Surface attack thwarted by Pfaudler

With probes lasting only 6-9 months in this demanding application, Pfaudler worked closely alongside the company to find the most appropriate solution to this and several other issues concerning the vessel and associated accessory equipment, which were proving expensive and creating unwanted downtime.

Pfaudler discovered that where product was being deposited on one side of the yellow glass (ion sensitive enamel) probe, a surface chemical attack had been occurring along flow patterns in vessel.

The pH probe was redesigned so that the ion sensitive glass (more prone to corrosion when compared to the blue glass usually used by Pfaudler) was left only on one side of the probe, well away from the flow pattern and the source of damage.

The re-design by Pfaudler now means that the lifetime of the pH probe has been extended to years rather than mere months. To further prolong the life of the reactor vessel and minimise the damage caused by the severity of the process, Pfaudler recommended an alteration to the dip-pipe design or a change to the method of solvent addition (via a quarto-pipe), with the changes being closely monitored.