This issue begins with an insightful report by Gordon Cope, which addresses how North America is adapting to mounting pressures in the fertilizer sector caused by geopolitics, climate change, and new regulations. This issue also includes articles discussing pumps, valves, and compressors, plant reliability and asset management, corrosion protection, additives and coatings, heat exchangers, and dust control.
This month's front cover is brought to you by Stamicarbon.
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North America: transitioning through tension
Gordon Cope, Contributing Editor, discusses how North America is adapting to mounting pressures in the fertilizer sector caused by geopolitics, climate change, and new regulations.
Valves with a big impact
Sam Worrall, Trillium Flow Technologies, UK, asserts the importance of specialised valve design and production to meet the stringent requirements of individual fertilizer plant set-ups.
Change the seal, maximise the yield
Randy Moore, Siemens Energy, USA, outlines the benefits of retrofitting ammonia plant compressors with modern dry gas seals.
Facing the hidden inevitability
Kristin Leonard, Michael Harrison, and Neil Wilds, Sherwin-Williams, USA, discuss coatings which can be applied to appropriately mitigate and eliminate corrosion under insulation (CUI).
Fuelling the future with ceramic arrays
Rehan Afzal, Blasch Precision Ceramics, USA, demonstrates how mortarless ceramic arrays can be used to improve sustainability and reduce costs as the fertilizer industry transitions to using hydrogen as a fuel source.
Reducing risks through fertilizer coatings
Landon Bunderson, Nano-Yield, USA, explores how dry fertilizer coatings can function as risk management for manufacturers, blenders, applicators, and growers in the fertilizer industry.
An overlooked process hazard
Mike Schmidt, Bluefield Process Safety, USA, explores an overlooked process hazard in the production of ammonia: nickel carbonyl.
Adjusting your maintenance strategy
Aashnee Kamboj, Nanoprecise, Canada, analyses how Energy-Centred Maintenance can help support Reliability-Centred Maintenance to improve fertilizer plant efficiency.
Collecting dust and cleaning up conveyors
Shane Tighe, Martin Engineering, USA, outlines the solutions for dust and spillage issues in conveyor belts carrying organic matter, demonstrating principles relevant to fertilizer material handling.