Power plant gets new, improved expansion joints with HOLZ’ help

HOLZ helped a power plant replace its chemically damaged expansion joints.

HOLZ Rubber Company is one of North America’s most trusted manufacturers of new expansion joints for industrial users, and these products are available in Canada from Northern Industrial Supply Company (NISCO). But HOLZ’ continued success is not merely because it makes great products. It retains loyal customers because its team of experts are fully dedicated to providing the right solutions for every one.

For example, the HOLZ team came to the rescue a couple of years ago when a leaky pipe at a power plant was damaging the current expansion joints on its chemical lines.

A layer of caustic

After a local HOLZ distributor expressed concern that the covers, or outer layers, of some of the plant’s existing expansion joints were delaminating, HOLZ sent a technical representative to the plant with the distributor for troubleshooting purpose. An inspection revealed that an overhead pipe was leaking onto the joints, which did not have chemically resistant covers on them. As a result, each of the joints had a layer of caustic on them from the leaked materials, and they were cracking and delaminating.

This sort of issue can occur in power plants that use chemicals to produce steam, regulate temperatures, or keep systems free of corrosion. The chemical lines running throughout these plants usually have expansion joints installed to compensate for vibration and thermal fluctuations, but unprotected joints could be at risk from leaked chemicals.

It was clear that new expansion joints were needed at this plant. But first, the HOLZ engineering department advised the company to fix the leak in the overhead pipe. Then the team recommended new expansion joints that had special Butyl covers, which could protect the joints from the caustic chemical used in the plant. Environmental factors should always be considered in the design of an expansion joint, whether that is chemicals, ultra-violet rays, abrasion by fasteners, or other equipment.

A few years later, these Butyl expansion joints are still operating well, with no damage, and the plant is running smoothly. NISCO can help plants in Canada similarly with replacement HOLZ expansion joints.

To learn more, contact NISCO.

• Tweet