乐动体育官方网站At Amar our core business involves the fabrication ofpressure vessels.We thought we would devote a few blog posts to exploring the world of pressure vessels.We are structuring this blog post as a set of questions and answers.
- Why are chemists increasingly adding pressure vessels to process development labs?In today's world sustainability and economics demands more efficient reactions.Oftentimes this means process intensification.i.e.Use higher temperatures to increase reaction rates.High temperatures mean higher vapor pressures.For example see the Vapor Pressure curve below for Methanol as a solvent.The same reaction done at 60oC can usually be done at higher rates at 90oC or 120oC but that means glass equipment is no longer suitable.Hence pressure vessels due to the high operating pressures involved.
- Can we buy pressure vessels from any fabrication vendor?Pressure vessels are a safety critical item.Often reactions can be carried out at pressures as high as 50 Bar.Supercritical systems can exceed even 150 bar.Any fabrication or design errors can lead to catastrophic consequences.That's why most countries have strict rules about who can manufacture and sell pressure vessels.The US has the ASME U stamp and associated codes which many other nations also accept.The EU has a Pressure Equipment Directive.Australia, Canada, Singapore, Russia etc.have their own legal versions of these codes.Be aware of the rules and only buy vessels from approved vendors.For those readers interested in a bit of history see the photo of the factory below from Massachusetts USA where a boiler explosion in 2005 started the regulatory world of pressure vessel codes.
乐动体育官方网站Amar for example has all requiredcertifications.Codes are very detailed about requirements for various nozzles, welds, openings etc.and this enhances standardization and safety.E.g.See Image below courtesy "Descriptive Guide to the ASME Code Section VIII, Division 1, Pressure Vessels" McGraw Hill 2004)
Note: The code may have changed from the date of publication of this book.
- Are there exemptions for labs and pilot plants from the strict regulatory requirements?The ASME and other codes are complex.But in many cases there is a threshold which is a product of reactor size and volume below which a reduced set of regulatory requirements may be applicable.乐动体育官方网站Talk to an experienced vendor like Amar who has a dedicated design team who can guide you on these matters.But yes, the codes are rational and reasonable and often by restricting scale a less difficult pathway may be available.
- Why is the market for pressure vessels turning global?Pressure vessels are expensive pieces of equipment.Many labs may discover that their existing vendor does not allow their budgets to be efficiently deployed.Fabrication cost advantages are causing many vendors to shift manufacturing to lower cost locations.Improvements in internet and video calls and global travels mean that customers are more willing to audit and explore vendors in other global locations.Vendors in other countries have significantly upgraded their technology (乐动体育官方网站Amar fabrication shop floor) as well as safety and are more visible in international trade shows (乐动体育官方网站Amar at Achema). All of this increasingly means that a lab in Frankfurt or Atlanta may increasingly use pressure vessels fabricated in Poland or India.This trend will continue to increase!
Stay tuned for Part 2 of this blog post for more details about the world of pressure vessels.Meanwhile doreach out乐动体育官方网站to our experts at Amar for a confidential no obligations consultation.
