Water & Waste water

Water

FRP is used very extensively in contact with many grades of water. Most applications involve general purpose resins, but if dealing with hot water, more chemically resistant resins with appropriate heat distortion properties must be used (consult chemical resistance charts). Unlike the case of metals, higher salt or electrolyte content represents less potential attack to FRP. This is because dissolved salts diminish ion migration effects which can allow reactions with the fiberglass reinforcement. Distilled water is actually more aggressive than tap water, and the distilled water can effectively act like a solvent.

Permeation problems are especially likely with gel-coated decorative laminates, such as used with boathulls. If the resin barrier is permeated, blisters can form when gas is trapped behind the gel coat layer. Acids can contribute to this effect due to reactions with residual soda ash in E-glass, but higher pH levels can affect the hydrolytic stability of ester linkages in the polyester. The specific isomer used in general purpose polyesters can affect water resistance, and the order of improved resistance is terephthalic > isophthalic > orthophthalic. In marine applications, excellent resistance to blisters has been obtained with skins made of vinyl esters. In industrial applications, gel coats are of course not used. Temperature and density of glass construction can greatly affect the permeation rate. In general, resins which display good alkaline resistance, will also display good resistance to water permeation.

Potable water

Potable (drinking) water has been a longstanding use for FRP. Apart from corrosion resistance with prevents damage or rust tastes, FRP surfaces are smooth to reduce areas which may harbor growth of algae or microorganisms. FRP can also avoid problems with certain potentially harmful trace metals. The most important considerations for potable water is to use a resin with a composition deemed acceptable from a health or regulatory standpoint. The curing technique is extremely important, along with a good extent of cure to minimize styrene and other compounds which can infiltrate the water. Apart from resin selection, the general considerations are:

• Use enough catalyst to achieve a good cure, yet try to minimize the use of MEK peroxide, since some of the catalyst plasticizers, such as dibutyl phthalate, are water soluble. This mainly involved using a resin which is not overly inhibited.
• In addition to the normal curing components a high temperature co-initiator, such as TBPB (tertiary butylperbenzoate) is suggested at a typical level of 0.5%. The resin should be post-cured with hot air (180-200ºF) for 4-8 hours, or with hot water at 150-180ºF (or steam) for 6-8 hours. Before placing the tank into service the inside should preferably be steam cleaned with a wand type nozzle with an exposure time or about 5 minutes.
• The surface should then be washed with a warm non-ionic detergent and thoroughly rinsed before placing it into service.

Distilled & Deionized water

Distilled and deionized water can effectively be a power solvent, and special attention must be given, especially to those applications involving high purity or high electrical resistivity deionized water, such as might be associated with the electronics industry, steam generation, or certain pharmaceutical applications. These systems employ sophisticated mixed cationic and anionic stratified ion exchange systems.

Even though these are demanding applications a variety of resins have been used in deionized water applications where resistivities are maintained up to 17-18 mega-ohm/cm. A very good cure must be obtained, and in general the cure and fabrication techniques are similar to those of potable water (see potable water section). In addition, some systems may require periodic temporary high dosage hypochlorite treatment for disinfection, and if so a resin with appropriate hypochlorite resistance must be used.

Ozone is also used at times. Glass can contribute conductive ions like sodium, which can affect the purity, so a good corrosion barrier should be used, and no silica containing thixotropic agents or fillers should be used. Synthetic surfacing veils are commonly used for corrosion barrier construction. In some DI water applications, such as steam generation, there are usually stringent limitations on dissolved silica.

In ultra pure water applications, such as for nuclear applications or Electrolyzers for Green Hydrogen, any trace metals which are important to control. For such application a dual laminate solution would be the preferred solution.

FRP a durable solution!

Preserving clean water is one of today’s essential challenges. Having developed several cutting-edge solutions in this field, Plasticon Projects is able to make a valuable contribution.

Our products are designed to ensure that industrial waste water is transported to the disposal plant with maximum efficiency and operational reliability. We provide state-of-the-art water treatment units – desalination plants, for example – which are corrosion-resistant. Safety and maintenance requirements are critical considerations for the water and waste water markets. This is where the features of Plasticon Composites International Contractings’ products meet customers’ needs: corrosion resistance, non-conductivity, UV resistance, slip-proof, impact absorption and minimum maintenance, resulting in a long service life and low lifecycle costs, as compared to various metals and aluminium materials. Our multilingual staff are very experienced and well qualified to assist customers, from engineering to supply. Our products are certified in compliance with local and international branch organisations. Plasticon Composites International Contracting offers high-performance products made from composite materials.

Water treatment plants

• Drinking water plants
• Waste water plants
• Desalination plants
• Air treatment plants
• Odour treatment plants
• Mud incineration plant
• Green Hydrogen electrolyzers

Products for Water Treatment Market

• GRP Storage tanks for chemicals such as AlCl3 or FeCl3
• Bulk storage tanks of lime, talc, activated carbon, dehydrated mud, ash
• Equipment for the cleaning process for contaminated air
• Process equipment for cooling water
• Systems for transportation of gases
• Equipment for deodorisation processes
• Piping systems for processing and cleaning of sludge water
• Equipment for demineralization process

As an experienced supplier of equipment to water and waste water industries, Plasticon Projects complies with the rules and regulations of local governments and quality organisations of the industries. Plasticon Projects has all the required certificates for supplying equipment to water and waste water plants.