Kaimann

project: KaiPRO F-ALU sHINES AT SABIC’S CHEMOLOT

- Project

Manufacturing and processing chemi-

cals into useful plastics and polymers

is a major industry that requires major

levels of investment and the highest

levels of process control.

than skyscrapers, the naphtha crack-

ers were hard to access and the nature

of the site made scaffolding physically

impossible. Operational constraints

also dictated that the equipment must

remain in continuous operation, mak-

ing installation especially difficult.

After researching and evaluating

several insulation options, Sabic ap-

proached Kaimann. Our local Kaimann

representatives worked closely with

thermal insulation contractors Harsco

and proposed a Kaipro system with a

Kaiflex Protect F-Alu covering that was

specially tailored to meet the technical

requirements identified by Sabic.

Layers of highly reliable, closed cell

Kaiflex rubber insulation will keep the

pipes free from ice build up and cor-

rosion for many years whilst Kaiflex

Protect F-Alu provides a professional

and resilient finish without the disad-

vantages of metal cladding. In light of

the extreme temperatures and oper-

ating conditions an additional vapour

tight barrier was used between Kaiflex

layers to enhance protection against

creeping moisture ingress.

Since the quality of installation would be critical

No-where is this more apparent than

at Sabic’s world leading “Chemelot”

production site at Geleen in the Nether-

lands which notably include two naph-

tha crackers.

Operating at temperatures as low as

-120°C, these naphtha crackers had

been in place for over 40 years and

were previously insulated with rigid

foam insulation covered by a thin wa-

ter vapour barrier. This insulation had

long exceeded the lifespan for which

it had been designed and there was a

risk of ice formation on the insulation

surface. A new insulation system was

needed that would be both reliable and

long lasting.

The project presented a number of

challenges. With vertical stacks taller

“a major industry that requires major levels of investment “

Kaimann

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-Project

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to the success of the project, the technical submission from Kaimann incorporated de-tailed application instructions and drawings that were modifi ed and structured to refl ect the unique challenges present.

As the project progressed the advantages of fl exible Kaifl ex insulation material became increasingly apparent to the Harsco contractors who had to install the material while ab-seiling down a highly exposed vertical stack! The naphtha crackers also featured several large pipe bends so Kaimann supplied Harsco with a sheet cutting pattern for each bend to realise signifi cant time sav-ings on site.

Kaimann operates a quality management system that meets the requirements of ISO 9001 and the high level of manufacturing controls & monitoring processes allows Kaimann to guarantee the quality of every sheet of Kaiflex – essential on a project of this nature.

Thanks to the combination of high level of product quality and a techni-cal support service work-ing closely with the insulation con-tractors, Kaim-ann was able to provide a com-prehensive so-lution that satis-

fi ed Sabic’s requirements.