FRP Scrubbers for Corrosive Gas Cleaning — and Why Very Large Diameters Belong On-Site

Why FRP performs so well in scrubber service

Corrosion resistance that is engineered, not hoped for

In metals, corrosion resistance is limited by alloy chemistry and the integrity of welds/coatings. In FRP, corrosion performance is designed into the structure: a chemical-resistant resin system and corrosion barrier layers can be tailored to the exact gas/liquid chemistry and operating temperature range. Industry guidance and standards explicitly address chemical resistance qualification and acceptance criteria for GRP/FRP composite equipment.

Practical outcome: FRP scrubbers are widely used where chlorides, acids, and wet oxidizing environments make stainless steels or coated steels expensive, complex, or maintenance-heavy.

High strength-to-weight ratio enables large structures

FRP’s structural efficiency is a major advantage in large scrubbers: for a given diameter, weight grows rapidly, and lighter equipment reduces:

• foundation loads,

• steel support structure requirements,

• crane demand during installation,

• and total installed cost.

Designed and built under recognized engineering standards

For owner/operators, “FRP” should never mean “non-standard.” There are established codes and standards covering materials, design, fabrication, inspection, and testing for FRP vessels and equipment, including EN 13121 for GRP tanks/vessels (including site-built applications) and ASME RTP-1 for corrosion-resistant FRP equipment.

These frameworks are important because they drive repeatable quality: laminate construction rules, qualification of materials, inspection hold points, and verification requirements.

The on-site alternative: fabricate the scrubber where it will operate

On-site FRP manufacturing removes the transport bottleneck

When a large scrubber is produced on the client’s site, you avoid:

• extreme abnormal transport logistics,

• heavy-lift planning driven by transport geometry rather than engineering,

• and the risk/cost of shipping damage for very large composite structures.

Instead, the project is optimized around process performance, maintainability, and constructability.

Site-built does not mean “lower quality”,

• controlled laminate schedules
• qualified materials and resin systems,
• documented inspection and testing regimes,
• and adherence to recognized standards for GRP/FRP equipment (e.g., EN 13121; ASME RTP-1 where specified).

A key point: EN 13121 explicitly covers tanks and vessels that may be factory made or site built, reinforcing that on-site production is a recognized and standardized route when engineered correctly.

Why very large diameter scrubbers (8–20 m) are a strong fit for on-site FRP

Fewer compromises, fewer interfaces

Large scrubbers often require:

• large-diameter shells,

• integrated demisters,

• internal distribution systems,

• and large flanges/nozzles.

On-site fabrication allows the shell and key features to be produced with fewer transport-driven split lines, reducing the number of field joints and interfaces that require QA and long-term inspection attention.

Better total installed cost

Even if on-site work includes mobilization, the overall business case can improve when you eliminate:

• specialized transport budgets,

• transport schedule risk,

• and the knock-on effects (temporary works, escorts, route modifications, delays).

As industrial decarbonization, fuel switching, and tighter emission limits drive retrofit programs, many plants need high-throughput scrubbers without expanding plot space. A larger diameter scrubber can be the most compact way to increase capacity—if you can build it without turning transport into a megaproject.

Plasticon Projects: large-diameter FRP scrubbers produced on-site

Plasticon Projects specializes in FRP equipment for corrosive service and is known for on-site production and installation of large FRP structures—a capability that becomes decisive when scrubber diameters move beyond conventional transportable limits.

If your project involves an 8–20 meter diameter scrubber, on-site manufacturing can be the difference between:

• a scrubber project, and

• a scrubber + abnormal logistics megaproject.

If you’re planning a large-diameter scrubber (8–20 m) and transport is already looking like a major cost or risk item, Plasticon can help you evaluate an engineered, standards-based FRP solution fabricated on your site—designed around process performance instead of road geometry.