More than Just Pencils: Special Graphite for the Process Industry

Related Vendors

Italvacuum, Srl

Donadon SDD Srl

ProMinent GmbH

SGL CARBON GmbH

Diabon is the name of the highly versatile material which withstands high temperatures, making it the ideal choice for applications such as hydrochloric acid systems. The two-pressure distillation systems developed by SGL also offer impressive efficiency advantages, because the dilute solution can be converted to concentrated hydrochloric acid or HCl gas, reducing energy consumption by 45 %.

The Ecosyn process which was presented at Achema 2012 even makes it possible to recover 90% of the heat, reducing primary energy consumption and the associated CO₂ emissions.

Agressive Materials – A Core Competenece for Graphite Specialists

Wittchen admits that several years ago the company took a somewhat opportunistic approach to hydrochloric acid recycling. In the meantime however, the hydrochloric acid recycling business has become part of the company’s core expertise and now extends into other industries such as the photovoltaic sector.

Polysilicon production at Wacker and at the Korean wafer manufacturer OCI is a prime example. The Siemens process for producing polysilicon is an excellent example of applications which are high on the agenda for the Process Technology engineering team when heat and corrosion are major factors to consider (temperatures above 1000 °C, exposure to hydrochloric, phosphoric or nitric acid).

The Enablers: Graphite is More than a Substitution Material

Graphite has traditionally played the role of a substitution material, and Wittchen makes it very clear that the replacement of existing equipment and systems is a major aspect of the business. The list of major equipment involved includes heat exchangers, pumps, flue gas quenchers, pipes and rupture discs which are used under corrosive conditions and eventually wear out – but also other applications...

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