CHALLENGE
A large chemical company in Texas that produces the plastic resins for PVC was
struggling with corrosion. Polyvinyl chloride (or PVC) is a type of plastic commonly used
for chemical spray bottles, pipes, clothing, bags, upholstery, tubing, flooring and pool
toys. It’s nearly 57% chlorine and requires less petroleum than other plastics. The highly
corrosive chlorine used as a base material is hard on manufacturing plant systems,
including production equipment and electrical.
To protect electrical infrastructure, the company had installed PVC-coated steel conduit.
But that selection required replacement every five years. The caustic environment was
taking its toll on electrical conduit and the price paid was repeated re-install production
disruption in addition to high product and installation costs.
SOLUTION
PVC-coated steel is a common conduit solution in volatile applications that require a
strong, durable and corrosion resistant conduit to protect electrical systems. It’s got
strength from steel plus a coating that protects against corrosion, ideally.
Yet many contractors and project managers are unaware that there’s another alternative
out there. Fiberglass conduit, elbows and strut supports are nonmetallic, yet strong and
durable. They are corrosion resistant to many chemicals and in most cases eclipse the
protection provided by PVC-coated steel. Their longevity is far superior. On top of that,
they are less costly than PVC-coated steel conduit and support systems.
While fiberglass conduit, elbows and strut have the strength to withstand caustic
chemical plant environments, they are also lightweight for smooth portability in the field.
Also, quick connections make installation fast, and both the conduit and strut are easy
to cut in the field, making installation seamless.
RESULTS
Installation progressed swiftly, saving time, money and production disruption on the re-
install. Additionally, material costs were lower, as PVC-coated steel conduit and supports are substantially heavier and much more expensive than fiberglass conduit, elbows and
strut. The Champion Fiberglass conduit and strut systems are outlasting the PVC-coated
conduit and support counterpart, saving substantial production time and money as no
replacements due to corrosion are required.
For this chemical plant, the replacement of deteriorated PVC-coated steel conduit
started small. After the contractors and project managers became familiar with
installation and saw the corrosion-resistance of fiberglass conduit, elbows and strut,
they continued to use Champion Fiberglass.