Nuremberg has the right chemistry!

- POWTECH 2014: The latest mechanical processes for the chemical industry
- Almost one out of every three exhibitors is a vendor of analytical equipment
- Advance online ticket sales start on 19 August 2014

Mechanical processes have an important role to play in the chemical industry. Wherever raw materials, intermediate products or end products are in powder or bulk form, process steps like comminution, mixing, conveying and analysis become indispensable. From 30 September to 2 October 2014, more than 700 exhibitors from more than 25 countries will again be coming to the Nuremberg exhibition centre to attend POWTECH, the world’s leading trade fair in its field, showing everything the chemical industry needs to handle powders, granulates and bulk materials – including analysis. Tickets will be available from 19 August 2014 at www.powtech.de/ticketshop. Buying tickets online gets you into the trade fair faster and lets you bypass long queues at the box office.

Even under laboratory conditions, analyses of such factors as particle size, particle size distribution, particle shape and bulk density are among some of the most arduous tasks. A vast range of optical and mechanical analytical systems are used to characterise powders by size, shape, distribution and concentration. But since chemistry often also needs information about particles’ flow characteristics, molecular weight, viscosity and zeta potential in emulsions and suspensions, analytical equipment becomes a key matter of interest when mechanical processes must be controlled.

Almost one out of every three exhibitors at POWTECH offers analytical equipment. That large figure reflects the great importance of analysis in processing powders and bulk solids. More than 200 exhibitors will be offering what may well be the world’s most comprehensive overview of various analytical systems for powders, granulates and bulk solids.

Analysis becomes a part of the process

Optimised process management, and of course the pressure to maintain quality at low cost, are the main motivations to provide particle analysis as an actual part of a process, or at least nearby. That need has sparked demand for analytical equipment integrated directly into processes. Only such inline and online systems can improve an understanding of the process and make it possible to provide set points for automation. Direct observation of such characteristics as particle size distribution in powders makes processes much more efficient and faster to monitor and control. Waste is minimised, and employed energy is utilised to the best advantage because such steps as grinding need to be continued only as long as is absolutely necessary. There’s also no need to prepare and transport samples as well. POWTECH 2014 has solutions as well for the stringent requirements of real-time particle analysis, because nearly 40 internationally important exhibitors will be bringing their latest developments in inline and online particle analysis to Nuremberg. That means POWTECH 2014 will be a showcase of innovation. The most important vendors will demonstrate how real-time particle analysis can be used for perfect process and production management – whether in initial testing, process control, or process monitoring.

Dust a core problem for plant safety and explosion prevention

At POWTECH, production engineers, process technicians and systems planners in the chemical industry will find not just the latest trends in process and production optimisation, but also a focus on plant safety and explosion prevention. So many materials used in chemistry are processed in powder form during production processes, or finish processing as powders or granulates, that dust can very readily increase safety risks all by itself.

The group of safety technology vendors, with about 350 exhibitors, is one of the most important at POWTECH. More than 200 of these exhibitors will be showing innovative solutions for electric and non-electric explosion protection. Other important fields offer include fire protection, emission protection, and of course occupational safety, helping to make POWTECH one of the most important trade fairs for specialists in chemistry in particular.

Special forum on explosion protection

The second afternoon of the event will also be devoted to efficient explosion protection at the POWTECH forum. Technical presentations on fire and explosion protection will be followed by a panel discussion and an exclusive guided tour by trade journal publisher Vereinigte Fachverlage. Also worth seeing are the live explosions in the exhibition centre parklands.

Forum on “Gentle conveying of solids”

It’s not uncommon for the chemical industry to use sensitive bulk solids that must be handled delicately and transported gently, without segregation, from point A to point B. A special lecture series by the Konradin Verlag publishing house on the first day of the fair will provide the POWTECH forum with a complete view of current technologies.