower values of average absolute relative error for the parameters studied. This study shows highly favorable results that can be integrated in most reservoir modeling software. © 2009 American Chemical Society.

Energy and Fuels

PVT correlations of Indian crude using support vector regression

Tert-butyl peroxybenzoate (TBPB) is one of the sensitive and hazardous chemicals which have been popularly employed in petrifaction industries in the past. This study attempted to elucidate its unsafe characteristics and thermally sensitive structure so as to help prevent runaway reactions, fires or explosions in the process environment. We employed differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to assess the kinetic parameters (such as exothermic onset temperature (T 0), heat of reaction (ΔH), frequency factor (A)), and the other safety parameters using four different scanning rates (1, 2, 4 and 10°C min-1) combined with curve-fitting method. The results indicated that TBPB becomes very dangerous during decomposition reactions; the onset temperature and reaction heat were about 100°C and 1300 J g-1, respectively. Through this study, TBPB accidents could be reduced to an accepted level with safety parameters under control. According to the findings in the study and the concept of inherent safety, TBPB runaway reactions could be thoroughly prevented in the relevant plants. © 2008 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.

Runaway reaction on tert-butyl peroxybenzoate by DSC tests

The thermal stability of solutions of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKPO) dissolved in dimethyl phthalate (DMP), in the presence of nitric acid (HNO 3) and sodium nitrate (NaNO3) as contaminants, was studied. MEKPO is extensively employed in the chemical industries, but despite its large use several severe accidents have been recorded in eastern Asia during the past four decades. This study was conducted to elucidate its essentially hazardous characteristics. We used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) to evaluate the root cause of the runaway reactions, and kinetics-based curve fitting to assess hazardous phenomena by utilizing curve fitting to optimize the kinetic parameters. All the results indicate that the mixture of MEKPO with HNO3 dramatically increases the degree of hazard in the first exothermic peak. In terms of NaNO3, it had no effect on the thermal stability of MEKPO. © 2007 American Chemical Society.

Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research

Evaluation and modeling runaway reaction of methyl ethyl ketone peroxide mixed with nitric acid

Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries

Commentary on keynote lectures and papers presented at the conference

Dilution has long been considered a solution to many problems of toxic/flammable material releases. It implies diluting to a concentration that is below physiologically dangerous levels for a toxic substance (generally below TLV), or to a level below LFL for a flammable material release, ensuring that the process adopted for dilution does not itself enhance the risks. In this paper, we discuss the dilution of a gaseous release by deliberate and cautious mixing with air to reduce its concentration to a harmless level. The idea bears its origin to the Bhopal Gas Tragedy where some families saved themselves by turning the ceiling fans on when MIC reached their bedrooms at the dead of very cold night on December 2-3, 1984. The air pushed in by the fans diluted the MIC to below the harm level. Some of the advantages of using air dilution are: no cost of air, no air storage needed, no need to treat the air after use as in case of water curtains; required equipment, its maintenance and staff training in its use are very likely to cost less than in other ways of handling a release. Air dilution may not be feasible in all cases, such as gaseous release within a congested equipment layout, release that forms a liquid pool, etc. The method needs to be evaluated for each case. © 2005 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.