Our Products #5216392

Composites USA Scrubbers

Composites USA has manufactured wet scrubbers since the company's inception. Chemical wet scrubbing is a very effective control technique for neutralizing environmental pollutants from chemical synthesis, plating, pickling, corrosive dust and odors from chemical processes.

Scrubbers are available in a wide variety of configurations. The most common is the vertical packed tower, in which the contaminated gases enter the lower section and are decontaminated by a "scrubbing" liquor washing down from above, with the cleaned gases exiting the column at the top. Other styles include horizontal packed scrubbers, which offer a lower profile, and venturi scrubbers, which offer greater particulate handing capability, usually at the expense of ultimate removal efficiencies. Other styles of scrubbers are available to suit specific needs.

Each of the above styles is available as a stand-alone piece of equipment, or supplied as a complete system, with recirculation systems, instrumentation, and start up assistance. Where practial, systems can be skid mounted for minimizing installation and start up time requirements.

Composites USA has manufactured scrubbers in standard corrosion grades of polyester and vinyl ester resins, as well as furan and dual laminates of PP, PVC, PVDF, ECTFE, and Teflons. Internals for these units are typically fiberglass for the supports and PP for the media, but have included any conceivable material, including the titanium internals shown which were installed in a Halar lined dual laminate scrubber.

Shown are in-process and finished units. Included are a 10'-0" diameter scrubber designed for high vacuum service (top), the fiberglass packing support grid and liquid spray headers for a 13'-0" diameter acid scrubber (center), and three completed units (bottom): a skid mounted venturi scrubber with polishing tower, an acid scrubber being readied for shipment; and an in-service integrally mounted fiberglass acid scrubber with fiberglass fan, duct, and fiberglass platform.

The above photos, from left to right represent, Titanium internals, 5'-0" diameter by 70'-0 tall free standing air stripping column, 36" diameter tower being assembled, steel platforms in assembly with scubber fit up, adjustable venturi, and cyclone separators.

Radio Tower Covers:

These radio tower covers were manufactured for RCA. FRP is commonly used in these applications for its high strength, low weight, and good dielectric properties. These covers were mounted on a 80 ft tall tower subjected to 200 mph wind loads.

Mine Sweeping Floats:

These mine sweeping floats were contact molded with mil-spec fiberglass cloth and epoxy resin for Deval for resale to the U.S. military. Metal inserts were integrally bonded to the assembly, minimizing customer secondary assembly labor.

Mass Transit Components:

FRP is commonly used in mass transit part manufacturing due to its excellent strength Mass Transit Componanats
to weight ratio, impact and corrosion resistance, relatively low tooling cost and ability to be molded into complex shapes with color throughout the part, often eliminating secondary operations such as painting.

The 6-0" long protective shield shown at the right for the third rail pick-up (power rail) on a high speed car is one of more than 1500 produced via Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) for the Chicago Transit Authority. The parts were produced from a single light weight tool. Resin Transfer Molding was chosen for the process due to its excellent economics and part to part reproducibility.

The air handling system damper blades shown at the left were also resin transfer molded, this time for a rail car system sold to Westcode Kawasaki for use in China. The resin is a low flame low smoke polyester, with color molded in. The blade shafts are stainless steel, and are integrally molded with the blade itself, eliminating secondary operations. Use of RTM resulted in economic processing for the over 1000 pieces required, as well as resulting in a mold finish on both sides of the part, allowing maintenance of tight tolerances and damper seal properties.

Enclosures:

Custom EnclosuresComposites USA enclosures are designed and manufactured for rugged industrial use where part weight and contact with corrosive chemicals or sea water might be a concern. Although designed for industrial environments, these enclosures also receive the same fit, finish and attention to detail that our electronic housings for radar and instruments have.

Shown on this page are several styles of enclosures, including the three sided instrument enclosure above and the process tank with integral equipment enclosure below. This part was used to temporarily enclose gas chromatographs in an oil refinery. Other enclosures might typically protect remote pump stations from unwanted tampering, or protect personnel from rotating machinery parts.
Each enclosure design is rigorously checked by our composite structural engineers for wind, snow and operating loads.

The laminate begins with a resin rich corrosion barrier, reinforced with a fiberglass or synthetic veil and several layers of random chopped strand mat. The structural portion of the laminate is constructed with random chopped strand mat and continuous strand glass, biaxial, unidirectional or otherwise oriented to meet the design considerations. These layers are gradually built up to the final required thickness, sometimes incorporating structural cores on large flat panels to increase stiffness and strength.

The top exterior layer is usually applied with a resin pigmented to the customer's preferred color choice, for long-term color stability, which will not chip or flake off. In this way, the color is molded in, part thickness and reinforcement uniformity is carefully controlled, and problems with typical trouble spots, such as voids and inside corners, are avoided. Non skid grit surfaces are available for increased personnel safety.

Cases:

FRP is commonly used for industrial case applications such as industrial cases. The qualities which make FRP among the materials of choice for this application are FRPs excellent strength to weight ratio, impact and corrosion resistance, relatively low tooling cost. FRP also possesses the ability to be molded while incorporating inserts, bosses and color throughout the part, often eliminating some secondary operations.

The instrument case shown at the right is one of more than 100 specialty cases produced for Pringle Electric Co. The cases were manufactured from Class 1 fire retardant polyester resin and fiberglass. All attachment hardware is stainless steel.

Cases may be manufactured in a variety of configurations to fit any number of needs. Two examples are shown left and below. The Mil-Spec battery case on the left incorporates extra heavy wall sections and bosses in a resin transfer molded housing to meet the required mechanical loads. The wire shown is for an integrally molded heater cable. The case below incorporates a custom geometry to meet its performance needs.

Platforms:

Fiberglass PlatformsFiberglass platforms may be designed and manufactured to fit any number of geometry, strength and corrosion requirements. The reactor platform in the picture was specially designed to ship in three sections, the ladder, the lower 72" of platform framing, and the upper 36", allowing all sections to be moved by fork lift through doors and hallways to its final assembly point. Factory pre-fit with all bolt-up connections made this a 4-hour installation in the field, from truck unloading to completion.

Fiberglass composite's outstanding corrosion resistance, lightweight, and availability in many common shapes make it a natural solution for many process plant problems. Platforms, grating and railings are available in flame and non flame-retardant versions of polyester and vinyl ester resins. Specialty resins, such as phenolics are available for installations requiring low smoke generation.
Qualified personnel familiar with composite structural design and OSHA regulations should perform design of platforms and connection details. Failure mechanisms can be different between steel and fiberglass structures, and these must be taken into account.

Platforms shall meet OSHA requirements and be designed for the loads imposed with maximum deflection of 1% of span. Design is to be supported by engineering calculations by licensed professional engineer experienced in fiberglass structural design. Materials of construction are to be suitable to meet the corrosion requirements.

Clevis Hangers:

Clevis HangerComposites USA manufactures pipe hangers for your most demanding corrosion environments. Clevis hangers, in sizes ranging from 2" through 24" diameter (nominal, for IPS outside diameters) are designed and manufactured for rugged industrial use in corrosive environments, such as the 10" diameter example on this page.

Composites USA clevis hangers solve the problem of supporting your corrosion resistant duct or pipe in corrosive atmospheres. The resin and corrosion barrier can be tailored to provide protection from acidic and oxidizing exposures. The hangers are non-conductive and can be formulated to provide fire retardancy.

Cost effective applications include areas where maintenance or repair is expensive and difficult, or highly corrosive areas where the life cycle cost of fiberglass is lower than competing materials.

All major components are designed for the anticipated loads, using a minimum factor of safety of 3:1. Testing has shown the ultimate load to be well beyond the design load, For example, 3" diameter hangers, designed for 200 lb. loads, showed initial delamination at 850 lb., while the ultimate load was 1800 lb., after considerable deformation. Please contact our engineering department for additional details.

Radomes Glass Kevlar Epoxy Vinyl Ester:Assorted Randomes

FRP is commonly used in radome manufacturing due to its favorable dielectric properties, excellent strength to weight ratio, impact and corrosion resistance, relatively low tooling cost and ability to be molded into complex shapes.

The 3-0" long radome shown at the right are manufactured using vinyl ester resin with Kevlar aramid reinforcement. Divinycil PVC closed cell foam core is also incorporated into the laminate to minimize weight of the part. These radomes are contact molded on machined metal molds to exacting tolerances.

Radomes are manufactured in a wide range of geometries, from long tubes to flat dishes, and almost every shape in between. Some additional examples, contact molded and resin transfer molded (RTM) are shown below. Materials of construction typically include Mil-Spec grades of polyester, vinyl ester or epoxy resins with fiberglass or aramid reinforcement.

Aircraft Nacelles:

These nacelles were resin transfer molded with mil-spec fiberglass cloth and polyester resin for Lavelle Aircraft.Metal tooling was used to assure maintenance of tight tolerances.

Randome Mounting Brackets:

These radome mounting brackets were manufactured for R.C.A. using resin transfer molding (RTM) with polyester and fiberglass. Fiber loading is 65% at 0.375" thick, suitable for the high physical loadings. The holes shown were to accommodate cable mounting hardware, also supplied and installed by Composites USA.

FRP is commonly used in these applications for its high strength, low weight, and good dielectric properties.

Fiberglass Pipe


Fiberglass pipe

FRP or Fiberglass reinforced thermoset plastic pipe is often the material of choice for corrosive process systems. This is due to a variety of factors, including:

Customizable for a variety of applications
Light weight (< 20% of steel, 10% of concrete)
Excellent strength to weight (stronger than steel on an equal weight basis)
Low coefficient of friction (>25% better than steel)
Excellent dimensional stability
Low thermal conductivity (saving insulation costs)
Low long-term maintenance costsAn evaluation of life cycle costs of a system, including all of the above variables, often demonstrates significant cost savings for FRP pipe vs. steel; with even greater cost savings over alternative alloy materials.

Composites USA manufactures hand lay-up and filament wound FRP pipe in all commercially available resin systems including: polyester, vinyl ester, furan, phenolic, and epoxy. Resin systems, as well as reinforcements, are tailored for specific applications. FDA compliant materials are available, as are flame retardant, abrasion resistant materials, conductive materials as well as dual containment pipe systems.

The design of any pipe system must take into account many different factors. Corrosion allowances, operating pressure, vacuum, temperature, abrasion, flammability, and electrical conductivity are just a few of the characteristics that must be considered and addressed with proper choice of materials of construction. Mechanical design evaluates the strength of the pipe, the requirements for supports, thermal expansion compensation, burial loads, wind, snow and seismic considerations. Laminate analysis, and when required, finite element analysis is a part of the overall FRP pipe design solution.
The system analysis is completed using conventional techniques, substituting appropriate physical properties for the fiberglass system specified. A typical Specification for fiberglass pipe is also available on this web site.

Dampers by Composites USA
Composites USA has been manufacturing fiberglass, thermoplastic and stainless steel dampers in a variety of styles since the company's beginning. Shown below are views of some of our fiberglass dampers. These are typically used for throttling (butterfly style), shut off (slide gate) or backdraft.

When required, multiple blade dampers, either parallel or opposed blade, can be provided. Our standard general purpose design is the style #300 butterfly and style #325 slide damper. These are available with options including:

flanged ends
shaft seals
electric or pneumatic actuation
hand and chain wheels
blade seals
blade stops
As with our other products, all dampers are available in U.L. and Factory Mutual tested Dual Guard, standard class 1 flame retardant vinyl ester materials, or specialty resins such as Furan.

Shown above: 48" diameter manually operated dampers, 60" diameter electrically operated dampers, 24" x 72" electrically operated opposed blade damper. All the above incorporate Viton blade seals and Teflon shaft seals.

FlameGuard 2000 - Class 1 FRP Duct
Fiberglass (or FRP) duct is a relatively thin walled pipe generally used for corrosive fume exhaust from process areas or equipment, but also used for fresh air supply or conveying of liquids or solids at low pressures. Fiberglass duct is commonly used in both above and below ground applications.
Fiberglass FRP Duct is available in a wide variety of corrosion resistant materials, shapes and thickness. All thermoset resins and most reinforcements can be used to fabricate duct, although flame retardant corrosion grade polyesters and vinyl esters using ECR-glass reinforcement predominate.
Special applications may require the use of more unique bases resins such as furan, phenolic, epoxies. Furan and phenolic resin based FRP duct systems generally offer enhanced solvent resistance performance compared with polyester and vinyl ester resins; while epoxies can offer improved strength in demanding applications.
Standard FlameGuard Duct is supplied with a round cross section, but oval, square and rectangular duct is also available. Various industry guidelines exist for specifying proper duct construction, including SMACNA, the U.S. Bureau of Commerce Voluntary Guidelines PS-15-69, and others. A typical specification for fiberglass duct is available in the drop down menu at the top of this page.
Please note that our FlameGuard Duct specification can be customized to meet your particular application requirements. Please contact Composites USA for questions or guidance in this area.
Composites USA manufactures a number of companion products, which may better suit your application. Other customers who visited the FlameGuard Page Also visited the DualGuard 2000 Product Page. Factory Mutual Approved and U.L. Listed fiberglass duct and fittings. Low flame propagation (ASTM E-84 =5) and low smoke generation (ASTM E-84 = 10) in corrosive fume exhaust applications.

Fiberglass Stacks by Composites USA
Fiberglass stacks can be manufactured and installed in much the same way as steel stacks. The advantages of fiberglass stacks are similar to the advantages of other fiberglass products: corrosion resistance, lightweight - leading to lower installation costs, and ease of maintenance.

Stacks can be designed either freestanding or laterally supported. There are many possibilities available for base mounting design. Similarly, there are many ways to laterally support stacks if desired. The most common options for lateral support would include guying with wires, or bolting to adjacent structural steel. With a description of the design criteria and constraints imposed by the physical location of the stack, Composites USA can offer a P.E. stamped design solution.

In addition to designing the stack structural requirements, Composites USA can also offer design guidance and installation options for ladders, platforms, sampling inspection and access ports, grounding systems, and if required, FAA markings and warning lights.

Corrstop Dual Laminate Tanks & Equipment
CorrStop Dual Laminate fiberglass equipment provides cost effective solutions for your corrosive process system needs. Equipment made with Dual laminate FRP composites, using a thermoplastic inner liner and a fiberglass composite exterior, combine the advantages of thermoplastic with reinforced thermoset plastics to produce a product with top quality corrosion resistance and mechanical performance.

All of this is accomplished at less cost than high nickel alloys, with less weight, cutting down transportation and installation costs, while also offering abrasion resistance, electrical and to some extent thermal insulating properties compared to metallic alternatives.
Corrstop Thermoplastic Lined Fiberglass Duct, Pipe and Equipment

Liner Materials
Thermoplastic liner materials typically used in dual laminate construction include most grades used for manufacturing small plastic pipe and equipment, Including:
PVC - polyvinyl chloride
CPVC - chlorinated polyvinyl chloride
PP - polypropylene
PVDF - polyvinylidine fluoride
ECTFE - ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene
FEP - fluorinated ethylenepropylene
PFA - perfluoroalkoxy (PFA)
ETFE - ethylenetetrafluoroethylene

Liner materials are selected based upon an evaluation of corrosion requirements at the process temperature, with other considerations such as flame retardancy, mechanical properties and cost being factored in. See the tables for additional guidance in these areas.

PVC and CPVC are usually bonded directly to the FRP laminate using a bonding resin, while other thermoplastic liners are typically manufactured with an embedded fabric or fiberglass backing. This fabric backing provides a strong mechanical lock when overlaid with the fiberglass structural composite.
Engineering & Product Design

Following the selection of an appropriate liner material, the overall product design is completed by an evaluation of equipment mechanical requirements based upon pressure, vacuum, wind, seismic and any other mechanical loads. The fiberglass structure itself is designed using well established guidelines from such sources as the ASME RTP-1 (U.S.A.), BS-4994 (U.K.), CGSB-41.22-93 (Canada) or others. Many of these same standards also provide guidelines for proper application of dual laminate fabrication techniques.

These international standards take into account the anisotropic nature of fiberglass reinforced laminates, which results in behavior much different than typical steel alloys. Composites USA has been designing and building RTP composite equipment since 1982, and we have a thorough understanding of how these materials behave.
Fabrication of Dual Laminate Equipment

Following design and customer approval of Composites USA fabrication drawings, the equipment enters the production cycle. Special molds, if required, will be manufactured in house. The liner material is thermally formed with pressure or vacuum assist, and assembled into a completed part.

All Composites USA welders are qualified and routinely tested to assure uniformity and strength on bonds. In addition, all welds are tested 100% by use of a 10-15, 000-v high voltage spark test, using either conductive resin behind the welds, or alternatively a conductive reinforcement behind the entire liner.

Following the successful assembly of the liner, the fiberglass structure will be applied using either hand lay up or filament wound techniques. Structural overlay materials available for use are nearly unlimited; including space age thermosets and advanced composite reinforcements, but most commonly would include vinyl ester resin with E-glass reinforcement. Fabrication tolerances meet or exceed those of the previously mentioned international standards, and are guaranteed by our independently audited and approved Composites USA Quality Assurance Process.