In the past decade, ITW Performance Polymers has focused on delivering more durable and innovative solutions to various markets with our Devcon product line. Through our ongoing improvements to technology, our Devcon epoxies have made breakthroughs by lowering equipment downtime and providing significant cost savings to our clients.
As a result of saving time and resources for our clients, we have been able to grow our presence in existing industries and even expand into new ones. Although our growth is evident in the market, read on to see how we have repaired, rebuilt, and protected industrial equipment at a variety of different facilities.
Petrochemical Holding Tank and Containment Area Repairs
At a petrochemical plant, the foundation of a holding tank began to face corrosion from levels of standing water and other environmental factors which threatening infrastructural integrity. A corrosion protective coating was needed, and Devcon Flexane® 80 Liquid delivered. The urethane coating provided a long-term fix that withstood the extreme conditions of the holding tank.
A holding tank can also store oil for refining, one of the first steps in petrochemical manufacturing. At a separate chemical plant, sodium hypochlorite causes serious damage to the inner lining of the holding tank. An emergency repair was needed to prevent a chemical spill. Devcon Devweld 531 and Devcon Flexane 80 Putty offered a quick installation time for this emergency repair and high durability against chemical attack.
Another petrochemical plant faced chemical corrosion of a welded tank from the harsh environment of desalting. After using a competitive product and continuing to observe corrosive wear, this plant chose Devcon Brushable Ceramic industrial strength epoxy to coat and protect weld seams. The result included a 90% reduction of abrasive wear to the petrochemical welded tank.
When a holding tank containing 50m³ of sodium hypochlorite began to leak, a petrochemical facility entered a state of emergency. A quick and immediate repair was vital in order to maintain safety at the petrochemical plant. Fortunately, Devweld 531 and Devcon Flexane 80 Putty were on hand to complete the emergency repair. Utilizing Devcon industrial strength epoxies, the tank was repaired, and hazardous conditions effectively prevented.
The structural integrity in a petrochemical plant containment area was severely damaged from frequent exposure to sulphuric acid. Previously coated with an epoxy unable to withstand this harsh environment, the client turned to Devcon Epoxy Concrete Sealer and Devcon Epoxy Coat 7000 AR to get the job done. These products proved outstanding durability withstanding acid concentrations up to 98%. With these outstanding results Devcon industrial strength epoxy coatings proved superior performance against competitors.
Pulp and Paper Debarker Drum Abrasion Resistance
At a pulp and paper plant, the debarker strip logs surrounding bark before undergoing chemical processing. The debarker drum faced consistent yearly wear of 4 mm, and the client wanted to find a product solution that could elongate the service life of the equipment and prevent a costly replacement. By applying Devcon DFense Blok™ the debarker drum the client saw a 45% reduction in yearly wear.
Coal Mining Industrial Strength Epoxy Repairs
The exhaust flue for burned hydrocarbon at a coal plant had faced leakage and damage to metal blades. Exhaust flue leaks posed a significant threat to the health and safety of plant employees, and an emergency repair was necessary to prevent further harm. With Devcon Flexane 80 Putty and Devcon Flexane 80 Liquid, the emergency repair was completed within one shift, maintaining a safe work environment for employees.
Another coal plant faced severe abrasive wear of a coal ash transfer pump from a high abrasive solids slurry. The client considered full replacement of the pump housing which would cause prolonged equipment downtime and an increase in maintenance costs. Fortunately, the Devcon Ceramic Compound, Devcon Wear Guard™ Fine Load, and Brushable Ceramic were used to coat the coal ash transfer pump housing and enabled a $30,000 cost savings for the plant.
A coal plant fly ash pump was riddled with wear from exposure to a highly abrasive and viscous coal particular slurry. This wear resulted in a full replacement of the equipment every 3 months driving up maintenance costs to about $35,000. But after choosing the Devcon Titanium Putty and Devcon Wear Guard Fine Load to reduce costs and increase equipment durability the client was delighted by the results. With Devcon industrial strength epoxies, maintenance costs totaled only $2,000 providing a 94% cost savings.
The screw conveyor at a separate coal plant suffered abrasive wear as dry coal collected onto screw flights. Preventing the transportation of coal powder to further processing, the screw conveyor was abruptly taken offline. To limit equipment downtime, Devcon Ceramic Repair Compound and Devcon Brushables were used to perform a full repair of the equipment. To the client’s ultimate satisfaction, maintenance repairs were kept under 24 hours and production could effectively resume.
The pneumatic conveying pipe leverages air to move coal slurry throughout the coal processing plant. However, wet slurries had caused severe abrasive wear to the elbow joint of the equipment and pipes required maintenance every two months. To combat these costly repairs, Devcon Combowear Fast Cure was utilized, to enable a quick repair time of only 2 hours and a product durability that will allow for a significant repair savings.
Used to dry coal at an optimal combustion temperature, a vertical coal mill faced abrasive wear to various components. With a need for an abrasion resistant wearing compound, Devcon Wear Guard Fine Load fit repair requirements at this coal plant. By implementing Devcon Wear Guard Fine Load, previously damaged equipment components were equipped with adequate temperature resistance up to 150°C / 302°F, providing ultimate durability and long-term protection from wear.
Marine Ship Propeller Cavitation and Erosion Prevention
Ship propeller casing experiences cavitation from frequent exposure to corrosive water and particles. Damage threatened the infrastructure of the propeller and the engine durability. Corrosion and cavitation were successfully eliminated with Devcon Titanium Putty and Devcon Brushable Ceramic Blue. These industrial strength epoxies successfully provided high durability against erosive forces.
Gold Mining Industrial Strength Epoxy Solutions
A cone crusher is leveraged to break down excavated and drilled ore from drilling operations at a gold mine. Metal plates of the cone crusher require a sealant backing compound to fill gaps between panels and meet equipment specifications. Devcon’s industrial strength epoxies allowed for durable high strength adhesion to metal plates. Exceeding customer expectations, this gold mine decided to implement the Devcon epoxy and epoxy adhesives as a full replacement against a competitor product.
At a separate gold mine, a drill cone is used to contain and redirect abrasive rock and minimize debris and dust generation. Despite attaching steel AR plates to the drill cone, the equipment continued to face cavitation and wear. By utilizing one of our toughest abrasion resistant coatings, Devcon DFense Blok, the drill cone was able to withstand the harsh environment of borehole drilling.
Petroleum Refining Equipment, Safeguarded
A major crude oil refinery leverages a heat exchanger to regulate temperatures throughout a water-cooling system. However, chemical exposure had led to corrosion and oxidation threatening the operation of the equipment. The client evaluated product solutions to protect the heat exchanger against corrosion and oxidation and landed on Devcon. Using Devcon Brushable Ceramic Blue Coating, the life cycle of the heat exchanger was successfully extended beyond its useful service life.
Steel Manufacturing Metal Tank Protection
A steel plant makes use of a metal tank to hold hydraulic mineral oil during processing operations. Despite using a competitor coating, the tank faced deterioration and corrosion causing an unplanned shutdown of the equipment. With Devcon EZ-Spray Ceramic, the tank is equipped with chemical resistance and application of the coating was reduced to only 2 days limiting equipment downtime at the steel plant.
Potassium Mining
At a potash mine, pump box baffles are exposed to high temperatures and a saline solution which causes corrosion and wear to equipment. To prevent an elongated period of equipment downtime Devcon Wear Guard 300 RTC was trialed against a competitor product as an epoxy coating solution to safeguard pump box baffles. After 6 months, Devcon Wear Guard 300 RTC reigned supreme, providing outstanding, long-lasting protection and outlasting the competitor product.
Wastewater Management
A stormwater management submersible pump faced leakage and cavitation due to the harsh conditions of the wastewater facility. The pump was sent to a third-party facility for full repair to elongate the service life of the equipment. The third-party facility, Powers Bros, used Devcon EZ-Spray Ceramic to repair the submersible pump and saw incredible results. The glossy industrial strength coating was able to provide high resistance to wear and corrosion successfully extending the pumps service life.
Conclusion
With these results, the Devcon product line of industrial strength epoxy has generated immense customer delight by helping new emerging industries face their complex equipment challenges head on. But these results just scratch the surface. At ITW Performance Polymers we help customers all around the world address their application challenges and epoxy needs.
Looking to protect your industrial equipment against wear? Contact our Technical Services Department for more information on which Devcon coating solution is most suited for your maintenance and repair applications.
View all our Technical Data Sheets and Safety Data Sheets. Need some help? Ask a technical question and find a solution!
Further reading: The Top Four Types Of Wear Impacting Industrial Equipment and Long-Lasting, Easy-To-Apply Room Temperature Cure Coating That Increases Equipment Life.
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