Basic featuring new technologies, specifically designed for use in Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) Alkylation, have been developed in response to the challenges of handling HF acid.
The new HMD Kontro sealless pump ensures conformity with all environmental health and security standards through complete fluid containment. – Image: HMD Kontro
Hydrofluoric acid alkylation is a chemical/hydrocarbon processing software which poses specific challenges to process operators, including the risks related to the dealing with of a deadly, highly corrosive fluid which poses a possible hazard to plant equipment, the individuals who work on web site and the broader setting should leaks happen.
The course of
HF Alkylation combines olefins (primarily a mix of propylene and butylene) with isobutene within the presence of a hydrofluoric acid catalyst to provide alkylate. A high-octane additive, alkylate is a crucial safety part that offsets the high vapour pressure of the ethanol mandated in today’s low-sulphur unleaded petrol and gasoline provides. The continual tightening of fresh fuels’ laws has elevated the demand for alkylate, which can also be liable for the anti-knocking property of unleaded petrol/gasoline in modern autos.
Potential dangers
The HF alkylation process poses a variety of serious environmental and health and safety risks if poorly managed, with the potential for acid runaway, accelerated equipment corrosion and associated HF release. HF acid by its nature seeks out and assaults imperfections in solid metal components that may ultimately reduce the life of pumps, valves and other tools and worse nonetheless, lead to product leakage. Failure-prone mechanical seals can leak dangerous process fluids. The aggressive and damaging nature of HF acid locations nice significance on the choice of fabric of forged elements, particularly in terms of the pump casing and impeller.
Designed for resistance against highly corrosive fluids such as HF acids, magnetic drive sealless pumps offer total containment with built-in reliability. Magnetic drive sealless pumps featuring new applied sciences have been particularly designed to be used in hydrofluoric acid alkylation units and have been developed in response to the challenges of dealing with HF acid.
Magnetic drive sealless pumps featuring new applied sciences have been particularly designed for use in hydrofluoric acid alkylation models and had been developed in response to the challenges of handling HF acid. – Image: HMD Kontro
HMD Kontro HF pump
The results of shut collaboration between UOP Honeywell, the main licensor of HF alkylation technology and HMD Kontro, and using an innovative growth process, the HMD Kontro HF pump contains a high integrity pump casing manufactured from Alloy C22 (ASTM A194 Gr. CX2MW) which has been examined utilizing new methods of Non-Destructive Examination (NDE).
Specialist design features
Built into the design of those next generation pumps are options which meet operator-specific needs for the HF alkylation process. They embrace a pump casing in Alloy C22 supplies, which has been proven to supply the mandatory resistance to corrosion and likewise meets NDE requirements for HF acid. In addition, the pump’s secondary containment system is rated to 40 bar (580 psi), eliminating the potential for leakage into the setting, and reducing operational risks and the associated prices to meet stringent environmental and well being and security goals. Finally, there is steady monitoring to ensure a dependable sealless pump performance which incorporates leak detection instrumentation and protection towards dry pump running (power management monitor).
With no seals to leak, no seal buffer methods to help and preserve and no supporting systems, the latest magnetic drive sealless pump technology presents vital safety, price and operational advantages. Lower end-user installation costs and simplified maintenance necessities, make it an effective whole-life proposition compared to conventional mechanically sealed pumps.
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