17/02/2023 10:19 FRP

Sulphuric Acid on the WebTM Technical Manual DKL Engineering, Inc.

Knowledge for the Materials of Construction - FRP

Sulphuric Acid August 19, 2010

Industry
Introduction Associated Links
Corrosion Layer
Structural Layer Nexus® Veil
Sulphuric Acid on the         Chopped Strand Mat
Web         Woven Roving Fibreglass
        Continuous Roving
Introduction Resins FRP Inspection
General Design
Equipment Suppliers
Fire Retardant
Contractor
Instrumentation
Ultra-Violet (UV) Inhibitor
Industry News Codes and Standards
Maintenance
Acid Traders
Organizations Introduction
Fabricators
Conferences
Used Plants
Intellectual Propoerty
Acid Plant Database
Market Information
Library  

Technical Manual  
Introduction
General
Definitions
Instrumentation
Plant Safety
Metallurgial Processes
Metallurgical
Sulphur Burning
Acid Regeneration
Lead Chamber
Technology
Gas Cleaning
Contact FRP ducting being fabricated by Southwest Fiberglass
Strong Acid
Acid Storage Fibreglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) is used predominantly in the gas cleaning
Loading/Unloading
section of a metallurgical or acid regeneration plant for equipment, ducting,
Transportation
Sulphur Systems
piping, dampers, pumps, etc.  FRP can only be used downstrream of the
Liquid SO2 Quench Tower after which the gas has been adiabatically cooled, typically to
Boiler Feed Water less than 70°C.
Steam Systems
Cooling Water Corrosion Layer
Effluent Treatment
Utilities
Construction
Fabrication of an FRP piece of equipment generally begins with the interior.  The
Maintenance interior surface will be in contact with the process and must be able to withstand
Inspection the service conditions.  This layer is generally referred to as the corrosion liner. 
Analytical Procedures A surfacing veil saturated with catalyzed resin forms the base for successive
Materials of Construction layers.  The corrosion layer generally consists of the surfacing veil and two
Corrosion layers of chopped strand mat.  As with metallic construction, the corrosion layer
Properties
is not included in the total thickness when determining the wall thickness for
Vendor Data
mechanical strength.
DKL Engineering, Inc. The chemical resistance of a fibreglass composite is provided by the resin.  The
Handbook of Sulphuric Acid
surfacing veil is used to control the thickness of the resin-rich layer and gives
Manufacturing strength to the corrosion layer.  The veil must also be resistant to the process
Order Form conditions as it can be easily attacked since it is very close to the surface. 
Preface Where fluorides are present, a glass veil cannot be used since they will be
Contents readily attacked.  In this case, a veil made from polyester is used.
Feedback

The corrosion layer will typically be 10 to 20 mils (0.254 to 0.508 mm) thick and
Sulphuric Acid Decolourization
contain about 90% resin to 10% veil material.
Order Form
Preface
Table of Contents Monofilament glass or polyester fibres are commonly used as surfacing veil
materials.  The most common are “C” Glass or Dacron 106 homopolymer
Process Engineering Data (polyester).  “A” Glass and other polyester materials are less common but are
Sheets - PEDS gaining acceptance in the industry.
Order Form

Typical veil materials are:

www.sulphuric-acid.com/techmanual/materials/materials_frp.htm 1/4
17/02/2023 10:19 FRP

Table of Contents Trade Name Type   Manufacturer

Introduction Nexus® Polyester PFG
ABCO
Bibliography of Sulphuric Acid ABFAB® Polyester
Industries, Inc.
Technology
Order Form Sterling Paper
Avelle 1213AP Polyester
Preface Corp.
Contents
Sterling Paper
Reemay 2410 Polyester
Corp.
Sulphuric Acid Plant
Specifications Regina
Regina® F2/20  “C” Glass
  Fiberglass Ltd.
Surmat® 100-SF “A” Glass Nico-Fibers, Inc.
Google Search Superior Glass Superior Glass
“A” Glass
type SSM Fibers
Fruedenberg T-
“C” Glass Freudenberg
1777  

Structural Layer

Chopped Strand Mat

Chopped strand mat is a felted matrix of

chopped strand “E” or “ECR” glass
fibres.   Fibres are 0.5” to 2.0” long and
loosely held together by a styrene soluble
resin binder.

Copped strand mat is typically used with

the surfacing veil to form the corrosion
layer.  They are also use alone or in combination with woven roving in alternate
layers to form the structural layer of the vessel.  Chopped strand mats will form a
laminate of about 30% glass and 70% resin.  This combination helps to produce
a laminate with good strength and excellent chemical resistance.

Typical chopped strand mats are:

Trade Name Type Manufacturer

CertainTeed
M113 “E” Glass
Corporation
Owens-Corning
OCF® 723  “E” Glass
Fiberglass
Owens-Corning
OCF® M723 “ECR” Glass
Fiberglass
MPM 2000 “E” Glass PPG Industries

Woven Roving

Woven roving is a course, heavy fabric

made of long, continuous strands of glass
fibres.  They are typically used in
alternate layers with chopped strand mat
to form the structural layer of a vessel. 
The resulting laminate will be about 40-
50% glass.

 
Typical woven rovings are:

Trade Name Manufacturer

CertainTeed
324
Corporation
HYBON® Woven Roving HTX PPG Industries

302 Baymills Inc

Continuous Roving

Continuous roving comes in various

densities and sizes for application in
filament winding.  Gun roving is used
as a substitute for chopped strand mat
in the corrosion and structural layers.  
The resulting laminate are generally
about 30-40% glass.

www.sulphuric-acid.com/techmanual/materials/materials_frp.htm 2/4
17/02/2023 10:19 FRP
 

 
Typical continuous rovings are:

Trade Name Manufacturer

CertainTeed
Straight Shot RO99®/660 & 67B
Corporation
HYBON® 2001 PPG Industries
Owens-Corning
Type 30 P366C X6
Fiberglass

Resins

For typical acid plant service the following resins are suitable:

  DERAKANE 510A-40 Corve 8400

Brominated Bis A Epoxy
Vinyl Ester Resin. It offers
the highest degree of fire
resistance available in a
Non-promoted, fire
Type vinyl ester resin without
retardant, vinyl ester resin.
additives.  It has a high
degree of resistance to
mechanical and chemical
damage. 
Manufacturer Dow Interplastic Corporation
Resin/Styrene Ratio 60/40 -
Viscosity (cP) 350 @25°C 400-600 @25°C
Specific Gravity 1.22 1.18-1.22
30 < 25 (Class1)
Flame Spread
10 (with 2% Sb2O3) -
% Elongation 4-5 4.8% (Casting)

DERAKANE 510C-
  Corve 8440
300/350
Derakane 510C is a
brominated epoxy vinyl
ester resin designed to
have competitive
economics while retaining
the excellent chemical
Non-promoted, fire
Type resistance and toughness
retardant, vinyl ester resin.
typical of Derakane resins.
  Optimum ignition
resistance is achieved
when antimony
compounds are added to
the resin.
Manufacturer Dow Interplastic Corporation
Resin/Styrene Ratio - -
Viscosity (cP) 350 @25°C 450-550 @25°C
Specific Gravity 1.14 1.14-1.17
- 50
Flame Spread
- 15 (with 1.5% Sb2O3)
% Elongation - 4.0% (Casting)

Design

Safety factors for the design of fibreglass reinforced plastic items shall be based
on the following:

Tensile or Flexural Stress - 10:1

Elasticity Instability (External Pressure, etc.) - 5:1

The ultimate tensile strength, flexural strength and flexural modulus of elasticity
(tangent) requirements shall meet or exceed the values as listed in RTP-1.  
Physical properties for the material should be taken at the design temperature of
the process.  The corrosion barrier, internal anti-wicking barrier and exterior
protective systems should not be considered as structural elements in the
calaculation of the required thickness.

www.sulphuric-acid.com/techmanual/materials/materials_frp.htm 3/4
17/02/2023 10:19 FRP
The design calculations should consider all loadings and forces on the
equipment, piping or ducting.  These should include: internal and externl
pressure/vacuum; weight of the equipment; weight of the contents; wind, snow,
ice, earth quake; live and dead loads; insulation, pumps, agitators; support rings,
etc.

Fire Retardant

To achieve a Class 1 flame

spread rating, antomony
trioxide or Nyacal APE 1545
antimony oxide shall be
added up to a maximum of
5% wt to all resin in the
structural layer to improve
fire resistance and reduce
the flame spread rating to a
maximm of 15 when tested
in accordance with ASTM E-
84 "Standard Method of
Test for Surface Burning
Characteristics of Building
Materials".

Ultra-Violet (UV) Inhibitor

When a piece of FRP

equipment is located
outdoors, UV inhibitors must
be added to the exterior
surface coat to prevent
damage to the resin by UV
light.   Typical UV inhibitors
are:

Tinuvin 326
Cyasorb UV-24

Approximately 0.1 to 0.3%

UV inhibitor is added to the
surface coat.

Codes and Standards

The design, material supply, fabrication, quality and inspection shall be in compliance with
the latest editions of:

ASME RTP-1, "Reinforced Thermoset Plastic Corrosion Resistant Equipment"

ASTM D-1250, "Specification for Woven Roving Glass Fabrics for Polyester Glass
Laminates, Type 3"

ASTM D-2563, "Recommended Practice for Classifying Visual Defects in Glass-

Reinforced Plastic Laminate Parts'

ASTM D-2996, "Standard Specification for Filament-Wound Reinforced Thermosetting

Plastic Pipe"

ASTM D-3299, "Standard Specification for Filament-Wound-Glass-Fiber-Reinforced

Thermoset Resin Chemical-Resistant Tanks"

ASTM D-3567, "Determining Dimensions of Reinforced Thermosetting Resin Pipe and

Fittings"

ASTM D-4097, "Standard Specification for Contact-Molded Glass-Fiber-Reinforced

Thermoset Resin Chemical-Resistant Tanks"

ASTM C-582, "Standard Specification for Contact-Molded Reinforced Thermosetting

Plastic (RTP) laminates for Corrosion-Resistant Equipment"

ASTM C-3982, "Contact Molded Fiberglass (Glass Fiber Reinforced Thermosetting

Resin) Ducts and Hoods"

 
Copyright© 2005-2018 DKL Engineering, Inc., All Rights Reserved
DKL Engineering, Inc. shall not be held liable for any type of damages resulting from the use of this information. The user assumes all risk and liability in connection with the use of information contained in this and associated web
sites. The data is intended for personal, non-commercial use.

www.sulphuric-acid.com/techmanual/materials/materials_frp.htm 4/4