Sometimes it is not enough just to install a chlorine system, complete with valves. When we are working with a substance as potentially hazardous as chlorine, we need to know that the equipment we are using is up to the job. This is why you need to always be using the very best quality chlorine valves in your workplace.
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The primary concern when working with chlorine is always going to be personal safety, for you, your staff, your customers and for anyone else who risks being exposed to the potentially dangerous element. The high expansion rate of chlorine means that it can quickly escape if there are any flaws in your system. Typically, flaws occur where the system is most vulnerable, which is usually around valves and other apertures.
Chlorine is highly toxic and its effect on the human body is felt very quickly. If you have ever experienced burning eyes or irritated skin when using chlorine bleach, you are already well aware of this. If chlorine escapes from an enclosed system, the effects can be much, much worse.
The element rapidly affects the human body’s respiratory system, making it difficult to breath. The exposed individual will also experience acute chest pains, severe eye irritation, and burning sensations. Prolonged exposure can even result in death. Making sure that your chlorine system, including its valves, is of a high quality is major step towards eliminating this risk. Recognizing the warning signs of chlorine leaks is another.
If you are working with chlorine, then your organization will already have a detailed set of health and safety procedures and protocols in place for dealing with a potential leak. This means that, in the event of a catastrophic system failure, you will be able to evacuate the premises and contain the leak or spill very quickly.
However, this still leaves your system and your infrastructure dangerously exposed. The atomic make-up of Chlorine makes it highly reactive, even with a substance as apparently inert as water. When Chlorine and water come into contact with one another, they react and acid is produced. This acid is highly corrosive, which is one of the reasons why it is so harmful to humans.
However, this characteristic of chlorine also makes it incredibly damaging to your infrastructure and to your systems. Your chlorine systems will be able to handle the effects of chlorine passing through them, but will not be able to withstand the corrosive properties of the acid it can produce. Investing in a high quality valve to reduce this risk will save you serious money down the line, as the one off purchase will be far cheaper than replacing equipment and infrastructure damaged after a spill.
One of the factors which make chlorine so dangerous is that it is difficult to get rid of. Chlorine is heavier than air, so it will drain to the bottom of anywhere in which it is released, much in the same way as water will. Here it will remain until it can react with a water to form an acid, or until it is absorbed in some way.
This translates to a lengthy cleaning operation and ongoing risk assessment until your facility is safe for use once again; an issue which can be prevented simply by taking the right precautions regarding valves.
Knowing that everything is being taken care of and that you have the very best equipment in place to prevent dangerous chlorine leaks is priceless. Purchasing a lower quality valve, or even a whole system, may save you some money in the initial capital outlay, but it is simply not worth it.
The word chlorine is often associated with the swimming pool chemical or bleach used as a household cleaning supply. However, chlorine (Cl), is an essential element that has multiple purposes and uses. In drinking water, chlorine is used to eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses such as cholera and typhoid. Nearly all modern drinking water systems use chlorine to prevent contamination. It is also a key ingredient in various medications that are used to treat diseases such as cancer, heart disease, malaria, and many other illnesses. A vast majority of herbicides and pesticides in the agriculture industry use chlorine. However, PVC resin and chlorinated solvent manufacturers are by far the largest users of chlorine. It is therefore important to understand the necessary specifications for the applications that are used to house and convey Cl.
By Alton Jamison, Sales Engineer – Teadit
Uses of Chlorine
Chemical plants use chlorine in the manufacturing of chemicals such as pesticides, plastics, and refrigerants. It is also a key ingredient in bleach, deodorizers, and disinfectants. Paper mills are large users of chlorine in the bleaching process of pulp, turning naturally brown craft paper into the white paper that we write and print on.
Chlorine History
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Free elemental chlorine is almost nonexistent in nature, as almost all the Earth’s chlorine exists in the form of chemical compounds like sodium chloride (NaCl), also known as common or rock salt, which is the primary source of chlorine for industrial applications. Salt and other chlorine-containing compounds have had a multitude of uses dating back as far as 6,000 BC. However, the evolution of chlorine in the industrial environment and our everyday lives is a more recent story.
In , Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele produced free chlorine gas by reacting powdered black oxide of manganese with hydrochloric acid. Scheele began an intensive study of the properties and effects of the mysterious greenish-yellowish gas, noting its bleaching effect and deadly effects on insects, but failed to establish it as an element. Though Scheele is credited with its discovery, it was not until that Sir Humphry Davy first properly identified it as an element and named it chlorine, from the Greek ‘chloros’ meaning ‘green-yellow.’
In the last two decades of the s, progress was made in refining chlorine in multiple countries. By the s the preferred method for chlorine production involved using mercury and diaphragm electrolytic cells, allowing the chlorine to be shipped as a liquid solution. In , the first permanent chlorine water purification system was installed in Philadelphia. In a technical trade organization, The Chlorine Institute, was founded to support the safe operation of the chlor-alkali industry. By the s, the chemical industry saw expanded use of chlorine in various applications. Today, one sees chlorine used extensively worldwide in the production of numerous products from pesticides and medications to bleaches and cleaners.
Chlorine Characteristics & Properties
In its physical state, chlorine is a gas at room temperature and becomes a liquid at -29°F. Elemental chlorine is often confused with liquid bleach because the two have become so synonymous in everyday vernacular. However, bleach is not the liquid form of chlorine, rather it is a dilute solution of the chlorine-containing compound sodium hypochlorite. Another common misnomer is that ‘chlorine tablets’ are the solid form of chlorine. They are, in fact, made from another chlorine-containing compound called calcium hypochlorite.
It is important to not confuse chlorine with the many products that utilize chlorine in their production. Gaseous chlorine is poisonous and classified as a pulmonary irritant, with the capability of causing acute damage to the upper and lower respiratory tract. The US Department of Transportation classifies chlorine as a class 2.3 inhalation hazard and bleach as a class 8 corrosive. Natural chlorine is non-flammable in its gaseous and liquid states; however, chlorine gas is a strong oxidizer and therefore can react with flammable materials.
The terms ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ chlorine refer to the moisture content, not the physical state. Dry chlorine is gas or liquid chlorine with less than 150 ppm of water. Wet chlorine, on the other hand, refers to gas or liquid chlorine-containing more than 150 ppm of water. Dry chlorine is strongly corrosive and reactive when moisture is present. Wet chlorine is corrosive to ferrous alloys and dry chlorine exhibits a strongly exothermic reaction with titanium. Prevention of moisture intrusion into ferrous dry chlorine equipment and piping systems is critical to the mechanical integrity of any chlorine plant.
Chlorine Safety & Beyond
In September , a chlorine packager had an accidental release at one of their facilities. A vapor cloud was discovered by several employees and the site went into emergency protocols. The chlorine cloud rose for three to five minutes and then fell to the ground. An investigation discovered that a gauge used on the equipment was not suitable for the service. This gauge had a tantalum diaphragm and titanium housing and looked identical to the stainless-steel gauges traditionally used for dry chlorine service. It was incorrectly pulled from the storeroom and utilized in dry chlorine service.
Unfortunately, as previously mentioned, chlorine reacts exothermically with titanium. This created a metal fi re which was believed to be the probable cause of the release. A corrective action was put in place to properly organize and separate the inventory to avoid gauges being placed into the incorrect services. This is just one example of the possible dangers related to working with chlorine.
Since its formation, The Chlorine Institute (CI) has been working to advance the safe, secure, environmentally compatible, and sustainable production, distribution, and use of its mission chemicals, including chlorine, sodium and potassium hydroxides, sodium hypochlorite, the distribution of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM), and the distribution and use of hydrogen chloride. Institute members are comprised of companies in the industry that make, transport and/or support the chloralkali industry. Together they publish guidance documents that address various topics relevant to the industry. These ‘pamphlet’ topics include things like piping and storage requirements, personal protective equipment, handling practices, and more.
Pamphlet 95 discusses suitable gasket technologies for use in wet and/ or dry chlorine services. It highlights several key considerations for proper gasket selection. It identifies chlorine as a highly aggressive oxidizer that reacts with numerous metals and organic compounds, and as such, highlights chemical compatibility as a key criterion for consideration. Additionally, it recommends proper installation practices to ensure sufficient loading throughout the service life of the gasket. Lastly, it specifies service condition criteria and provides listings of gasket materials that are suitable for installation within them.
When working with customers who are looking to find a gasket material that works in both wet and dry chlorine, TEADIT typically recommends Tealon® as a preferred choice. This material is Pamphlet 95 listed and is part of a family of materials commonly referred to as restructured PTFE. Restructured PTFE materials are designed to overcome the creep relaxation often associated with traditional skived PTFE sheets. They are produced with virgin PTFE resin combined with a filler material (in the case of TEADIT Tealon® , barium sulfate) and then undergo a process that creates a uniform density within the sheet material and a high level of fibrillation throughout. Restructured PTFE materials manufactured utilizing this process are well-suited to handle the rigors associated with a wide range of chlorine and/ or chlorine-containing services as is evidenced by their inclusion in Pamphlet 95.
Final Thoughts
Chlorine is a critical element that plays an important role in the manufacturing and make-up of many products used in day-to-day life. When it comes to properly sealing industrial chlorine services, it is important to consider all of the information: temperature, pressure, assembly procedures, etc. It is critical that only sealing materials that can handle chlorine (wet and/or dry) at various states be chosen and that recommended best installation practices be followed. The pamphlets produced by The Chlorine Institute provide excellent guidance on the sealing, handling, and transportation of chlorine and are an invaluable resource to those working in the chlor-alkali industry, as the many uses of chlorine continue to expand and evolve.
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