Chemical Engineering Chat Via Facebook
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
OKN, you know who you are. I hope you are all right that I share our informative chat here for the sake of other chemical engineering students. I have edited/improved some of the sentences to make it clearer for you to read. Check it out...
OKN - 5:26pm: Good morning. How are you?Zaki - 5:26pm: Hi, fine thanks
OKN - 5:26pm: Cool
Zaki - 5:27pm: :)
OKN - 5:27pm: What are you working on right now
Zaki - 5:27pm: I'm testing my new temperature controller. Looks like it works fine... ;)
OKN - 5:28pm: Nice work. On what field do u specifically base on?
Zaki - 5:28pm: Catalysis and reaction engineering. Trying to convert glycerol to some useful product.
OKN - 5:30pm: I am a chemical engineer but still in school my final year.
Zaki - 5:31pm: Oh! That's cool. Good luck to you.
OKN - 5:31pm: What advise do u have for me on my futher studies?
Zaki - 5:37pm: Choose which field you are interested in. Get a good supervisor whom have lots of research grant/money. Explore the area of renewable energy.
OKN - 5:38pm: But u can serve as my supervisor...since we study related course
Zaki - 5:39pm: Hmmm... I'm still doing my Ph.D. Maybe later, after I complete my Ph.D I can be your supervisor. Hahaha...
OKN - 5:40pm: U really inspire me a lot....u start now cos i really appreciate the little u have
Zaki - 5:40pm: Oh... Thanks... But what do mean by start now?
OKN - 5:41pm: While still doing ur phd. I am seriously confuse of my field.Zaki - 5:42pm: O ok. So, what is your interest?
OKN - 5:42pm: I am seeing it as if i have waisted my time studying chemical eng.
Zaki - 5:42pm: Oh no. You are doing great. You just need somebody to help and guide you show the way...
OKN - 5:43pm: I am tinking of going into oil sector but i think i nid advise from someone to put me back in my field cos i rily want to be self dependent.
Zaki - 5:44pm: Oil and gas is lucrative sector. If you can be an expert in certain areas in the oil and gas, that's fantastic. Work with somebody, and then after few years, build your own company.
OKN - 5:46pm: But i have no much knowledge about dat sector,if u can help me i will appreciate
Zaki - 5:46pm: Oh... maybe you can be an expert in specialty chemical for offshore oil and gas application. Since you are a chemical engineer, that suits quite well. Try and google what is specialty chemical.
OKN - 5:47pm: It's ok. I will do dat.
Zaki - 5:48pm: You can also try to cover some other areas such as safety and health, as well as maintenance, or process engineering for oil and gas application or corrosion aspect or NDT.
OKN - 5:54pm: What suggestion of field of chemical eng. Do have for me to study for my masters degree.
Zaki - 5:54pm: OK ... another interesting and lucrative area is safety, health and environmentalIf you focus on some specific areas under environmental...that will be good as well. People expert in environmentals make lots of money.
OKN - 5:58pm: So u mean i shud study environmental as a course.
Zaki: 5:58pm: Yep... Maybe you can also study some specific areas under environmental...such as Water, Air, Safety etc. Once you be an expert, example: Water expert, those who are concern with water impact, environmental will seek for your advise etc. Maybe they want to analyze water river etc.
OKN: 6:01pm: In drilling, guess i will be of more relevance.....how?
7:48pm: Yes. Drilling is relevant to you too. However, you need to learn more about it
that will be pretty much covered in Petroleum Engineering.
The chat ended because suddenly I have something coming up. I hope OKN got something from the short chat. Cheers...
..
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Labels: Chemical Engineer, Chemical Engineering, Environmental, Jobs, Oil and Fats, Oil and Gas
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 8:13 PM,
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Ethanol Production Industry
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
Do you know who is the largest ethanol producer in the world? America? Some country in Europe? South Africa? It actually depends on the geographical area that you are speaking about. Let's check out who they are...
Largest ethanol producer in the world
Brazil is currently the world's leader in ethanol production. Because of government subsidies, large sugarcane crops, and high sales taxes on gasoline, Brazil has built a profitable national ethanol industry. Sugarcane is grown in the country as the climate presents perfect conditions for its cultivation and production. It converts very easily to ethanol, and provides Brazil with huge supplies of ethanol.
Largest producer of ethanol in the U.S.
Hmmm... there are actually more to discuss and more to share about the Ethanol Producers. It's tough to share all those technical, economical and other related information about ethanol producers in a short
blog post like this. To have a clearer and precise information sharing on ethanol business, I would like to recommend Ethanol Producer magazine.The magazine is known throughout the ethanol industry for its authoritative plant construction lists, compelling profiles and engaging features on production, research, science, technology, equipment, environmental and safety compliance, marketing, policy and industry events. Most importantly it is free... Yep..no cost at all. However, I'm sorry to say only those in US, Canada and Mexico is eligible to request for it.
To get the Ethanol Producer magazine, click here.
Labels: Biodiesel, Biofuel, Biotechnology, Energy, Oil and Fats, Oil and Gas
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 11:26 PM,
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Dubai Jobs - Tips and Strategies to Secure it
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Now the question is...
if so many people are looking for an engineering job in Dubai, how do you ensure that you secure your "Dream" Job in Dubai? The answer is quite logical. You need to have a multi-pronged strategy and work really hard if you wish to secure your Dream Engineering Dubai Jobs. A callous or laid-back attitude will not generate the results you desire. Similarly, just 1 or 2 approaches will not work. I will show you a systematic and guided approach. If you follow this method, then I guarantee you phenomenal results. Now, I'm not going to teach you magic. Like I said earlier, it's a logical method.
Some of the popular and in-demand Engineering jobs in Dubai are:
* Mechanical Engineering which includes: Aerospace, Automotive, Biomedical, Mechanical, Naval.
* Electrical Engineering which includes: Communications, Computer, Electrical, Electromechanical Systems, Electronic Systems, Software.
* Civil Engineering which includes: Building, Civil, Construction.
* Production Engineering which includes: Industrial Engineering, Integrated / Unified Engineering, Production Engineering, Instrumentation Engineering, Systems Engineering
* Chemical Engineering which includes: Agricultural, Biological and Biosystems, Chemical, Environmental, Food, Forestry, Materials, Plastics, Water Resource.
* Oil Engineering which includes: Gas, Geological, Geomatics, Metallurgical, Mineral, Mining, Oil, Petroleum.
Remember, that the whole process that I have described below takes some time. Securing good Engineering jobs in Dubai that fit your criteria perfectly is a time consuming and lengthy procedure, but I have compiled a few resources here for you to make it easier.
So, follow this procedure in the order given below and...
...all the best to you in your new engineer jobs in Dubai:
Engineer a good Resume:
A resume that impresses, one that gets the interview call. It's said that the first impression is the last impression. Couldn't be more true for a resume.
Some Resume Tips, specifically for Engineering Jobs in Dubai:
* Put the most important information first
* Highlight your positive points and strengths
* Highlight your accomplishments/achievements/accolades
* Point out that you will dress modestly
* Put a line that you are very tolerant with other people's religion and beliefs
* Make sure to use the right keywords, (for online searches) power keywords that will bring your resume in front of others
* Use bullet points
* One or two pages long, maximum
* No hobbies please
Online Job Portals: are Very widely used by job seekers and recruiters.
You can submit your completed resume to these online job portals. They are extremely popular in Dubai, and are used by the HR executives of the biggest and best Engineering companies to search for good resumes.
Offline Recruitment Agencies: are also very useful. Some are General while there are some that Specialise in Engineering Jobs in Dubai. The Big general recruitment agencies have dedicated recruiters and teams for various career fields. It's a good idea to approach a mix of both types. These recruitment agencies have contracts with companies, and are very prolific in finding the right candidate for the right job. They get paid for every successful placement, by the hiring company.
Engineering Companies: You can directly approach the biggest and the best companies in the engineering sector. The creme de la creme of engineering comapnies always have job positions open due to the size and leadership in the market. You can send them your Resume and Cover Letter to the Human Resources Department'S Email ID.
Classified Ads: Circulate your ad on the Internet.
You can place your "job wanted" classified in one of the Online Dubai Classified Advertisement Websites "Engineering Jobs in Dubai" section. These are reputed sites, however, since your email address is listed here, please be ready to find spam in your inbox too. A safe bet is to use a different email ID. These classified sites rank very high (in the first or second search results page) and so your chances of getting found directly by hiring companies is very high too.
Classifieds Search: Search the Wanted Ads.
There is a "jobs available" section in some online classifieds sites. You can browse these to locate engineering jobs in Dubai that fit in with what you are hunting for. However, many of the ads could be of scam recruiters, asking you to deposit money upfront. Simply ignore these.
Social Media Networking:
Network with the HR's.The HR's of Companies as well as Recruitment Agencies use Social Networking to post current jobs online and informally connect with potential candidates. This is an absolute must-do.
Preparing for an Interview:
* Go prepared.
* When you receive an interview call, remember to take along all your original certificates, experience letters and other important documents in original and photocopies.
* Brush up on the technical aspects related to the work you do.
* Show them that you are an authority on your subject and the right candidate for that post.
Tips, Do's and Dont's:
* Keep in mind the things that made you search for engineering jobs in Dubai, in the first place.
* If the job description and it's package and perks offered, fit in with what you've got in mind, then and only then apply for the job.
* Negotiating salary is not recommended in Dubai.
* You may find yourself working overtime without overtime pay.
* South Asians, need to work a minimum of 1 year, before they can change jobs, whereas this rule does not apply to Europeans, Australians and US Nationals.
Visa to visit Dubai:
You can come to Dubai on a visit visa and then go job hunting for quality engineering jobs in Dubai, as many people do, which increases your chance of landing good construction jobs in Dubai.
Physical presence in Dubai does make a difference. You can go for the interview as soon as you get a call. Read the important tips about Dubai Visas and remember that a visit visa is for a duration of 2 months, and you can extend it by a month.
This post is contributed by Shabbir Kagalwala from www.dubai-forever.com. He provides valuable step-by-step guide to apply, search and secure Jobs in Dubai. Information loved by visitors, searching for their dream job in UAE. It will be useful for chemical engineers seeking for new job, new experience, new adventure.
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Labels: Chemical Engineer, Chemical Engineering, Jobs, Oil and Fats, Oil and Gas
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 6:51 PM,
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Do I missed my previous job?
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Well, the answer is it depends. I don't want to be that type of engineer for the rest of my life. However, I want to be an engineer once in a while. Let say, maybe 3 months a year. Would that be possible? I'm not sure.
I am now finally in a position that I dream off years ago. I'm pursuing my Ph.D and working on to be a chartered engineer. It's not easy and it's certainly tough. With my present position, I can have better control of what I want to do. I enjoy writing, publishing my work, doing research, supervising students and teaching as well.
But, to be a more hands on engineer, I need to spend more time doing consultancy jobs. That will get me closer to the plant, refinery and industry which I missed very much. I missed the crude palm oil smell while I was working in Pasir Gudang. I missed the gas and condensate smell while I was a chemical engineer leading few projects in Kerteh, Trengganu. I also missed the adrenaline while sitting in the helicopter while traveling to several offshore platforms performing bottle test. To add some more, I missed the fantastic 5 star food that was serve in Petronas offshore rigs. The basic point is I missed those experiences.
I have made it a point, after I complete my doctorate degree, I'm going to allocate sometime doing some consultancy jobs that suit my knowledge, skill and experiences. I have identified an area I'm going to establish myself in. With that in mind, I hope I can get more and more industrial exposure. Besides gaining more experiences, I can also share them with my readers (of this blog).
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Labels: Chemical Engineer, Chemical Engineering, Environmental, Oil and Fats, Oil and Gas, pH.D, Plant Shutdown, Problem
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 9:06 PM,
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Biodiesel From Jatropa
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Biodiesel and biofuel...believe or not they are huge business. It is one type of renewable energy that has gain interest from fellow researchers, technologist, engineers, scientists, politicians, investors etc few years ago. Since then, many people began planting the likes of palm oil, rape seed, soya been etc to produce biodiesel. However, recently, there had been issues on food supply shortage and thus this has contributed to the increase price of the crops.
How can we use palm oil, rape seed and soya been to produce biodiesel when we know that the food supply for the world is insufficient? We need those crops for food, to feed human, not for energy!
Hence, the world has turned to a species of tree called jatropa. Why jatropa? Simply because it is non-edible. It cannot be consumed by humans. In addition to that, it has high content of oil. Now, a lot of countries such as Brazil, Malaysia, Thailand and others are encouraging their farmers to grow jatropa for biodiesel. Infact, in Malaysia, Bionas was established to facilitate everything associated to jatropa from planting them to processing them in a refinery.
To have a better comprehension on the subjects, please check out the following videos.
Video synopsis: Brazil is the world's leading country in BioFuels! Over 30 years ago in order to find a renewable and greener source of fuel, the Brazilian Government started the "Ethanol Boom" and has been successful ever since; for today, 8 out of 10 cars manufactured in Brazil have the so called "Flex Power" engines. These engines can run both in Alcohol Ethanol as well as with gasoline in any blend
This video shows Conatus team go to Taubate, Sao Paulo state, Brazil to check on the regional jathropa plantation project. Called Pinhao-Manso in Portuguese, Jathropa could be what sugar cane is for ethanol to biodiesel.
So, you have seen the videos and you should notice how great jatropa will become. It will be a huge business. There will be massive research and development to optimize the entire process. Farmers and those who have association with jatropa can expect good fortune in future. What about those who are not associated with jatropa? Can they earn a piece of the fortune?
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Labels: Biodiesel, Biofuel, Energy, Oil and Fats
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 4:10 PM,
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Doxford Power Ltd - Volume Potable Water and Power Production
Monday, January 28, 2008
I just received an interesting email (thanks Mr. Ray for forwarding it to me) mentioning about a special "Volume Potable Water and Power Production" product. It is believed that this product will be of interest to World Vision as it provides clean potable water as a by-product of electrical power generation, both of which are core fundamentals to health issues for the developing world. I believe, a lot more parties will be interested with such a brilliant revolutionary product like this.
Doxford Power Ltd. (DPL), a company based in UK, produces a 10MWe power station equipment or power stations complete on a supply or BOO (Build, Own and Operate) basis. These power stations are significantly different to current (fossil and alternative) power stations in that their primary fuel is derived from two sources, Biomass (Jatropha Curcas, Rapeseed, Palm oil etc) or waste (household or industrial). With that, the product has no reliance on fossil fuels, the chance for a developing country to meet its current and future energy demands from domestic agribusiness and a waste management solution which can be run in parallel to the agribusiness which can utilize what is normally sent to landfill sites as EfW (energy for waste).
DPL owns and utilizes a second technology called a Powereau Unit which drives considerable efficiencies into standard heat engines (generators and gas turbines) and also the DPL power units. A by-product of this intercooler technology is water, and it produce lots of it. A 10MWe power station will require approximately 25,000 tonnes of biomass oil per month but will produce as a by-product in excess of 100,000 tonnes of water per month and more in humid conditions. This water alone justifies the fuel source.
Fuel Source
The DPL 10MWe power plant can utilize Jatropha Curcas plantations to supply 100% renewable and sustainable fuel supply. The berry crop has the oil removed via crushing and filtration with the waste being made into briquettes for domestic heating and cooking use (thus avoiding cutting further trees) One key issue here is sustainable employment. One DPL power plant will require 2000 hectares of land on average to run every year if Jatropha Curcas is the crop of choice. This provides employment at usually a higher standard than current farmers receive of one job per hectare.
The core infrastructure resources for world health are water and power. This DPL power plant provides both of these and whats more, it can commercially reduce current power production costs.
It seems that this is a superb product and the company has began the business development for it. I understand that the marketing material for this product is being processed now. Hence, what you are seeing (from the power point slide presentation) is the core management marketing pre-graphic designers and is not the final professional presentation yet. The product will only be available from April 2008 onwards.
I tried to get further in depth information from the company's website; Doxfordpower.com, however, it could not be opened. I hope the problem can be rectified and interested parties can refer to it for more information.
Check out the NEW: Energy Production VIDEOSLabels: Biology, Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Chemical Plant, Energy, Environmental, Equipments, Health, Learning Curve, News, Oil and Fats, Processing., Quality
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 10:15 PM,
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Me and My White Safety Helmet
Thursday, December 27, 2007
When i was a student, I wonder how would it feel to become a chemical engineer? How does it feel to wear the safety helmet, that will made us look like a real cool macho engineer.
In the lab at the university, we just put on the white lab coat and not the safety helmet. After my first degree, I continued with my masters degree and still, I have not yet put on the safety helmet. I wonder when will I own and wear the safety helmet.
After completing my masters degree, I joined a local oil and gas servicing company and directly traveled to the site on my first day at work. I was supplied not only with the safety helmet that I wanted to put on all this while, but also jacket, safety boot, coverall, cotton glove, leather glove, goggle and 3M half face mask. On top of that, I have to manage a group of people who were about 5-10 years older than me to blend some specialty chemicals. Under the hot shiny sun, I have to wear the safety helmet. That time, I wished I don't have to wear the safety helmet with the goggle attach on top of it (The goggle need to be applied while blending or pouring the chemicals). I don't feel like the safety helmet is protecting me from anything. After all, there's nothing going to fall onto my head at the side. It was really heavy and I felt like my center of gravity is at my head!!!
Despite of that, I felt sort of proud to display my safety helmet on the rear dashboard of my car and let everybody see it. At home my son will take my helmet and act as an engineer, just like his father. I don't know whether he wants to be an engineer too. It's totally up to him.
Few years after servicing the oil and gas industry, I get a new job as a process engineer in a refinery plant (in the oils and fats industry), I still put on the safety helmet. Now, it is different. I don' have to put any accessories on the safety helmet. It is lighter. I have to wear the safety helmet which is white in colour as soon as I enter the factory. White safety helmet differentiate executives from supervisors, technicians, operators, and others which put on a yellow safety helmet. In different places, safety helmet colour coding is applied. Some may have blue colour representing a safety committee or safety officer etc.
Wearing safety helmet in the plant is very important. The plant is really big and there are a lots of equipments. I lost track of the number of occasions where I knock my head on something. Sometimes, my head hit a metal bar, a globe valve, a lowered roof and others which I could not recall. Luckily I have my safety helmet to protect my head and brain! I could not imagine the state of injury I'm going to face if not protected by the safety helmet.
Previously, I wrongly used the safety helmet. How did I misused it? I sat on it!!! That is totally a wrong usage of the safety helmet. As a result, my safety helmet have a lot of ugly scratches. The white safety helmet on the picture above belongs to me. If you have super focus eyes, you can zoom in and notice some scratches and uneven surface on the helmet edge. Don't be like me. Appreciate your safety helmet. Don't sit on your safety helmet. Respect it. It will protect you, your head and brain!
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Labels: Accident, Chemical Engineer, Jobs, Learning Curve, Oil and Fats, Oil and Gas, Plant Shutdown, Problem
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 8:49 PM,
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Dipping Tape and Measuring Oil Tonnage
Friday, November 02, 2007
In oil industry or oil plant, there are a lot of oil storage tanks available. It is vital for the oil company to know their daily oil stock simply because they are in the oil business. Therefore, they need to measure the oil volume and further work out its tonnage. They need to know the exact volume of oil and to do that there are various methods. One of the traditional method is by using a dipping tape.
What is a dipping tape? Sorry, I could not find a suitable and proper definition for it. My own
definition would be a tape made of from stainless steel (can be other material as well) and has some sort of calibration along it (up to 15m, or 20m, it depends on your tank height) and it's used to measure the ullage in a storage tank (filled with oil/liquid). Does anybody have a suitable definition of dipping tape?
I guess the next question from you will be: What is ullage?
The amount which a tank or vessel lacks of being full.
is the empty space present when a shipping container is not full.
The space in a tank not occupied by its contents. Used as a measure of storage space still available.
I hope the ullage definition would give you some idea on the concept.
A guy doing ullaging job at a ship tank
Dip weight - It is attached to the end of the tapeFor each storage tank, there'll be some sort of calibration table. From it, we can know what is the volume of oil at certain height. The tank height is also recorded in the calibration table. So, in order to know the volume of oil, we substract the tank height from the ullage (which we get from the dipping tape measurement), and we shall get the oil level height. From there, we can already get the volume of oil and work out the tonnage (with the temperature reading available).
Labels: Equipments, Oil and Fats, Oil and Gas
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 12:00 AM,
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PIPOC 2007 KLCC
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Today I went to PIPOC (International Palm Oil Congress) 2007 held at Kuala Lumpur Convention Center (KLCC). It was a day trip (we (3 engineers) traveled all the way from JB) and I just returned home, exhausted. The exhibition was not as big as I expected. Last year's OFIC 2006 (Oil and Fats International Conference) was better than PIPOC 2007 in terms of company participation. It took me just above 1 hour to complete touring the entire booths.
I did not attend the technical paper presentation this time. I just visited the exhibition only.
Various types of mini palm oil fruits. This palm oil gene produces a shorter palm oil treefor easier fruit plucking.
Various types of digital pressure gauges. I only use analog pressure gauges and pressure transmitter in my plant. Digital pressure gauge reading is more accurate and is easy to calibrate on site
Butterfly valves of different sizes.
Horizontal leaf filterOps....don't forget to check out the new www.chemical-engineering-forum.com.
Labels: Chemical Engineering, Exhibition, Learning Curve, Oil and Fats
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 8:29 PM,
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Health: Saturated, Monosaturated and Polysaturated Fat
Sunday, August 05, 2007
As an educated person, we should be wiser in selecting our daily food consumption. By consuming more bad fats via our favourite food, it may affect our life and health in future. Few months back, I realized about this and reduced my chicken meal (for your information I love eating chicken, especially fried chicken, since the past 31 years). Chicken have high content of fats/cholesterol especially under the skin. I'm planning to eat a lot more healthier food with less oil. I want to reduced my BMI (body mass index).
Some source of polyunsaturated fats1. A healthy diet includes some fats.
2 Bad fats are those that tend to be solid at room temperature, such as butter or shortening.
3. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are bad fats.
4. Different types of fats have different calorie counts.
5. All foods labeled "trans fat-free" are healthy foods.
6. Monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, avocados, peanut butter and many nuts and seeds, can have a beneficial effect on your health when eaten in moderation and when used to replace saturated fats or trans fats.
7. Monounsaturated fats are also typically high in vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin most Americans need more of.
8. The fats in the foods you eat should not total more than 25 percent to 35 percent of the calories you eat in a given day.
Answers: 1) True; 2) True; 3) False; 4) False. There are 9 calories in every gram of fat, regardless of what type it is. 5) False. Foods labeled trans fat-free may contain saturated fats, or they may be high in sugar and low in nutrients. 6) True; 7) True; 8) True
I would like to recommend a good reading easy to understand information about saturated fat, Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated:
http://www.defence.gov.au/news/raafnews/EDITIONS/4424/health/story01.htm
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Or you can also Subscribe to CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WORLD by RSS.Labels: Chemistry, Health, Oil and Fats
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 12:32 PM,
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Oil and Fats International Congress 2007 in Cairo
Monday, June 25, 2007
My job is not flexible enough to allow me to visit the recent Oil and Fats International Congress (OFIC) 2006 in Cairo last March. That's fine. Even if I can go, I don't have the budget!!! If I'm a researcher and I have a research grant and have a paper to present, then I can probably go. I participated in OFIC 2006 in Kuala Lumpur last year. Check out my previous post:
I'm back from the Congress
OFIC 2006 Exhibition
OFIC 2006 Modules
Enough about that, back to OFIC 2007. The aim of the conference was to provide a good overview of the edible oils and fats industry by covering current processes and products together with a look at future trends. Expert speakers were invited from all over the world. Day 1 focused on raw materials and their processing, and Day 2 on applications, both industrial and consumer products. Other subjects covered included quality control, crystallisation , labelling and nutrition.
A colleague of mine from Taiko Clay who went to OFIC 2007 in Cairo was kind enough to email me the link to the list of papers/slides presented during the conference - soci.org.
Among the interesting topic covered during the conference are:
Production and Processing - An Overview of Future Trends
Ken Carlson, Crown, USA
Potentials in Bleaching Earth Reduction - Theoretical Background, Industrial Results
Gunter Börner, OHMI Engineering, Germany
Formulation and use of Frying Oils
Adam Thomas, AarhusKarlshamn, UK
Life Cycle Assessment of Vegetable Oils & Spreads
Erich Dumelin, Unilever, The Netherlands
There are a lot more fantastic and informative titles. Check out soci.org.
The next OFIC 2007 will be held in China. Are you going??
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Labels: Biotechnology, Exhibition, Learning Curve, Oil and Fats, Research
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 9:46 PM,
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Butter and Margerine Interesting Facts
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Recently we were having a discussion with our new engineers. When we reached the topic shortening plant, which produces margarine, I asked, "What is actually the differences between butter and margarine?" It's funny and embarrassing because I still don't know the differences between those two foods. That's why I asked. Well, I got the answer. However, I would like to share the answers (more detail one) with an article below (Sorry, I forgot where I took this from).
Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys,
the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they
put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money
back. It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring
and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out
with some clever new flavorings.
DO YOU KNOW.. the difference between margarine and butter?
Read on to the end...gets very interesting!
Both have the same amount of calories.
Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams compared to 5 grams.
Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating
the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.
Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few only because
they are added!
Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of
other foods.
Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for
less than 100 years.
And now, for Margarine..
Very high in trans fatty acids.
Triple risk of coronary heart disease.
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers
HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)
Increases the risk of cancers up to five fold.
Lowers quality of breast milk.
Decreases immune response.
Decreases insulin response.
And here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS
VERY INTERESTING!
Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC.
This fact alone was enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and
anything else that is hydrogenated this means hydrogen is added, changing
the molecular structure of the substance).
You can try this yourself:
Purchase a tub of margarine and leave it in your garage or shaded area.
Within a couple of days you will note a couple of things:
* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should
tell you something)
* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no nutritional value;
nothing will grow on it Eventhose teeny weeny microorganisms will
not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would
you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?
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Labels: Food, Learning Curve, Oil and Fats
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 12:30 AM,
,
Exploration and Production Magazine
Monday, May 21, 2007
Another related magazine (oil and gas) that you can subscribe. Get it now!!!
Why share your copy - when they can get their own?
Tell your colleagues to start their own FREE Subscription.
— Does your copy of E&P magazine look like it spent yesterday
tied to the end of a drill bit?
— Do you find yourself retrieving your latest copy from
a colleague's desk?
— Or... perhaps you'd like to promote yourself off the bottom
of the routing list -- to the top that is?
The answer is simple... get your own... or, better yet, have your colleagues get their own subscription to E&P magazine.
http://www.submag.com/sub/ht?pk=E75HPA
We know each and every issue of E&P magazine contains crucial, cutting-edge coverage of the important technical issues facing petroleum professionals worldwide. And, we know ALL your colleagues would benefit from E&P's in-depth analysis of the technology, technical solutions and strategies being employed daily by other oil and gas companies.
But... did you know that E&P magazine is offered free of charge to ALL oil and gas e&p professionals?
That means ALL your colleagues can have their very own subscription. That's right... all your colleagues. So... if you or someone in your office would benefit from receiving E&P magazine for themselves, simply, forward this email and ask them to click the link below. It will only take a few minutes and, you won't ever have to track down your copy again.
http://www.submag.com/sub/ht?pk=E75HPA
Audrey Miller
Circulation Director
E&P
PO Box 2068, Skokie, IL 60076-7968
www.eandp.info
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Labels: Learning Curve, Magazine, Oil and Fats
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 12:55 AM,
,
ISO and HACCP Audit
Thursday, April 19, 2007
My plant was audited today and we thoroughly prepared for this occasion since last week. It was an ISO and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) audit. We have to ensure all records and documents are well kept and organized. We must clean the plant and clear it from unwanted objects such as cotton rags, welding rod, plastic, food wrap, cigarette bud, water clogging, etc which were lying around (the lists of objects that you can find in the plant are too long but please don't assume we are not cleaning the plant. We clean the plant on a daily basis, but sometimes unwanted objects suddenly appears!!! It's a very big plant - 10 floors). Besides that the plate heat exchanger (PHE) and pump tray should be dry and clean (for your information, sometimes the PHE and pump leaks and oil is contained in the tray. This can be considered oil lost!!! Oil is money in the oil industry).
The Critical Control Point (CCP), [which is a point, step or procedure at which controls can be applied and a food safety hazard can be prevented, eliminated or reduced to acceptable (critical) levels] in my plant is the filter bags. The filter bag record and differential pressure was inspected randomly. This CCP is very important in food industry because it is the most critical step in ensuring the safety and cleanliness of a food product. I don't intend to describe more about this as it might be too technical (unless anybody wants to know more, you can ask me via email).
The glasses at the pressure gauge, temperature gauge and vessels were inspected as well. In addition, the pest control program was checked too. During the interview, we managed to answer and convince the auditor that the ISO and HACCP standards are well applied. I'm glad that we passed through this round of audit without any non-conformance (NC). Thanks to all the supervisors, shift leaders, plant operators and contract workers for their commitment, dedication and hard work for the audit preparation.
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Labels: Heat Exchanger, Oil and Fats, Pump, TQM
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 11:16 PM,
,
Boeing 747 Robot
Monday, March 26, 2007
Just sharing some non-chemical engineering stuff but somehow associated to the oil and gas industry. Check out this short video when a Boeing 747 air craft showed up suddenly at an oil platform...
Labels: Oil and Fats
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 11:11 PM,
,
Oilcrops Market Network
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Recently I received this email from secretariat@mosta.org.my(MOSTA) informing about a news related to the Oil and Fats market.
The Oilcrops Market Network (OMN) is administered by the Commodities and Trade Division of FAO. The purpose of this electronic service is to provide an informal forum for the discussion, among subscribers, of issues relevant to the national and international markets for oilcrops,
oils and fats and oilcakes and meals. Users are requested to enhance the scope of the service by supplying information on current market developments, including on technical and economic factors having an impact on production, consumption, trade, stocks and prices.
The network is open, free of charge, to all the persons or firms that want to subscribe. Registered users are invited to supply articles, publications and statistical reports on the oilcrops sector in their respective countries/regions. They are also encouraged to post questions
and answers on topics of interest related to oilcrops. Contributions are welcome in either English, French or Spanish. FAO will periodically contribute its market reports on oilcrops to this network and act as a moderator, receiving and forwarding participants' messages.
In summary, the two objectives of this new service are
a. the direct exchange of information on oilcrops markets between list members via the FAO mail server;
b. the circulation of FAO's reports dealing with current developments in the world market for oilcrops.
Please address your contributions to the List-address Oilcrops-L@mailserv.fao.org (please note that the List-address is different from the address you use to subscribe to the List). The
moderator will forward your messages to the whole participants list.
It would be appreciated if, once subscribed, you send an Email to the List-address providing the following information:
a.. your name
b.. company (name and type of business)
c.. postal address
d.. tel. / fax / Email
e.. main areas of interest
f.. type of information, which you can contribute to the Network
(e.g. statistics, market commentary, newspaper clippings, weather/production reports, policy papers, etc.):-
For further information regarding the OMN, please contact:
Peter Thoenes
Commodity Specialist and
Secretary, Intergovernmental Group on Oilseeds, Oils and Fats
FAO, Commodities and Trade Division
Via Terme Caracalla, 00100 Rome, Italy
Phone: +3906 57053498
Fax: +3906 57054495
Email: Peter.Thoenes@fao.org
Webpage: http://www.fao.org/es/ESC/
Labels: Chemical Engineering, Oil and Fats
posted by Kipas Repair JB @ 3:38 PM,
,
The Author
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!
