One of the most common methods of transporting bulk cargo is a cylindrical container known as a drum, also referred to as a barrel.  These drums are used to transport thousands of different cargo including industrial chemicals, acids (and other corrosives), oils, solvents, paints, resins, adhesives and soaps.  Painted steel drums and drums made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE), typically called poly, or plastic drums, are used most often to transport and store such cargo.

Trains and locomotive railcars operate in harsh environments which degrade the exterior paint and protective finish over time.  For the interior of the tank and hopper cars, the linings must provide protection from highly corrosive cargo which can lead to heavy corrosion and premature coating failure.  These vessels require durable and long-lasting finishes as varying weather and cargo can strip away these protective coatings.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and odors are natural by-products of many chemical manufacturing processes. The manufacturing of powdered and liquid flavorings & fragrances involves production phases where VOCs and odors can escape into the ambient air.  Recapture of the VOCs is important in the prevention of air pollution and smog.  Smog is formed when VOCs react with nitrogen oxides (NOx) in the presence of sunlight. The reaction forms ground level ozone, airborne particulates, and some other pollution.

Ozone has been selected as the standard to measure ground level pollution, a precursor under EPA’s criteria pollutant program.  Areas of the country that have ozone readings above EPA guidelines are ruled nonattainment areas and have stricter regulations for VOC, CO, and NO_x emissions. This proves that although the compounds that create offensive odors may not be present in sufficient concentrations to present a health risk, they can diminish the quality of life for the community surrounding the manufacturing process.

Industrial manufacturing companies, such as the tire and rubber manufacturing industry are striving for maximum uptime of their process manufacturing equipment. It is vital that unplanned downtime is kept to a minimum, and maintenance intervals can be predicted to match the scheduled downtime of each individual facility. This is especially true with your air pollution control equipment which is essentially the “permit to operate” the revenue generating portions of your manufacturing process.  Don’t let the stress of untimely and costly downtime build up, literally. 

Recently, Catalytic Products International (CPI) worked with a customer who determined during a routine plant inspection that they had unexpected emissions from their process. This can happen as regulations change and as plants continue to improve operations or even change products or processes.  In this case, the customer voluntarily shut down their process immediately until a solution could be found.