Expansion Joint for an Abrasive Application

"The expansion joint has offered superior performance, reliability, and service life consequently reducing downtime and increasing efficiency"

the challenge

A chemical processing plant based in the United States of America produces fluid catalytic cracking (FCC) catalysts, co-catalysts, and additives used by petroleum refineries to convert crude oil into gasoline, other transportation fuels, heating oil, and petrochemical feedstocks. The plant employed a stainless-steel hosing that would repeatedly fail due to abrasion on the leading edge of the hose, only lasting for 3 to 6 months before requiring a replacement.

the solution

We advised the plant on the installation of an expansion joint as the solution. The expansion joint we chose has now been in service for 2 years, yielding more than 4x the service life of the stainless-steel hosing.

the result

The expansion joint has offered superior performance, reliability, and service life. This has resulted in an improvement in plant safety, an increase in the mechanical integrity of equipment, and allowed the customer to gain a competitive advantage in the market with reduced downtime and increased efficiency.