Industrial Chemical Separation : Historical Perspective, Fundamentals, and Engineering Practice

A fresh new treatment written by industry insiders, this work gives readers a remarkably clear view into the world of chemical separation. The authors review distillation, extraction, adsorption, crystallization, and the use of membranes – providing historical perspective, explaining key features, and offering insights from personal experience. The book is for engineers and chemists with current or future responsibility for chemical separation on a commercial scale – in its design, operation, or improvement – or for anyone wanting to learn more about chemical separation from an industrial point of view. The result is a compelling survey of popular technologies and the profession, one that brings the art and craft of chemical separation to life.

Ever wonder how popular separation technologies came about, how a particular process functions, or how mass transfer units differ from theoretical stages? Or perhaps you want some pointers on how to begin solving a separation problem. You will find clear explanations and valuable insights into these and other aspects of industrial practice in this refreshing new survey.

Tim Frank retired as Fellow and Associate R&D Director at The Dow Chemical Company after 34 years of industrial experience. He holds a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University – Bozeman (1978) and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado – Boulder (1981, 1984). At Dow, Dr. Frank held a variety of positions in technology development and technical management within R&D, focusing on the development of distillation, extraction, crystallization, and adsorption-based processes for commercial implementation. He is co-author of 32 publications on various aspects of separation and reaction technology and is co-inventor on 20 granted patent families. Dr. Frank is editor and co-author of Section 15, Liquid-Liquid Extraction and Other Liquid-Liquid Operations and Equipment, in Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook, 8^th and 9^th eds. (McGraw-Hill, 2007, 2018), and co-editor/co-author of Section 4, Thermodynamics, in Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook, 9^th ed. He has also been active in the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) as Chair (2010-2011) and Director (2012-2015) of the local Mid-Michigan Section and has served AIChE’s Separations Division as Area Chair of Extraction (2009-2011), Division Chair (2015), and as Editor of the Separations Division Newsletter (2013-2016). In addition to receiving numerous Dow awards including the President’s Environmental Care Award (1992), Dr. Frank is a member of the Dow team recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1999 with a President’s Green Chemistry Challenge Award. He received the AIChE Separations Division Gerhold Award in 2014 and is a Fellow of AIChE.

Bruce Holden retired as Principle Research Scientist at The Dow Chemical Company after 40 years of industrial experience. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in chemical engineering from Clarkson University (Potsdam, New York) in 1975 and 1977. At Dow, Mr. Holden held a number of technical leadership positions in process R&D, process engineering, and environmental services. Mr. Holden has contributed to several books on separations technology and the proper handling of toxic materials including Section 15, Liquid-Liquid Extraction and Other Liquid-Liquid Operations and Equipment, in Perry’s Chemical Engineers’ Handbook, 8^th and 9^th eds. (McGraw-Hill, 2007, 2018); AIChE Equipment Testing Procedure – Trayed & Packed Columns: A Guide to Performance Evaluation, 3^rd ed. (AIChE/Wiley Press, 2014); and Chapter 7, Storage of Toxic Materials, in Handbook of Highly Toxic Materials Handling and Management (Marcel Dekker, 1995). Mr. Holden has been a strong supporter of the Mid-Michigan AIChE Section, serving as Secretary from 2009 to 2019 and in later years as a Director. He has also served on various AIChE committees on distillation testing methods and as a member of the technical committee at Fractionation Research, Inc. In recognition of his many technical contributions, Mr. Holden has received numerous Dow awards including the Michigan Consultant’s Award, The Doug Leng Excellence in Engineering Sciences Award, and 13 Dow Technology Center/Waste Reduction Always Pays (WRAP) awards for development and implementation of commercially successful technology at Dow manufacturing facilities (1990-2013). In 2011, Mr. Holden was named Chemical Engineer of the Year by the Mid-Michigan Section of AIChE, and in 2017 he received a Shining Star Award from AIChE for Volunteer of the Year. He is a Fellow of AIChE.