Control Instruments Corporation (CIC) applications
Coil Coating is a high-temperature solvent vapor monitoring application in which rolls of aluminum or steel are coated with a color finish, oven cured to desired specs and sold to makers of cans, rain gutters, home appliances, building & automotive products and other fabrications. Coil coating requires the use of our PrevEx Flammability Analyzers to monitor the flammability of the solvent vapor driven off during the drying process. PrevEx analyzers accurately measure solvent mixtures and can withstand the temperatures required to prevent sample clogging in coil coating plants.
The Oil & Gas industry is composed of three major components: upstream, midstream and downstream. The upstream industry finds and produces crude oil and natural gas. The midstream industry processes, stores, markets and transports commodities such as crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The downstream industry includes the oil refineries, petrochemical plants, petroleum product distributors and natural gas distribution companies.All of these operations contain many processes that require monitoring of hazardous gases and vapors to protect personnel, product and facilities from accidental releases or leakage.
Government and environmental groups are forcing industries with medium to high VOC exhausts to reduce emissions by as much as 98%. Incineration using pollution control devices such as oxidizers and flare stacks is one way to bring the exhaust emissions in line with the regulations. Capturing and reusing solvent in a solvent recovery system is another way.
Many industries are involved in coating products with solvent-borne materials and then employing ovens or dryers to remove the solvents from the finished product. The key hazard is an explosion from the build up of solvent vapors in the oven or dryer atmosphere. This buildup could occur by a malfunction in the production process such as: a sudden or improper amount of coating, a change in ventilation controls or excessive speed. In any of these cases, the concentration of flammable vapor has an opportunity to rise above safe levels, creating a potentially explosive mixture of vapor in air.
Flammable non-condensible gases (NCG’s) are byproducts of the wood pulping process. Health and pollution regulations prohibit the release of these gases into the atmosphere. They are usually eliminated by passing them through an incinerator or by using them as fuel in the burner of a boiler or kiln. The incinerator, boiler or kiln however can be damaged by NCG’s which have built up explosive levels. Pulp mills require the use of our PrevEx Flammability Analyzers to monitor the NCG stream and detect and divert these dangerous concentrations before they can cause damage and shut down the mill. The PrevEx analyzers accurately measure the total concentration of flammable gases present in the NCG sample. Their high sampling speed dramatically improves response time—an important factor in pulp mill applications.
Solvent based inks in different colors and patterns are applied to paper, plastic, film and foil substrates. Finished products include all sorts of wrapping paper, wall covering, candy wrappers, flexible food packages, shrink labels, high quality magazines and many, many more. These industries employ ovens or dryers to remove the solvents from the finished product. The key hazard is an explosion from the buildup of solvent vapors in the oven or dryer atmosphere. This buildup could occur by a malfunction in the production process such as: a sudden or improper amount of coating, a change in ventilation controls or excessive speed. In any of these cases, the concentration of flammable vapor has an opportunity to rise above safe levels, creating a potentially explosive mixture of vapor in air.
Flammable & combustible liquids are found in virtually every industrial plant. The quantities of these can vary from a few ounces in aerosol cans to several thousand gallons in bulk storage tanks. The principal hazard associated with storage is the accidental discharge or release of the flammable or combustible material into the surrounding area.
Regulations prohibit facilities from discharging flammable or explosive wastes from their processes into the wastewater collection system. These wastes are not only a fire and explosion hazard but they can also effect the efficient and effective operation of the treatment facility. PrevEx Flammability analyzers are used to continuously monitor the waste stream for flammable gases and vapors. Their unique design and operating technology make them the ideal analyzers for the harsh conditions found in the sewer environment.
