Flexible expansion joints in critical process streams resist attack from chemicals, heat and mechanical abuse. Viton assures a long, maintenance-free service life.
Producing titanium dioxide (TiO2) — the brilliant white pigment used in paint, paper and a host of other products — brings new meaning to the word extreme. Extracting the igmentary material from raw titanium ore involves a series of rigorous chemical and mechanical operations that demand top performance from equipment, materials and operating personnel.
Hot gaseous chemicals, abrasive slurries and acidic solutions are just a few of the villains in the chlorination process that converts ore to refined product. And, because chlorine and other hazardous and corrosive chemicals are involved, operations must be conducted under the strictest safety requirements with no margin for error.
DuPont, the world’s largest producer of quality TiO2, is continually seeking ways to make its manufacturing operations safer and more reliable. According to the company’s engineering and maintenance personnel, an important contributor to improved reliability has been a family of flexible elastomeric expansion joints used at critical connections in piping and equipment.
Manufactured for DuPont by Mercer Rubber Company in Hauppauge, N.Y., these motion-absorbing joints can be made from any of several different elastomers, depending on end-use requirements. Where operating environments are especially severe, DuPont has adopted a premium-quality joint made of heat-and fluid-resistant DuPont Dow Viton® reinforced with high-strength Kevlar® aramid yarn.
