More recently, as the energy industry has adopted more ways of using former waste materials, they run into the same wear problems as solid fueled power plants. This includes the handling and processing of petroleum coke, a carbon rich product historically used for fuel, or processed into filter media or electrodes for the smelting of aluminum and steel.
Petroleum coke, a byproduct of oil refining, can now be converted into natural gas and other useful feedstock chemicals much the same as coal. Various processes, developed over the last 15-30 years, use high temperatures and pressures to accomplish this conversion. And yes, the process also faces similar wear issues as the more conventional energy industries.
Recently, Kalenborn Abresist received an order for the supply of elbows and pipes for certain portions of the piping array in a petroleum coke conversion plant based in Asia, consisting of 10" diameter, heavy wall Stainless Steel casings lined with KALCOR® alumina corundum cylinders.
The elbows are the longest ever made in this diameter in a single piece, 90 degrees with tangents, for a total of 3.5 meters long. This required developing new techniques including the use of a boroscope and computer monitor to ensure that the lining segments were properly aligned in the middle of the sweep, far out of reach of the lining installers.
With flanges from India, pipe casings from Germany and linings from the Czech Republic, the pipe bending and welding fabrication were performed in Utah and Michigan respectively. The final lining assembly was performed at the Kalenborn Abresist facility in Indiana. After inspection by a third party at all stages of construction, the elbows and pipes are destined for container shipment to Asia.
