Keywords
Citation
(2002), "6KM-Piping system to Iranian petrochemical plant", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 49 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2002.12849fab.013
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited
6KM-Piping system to Iranian petrochemical plant
6KM-Piping system to Iranian petrochemical plant
Keywords: Petrochemical industry, Pipes, Corrosion resistance
UK Plastics engineering company MB Plastic, based in Warrington, recently completed a £1.5 million contract with a leading petrochemical company in Iran.
MS Plastics supplied 6km of corrosion resistant pipes and fittings to Bandar Imam Petrochemical Company (BIPC), one of the largest industrial establishments in Iran.
The completion of deal marks the end of a complex design and manufacturing process for MB Plastics.
Representatives of the company visited the plant, which is on the Northwest coast of the Persian Gulf, to enable them to obtain first- hand experience of the problem faced by BIPC due to the harsh weather conditions in the Middle East.
Malcolm Clayton, managing director of MB Plastics, said: BIPC presented us with a need to find a suitable solution to replace old pipework in its Chloralkali plant, which operates in an extremely hostile environment.
Outside ambient temperatures frequently rising to more than 50°C, high humidity, salt in the air and a corrosive media contained within a pipe system operating at 90°C were some of the factors we had to take into account when designing the pipe system.
“In addition to the local conditions, the system had to be designed so that installation, maintenance and repairs could easily be carried out by local contractors.”
“It was a challenging contract to undertake, but the MB Plastics team was able to design, manufacture, test and finally, deliver a cost- effective solution to the client’s problem, using the latest in material knowledge and technology.”
Construction of BIPC, part of the state owned National Petrochemical Company of Iran (NPC), originally started in the 1970s, but, due to its close proximity to neighbouring Iraq, the plant was badly damaged during the long-running war between the two nations. It was not until 1994 that the facility was able to fully operate.
BIPC’s three core units produce a range of products including Olefins, Aromatics and Chloralkali, as well as a significant amount of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), With a total capacity of the complex amounting to 6.1 million tonnes per year, utilities such as demineralised water, steam, electricity, compressed air and nitrogen are available within the complex.