Solutions Ahead Blog

True “Win/Win” situations don’t come around every day, but when they do, they make everybody happy.  It can sound like a bit of a gimmick, but these circumstances do exist!  They occur when all participants involved mutually benefit from some type of exchange.

Obtaining product samples from a glass-lined vessel is not always a simple, straightforward task.  From a quality control standpoint, you want the sample to be accurate and precise.  From a safety perspective, you also want to manage any concerns that can arise when the process involves toxic, flammable and corrosive materials (and if you are using glass-lined equipment it’s a good chance your media has at least one of those three characteristics).  Exposure to the product might be harmful to operators, or the environment could contaminate your valuable product, so multiple factors need to be taken into consideration when selecting the best method for obtaining a sample.

We’ve written in the past about How Glass-Lined Vessels are Made, as well as What is Reglassing and How it Can Work for You.  We’ve even taken you through the Steps for Sending your Vessels in for Reglassing.  But what exactly happens to your vessel once it arrives at our facility? 

As Earth Day approaches, we are all reminded that there are things each of us can do as individuals to make better choices for the environment.  Maybe it’s using a refillable mug every morning instead of choosing the convenience of a disposable coffee cup.  Public transportation and carpooling are other options that can reduce traffic and emissions.  There are also initiatives that corporations can implement with regards to energy consumption and recycling that can help reduce their environmental impact.

In last week’s post, we discussed the necessary inspection points on a vessel that should be checked prior to starting-up your vessel. Whether it’s brand new and you are running it for a first time, or you are bringing a vessel back into production after some downtime due to maintenance or housekeeping reasons, it is critical for the safety of your equipment and employees to make sure your vessel ready to go.

Whether you’ve just had a brand-new vessel installed in your plant or you are bringing an existing vessel back into production after some downtime (due to cleaning, maintenance, or other service-related procedure) it’s critical to make sure your i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed before you start-up your vessel. But what are those i’s and t’s?  Knowing this information can mean the difference between an easy, smooth start-up and some potentially serious (and completely preventable) issues.

The main purpose of our Solutions Ahead blog is to write about topics that you, our readers, want to hear about.  We are constantly brainstorming ideas for posts that we think are interesting, but what better way to come up with good subject matter than to get it directly from you?  

Nowadays any mere mention of the word “vortex” might have you thinking about the Star Wars series and the windy, ice-capped planet that is affiliated with the Galactic Republic.    Chances are, though, if you are reading this post you are more concerned with the kind of vortex that is associated with mixing, especially if you have one in your process; it is the undesirable swirling effect that can occur in your glass-lined reactor if it is not properly baffled. 

Glass-lined steel reactors are a substantial investment for any company to make, so it’s not the kind of equipment you want to simply discard once it becomes old or inoperative.  Most likely, you are using glass-lined equipment because your process requires a high level of corrosion resistance or other unique property that only glass lining can provide.  But after years of service (the number of years can vary greatly depending on the service conditions), your vessel will eventually require some sort of refurbishment.  Damage from mechanical or thermal shock can also prematurely cause your vessel to be out of commission, but in most cases when operating guidelines are followed, normal wear and tear will be the cause of erosion to the glass lining.

If you are a long-time subscriber to our blog, you know that we cover a wide range of technologies, products, and services in our posts.  The intent here is to provide you with a variety of information from all areas of our expertise while keeping our content diverse so our blog doesn’t become stagnant.  Statistics show, however, that the overwhelming majority of people find our articles on glass-lined equipment to be the most useful.  Well, that is a bit assumptive – they are the most viewed, but we are hopeful that our readers find the content to be useful!  For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of the top glass-lined equipment blog posts from the past few years.  Maybe you’ve read some of these already and perhaps there are some included in the list that you haven’t come across yet.  Either way, there should be some new information you.