11 Dec 2013
SGL Group: New Graphite Porous Reactor Makes Treatment of Halogenated Off-Gas Sustainable
Increased flexibility through shorter startup and shutdown periods
Better operating efficiency through reduced maintenance needs and a longer product lifetime
Recycling of hydrogen chloride and hydrogen fluoride possible
Wiesbaden, December 11, 2013. With the new DIABON® porous reactor, SGL Group - The Carbon Company innovates off-gas treatment. Conventional combustion units need to be operated continuously to prevent corrosion. This becomes obsolete, as SGL Group is using special graphite materials, which have a high corrosion resistance. As a result maintenance cycles and product life time are extended, which leads to shorter pay-back periods.
An additional benefit is the reactor’s compact design, which reduces the system's floor space by up to 60%. The reduced thermal mass and specific DIABON® properties enable a reduction of startup and shutdown times from several hours to few minutes. For the very first time, this start/stop operation allows “on demand” off-gas treatment with a reduced energy consumption of up to 50%.
SGL Group offers the option to expand the DIABON® porous reactors with units which recover the resulting hydrogen chloride (HCl) or hydrogen fluoride (HF) for reuse in the process. As a result raw material and energy consumption can be reduced significantly.
Background: The chemical industry is demanding more sustainable solutions in the treatment and recovery of corrosive off-gases. One core focus is on fluorine- and chlorine containing off-gases, which need to be recycled so that they are not harmful to the environment. Currently this is achieved in conventional combustion chambers, which need very long time to heat-up and which can easily corrode when the unit starts up or shuts down.
The Process Technology Business Unit – Enabler of Safe and Energy-Efficient Process Solutions
Reliable, efficient and sustainable process solutions for corrosive media are at the heart of the Process Technology Business Unit (BU PT) at SGL Group – The Carbon Company. The Business Unit develops and produces customized, innovative process solutions as a dedicated specialist, not only for carbon fiber and graphite but also for materials including SiC or PTFE. BU PT offers the entire value creation chain for equipment and system assembly in the chemical industry and associated industry sectors, from material and technology selection to engineering, turnkey, on-time project management and even customer services.
For more information on BU PT and its products please visit our Internet site at
www.sgl-processtechnology.com.
DIABON® is a registered trademark of the SGL Group – The Carbon Company.
Reader enquiries
SGLNotes for editors
About SGL Group – The Carbon Company
SGL Group is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of carbon-based products and materials. It has a comprehensive portfolio ranging from carbon and graphite products to carbon fibers and composites. SGL Group’s core competencies are its expertise in high-temperature technology as well as its applications and engineering know-how gained over many years. These competencies enable the Company to make full use of its broad material base. SGL Group’s carbon-based materials combine several unique properties such as very good electrical and thermal conductivity, heat and corrosion resistance as well as high mechanical strength combined with low weight. Due to industrialization in the growth regions of Asia and Latin America and increased substitution of traditional with innovative materials, there is a growing demand for SGL Group’s high-performance materials and products. Products from SGL Group are used predominantly in the steel, aluminum, automotive and chemical industries as well as in the semiconductor, solar and LED sectors and in lithium-ion batteries. Carbon-based materials and products are also being used increasingly in the wind power, aerospace and defense industries.
With 45 production sites in Europe, North America and Asia as well as a service network covering more than 100 countries, SGL Group is a company with a global presence. In 2012, the Company’s workforce of around 6,700 employees generated sales of €1,709 million. The Company’s head office is located in Wiesbaden.
Further information on the SGL Group can be found online at: www.sglgroup.com
Important note:
This press release may contain forward-looking statements based on the information currently available to us and on our current projections and assumptions. By nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, as a consequence of which actual developments and results can deviate significantly from these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not to be understood as guarantees. Rather, future developments and results depend on a number of factors; they entail various risks and unanticipated circumstances and are based on assumptions which may prove to be inaccurate. These risks and uncertainties include, for example, unforeseeable changes in political, economic, legal, and business conditions, particularly relating to our main customer industries, such as electric steel production, to the competitive environment, to interest rate and exchange rate fluctuations, to technological developments, and to other risks and unanticipated circumstances. Other risks that in our opinion may arise include price developments, unexpected developments connected with acquisitions and subsidiaries, and unforeseen risks associated with ongoing cost savings programs. SGL Group does not intend or assume any responsibility to revise or otherwise update these forward-looking statements.
