Chemical Equipment and Tank Engineering

Our company is a leading supplier and development partner for thermoplastic semi-finished products. We provide you with optimal quality solutions for your applications through our comprehensive range of plates, rods, profiles, welding rods, tubes, fittings, valves and finished products. The variety of materials supplied by our organization ranges from PE and PP products to PVC, PVC-C, PVDF and PETG products. PE (polyethylene) extrusion semi-finished products are classified as high-density polyethylene because they have a density of 0.94 g/cm3. SIMONA manufactures sheets, rods, tubes, fittings and welding rods from PE 63, PE 80 and PE 100 materials from the high-density PE (HD) class used in the production of chemical tanks and equipment. SIMONA® PE HD Product Properties • High hardness even at low temperatures, • Low density compared to many other materials, • High chemical resistance, • High corrosion resistance, • Good sliding properties, • High wear resistance, • Long service life, • Physiological compatibility, • Very low water absorption, • Multipurpose use, • Excellent electrical insulation properties, • Good processing capacity, • High UV resistance (PE HWU-black). SIMONA® PE HD Product Application Areas Tools, Equipment and Machinery • Extrusion systems, • Drip containers, • Battery cells, • Pickling baths, • Chemical piping, • Ventilation. Construction Industry • Concrete molds, • Molds for special-purpose concretes, • Window ledges, • Washing cabins. Storage Systems • Sorting boxes, • Transport pallets, • Packaging elements, • Tool bags, • Shelves. Automotive Industry • Trunk linings, • Motorcycle bumpers, • Mold supports, • Gravel protectors. Applications Requiring Physiological Compatibility • Deep freezer interior parts, • Stackable crates for cold storage, • Refrigerated truck linings, • Ice cream, chocolate, cheese molds, • Prosthetics and orthopedic devices. The appropriate heating element temperature for PE-63 and PE 80 materials can be seen in the graph. Welding

Butt Welding

Generally, plastic materials of the same type or with similar molecular weights and densities can be welded. Color differences do not affect weld quality. In practice, materials with similar melt flow index groups can be welded. Compatible melt flow index groups can be determined according to DIN EN ISO 1872 part 1 (PE) specifications. Tubes and fittings with MFR values between 0.3 and 1.7 and sheets (PE 63/80/100) with values between 0.2 and 0.7 can be welded to each other. The appropriate heating element temperature for PE-63 and PE 80 materials can be seen in the graph. In practice, this temperature for PE 100 materials is 220°C and is independent of sheet thickness. The table below provides values that may assist users when welding PE HD using butt welding.

Extrusion Welding

Extrusion welding is used for welding parts of high thickness. The welding process is performed with a homogeneous welding rod. Immediately before the welding operation, bent and damaged surfaces (generally due to air and chemical exposure) must be cleaned and removed from the material. Cleaning agents that may damage the plastic surface or alter its properties, such as acetone, should not be used. The table below provides extrusion welding values for PE-HD materials. Depending on the material conditions and environmental conditions, the welding rod can absorb moisture on the material surface. This can lead to bubble formation in the welded area of the material during extrusion welding. To prevent this moisture problem, the following points must be observed during welding: • A water/oil trap should be installed in the ventilation system. • The parts to be welded must not have temperature differences. • Welding rods should be stored in a dry environment. • If necessary, welding rods should be subjected to pre-drying (PE materials should be kept in air evacuation ovens at 80°C for at least 12 hours). • Materials with thickness ≥ 18 mm should be welded in multiple passes.

Properties:

Burning Behavior SIMONA® PE products are normal combustible materials complying with DIN 4102 B2 standard. • Self-ignition temperatures are approximately 350°C. • Oxygen index (minimum oxygen concentration required for ignition) is 18%. External Environment Performance • SIMONA® PE-HWU (black) is suitable for external environment use. • SIMONA® PE-HWST (white) is suitable only for internal environment use. Service life depends not only on molecular formula; • Production processes, • Process conditions are also important. SIMONA® PE-HWU has delivered excellent results in external environment applications over many years. By adding special carbon black materials (approximately 2%), the light and air resistance of the material is increased, and it is protected from UV radiation in sunlight. PE-HWU parts have been given a 10-year service life in external environment applications at 1500 meters altitude above sea level in the northern regions of the Alps. Physiological Compatibility According to Recommendation No. 3 of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR, formerly BgVV), there are no restrictions on the use of SIMONA® PE products in the food industry. All monomers and additives are specified in European Directive 2002/72/EC and its annexes.

Chemical Resistance

SIMONA® PE thermoplastic products, due to their non-polar structure, show very high chemical resistance (at approximately 20°C) to the following chemicals: • Salts (in aqueous solution), • Acids, • Alkalies, • Alcohols, • Various solvents, • Solid fats, • Liquid oils, • Waxes. With continuous contact with these chemicals, a small amount of swelling may be observed in the material. However, this generally does not affect the working capacity of the materials. Substances to which PE materials show limited chemical resistance (due to swelling): • Aromatic compounds, • Halogen-containing hydrocarbons. Substances to which PE materials show no chemical resistance (due to swelling): • Nitric acid, • Chromic acid, • Halogens. In this case, there is a high risk of stress cracking, especially in weld regions.

Water Absorption

Water absorption of SIMONA® PE semi-finished products is generally negligible. Therefore, no swelling occurs when PE materials are immersed in water. In a special application, extrusion welding, the presence of moisture can affect weld results. Depending on geometry (surface area-volume relationship) and extruder processing conditions, even small amounts of water can prevent efficient welding.

Temperature Range

The application temperature ranges for SIMONA® PE semi-finished products are specified below*. *The above values may not apply to tank applications. In such cases, each application should be evaluated separately taking special design rules into account. Microorganism Resistance

SIMONA® PE semi-finished products do not provide a suitable growth medium for the following microorganisms:

• Microorganisms, • Bacteria, • Fungi, • Rodents. Health Aspect PE structure consists only of carbon and hydrogen elements. During oxygen-initiated combustion, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and water are released, while soot and low molecular weight plastics release rates are very low. The ratio of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide usually depends on combustion conditions such as temperature, ventilation and continuous oxygen supply to the environment. Combustion results in substances resembling stearic acid (wax). There is a misconception that all combustion products in the smoke of burning plastics are toxic. It is not correct to assume that all plastics exposed to fire produce particularly toxic gases. For PE, water is the most suitable fire extinguishing agent. Tank Manufacturing SIMONA® PE 100 materials have mandatory test certificates for tank manufacturing approved by the German Institute for Building Technology (DIBt) located in Berlin.

General Storage Rules

• SIMONA plastic materials should always be stored in an area protected from moisture, sudden temperature changes and direct sunlight. • Packaging straps should be loosened after transport. If packaging is newly applied, steel straps should not be used. • The material must not be exposed to a heat source on only one side. • PVC products, welding rods and electrically conductive plastics must be protected from moisture. • Materials without UV resistance should not be exposed to direct sunlight. • The use of plastic film is recommended when storing materials to protect them from dust. • Sheets should be placed on a sturdy, flat pallet with dimensions at least equal to those of the sheets and capable of providing adequate support. Single sheets must always be placed horizontally. • It is recommended to place a separator (such as a cardboard box) between the pallet and plastic. • If one pallet block is to be placed on top of another, a pallet should be placed inverted between the two blocks to distribute the load. • If these stored materials are very thin or foam materials, special precautions should be taken. Bengisu Öder Chemical Engineer / Filiz Plastik Metal ve Makine Sanayi Tic. Ltd. Şti.