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ChemEng08 : ONLINE WEBCASTING!!

Just to share a quick information that I received from IChemE Facebook - posted by Tanya Graham about thee ChemEng08 held in Birmingham.

Not being in Birmingham, UK at ChemEng 08 doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the biggest IChemE event of the year!!

For just £20.00, from wherever you are in the world, you can tune in LIVE to the ChemEng08 webcast and view all of the main sessions from the Global Forum Theatre.

After the event, as part of the online registration fee, you will also have online access to view over 15 of the sessions from the technical programme.

Wednesday highlights include: Opportunities and Challenges of Emerging Markets (Chaired by David Smith, Economics Editor at the UK’s Sunday Times); Education and Skills – Bridging the Gap (Chaired by Colin Grant, Dean of Engineering at University of Strathclyde); and seminar programmes dedicated to Health, Safety & Environment; Sustainable Technology; and Energy.

Thursday opens with IChemE President, Professor Richard Darton delivering his presidential address before the Global Forum Debate – Chemical Engineers believe the world needs more innovation and less regulation. Appearing on the panel are Judith Hackitt, Chair of the UK’s Health & Safety Executive; Nigel Hirst, Managing Director of Haden Freeman Ltd; Ian Shott, IChemE Deputy President and President & Chief Executive of Excelsyn; and Peter Davidson, Innovation Advisor at BERR and DIUS.

Other Thursday highlights include an update on the progress of the Institution’s Technical Roadmap by IChemE Chief Executive, Dr David Brown; and seminars programmes dedicated to Food & Drink; Water; and Biosystems.

Registration is £20, check this amount in your local currency at: www.finance.yahoo.com/currency

The webcasting is open to both members and non-members of IChemE.

To register for the ChemEng 08 webcast, go to www.chemeng08.com

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posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 10:11 AM, ,

Premiership Footballer Wants to be A Chemical Engineer

It's a fact that playing football in Barclay Premier League (BPL) must be very lucrative. However STOKE star Seyi Olofinjana has a different view of it. He wants a new career in the later when he retire from football. He wants to join the oil industry.

The 28-year-old midfielder already has a degree in chemical engineering and wants to top that.

He is paying 12,000 pounds sterling for a distance learning course in subsea engineering with Aberdeen University and hopes to work in the huge oil industry back home in Nigeria one day.

Middlesbrough is not a dream day out for many people — but the chemical plants of Teesside could provide a glimpse into Olofinjana’s future.

He said: "I could be working out on the oil rigs when I’m 35, you never know."

The key thing is to get myself prepared. You need to fall back on something. No matter how well you do in football, it’s not for ever.

Source: The Sun Newspaper

It's very interesting to know that a professional footballer like Seyi have an interest and degree in chemical engineering and looks forward on his new career later. Not a lot of footballer will have radical career plan change like him. Let's just see his new career after retiring from soccer.

My 2 cents: I hope he'll be a successful chemical engineer (and hope to see him wear coveralls and safety helmet...).


More information about Olafinjana's profile as a footballer:
Wikipedia.org/wiki/Seyi_Olofinjana
4thegame.com

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posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 9:55 PM, ,

Pinch Valve Sleeves

Many industries use specific valves, called pinch valves, to control fluids, waste water, slurries, abrasives and corrosive chemicals. Pinch valves are constructed of a heavy-duty, rugged pinch mechanism that positions a sleeve. The valve offers maximum durability and ensures precise flow control in many industrial processes.

Inside every pinch valve is a sleeve that is crucial to the performance success of the valve. This sleeve enables a pinch valve to have a bi-directional, drop tight shut off with which to control flow. Most pinch valve sleeves are made of flexible elastomer compounds, many of which resemble rubber in composition and feel. Because a sleeve's composition is crucial to the success of the valve's application, valve manufacturers offer different elastomer options from which the sleeve can be constructed.

The many uses of the pinch valve

Because pinch valves are useful in a wide range of industries, the ability of a purchaser to choose the desired sleeve composition is paramount. Commonly used in the mining industry, a pinch valve's tough construction makes it ideal for use on harsh and abrasive mining slurries. Pinch valves can also be useful in demanding wastewater treatment applications. For example, a pinch valve's accurate, repeatable linear flow control and drop tight, bi-directional shut off make this valve type a good choice for sludge and raw sewage control.

In the power industry, pinch valves are an important component used in lime and ash handling - two tough services commonly found within a power plant. The abrasion-resistant, self-cleaning, and flexible elastomer sleeve of a pinch valve won't scale, bridge, plug or freeze on slurries. Pinch valves can also work in the treatment and handling of corrosive chemicals. Because there is no packing to maintain and no cavities, seats, or cam action to bind valve operation, pinch valves are often used in corrosive chemical applications.

Pinch valves can also be used in pulp and paper mills. Pulp stock, coating and recycled paper lines are some of the most difficult applications for a valve. The flexible elastomer sleeve of a pinch valve are able to withstand these abrasive services. Pinch valves can also be a great asset in food and beverage plants, cement/sand/silica factories, refineries, pneumatic conveying, and scrubbing.

A sleeve elastomer for every application

The multitude of uses for pinch valves require that purchasers be able to choose specific sleeve compositions and styles for various applications. A pure gum rubber sleeve, for example, is not suitable for the handling of strong acids, but might be appropriate for food manufacture or alcohol distillation. The application of a particular pinch valve, including the temperature range to which it will be exposed, dictates which sleeve elastomer a valve customer should choose.

Pure gum rubber sleeves are resilient and abrasion-resistant. They can handle an incredibly wide temperature range, from -50 F to 180 F, and they are extremely flexible, as well as non-marking. They are composed of natural rubber, and are most suitable for organic (or, carbon-based) acids, and mild chemical compounds, including alcohols. Strong acid and basic solutions, oils, and solvents are some of the chemicals that this type of pinch valve sleeve is ill-equipped to handle.

Neoprene pinch valve sleeves are synthetic rubber sleeves composed of chloroprene polymers. They handle a slightly wider temperature range than pure gum rubber sleeves do, working well with temperatures up to 220 F. Neoprene is chemically inert, and works best in the handling of moderate acids and other chemicals. Unlike pure gum rubber, it is strong and resilient enough to handle products containing ozone, as well as some oils and fats. Neoprene is more resistant to abrasion than is gum rubber; however, it can be eroded or weakened by oxidizing acids, ketone, ester, and chlorinated hydrocarbons.

Sleeves composed of chlorobutyl elastomers, or chlorinated butyl rubber compounds, handle major temperature ranges, from -60 F to 300 F. These sleeves are known for their good abrasion resistance and their ability to handle animal and vegetable fats. However, other types of oils are too heavy for chlorobutyl elastomers to handle -- as are solvents, which can break down the rubber.

The trademarked name of nitrile (a triple-bonded carbon-nitrogen compound), Buna-N can be used to make sleeves suitable for -40F to 240 F temperature ranges. These types of sleeves can be useful in chemical manufacture and chemical engineering because they can handle chemicals and solvents. They are not suitable, however, for ozone, ester, ketone, or nitro/chlorinated hydrocarbons. Meanwhile, Hypalon, a trademarked name for a chlorosulfonated polyethylene compound, is used to construct sleeves suitable for temperature ranges between -60 F and 275 F. This durable compound can handle quite strong acids and bases, as well as freon, ozone, alcohol compounds, and alkalines. This type of pinch valve sleeve should not be used with ketone, ester, or various aromatic and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Hypalon resists weathering quite well, however.

EPDM (or ethylene propylene diene monomer) valve sleeves are excellent for use with fats and oils. These valves -- made of the material used to seal vehicle doors, windows, and the like -- can withstand temperature ranges between -60F and 300F. They should not be used, however, to work with mineral oils or solvents. They also weather well. Viton, a type of synthetic rubber used commonly in O-rings, can also be used with animal and vegetable oils, as well as with acids. Though this type of sleeve performs poorly at temperatures lower than -10 F, it performs quite well at temperatures up to 400 F. Viton sleeves also display excellent tensile strength.

Each of the many uses of pinch valves requires careful consideration of the valve sleeve that is most appropriate to the process for which the valve will be used. With the variety of sleeve elastomer options available, it is no wonder that pinch valves are applicable in so many situations and for so many processes.

Red Valve, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, manufactures custom pinch valves, including air operated, control, and manual pinch valves, along with pinch valve sleeves. For more information, visit Red Valve's Web site.

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posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 12:03 AM, ,

Chemical Engineer Elected As UTM New Vice-Chancellor

The guessing game is finally over after the new Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is elected. Datuk Prof. Dr. Ir. Zaini Ujang, 43, is officially the new Vice-Chancellor of UTM, replacing Tan Sri Professor Dr Mohd Zulkifli Tan Sri Mohd Ghazali, whose tenure ended on the 30th of September 2008.

Datuk Zaini, a chemical engineer, joined UTM in 1988. He was the director of the Water Resource and Environment Institute from 2001 to 2006 and promoted to deputy vice-chancellor last year.

More news:
NST
Bernama
Topix

Chemical Engineer Heads UTM

MALAYSIAN CHEMICAL ENGINEER Zaini Ujang has been appointed vice-chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). The role begins immediately and lasts for three years. At the age of 43, he is billed as the youngest person to lead a Malaysian public university.

Zaini served UTM as deputy vice-chancellor for research and innovation from March 2007. Prior to that, he was dean of UTM’s Faculty of Chemical and Natural Resources Engineering, beginning July 2006, and director of UTM’s Institute of Environmental & Water Resource Management from 2001 to 2005.

On receiving the post, Zaini said: “I thank the government for being bold enough to appoint a relatively young person to the post of vice-chancellor. I will aim to improve the standard of higher education and implement the National Higher Education Strategic Plan.” This aims to improve Malaysia’s competitiveness, productivity and innovativeness.

Zaini received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at UTM, and went on to complete an MSC and PhD in environmental engineering at Newcastle University, UK. He began his academic career at UTM in 1988. He is lauded as a Malaysian expert in matters concerning water and wastewater treatment, and has held posts advising the government’s education department.

News is adopted from TCEToday.

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posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 8:33 PM, ,

Melamine - What is Melamine?


Melamine? Dead Infants? China? What's wrong?

The news about dead infants + melamine + milk + China has heavily reported, discussed and reasearched. I was slightly aware of the incident occuring in China, but recently, when my government took some action on investigating our own dairy products on shelves, I need to pay extra attention on what Melamine is all about. What is the fuss about Melamine? When my wife asked me what is Melamine, I can't provide her the answer. Thus, I know, I need to technically know this chemical and what's the hazardous implication towards us... I need to be aware and
 protect my family.

Anyone can easily get details on melamine from Google - Wikipedia, but let me just share the info... 

What is Melamine?

The following description about Melamine is adopted from Wikipedia:

"Melamine is an organic base and a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 66% nitrogenby mass and, if mixed with resins, has fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred, and has several other industrial uses. Melamine is also a metabolite of cyromazine, a pesticide. It is formed in the body of mammals who have ingested cyromazine.[2] It has been reported that cyromazine can also be converted to melamine in plants.[3][4]

Melamine combines with cyanuric acid to form melamine cyanurate, which has been implicated in the Chinese protein export." 


Further description on Melamine... (from Wikipedia/melamine)

"Melamine is a man-made substance commonly employed in a variety of industrial products and processes, including the manufacture of synthetic countertops, dry erase boards, fabrics, glues, housewares, flame retardants and dyes. Nitrogen rich, it is sometimes illegally added to food products in order to increase their apparent protein content. Introduced to milk, it can help conceal its fraudulent dilution with water.[7] Common nitrogen-based protein level tests used in China, such as the Kjeldahl and Dumas methods, fail to distinguish between melamine and naturally occurring milk proteins, allowing the protein levels to be falsified."

The table shows the physical properties of Melamine:


What's the impact of Melamine? What's the negative effect of Melamine (taken from Wikipedia)?

Melamine is known to cause renal and urinary problems in humans and animals when combined in the body with cyanuric acid,[7][8] sometimes present in drinking water and in animal feed[9], so its use in food production is banned in China elsewhere.[10]

Melamine adulteration of food products has made other headlines in recent years, including pet food recalls in Europe and the U.S. in 2007. It has also been employed as an additive to cattle feed to boost its nitrogen content, appearing in soy meal, corn gluten meal and cottonseed meal.

What is the acceptable level of melamine in food?

According to Hong Kong's Centre for Food Safety, the legal limit is 2.5 part per million (ppm). The information is taken from The Star news - HK says Cadbury Melamine Levels Acceptable.


List of Milk Products being investigated... 

Following is a list of milk product being investigated under Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD Phillippines), [only applicable in Philiphines] (please refer to jpsimbulan.com). This is to give us an idea on what type of dairy products may have more dosage of melamine. These milk brands/products do not necessarily mean they are melamine contaminated. 

1. Anchor Lite Milk
2. Anchor Wam Frootmilk Drink Mango Magic
3. Anchor Wam Frootmilk Orange Chill
4. Anchor Wam Frootmilk Strawberry Spin
5. Anlene Milk
6. Anmum Materna 180g
7. Anmum Materna Chocolate
8. Dutch Lady Pure Milk
9. Farmland Skim Milk
10. Greenfood Yili Pure Milk
11. Jinwei Drink
12. Jollycow Pure Fresh Milk
13. Jollycow Slender Low Fat Milk
14. KLIM Instant Full Cream Milk Powder 1.8kg
15. M&M Chocolate Brown 40gm
16. Meiji Hokkaido Azuki (red bean ice cream)
17. Meiji Ujikintoki (red bean and green tea frozen confection)
18. Mengniu Original Drink Milk
19. Mengniu Pure Milk
20. Milk Chocolate Bars/China
21. Milk Chocolate Candies?China
22. Milkboy repacked
23. Monmilk Breakfast Milk Walnut Milk Beverage
24. Monmilk High Calcium Low Fat Milk
25. Monmilk High Calcium Milk
26. Monmilk Milk Deluxe Pure Milk
27. Monmilk Pure Milk
28. Monmilk Suan Suan Ru Sour Milk Beverage (Mango flavor)
29. Natural Choice Milk Ice Bar
30. Nespray
31. Nestle Carnation Calcium Plus Non Fat Milk Powder (1.6kg)
32. Nestle Chocolate Flavor Ice Cream Cone
33. Nestle Dairy Farm Pure Milk
34. Nestle Vanilla Flavor Ice Cream Cone
35. Nutri Express Milk
36. Nutri-Express 15 Nutritional Elements (blue, red and orange label and cap)
37. Nutri-Express Milk
38. Nutri-Express Milk Green Apple
39. Prime Roast Cereals 28gm
40. Pura Fresh Milk
41. Snickers Brown 59gm
42. Strawberry Sorbet
43. Trappist Dairy Low Fat Yogurt drink
44. Vita Fresh Milk
45. Wahaha Orange
46. Wahaha Yellow
47. Want Want Milk Drink
48. Yili High Calcium 250ml
49. Yili High Calcium Milk 1L
50. Yili High Calcium Low Fat Milk Beverage
51. Yili Low Fat Milk 1L
52. Yili Milk
53. Yili Puremilk 250ml
54. Yili Puremilk 1L
55. Yinlu Milk Peanut



Can I refer to any authority to ask further about Melamine...?

Well, of course. For the case of Malaysia (I dwell here), you can call Food Safety and Quality Division,  Ministry of Health Malaysia at

+60-3-88 83 36 55
+60-3-88 83 35 03,
+60-3-88 83 36 52
+60-3-88 83 35 00

For further information or latest update on milk products tainted with melamine issue, please access Food Safety and Quality Division website under Ministry of Health Malaysia. Alternatively, please visit WHO website to better understand about melamine contamination.

To obtain the updated list of milk/dairy products that are not affected by melamine contamination by Food Safety and Quality Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia, click here.

I'm sorry but I'm not able to provide information of the approve milk/dairy product for all countries.

Latest melamine related videos:



New tests on baby milk powder in China show no signs of melamine. The scandal that broke almost a month ago, is responsible for the deaths of four infants and sickening more than 54 thousand others. (Oct. 6). Source: AssociatedPress (AP).




Chinese candy sold in Chinatowns across the U.S. has tested positive for melamine, linking it to the tainted milk scandal blamed for at least 4 deaths and thousands of sick children. (Oct. 3). Source: AssociatedPress (AP).



BEIJING -- A Chinese dairy that sold milk powder linked to kidney stones in infants knew it contained a banned chemical weeks before ordering a recall, the health minister said Saturday. 

One child has died and an official said the number of children sickened had risen to 432. 

Investigators have detained 19 people and are questioning 78 to find out how melamine was added to milk supplied to Sanlu Group Co., China's biggest milk powder producer, officials said at a news conference. They said some tainted powder was exported to Taiwan but none was sent to other foreign markets. 

In Taiwan, authorities seized thousands of bags of Chinese milk powder. The incident reflects China's enduring problems with product safety despite a shake-up of its regulatory system after a spate of warnings and recalls about tainted toothpaste, faulty tires and other goods. 

The biggest group of victims is in China itself, where shoddy or counterfeit products are common. Infants, hospital patients and others have been killed or injured by tainted or fake milk, medicines, liquor and other products.

In 2004, more than 200 infants suffered malnutrition and at least 12 died after being fed phony formula with no nutrients. Some 40 companies were found to be making phony formula.

News and videos adopted from Youtube.com.

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posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 10:08 PM, ,

The Author

zyz

I’m Zaki. I used to be a project, process and chemical engineer. Few years ago I successfully became a Chartered Engineer (IChemE) and Professional Engineer (BEM). I'm now employed as a chemical engineering educator/researcher/consultant. Hope you like reading my blog. I welcome any feedback from you. My email: zaki.yz[alias]gmail.com. TQ!


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