Dow and Electro Chemical awarded for solving corrosion problem
EMMAUS, Pennsylvania − The Dow Chemical Company and Electro Chemical were recently presented with Materials Technology Institute’s (MTI) 2016 Global Value Award for applying MTI guidebooks as they collaborated on a scrubber repair project that solved Dow’s corrosion problem.
The two companies’ earned the award based on eight criteria, including the positive financial, reliability, and safety impacts that the project has had on Dow operations. Internal training opportunities as well as standards, procedures, and process improvements at Electro Chemical also factored into the MTI Value Award Committee’s decision.
The project team, which included materials engineering experts from both companies, used MTI’s Guide for the Repair & Modification of FRP Equipment and Guide for the Repair & Modification of Lined Equipment to help evaluate the option of installing a Kynar PVDF thermoplastic liner in an existing FRP scrubber that was exhibiting end-of-life characteristics due to chemical corrosion.
Dow’s engineering group sought a long-term solution, and considered replacing the 13-ft. diameter, 30-ft. high vessel.
“We talked about replacing the scrubber, but we looked at the potential project and estimated that it would be very expensive,” said Abiodun Olawepo, a Process Improvement Engineer at The Dow Chemical Company.
Instead, the project team elected to investigate the potential of a thorough but less problematic solution. Dow’s engineers turned to the industry’s leading supplier of fluoropolymer coatings and linings, Electro Chemical, to evaluate the feasibility of applying a thermoplastic liner in the section of the scrubber experiencing the most deterioration from age and chemical exposure.
“We came to the conclusion that we could do a field test to see if the FRP that we had was going to bond very well with the Kynar sheet liner,” said Olawepo. “We thought, if we can do this, it could extend the life of the scrubber another 10-15 years. Ultimately, Dow engineers concluded that using the PVDF fluoropolymer liner could provide the protection the unit needed.”
They avoided the costs of a replacement vessel, an extended shut down for its installation, and the associated costs of piping and foundation modifications.
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