Episodes

24 minutes ago
Trump Cuts, EPA Restructures, ExxonMobil Expands
24 minutes ago
24 minutes ago
In this episode, Executive Editor Jonathan Katz reviews the top news stories for May 2025.
Trump's budget cuts and EPA changes reshape the chemical industry amid expansion.

Friday May 23, 2025
Operator Training Inefficiency Costs Millions
Friday May 23, 2025
Friday May 23, 2025
In Chemical Processing's Distilled Podcast, we discuss flaws in operator training, focusing on "time to train." Companies can waste millions of dollars by not optimizing training duration, often using fixed-length programs regardless of trainees' prior experience. Feedback loops to adjust training time based on individual competency and learning objectives are imperative. Indeed, proper assessment could identify struggling trainees and high performers who could be fast-tracked.

Friday May 16, 2025
9 Best Practices for Reliability and Maintenance
Friday May 16, 2025
Friday May 16, 2025
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.

Friday May 09, 2025
Chocolate: From Theology and Processing to Functional Food
Friday May 09, 2025
Friday May 09, 2025
With Easter just behind us and chocolate consumption hitting its second-quarter 2025 peak, it’s a good time to reflect on the theological and processing developments that have got us where we are today.
In this In Case You Missed It Episode, Chemical Processing's Editor-in-Chief Traci Purdum brings the written word to life, and Seán Ottewell, editor-at-large, provides the story.
The original column was posted to the site on May 5, 2025.
Chocoholics unite!

Friday May 02, 2025
Environmental Policy Shifts Reshape Chemical Industry Landscape
Friday May 02, 2025
Friday May 02, 2025
Executive Editor Jonathan Katz highlights the news of April 2025.
Trump's EPA eases regulations while confusion stalls recycling innovation and Dow delays climate investments.

Friday Apr 25, 2025
Why Advice Alone Won’t Get You Promoted in the Chemical Industry
Friday Apr 25, 2025
Friday Apr 25, 2025
Olivia followed all the right steps. As a chemical engineer at a major manufacturing plant, she had a mentor – a senior colleague who gave her great advice on career growth, technical skills and workplace challenges. She networked, took on projects and worked hard.
Yet, after years of effort, she was still in the same role, watching others get ahead.
Then she met Rahul, a senior executive who didn’t just advise – he advocated.
This In Case You Missed It episode features a column by Lauren Neal, Chemical Processing's Workforce Matters columnist. It is read by Editor-in-Chief Traci Purdum.

Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
Earth Day — Lax Regulations Burn Rivers
Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
Tuesday Apr 22, 2025
This Earth Day, the chemical industry finds itself at a crossroads in an era of deregulation.
Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, you learn early on all the things 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. And yes, our river caught fire — more than once.

Friday Apr 18, 2025
The Missing Step in Operator Training? Practice
Friday Apr 18, 2025
Friday Apr 18, 2025
In this episode, Traci and Dave discuss the importance of practice in operator training programs. Practice is often overlooked despite being crucial. Realistic scenarios that mimic real-world conditions, including time constraints and environmental challenges, are beneficial to anchoring lessons learned. Feedback loops are also necessary to evaluate individual performance and improve training programs. The new concept of micro training, in addition to having operators teach others, helps operators continuously practice their skills.

Monday Apr 14, 2025
Helping Process Manufacturers Enhance Sustainability Efforts
Monday Apr 14, 2025
Monday Apr 14, 2025
In a recent episode of Ear on Processing from Chemical Processing’s sister brand Processing, chief editor, Jesse Osborne, sat down with Greene Tweed’s business development manager for life sciences markets. They discussed the importance of sustainability for process manufacturers and outlined how Green Tweed’s FFKM products are assisting in that regard.
Enjoy this bonus episode of Distilled.

Friday Apr 11, 2025
Chemical Industry Wary as Trump Tariffs Take Effect
Friday Apr 11, 2025
Friday Apr 11, 2025
Trade organizations express concern over rising costs and supply chain disruptions. This episode takes a look at how the Trump administration's whiplash tariffs will impact the chemical industry.