The town of Waterford, New York hosts a facility owned by Evonik and was looking for a novel alternative for thermal insulation after a horrific case of corrosion was brought to light on their NaOH tank. The NaOH storage tank uses sodium hydroxide to treat drinking water by raising the pH of the water to a level that minimizes corrosion.
The traditional insulation of the NaOH tank became damaged over time which allowed moisture to enter, causing corrosion under the insulation. The overall goal was to insulate the tank with a material that could withstand repairs without damage and is easier to install compared to blankets. Tnemec had just the solution with Series 975 Aerolon, a thermal insulative coating utilizing an innovative, microporous composite particle.
The technical parameters of the NaOH Tank required an insulative system that could withstand Waterford’s fluctuating temperates (spanning between -20ºF to 100ºF, or -29ºC to 38ºC) and overall storage conditions of 122ºF or 50ºC. This requirement was no match for Series 975 Aerolon which provides superior insulation at higher operating temperatures of up to 325ºF or 163ºC. With reliability in mind, Series 975 instantly became the superior choice for this project.
Aerolon was used to rehabilitate the NaOH Tank within a fraction of the time and resources and at a lower cost than the previous traditional insulation. A combination of the primer Series 1224 Epoxoline WB, the insulative layer Series 975 Aerolon, and top coat of Series 1095 EnduraShield was used to give the town of Waterford the peace of mind it deserved to continue employing its NaOH tank to treat the town’s water.