What is Glass Fused to Steel?
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Glass fused to steel, also known as glass-lined steel, involves fusing a layer of glass to a steel substrate at high temperatures. This process creates a strong bond between the materials, combining the mechanical strength of steel with the chemical resistance of glass.
Benefits of Glass Fused to Steel Tanks
Glass fused to steel tanks offer numerous advantages:
- Corrosion Resistance: The glass coating provides excellent protection against corrosion.
- Durability: These tanks have a long lifespan due to their robust construction.
- Low Maintenance: The smooth, non-porous surface of the glass coating makes cleaning and maintenance easier.
- Versatility: Suitable for storing a wide range of materials, including potable water, wastewater, and chemicals.
Applications of Glass Fused to Steel Tanks
These tanks are used in various sectors, including:
- Water and Wastewater Treatment: For storing and processing water and wastewater.
- Agriculture: For storing feed, fertilizers, and water.
- Industrial: For holding chemicals, acids, and other industrial materials.
- Fire Protection: For storing water in fire protection systems.
Design Considerations
Material Selection
Selecting the right materials is crucial for ensuring the tank's performance and longevity. The steel must be of high quality, and the glass coating should be chosen based on the chemical nature of the stored contents.
Tank Size and Capacity
Determining the appropriate size and capacity of the tank involves considering the volume of material to be stored, space availability, and future expansion needs. It's essential to calculate the tank's capacity accurately to avoid overloading and ensure efficient storage.
Coating and Protection
The glass coating should be carefully selected based on the tank's application. Different coatings offer varying levels of resistance to chemicals, abrasion, and temperature changes. Ensuring the right thickness and uniformity of the coating is vital to prevent corrosion and leaks.
Structural Integrity
The tank's structural design must account for various stresses, including internal pressure, external environmental factors, and seismic activity. Proper structural design ensures the tank can withstand these forces without compromising its integrity.
Installation Environment
The installation environment plays a significant role in the tank's design. Factors such as temperature, humidity, wind load, and soil conditions must be considered to ensure the tank is adequately supported and protected from environmental damage.
Maintenance and Accessibility
Designing the tank with maintenance and accessibility in mind can significantly reduce long-term costs. Features such as manholes, inspection ports, and ladders facilitate easy access for routine inspections, cleaning, and repairs.
Manufacturing Process
The manufacturing process for glass fused to steel tanks involves several steps:
1. Steel Preparation: Cutting and shaping the steel panels.
2. Cleaning and Blasting: Removing impurities from the steel surface.
3. Glass Coating Application: Applying the glass frit to the steel panels.
4. Firing: Heating the coated panels in a furnace to fuse the glass to the steel.
5. Inspection: Conducting quality checks to ensure the coating is uniform and free from defects.
Standards and Regulations
Adhering to industry standards and regulations is essential for ensuring the safety and reliability of glass fused to steel tanks. Key standards include:
- AWWA D103: Standard for Factory-Coated Bolted Steel Tanks for Water Storage.
- ISO : Standard for Vitreous and Porcelain Enamels &#; Design of Bolted Steel Tanks for the Storage or Treatment of Water or Municipal or Industrial Effluents and Sludges.
- NSF/ANSI 61: Certification for drinking water system components.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are the advantages of glass fused to steel tanks?
Glass fused to steel tanks offer excellent corrosion resistance, durability, low maintenance, and versatility, making them suitable for various storage applications.
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How are glass fused to steel tanks made?
The process involves preparing steel panels, applying a glass coating, and firing the coated panels in a furnace to fuse the glass to the steel.
What industries use glass fused to steel tanks?
These tanks are commonly used in water and wastewater treatment, agriculture, industrial chemical storage, and fire protection.
How do you maintain glass fused to steel tanks?
Regular inspections, cleaning, and prompt repairs of any damage are essential for maintaining these tanks. Designing the tank with accessibility features can facilitate maintenance efforts.
Conclusion
Designing glass fused to steel tanks requires careful consideration of various factors, including material selection, coating, structural integrity, and environmental conditions. By adhering to industry standards and employing best practices, these tanks can provide long-lasting, reliable storage solutions for a wide range of applications.
Material of construction is a primary factor in equipment selection, especially when you are dealing with a product that requires a high level of corrosion resistance and purity. If that&#;s the case, then glass and glass lining are most likely among your top choices. Both offer similar advantages, but there are obvious differences that set them apart. So how do glass and glass-lined steel compare to each other with regards to overall performance? In this post we&#;ll demystify the properties of each of these materials and how they compare to one another.
Advantages of Glass-Lined Steel
The composite metal/glass material of construction provides the benefits of both primary components. The external steel construction offers strength while the internal glass lining gives nearly universal corrosion protection and a smooth non-contaminating surface. The result of this is:
- corrosion resistance to both acids and bases
- high operating temperatures and pressures
- ability to add or remove heat to the batch
The process of fabricating glass-lined steel equipment (which you can read more about in our post on How Glass-Lined Vessels are Made) fuses the glass to the steel. This bond is very strong, with strength of approximately 16,000 psi (similar to that of pre-stressed concrete!).
Read our post on How Your Process Could Benefit from Glass-Lined Equipment for additional information about glass-lined steel reactors.
Advantages of Glass
While the all-glass design lacks the strength provided by external steel construction, Borosilicate glass 3.3 reactors provide the same superior corrosion resistance as glass-lined vessels with the additional benefit of process visibility. This feature makes components from the QVF Supra series a popular choice in research and development as well as kilo plant production applications throughout the chemical, biotech, and pharmaceutical industries.
For more information on the properties of all glass vessels see our post on Why We Love Borosilicate Glass (and You Should Too).
Advantages of Combination Glass/Glass-Lined Steel
A third option, which we refer to as the VERI reactor, provides the best of both worlds. The glass-lined steel body allows for higher jacket pressures, allowing for higher heat transfer rates via higher turbulent jacket flows. The body&#;s material of construction also allows for higher temperature differentials, again providing higher heat transfer. Due to the flanged bottom outlet connection, the VERI reactor body can also utilize the De Dietrich glass-lined steel Clean Valve, which allows for a variety of functions without the need to interrupt the process and without dismantling the valve. Additionally, the glass-lined steel reactor body uses 150# or 300# ANSI jacket flanges and bolting, typically recommended by synthetic thermal fluid manufacturers.
The glass reactor head provides excellent visibility for observation of process scale up and development. It also simplifies the inspection process when you are confirming a CIP process. By looking right through the reactor cover you can easily assess important aspects of your operation, such as if your process is foaming, whether the solids disperse or clump, and any mixing issue that might be occurring (e.g. suspensions not adequate). The glass connections and mixer assembly are smaller than that of the glass-lined steel units and allow for more process connections. The glass cover bolts directly to glass overheads (distillation/rectification/other arrangements), providing the same observation benefits listed above.
Using strong, corrosion resistant glass-lined steel integrated with a glass cover and overheads, the VERI reactor features the same corrosion resistance as a glass-lined unit, but additional visibility. This combination reactor model is widely used in pilot plant units due to its robust design.
Selecting a Vessel Material of Construction
Some basic questions you&#;ll need to answer regarding your process requirements include:
- What is a typical batch volume for your process?
- What are your minimum/maximum temperatures?
- Do you operate under pressure or vacuum? What PSI is required?
- How often will your vessel require cleaning?
- Do any of the products/solvents in your process react with any construction materials?
By refining your requirements, you can more accurately identify what equipment is the most efficient and economical for your application.
The following chart details the specifications for glass reactors, glass-lined steel reactors, and combination glass/glass-lined steel reactors:
Solid Glass
Glass-Lined Steel (Std Reactor)
Combination Glass/ Glass-Lined Steel
Internal Pressure
1.0 bar g (14.5 psig)
100 psig
1.0 bar g (14.5 psig)
Internal Vacuum
Full
Jacket Pressure
0.5 bar g (7 psig)
90 psig
90 psig
Temperature (Min./Max.)
-60ºF (-50ºC)* / 350ºF (180ºC)
-20 ºF (-29ºC) / 500 ºF (260ºC)
-60 ºF (-50ºC) / 500 ºF (260ºC)
Thermal Shock (Max.)
250ºF (120ºC)
250 to 300ºF (120 to 150ºC)**
Volume
5 to 100 Liters
1 to 20,000 gallons
16 to 400 Liters
Notes:
*Some specially designed glass reactors have a maximum
-112ºF (
-80ºC) temperature minimum.
**Glass-lined steel allowable thermal shock is dependent on vessel temperature.
With this information of the individual materials of construction and the benefit of combining them, De Dietrich Process Systems will be able to better assist you on your next reactor system. If you&#;d like a hassle-free budget quote for a reactor, fill out our Reactor Questionnaire. Additionally, DDPS can provide distillation overheads for your reactor. By filling out the Reactor Overheads Questionnaire and supplying us with additional information, we can quote an entire reactor system to fulfill your process needs.
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