Traci Purdum

Akron

Editor-in-Chief at Chemical Processing

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Articles

LyondellBasell Divests European O&P Assets to AEQUITA

3 weeks ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

LyondellBasell Divests European O&P Assets to AEQUITALyondellBasell sells four European olefins plants to AEQUITA in strategic transformation.
Slideshow: Most Read in May 2025

3 weeks ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

At the top of the reading list were key regulatory, technological and safety developments. The American Chemistry Council CEO advocated for TSCA reforms, including regulatory timelines, as EPA shifts scientific resources. Digital transformation is crucial for energy efficiency in chemical processes, requiring incremental implementation and workforce training.
Process Safety: AI and Machine Learning Transform Compliance, But Humans Still Key

1 month ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

In this episode, Trish and Traci welcome guest Dheerajkumar Narang, whose research examines how AI and machine learning can enhance process safety compliance. Traditional compliance methods are time-consuming and fragmented across different systems, while AI can automate data collection, identify leading indicators and predict compliance outcomes. Key challenges include system integration with legacy infrastructure and maintaining domain expertise for regulatory updates.
Operator Training Inefficiency Costs Millions

1 month ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

How to Estimate Time to TrainTraci: You had alluded to this a little bit in that answer that you just gave me. How do folks figure out how to estimate how long operators will need to complete a training program? You say that some folks aren't sure how long it's going to take. Is there a way to estimate it? Dave: Well, yes, and you're going to estimate.
Podcast: 9 Best Practices for Reliability and Maintenance

1 month ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

This episode from Chemical Processing's Distilled podcast shares industry best practices for chemical plant reliability and maintenance. Key recommendations include understanding equipment failure modes through predictive maintenance techniques like vibration analysis and thermography, developing balanced preventive maintenance programs that avoid over-maintaining equipment, and conducting thorough root cause analysis using methods such as 5-why analysis and fishbone diagrams.
Callide Power Station: 34 Minutes to Disaster

1 month ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

In this episode, Trish and Traci discuss the catastrophic failure at Queensland's Callide Power Station C4 on May 25, 2021, which caused power outages for 470,000 people. During a routine switching operation to replace DC battery systems, a voltage drop was misinterpreted as an AC fault, triggering a cascading failure. Both AC and DC systems failed, leaving the turbine without lubrication while it continued spinning backwards at 3,000 RPM.
How Trump’s 2026 Budget Cuts Could Impact the Chemical Industry

1 month ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

The first swipe at President Trump’s budget plan has been inked. The proposal calls for $163 billion in cuts to federal spending. Sent to Susan Collins, chair of the Committee on Appropriations, the cover letter from Russell T. Vought, director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, states:This letter provides President Trump's recommendations on discretionary funding levels for fiscal year (FY) 2026.
Slideshow: Top Reading in April 2025

1 month ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

Slideshow: Top Reading in April 2025Deregulation, plastics alternatives, how-to on pressure vessels, vacuum tower troubleshooting and the fate of the Chemical Safety Board were among the most popular articles in April.
Chemical Safety Board’s Small Budget Talisman

2 months ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

That last bit has been on my mind since Jan. 20, when the second Trump administration took office. I’ve contacted sources within the CSB and those who deal with the independent federal agency to ask whether they know the fate. No one has answered, and I am guessing it’s because they don’t know, either. And I’m not pressing this issue because I’m superstitious and don’t want to jinx things. However, I did attend CSB’s quarterly meeting April 24 to see if any hand-tipping would happen.
Lax Regulations Burn Rivers

2 months ago | chemicalprocessing.com | Traci Purdum

Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, you learn early everything that put the city on the map. Two local cartoonists, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, gave the world Superman. The city pioneered traffic safety with the world's first electric signal in 1914, forever changing how streets operate. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame calls Cleveland home, as does the house from "A Christmas Story," where the warning "You'll shoot your eye out" is synonymous with Red Ryder BB guns.