Cleaning Solutions for Glass-Lined Reactor Equipment
Chemical, pharmaceutical, petrochemical, food & beverage, and many other industries rely on glass-lined reactors equipment to perform chemical and microorganism processes. The corrosive nature of certain chemicals and organisms can be contained by the glass without negative effects. Glass lined reactor jacket cleaning can be a difficult nature due to the enclosed design of the reactor, vessel materials, the chemical's characteristics, and other factors. At Lechler, we offer cleaning technologies and system solutions to increase operational efficiency and cleaning effectiveness.
Maintenance for Glass-Lined Equipment
Glass lined equipment consists of a metal vessel that has a specially formulated glass inner lining that is bonded into place. Leading problems that impact the equipment include impact damage and rapidly heating or cooling the equipment too quickly that leads to thermal shock. Maintenance programs typically involve cleanings and inspections to look for any small pinholes or chips in the glass lining. This type of damage can lead to corrosive substances penetrating the glass and damage to the metal vessel.
Types of Cleaning Solutions for Glass-Lined Equipment
Cleaning the glass-lined equipment allows for workers to see any damages that could need immediate repairs. The types of cleaning solutions to employ will depend on several factors such as cleaning time, chemical product used, vessel material, equipment design, size of the reactor, temperature, and mechanical impact.
Small reactors may be filled with a cleaning solution. The cleaning solution is allowed to soak into the grime on the glass as an agitator will be employed. After some time, the reactor is drained. On larger vessels, spray nozzles are used for glass lined reactor jacket cleaning. Using the soaking method can take a long time, causing unreasonable downtimes and loss in profits. For a small reactor, two spray nozzles are normally recommended while three nozzles or more are appropriate for larger vessels.
Factors to Consider When Selecting a Cleaning Technology
When selecting a cleaning technology, you must consider how the substances in the vessel will react to the cleaning products. This aspect determines how long the spray technology will be employed and the number of spray nozzles to use.
Other factors involve the nozzle opening sizes that can impact the flow rate and droplet sizes for the cleaning solution as well as the spray ball material, orientation, construction, and type of spray ball. Adding additional holes to the nozzle can ensure that every crevice is reached by the solution. Positioning of the spray balls also impacts the effectiveness of the cleaning solution to reach the entire inside of the reactor.
You also want to consider how you plan to store the chemical solutions. Cleaning solvents can be negatively affected by fluctuating temperatures as well as high levels of humidity that can lower its effectiveness. Store these cleaning solutions in a dry and clean space. Keep the room temperature cool and the space well ventilated.
If you have a glass-lined reactor equipment and need cleaning solutions, turn to the spray nozzle design experts from Lechler. Contact us today to learn more.