Solids Handling and Processing in the Chemical Industry: What They Don’t Teach You at School

During the past three decades, various studies have established the relationship between project success and solids processing technology. It has been shown that projects with solids processing operations are twice as likely to fail as those without such operations. Unfortunately, engineers working in chemical process industry rarely have formal and in-depth training in various aspects of particle technology – beyond the one-day seminars offered at expositions. Engineering curriculums (with a few notable exceptions) do not offer graduates any training in particle technology. As a result, there are a slew of capable engineers in process industry who have to learn on the job or their understanding is based on (biased) commercial literature. It is time for the industry and academia to come together and address this fundamental shortcoming. In this session, we will present an overview of various solids handling unit operations and share practical experiences to enhance chances of success in solids handling projects. These presentations are based on extensive publications by the authors in Chemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering Progress and Particle Technology Forum Newsletters.