Stainless-steel tanks and pressure vessels for the chemical industry have, in many cases, the same process requirements as in the dairy industry and the pharmaceutical industry. However, the chemical industry has the additional need of being able to store and treat strong acidic products in large quantities. Normal stainless-steel alloys are not resistant enough against corrosion for this.
JH Stålindustri Provides the Necessary Documentation for the Chemical Industry
The chemical industry places a large importance on documentation and production of tanks and systems used in their production. The documentation needs to cover everything from the design phase, such as pressure and heat exchange calculations, to the final manufacturing specifications of the tank.
At JH Stålindustri we handle the whole documentation of our products. That is why we have developed our own business database which contains everything from sales, project certifications, purchase, and manufacturing documents, to the specification of the individual parts.
The Choice of Stainless-Steel is Important in the Chemical Industry
The Pitting Resistance Equivalent Number, also known as the PREN-number, is crucial when it comes to choosing if a stainless-steel tank can be used for the chemical industry. Even though process temperatures and pressure levels are important factors to consider, corrosion is the biggest challenge when working with acidic products.
The right material to solve this, usually alloy, can become very costly. So much so that other materials such as fiberglass are sometimes chosen by our competitors. But as soon as the process requires pressure to be applied, challenges occur with fiberglass. The optimal material choice will almost always be stainless-steel with a specific alloy in which the PREN-number is high enough to withstand corrosion.
Normal alloys in stainless-steel such as EN 1.4404 cannot be used for strong acids such as hydrochloric acid. In cases like these it may be necessary to use an EN 1.4539 (904L) solution that can withstand stronger acids. If work is done with other kinds of strong chemicals, it can in some cases be necessary to choose a solution using duplex steel such as EN 1.4462 or super duplex steel such as EN 1,4410 – both have a much higher corrosion resistance and are thus well-suited for the chemical industry.
Get the Right Material for your Stainless-Steel Tank
Our supplier Sandvik has developed a corrosion chart that shows the potential effects that acidic products have on stainless-steel tanks. The corrosion chart is a general guide for choosing the right materials and was developed to increase the understanding of materials to help customers make an informed decision.
When using the chart, it is possible to look up a wide range of liquids in combination with the process temperature.
If there are mixtures of different acidic liquids, it will become more complicated, and the only solution will be to carry out a steel alloy test to find the right material for your needs.
You can find the corrosion charts here.
Our Stainless-Steel Tanks are Delivered with Material Certificates
When you buy a stainless-steel tank from JH Stålindustri, it is always delivered with material certificates. This is our way of letting out customers know exactly what their tank is made of. Depending on the requirements for the product used in the tank, certain non-destructive test (NDT) such as pressure, penetration, radiographical and endoscopic test may be carried out.
As a part of the ‘Factories Accepted Tests’ (FAT) a riboflavin test can be offered to demonstrate and document the tank’s cleaning ability.
JH Stålindustri Custom Designs Solutions to fit to your Needs
When it is time for an upgrade of production facilities, it requires more than just the purchase of new equipment. It is all about finding the right partner who can provide a solution that will add value to your existing production process now and in the future. Therefore, we work with clients to customize each solution for your company’s needs. Other companies often just create general tanks that they believe will fit into any production line, which is simply not true.
At JH Stålindustri you will find a group of enthusiastic and dedicated employees with many years of experience who can offer reliable Danish craftmanship of highest quality and the following:
- Know-how that is easily accessible and customer service team that is quick to provide a valuable guidance
- A complete solution in which all elements from the technical to the practical aspects have been carefully thought through
- A simple solution that works immediately, with a focus on ease of installation, production on time and no extra costs
Contact JH Stålindustri Now to get a Quote!
JH Stålindustri has manufactured several mobile tanks and vessel according the customer’s specifications, and we are confident we can find a solution for your needs. If you have any questions, please contact us on telephone +45 86 47 90 44 or e-mail us at jhstaal@jhstaal.com
