Only You Can we 7 Chemical aT eT | a) Dr cot rors oe eta) beers CO) beet arr er eer? Dee Emergeney Petts ST and SystemsSirians Acustomized inspection and maintenance program will minimize operational and performance problems Onzzie Freites De Dietrich Process Systems Jass-lined steelequipmentis used ‘wide range of chemical pro: ssses that invelve harsh ehemi- cals, including the produetion of pharmaceuticals, specially chemicals, agricaltural products and polymers ‘One of the reasons for the attraction is that glass is resistant to attack from most chemicals and to mixtures of cor- rosive materials, In addition, it hae a ‘smooth, anti-stick surface, i$ easy to loan, and does not introdace impuri ties t9 the process materials, ‘The metals that compete with glass {or corrosion resistance are tantalum, titanium and zirconium, all of which are sevora] times more expensive than slasselined steel Figure 1).Glass-lined Steel can be used with most acid or a: kaline media, since glass withstands attack from most substsnces in both oxidizing and reducing environments, The exceptions include fluorides at any temperature or concentration; hot, concentrated phosphoric acid;and highly alkaline chemicals at elevated temporatures Glass-lined vessels typically consist of a carbon-stoel body with a bonded inner lining of specially formulated glass (Figure 2). The glass is com: posed of several oxides. and silicates. It is blonded and heated to the melt ing roint, emptied through chute, Oxlcizing Environment Fluo Hastelloy B tee) fet Pee ice ee th Graphite Fiber-eintoreed ps Reducing Environment ro crores) Ce (WE sicketchromium atioyy ‘Monel (icket-copper alloy) | carpenter 2o RESETS aay ee ee Er No chlorides iron oe FIGURE 1. The corrosion resistance of glass is compared with that of ofier metals and alloys in reducing and oxicizing ervironments, in he pre ofehlordes quickly cooled and solditied into par ticles ealled it.The frst cont of glass applied to the steel is the ground ooat the middle layer in Figure 2) it has limited corrosion resistance and is used solely to develop a chemical bond with the bas» metal (the atiom layer CHEMICALENOINEERING VAWA.CHE.COM JULY 2207 nea and absences in Figure 2), After the ground coat is cooled, the chemically resistant glass ithe tap layer in Figure 2) is applied This procedure is repeated until a desired glass thiekness is achieved which is usually 40-90 mils, Equipment that is often suppliedFIGURE 2. Ag ‘bonded to an be with a glass lining includes reactors, storage tanks, columns, éryers and filters, as wall as pipes, valves and fittings. The internal components of tho vessels, such as ogitators, baffles and dip pipes, are also supplied with glass coatings. In general, glass-lined vessels are designed to operate at ‘tomperatures up to 500°F (260°C) and pressures of 130-150 psig (9.14-10.55 kglem®), although they can bo built to withstand much higher pressures The leading cause of problems in the operation of glass-lined equipment is mechanical damage resulting from impact, and the second is thermal shock, caused by heating or cooling a vessel too quickly. These and other problems ean ke avoided or minimized by proper operation of the equipment and by educating personnel in the pro: cedures for working with glass-lined ‘equipment (see sidebar, p. 63) Preventive maintenance ‘The key to a long healthy life for slass-lined equipment is an inspection and maintenance program that is de- signed for early detection of damage. A small chip or pinhole. if not repaired immediately, ean lead to corrosion of the steel substrate and could result in major harm to the equipment, ‘The inspection process starts with a thorough review upon delivery of the ¢lass-lined equipment to the plant to censure it was not damaged in transit ‘Thereafter, the equipment should be ingpected at regular maintenance in- tervals ranging from several times a ‘year, to once every two years, depend: ing on the severity of service. More- 1rbon-steel substrate (bottom layer) glass (midcle layer. High-performance glass (Cop layer) 1s coated onto tne base glass to the e]o)5]>)»]=|-1 ire thickness frequent or even continuous testing may be conducted if the operating conditions azo oxpocially severe, or if damage is suspected. A typical maintensnee chedeist for giass-lined equipment. should i 2 Reference nets 2. ASM spec Sa. Bott?3) Sino, va 12 5/8 5 3/8 aA. 3/8 718 | 8 140 140 70 ‘eye oe rsmmended oral abit ASM Spe 84-18 Grae BY kes by ASME Spee SA-194, Grade 2H auc:idetied fy -2H" etarped on te top surface ‘and for mininam nd maine, reopectieely nde visual inspostio ofthe ln ing:spark testing for signs of giass- xb lining failure; glas thickness read- gaseers (AAD | ings; inspection of tantalam repair |Wozi> [Bote#3] Seo, [Min | Max. plugs and patches if installed; vor |sierin.|Now|im_|f¥b"_| fab, sel nozzle connections; and vessel [7 [a 5/640 [50 jacket connections. As in eonven- [1724 [8/4 [70 _|60 Vional equipment, the list should [a [a 576 [a6 also include motor ané drive per [se | 814 [70| 100 formanee and the mechanical seal [4 3ya_—} 70100. and lubrsotor (i applicable) 6 3/4_[70_|100 Spark testing. Gloss inings [B 7/816 [140 should be electrically tostoé after [19 [16 [1170 | 230. instalation and at regular main [42—[a——bv 7a [240] 300. tenance intervals inorder todeteet. | Regrane wee small defects before they become | 1. Tyan aereemmende or wel-atrcatd more serious problems. Aspark est |, "28 tht can be performed with either de.or |” Cn auc. spark testors, which apply ap- |, S419, Grade 2 nes ea proximately 6.000 V at very low ieee amperage. In either ease, the spark tester consists of a hand-held brush that is connected via a cable to a por- table detector. The inspector carefully brushes the glass surface, using semi-cireular motion, until the entire surface has been covered. Ifthe brush ‘encounters so much as a pinhole, cur- reat flows tothe steel shell and arcing Incidentally dc spark tests are | the preferred way to check vessel lin ings because they are grounded to the steel structure. The a.. types, which | tre connected to pover ute ae | generally used for checking. compo: nents that are completely encapsu- Jated in glass, such as agitator blades, where grounding is not possible. ‘Also available are permanent de. systems that are installed in a vessel and monitor the integrity of the glass lining continuously while the vessel is in service. A conductive lass electrode is mounted on an inter. ral aceesscry, such as a flush valve at the bottom of the vessel, and the other end of the cireuit is connected to the outside of the grounded steel shell. If there is a leak in the glass, a current of a fow milliamps flows between the 50contents of the vessel and setivates au diible and visual alarms. Besides con- tinuous monitoring, an online system, avoids the nead for someone to enter the vessel to conduct an inspection. Anothor option is to use a portable Instrument that, is based on the same principle. In this ease, the voseol is filled with @ conductive liquid, and a probe is suspended in the liquid on a cable. Although monitoring is not con- ‘tinuous, the test can be dono as often as eonsidered necessary, and the probe ‘can be used in multiple vessels. With either system, the approximate loca- tion of a leak can be determined by filling or draining a vessel until the alarm is activated or deactivated. Monitoring glass thickness. An- ‘other inspection task that is done elec trically i¢ measurement of the lass ‘thickness, caleulation that is eritical to tho life of a veesel. It is performed with a handheld magnetic induction or eddy-current type inatrumont that comprises a probe on a cable. When the probe is touched to the surface of the glass, it sends out a current that is rellected from the steel backing of the vessel. The time taken to receive the feedback signal indicates the glass thickness with an accursey ofa least 25%, This value is displayed on the in- sstrument. Th conduet thase tests, the vessel should be mapped in a grid pat- tern, with readings takon at intervals of 24-6 in, (61-81.5 em). ‘The appropriate interval between slass-thicknessmeasurementsdepends fon a number of factors, [the reactants used in a process are very aggressive, it may bo wiso te measure the thick ness of the reactor’ glass lining every throe to six months, The frequency of inspections should increase as the ves. sel ages, Areas that exhibit loss offre polish (the smooth finish achieved in the glass furnace) should be more thor- ‘oughly. inspected and monitored. Tn particular, agitator blades and baflles are mare likely to showr signs of wear ‘and should be tested more frequently ‘than othor areas. It is god practice to maintain a legbcok for each verso, indicating the date of installation and the dates and recults of epark tests, vieual inepoe tions and glass-thiciness tests The lox Salil FIGURE 3. Damaged areas of lass can bo repaired with a tan {alum plug, era patch comprising shee! of tantalum with a PTFE ‘gasket. The patch is placed across the damaged aroa and ie fastoned! Ino place with tantalum studs anc ‘us around its perihery will help maintenance person- nel to determine the estimated service life of the oquipment ‘and could help prevent a vessel failure, tis advisable to call the ‘equipment manufacturer when, the thickness of the glase lining, ‘thins to about 0.03 in. (0.08 am), 1s it is probably time to take the ‘vessel hack to the factory for r2= glassing. A reglassed vessel can cearry the same glass -lining warranty fas a new vessel. Ralore sending a vessel to the man- tufacturer for repair and reglaseing, it is necessary to eloan the vossel and Jecket thoroughly, removing all cherni- cals and heat-transfer fluids, Insula tion should also be removed, as well ag all seeossorice not subject to repair or replacement. These may include the agitation aystem, slampa,eplt flanges, pipes, valves and fittings. Any plugs or patches should also be removed, as product may have hecome trapped be hhind them. Field repairs Reglassing, however, is the remady of last resort and sould not be neces- sary until the lining has been worn thin by years of service or has been sevorely damaged. Such areas can be repaired economically ty means of a plag or patch made of tantalum, Which is used because of its eorrosion resistaneo. Plugs are designed to re pair small holes, up to 4 in, (10 em) dia., whereas, patches are intended for iarger areas of damage. Old repair 60 CHEMCALENGINEERING WINW.CHECON JULY 2007 FIGURE 4. Nozzle repair for small holes, up 104 {(10-em) dia. ts periormod with filer and a gae- st of polytetratluerosthylene (PTFE, er Teflon) plugs and patshes should be checked uring aa inspection. Loose plugs and patches should be roplaced, not re. (ightened. “Atantalam repair plug consists of stud, nut, disc and a gasket of polytet- rafluorocthylone (PTFE, or Teflon! Figure 3). It can be used to repair de- foots by the following procedure: * Clean the area to be repaired * Romove the damaged gless ** Choose the aparopriate size plug * Drill ond tap to the appropriate dimensions * Screw in the stud; easure that the hole is perpendicular aftr the plug is installed; ensure that the gasket is sealed properly + Apply a cement into the eavity ‘Insiall the PTFE gasket ‘Install the dise 4 Seraw on the nut Upon drilling a hole, prevent the tip of the drill from slipping over the glass by turning the chuck by hand and ap- plying pressure, such that the tip cuts its way througi tte lining. Be eure to mill at slow speed and in short bursts to avoid chipping the‘TABLE 3. RECOMIMENDED BOLT |_| ToRGUES! FoR CLAMPS2:2 AT PRESSURESTO 300 PSIG. Viih axbertostios igoskots (AF) | clamp size, In. aya (res Tes Tr Retoromasraten 1 Tongues re ommended wth we 2 Clemsar asada lace of bolt om ler wih Ranges largr en 1 in 0 Gnc'ihe migtzr aad se ofthe ramps ‘neuds on the wots msemsl pressure fine teste ofthe opening 2. ASME Spre $A 440 enitedby “or Ek Moetanpedontsed bat 4. The suther strongly recommends nbrca- finn fects viele Bing nd er one the faster The vovqe vlan fo Tab | ané 2a cl nthe nse of ae well restal nts aad keer ama gp tn 125m (Jem) La ‘raze il aay ase dams show | lass around the periphery ofthe holo. Complete the drilling process by using 4 ball mill or conical mill, Prior to installing the pateh, a filler, sueb as furan o¢ silicate, is injected into the damaged area (Figure 4). In the case of larger holes (larger than 4 in. dia.) fa sheot of tantalum, with a PTFE, gasket, is placed across the damaged fares and is fastened into place using, tantalum studs and nuts around its periphery This repair system can also. be ‘employed to restore damaged glass around anezsle, which is glassed on its interior and on the nozzle face. Ifthe steel has been damaged, the affected area may be filled with titanium putty or furan, and a tantalum sleeve may be installed inside the nozzle, A solu tion that is less expensive than tanta Jum for repairing glass around nozzles i the use of a repair sleeve made of PTFE, In this approach, titanium putty may be usad to fill the damaged ares, Then, a layer of cement is added, and the PTFE sleeve is installed on top of the cement to form a seal Causes of glass failure ‘There are many reasons for glass fail ture in glass-lined steel equipment. Most may be avoided by following the correet procedures whea working with the equipment, For example, mechani cal shock, whieh accounts for approxi mately 75% ofall failures, is often the result of human error Mechanical shock and chemical at tack. & common cause of glass failure mm mechanical shodk is objects fall inggon or against the outside or inside FIGURE 5. Approximately 75% of ll falluras In glasslinad steel equipment tre eavsee by mechanical shock ‘sulting rom impact on the outside fof the steel substrate of a vessel A sharp blow on the outside ean canse the glass to“pop off? depend ing on the severity of the blow. Iv me- chanical shoet ig suspected, the vessel must be inspected inmediaiely and, if neceseary, ropaired bofore further us. An impact direcily on the glass will rosult in crushed glass at the impact point, with chunks of glass fracturing ‘ffaround the area (Figure 5) Entry into a vessel for inspection oF maintonaneo always ereates a poton- tial for mechanical damage. In addi tion to taking normal safety procau- tions, a mechanic must wear a new or dedicated pair of rubber-soled shoes to prevent seratching the glass lining, and empty clothing pockets before en- toring the vessel. Items such as metal belt buekles or studs in clothes should he removed to prevent accidental seratehing of the glass in the manway nozale, Any tools that are noeded ean be lowered down in a sturdy cloth or ‘canvas baggonce the mechanic is saloly inside the vessel Avoid geraiching or tearing the sur face of a vessel's glass lining when removing residual roaction products, Plastic or wood scrapers. — never metal tocls — can be employed, but high-pressure waterjet cleaning is preferred. Whenever a glass-lined res sel is lifted and moved, itis important to follow the manufacturer's recom mended procedures for handling and rigging. The Lifting Jugs un the equip- ment are designed to carry the weight of the vessel and should be used as in- structed fo lifting and setting the ves. sel in place, Shortcuts, such as using acezles as lifting lugs, can subject the glass lining to excessive stress and possible damage. It must also be understocd that lass is not completely inert and is always undergoing local chemical re- | actions at the surface What allows s-Hined steel to be used with mast FIGURE 6. Thermal shock 's inducec by an abrupt temperature change. This change places the giass In torsion bocauseit eliminates the glass! compressive stress corrosive materials ia the elow rate of ronetion, Acids, alkalis and even water can corrode glass; the attack rate is determined by temperature, duration, tnd the concentration of reagents. A roaetor’s glass lining may be eroded Ly abrasive solids in the reae- tants, Abrasion is charseterized by a loss of fire polish and, in severe cases, a rough, sandpaperlike finish. Abra- sion combined with seid corrosion ean rosult in severe glaselining failure, 28 abrasion weakens the silica structure, svhich accslorates tho rate of acid cor rosion. Thermal shock. (lass lined vessels are made by bonding a layer of glass ta steel, as noted earlier. Since steel and glass have different coefficients of thermal expansion, glass-lining fail ure can result from abrupt changes in the temperature of the glass, caus- ing small, but thick, pieces of lass to fracture off the steel substrate. In most eases, the steel will he exposed Unlike failure from mechanical shock, thermal shock ususlly damages the lass lining in large areas (Figure 6) Consoquently, repairs with tantalum plugs or patches are often not practi- ‘al end the vessel must be eomplotely reglassed. ‘The basis for thermal shock is as follows: The glass lining is spraved on the prepared steel, and then moved into the furnace to “fuse” the glass and steal together, via mechanical and chemical adherence. Glass is fused onto steal at approximately 1,800°F (870°C), at which temperature the steel is com- paratively ductile and the glass is an amorphous, visrons mass. The glass s0- ligifles at around 00°F (820°C). This is the null point —a tomperature at which the glass is under neither con pression nor tension, Whon the glase lining eools to ambient temperature, it js under « residual compressive stress, whieh greatly strengthens the glass CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WHWCHE.COM JULY2007 64 InEnginecering Practice Wihen intocucing the thermal fluid into the jacket: When toading product into ne vesser Iiine proguct ane tne gloss-ned wall re et 356°F T he glas-tined wall and Jacket fd (180°C), the fluid temperature. ore at 302 (150°C), Shou be between 86°F (30°C) produsls between 32-7 ena S13 (2700) (GC) and 82°F (250°C) may be sotey intsduced Jacket side Jacket Side Acceptable Exterior Mute Temperature of ‘or wall the uid. "FC Temperature, °F/°C i i #0) zavies f] aM a zai/no “761-60 2sinas | y | 20-40 ol al fe series |] i 0 32/0 356/180 i 3 65/20 383/195 ) 83/1 104/40 10/210 pean r 140/60 419/215 roi 4 | 158/70 | 428/220 0 ver8o ars || 19 |) 194/50 446/220 0 212/100 455/295 220/10 Aea/240 240/120 473/245 266/130 482/250 Op Ea 491/288 302/160 00/260 320/160 509/265 338/170 516/270 366/100 527/275 374/190 ‘930/260 392/200 153/70 515/208, 0/210 175/80 $54/290 428/220 203/95 550/292 4467230 ]] 221/105. 585,296 -4ear240 || 248/120 572/300 482/250 FIGURE 7. The diagram illustrat: ‘shown are within the temperature 1 glace thermal-chook limitations of « glaes-tinod voeeal (for Type 2000 Glace. The vel ts stamped on the vessel (Min. = minknum; Max. = maximum) and makes it resistant to thermal and | higher temperatures, whore the resid- | should aot be less than 194°F (90°C), 2 ‘mechanical shock. However, excessive | ual compressive stress is lower, Thus, | differential af 216°F (102°C). ‘compression in glass increases the ten- | the temperature differential required | Four situations in which sudden dency of ronyex glass surfaces, such as | to cause thermal sheck will deeresse | temperature variations can cause outside radii or vestel nozzles, to spall. | as the glass temperature increases. | thermal shock are when. If glasslined steel is hosted lose | For example, and as illustrated in | * Cooling a hot giass surfaco using a to the aul point, the risk of damage | Figure 7,ifthe temperature of the ves | cold liquid is great bacause the glass starts to | scl wallis 902°F (150°C), then the cold- | * Hating a cold glase surface using lose its compressive strengt. Abrupt | est reagent introduved into the vessel | hot liquid temperature changes induco abrupt | should have a temperature of 32°F | + Hoating a cold, jackoted vessel by changes in the linings compressive | (0°), a differential of 270°F 132°), | rapidly eixeulating a very hot fluid strength and, potentially, thermal | Ifthe vossol wall is at 410°F 210°C), | through the jacket shock —a potential that increases at | the temperature ofthe coldest reagent | * Cooling a hot vessel wall by rapidly 62 CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WMWWLCHECOM JULY 2007‘nering a vessel “without firing vents Use spark roti eae recommended by the manufacturer ‘Weld comporentsento equipment inerioror ederior ‘sen cet oes apering without emptying shit pockots + Leove © manway cover open; it * Ua ap made of lic nomex do, | mc ie Sa Pg ong zompes tough the circulating a cold fluid through the vossel jacket Thermal stress. Another cause of failure in glass-lined equipment is thermal stress, Failure due to thermal stress, in contrast to thermal shock, is caused by differential heating or cooling that is not instantaneous in nature, Thermal stress may occur at areas of high stress concentration, such as on the vessel wall just below the top:jacket closure ring, or in the area where the bottom-jacket closure ring is welded to the vessel. In either cease, the cause is that the area inside the jacket is heated or cooled, w the unjacketed area is not Preventing vessel failure Proper operating procedures. Both thermal shork and thermal stress are strictly operational problems that can be easily avoided by following the equipment manufacturer's recommen- dations. Before setting process proce dures that involve thermal variations, it is important to measure (or closely approximate) the temperature of the sass lining, and to check possible local hotspots. Also, one should consult the manufacturers chart of maximum safe-temperatare differentials and adhere to it strietly. To avoid thermal shock due toa runaway exathermie re- action, a quick-response temperature sensor may be installed in a bafile, bottom cutlet valve or thermowell to ‘warn the operator of dangerous tem- perature increases. ‘Thormal stress may be reduced by careful control of heating and cooling ‘operations, such as by gradually rais- ing or lowering temperatures in the jecket to minimize thermal gradients tis also common to insulate unjack- ted areas. In aildition, the strapping or restraining of ajacketed vessel dur- ing heating eould impede the jacket's free expansion and result in over: stressing near the closure rings. ‘Nozzles on glass-lined vessels ean: rot be treated like thoso on unlinod vessels, Two common nozzle-related causes of glass damage are excessive tightening of flange bolts or clamps aand beading stress caused by piping, ‘Tables 1-3 (p. 59 and p.61) istthe ree. ommended torques for bolts, which are usually used with nozzle diameters up to 12 in, and clamps, which are used with larger nozzles Rxeassive torque also fracture the glass on a glass lined agitator. In this case, excossive torque oecurs when an operator tries to start tho agitator in a vory viscous or solid mass, or if during an opera: tion, the vesvel’s contents begin to thicken or solidify beyond design con- ditions. This problem may be avoided by installing a variable-frequency i verter or motor aaft-atart between the motor and the gear drive Tacket care. sackets of glaselined steel reactors are subject to internal fouling, due to a buildup of depesits ‘and iron-oxide corrosion from repeated heating and cooling eycles. Over time, fouling reduces heat-transfer efi cieney and increases reaction times, thereby decreasing yields by as much as 18%, Periodic inspection snd cleaning will minimize these problems and extend the life of a vessel. Cleaning compounds are available that remove iron-oxide buildup without damaging the giass lining or dissolving the base motal of a reactor. Mild fouling, espe cially due tothe circulation of brine s0- lutions for cooling, ean be eloaned with 115% solution of sodium hypochlorite, Acid-based cleaning solutions are not recommended because, over time, the ‘acid roaets with the stool, In cold climates, special precau- tions must be taken to protect glass: lined equipment that is used for out- door storage or in areas that are not heated. In locations where tempera: tures fall below freezing, jackets must be drained and plugged to prevent water entry. Where complete drain- age is not possible, anti-freeze, such as ethylene glycol, should be added to the jacket. Ifa split-pipe coil (er herniceil} vessel is being used, all coils must be completely drained. ‘Acid spillage on the outside of a ves sel causes major damage. Eventually the acid reacts with the steel to form hydrogen, which is known as nascent hydrogen. The hydrogen atoms perme- ate the stec] behind the glass lining luntil the pressure in the steel is high enough to disrupt the glass-to-stee! bond and cause the glass to spall. This type of failure requires a complete re- ilassing of the vessel. The obvious so- lution is to avoid spillage, but in the vent of an accident, the acid should be immediately neutralized and the oxterior of the vessel should he thor: ughly washed with water. As a pre: ventative measure, the top head of 2 vessel may be shielded with metal or ther material. In summary, problems with glass. lined equipment can be avoided by keeping in mind the special character- {sties and limitations ofthe equipment and by strictly adhering to a proper care and inspection program. . edited by Rita DAquino Author tase eltae@ddpaoe-som, eee the proper wae af gn ee ‘at ‘ee ‘working at De Distich,Fyeiae Feral stem ad dete or the aver ‘techni epemering om hs Ne Jory Stfuteofiecnolees (Near, Ns ‘CHEMICAL ENGINEERING VIWWLCHE.COM JULY 2007 63