Sealless pump design tackles HF alkylation

Magnetic drive sealless pumps featuring new technologies, specifically designed for use in Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) Alkylation, have been developed in response to the challenges of dealing with HF acid.
The new HMD Kontro sealless pump ensures conformity with all environmental well being and security standards through full fluid containment. – Image: HMD Kontro

Hydrofluoric acid alkylation is a chemical/hydrocarbon processing application which poses explicit challenges to course of operators, including the risks related to the dealing with of a lethal, highly corrosive fluid which poses a potential hazard to plant equipment, the people who work on web site and the broader surroundings should leaks happen.
The course of

HF Alkylation combines olefins (primarily a combination of propylene and butylene) with isobutene within the presence of a hydrofluoric acid catalyst to provide alkylate. A high-octane additive, alkylate is a important safety part that offsets the excessive vapour strain of the ethanol mandated in today’s low-sulphur unleaded petrol and gasoline provides. The continual tightening of clean fuels’ legislation has elevated the demand for alkylate, which is also answerable for the anti-knocking property of unleaded petrol/gasoline in modern autos.
Potential risks

The HF alkylation course of poses a selection of serious environmental and well being and safety dangers if poorly managed, with the potential for acid runaway, accelerated gear corrosion and associated HF launch. HF acid by its nature seeks out and attacks imperfections in solid metallic parts that will in the end reduce the life of pumps, valves and different tools and worse still, end in product leakage. Failure-prone mechanical seals can leak harmful process fluids. The aggressive and damaging nature of HF acid locations great importance on the choice of fabric of forged parts, notably when it comes to the pump casing and impeller.
Designed for resistance against highly corrosive fluids corresponding to HF acids, magnetic drive sealless pumps supply whole containment with built-in reliability. Magnetic drive sealless pumps that includes new technologies have been specifically designed for use in hydrofluoric acid alkylation items and have been developed in response to the challenges of dealing with HF acid.
Magnetic drive sealless pumps that includes new applied sciences have been particularly designed to be used in hydrofluoric acid alkylation models and have been developed in response to the challenges of handling HF acid. – Image: HMD Kontro

HMD Kontro HF pump

The result of close collaboration between UOP Honeywell, the main licensor of HF alkylation expertise and HMD Kontro, and utilizing an innovative development process, the HMD Kontro HF pump contains a excessive integrity pump casing manufactured from Alloy C22 (ASTM A194 Gr. CX2MW) which has been tested using new strategies of Non-Destructive Examination (NDE).
Specialist design features

Built into the design of these next generation pumps are options which meet operator-specific wants for the HF alkylation course of. They embody a pump casing in Alloy C22 materials, which has been confirmed to offer the mandatory resistance to corrosion and also meets NDE necessities for HF acid. In addition, the pump’s secondary containment system is rated to 40 bar (580 psi), eliminating the risk of leakage into the surroundings, and decreasing operational risks and the related costs to satisfy stringent environmental and well being and safety objectives. Finally, there could be digital pressure gauge monitoring to make sure a reliable sealless pump efficiency which incorporates leak detection instrumentation and safety in opposition to dry pump working (power control monitor).
With no seals to leak, no seal buffer systems to help and maintain and no supporting systems, the newest magnetic drive sealless pump know-how presents vital safety, cost and operational benefits. Lower end-user set up prices and simplified maintenance necessities, make it an efficient whole-life proposition compared to conventional mechanically sealed pumps.
Share

Scroll to Top