NOTE: The sponsor of this content may contact you with more information on this topic. Click here to opt-out from sharing your email address with this sponsor. (This link will not unsubscribe you from any other BIC email list).
Fires in industrial, manufacturing, and processing plants injure hundreds of employees each year, create hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of damage to plant equipment and property, and negatively impact air quality.
And whether a fire impacts one piece of equipment or an entire production line, the end result is significant downtime, unplanned repairs and rebuilds, and a major hit to a plant’s profitability.
Proven passive fire protection with stone wool insulation
While it is not possible to completely fireproof a plant, passive fire protection solutions can increase the fire resistance of plant processes. One solution, the new ROCKWOOL ProRox® PS 680 pipe sections with FR-Tech™, is a mandrel-wound, stone wool material that provides highly effective thermal insulation in the event of a fire.
ProRox PS 680 builds on ROCKWOOL’s 80-year history of supplying stone wool insulation products for a range of industrial applications. This newest insulation technology provides effective protection and optimal performance for the lifetime of the installation through benefits that include:
- Extended fire protection. The insulation’s unique, fire-resistant FR-Tech fiber structure and chemistry slows the transfer of a fire’s heat to steel structures and equipment, giving plant personnel additional time to evacuate and apply preventative measures to stop a fire’s spread.
- Decreased down time. While other insulation options often require multiple layers for adequate fire protection, ProRox PS 680 requires just one application layer. This makes it easy and fast to install, without the need for sealants, offsite cutting, or specialized personal protective equipment.
- Maximum design flexibility. ProRox PS 680 installs at typically half the thickness of conventional insulation materials, making it easier to apply around tight pipe bends or in areas with limited clearance space.
- Optimized maintenance costs. ProRox PS 680 is removable and reusable, allowing for easy inspection without the additional expense of replacing the material.
- Minimized carbon footprint. During its application lifetime, ROCKWOOL insulation helps optimize plant performance by minimizing heat losses in hot pipes and processes. On average, these stone wool insulation solutions save 20,000 times more CO2 over their operating life than what is emitted during their production.
- Effectively mitigates corrosion under insulation (CUI). ProRox PS 680 also incorporates ROCKWOOL’s WR-Tech, an advanced water-repelling technology with a low chloride content for mitigating the risks of CUI on pipes and processing equipment.
How does ProRox PS 680 with FR-tech perform in hydrocarbon fire tests?
Because it is non-combustible and does not emit toxic fumes, stone wool is one of the safest insulation materials to use in the event of a fire. This has been confirmed in a range of hydrocarbon fire tests performed in cooperation with internationally recognized testing and development bodies such as SWRI, Intertek and SGH.
Passive industrial fire protection materials are typically tested to the UL 1709 standard, which requires materials to protect equipment and maintain structural integrity for at least 30 minutes in a 2,000°F (1090°C) fire. While 30 minutes often gives workers enough time to prevent a fire’s spread to other plant systems, plant operators typically prefer testing insulation materials for a duration of two hours.
ProRox PS 680 was tested to the UL 1709 fire curve, at both 1- and 2-hour time intervals, on Schedule 40 and Schedule 80 pipe sections. In each test, the stone wool insulation kept the pipe core temperature below 1,000°F —a range of nominal pipe sizes and minimal insulation thickness.
UL 1709 Fire Test Scenario Response of Insulated Pipe Sections, 2-hour interval
For details on UL 1709 testing responses with other pipe sizes or thicknesses, contact ROCKWOOL.
Based on these successful tests, plant operators are moving quickly to install ProRox Ps 680 with FR-Tech on their piping systems — in less time, at lower costs, and with less effort than conventional insulation solutions.
To learn how ProRox PS 680 with FR-Tech can safely improve the fire resilience of your plant processes, visit rti.rockwool.com.
