Promat-HPI Insulation Systems for Energy Efficiency in Petrochemical Applications

Promat HPI insulation solutions are used in petrochemical processing applications where tight control of heat energy losses ensures optimised thermal management and process control.

Microporous insulation

Promat HPI offers the widest range of high performance insulation products within the market.

Microtherm® is microporous insulation and the best performing thermal insulation in the world. Unlike conventional insulation materials, it performs well near its upper temperature limits, effectively blocking infrared radiation. It has a TC of 0.021W/m.K at ambient temperatures, which rises to just 0.034W/m.K at an average temperature of 800°C.

Microtherm® is fully load bearing and rated for continuous exposure at 1000°C without deterioration.

Due to its very low TC, Microtherm® systems can be only one quarter the weight and thickness of competing products for equivalent performance.

Microtherm®’s microporous products include moulded pipe insulation sections, rigid panels, slatted and quilted flexible panels, as well as unique, granular microporous free-flowing material.

Additional products available from Promat HPI include a calcium silicate range, medium and high-temperature fibres, and a varied range of fire bricks and castable products.

Piping insulation for petrochemical applications

Microtherm® enables closely bundled runs of pipework to be insulated individually. In petrochemical applications where energy losses over long runs of pipe must be closely controlled, Microtherm® MPS and flexible insulation systems will optimise thermal performance, while taking up minimal space.

Microtherm® Moulded Pipe Sections (MPS), Microtherm® Slatted Panel, and Microtherm® Quilted Panel are all ideally suited to the insulation of long and complex piping runs. Bend and connection kits designed for fast insulation of bends, intersections, valves, etc. are available. Difficult areas can be tailored to suit by programmed laser manufacture from a customer’s CAD drawing. This ensures fast and trouble-free installation.

The light and compact nature of a Microtherm® system means that wind loading is effectively minimised in external pipework runs and structural support systems can be lighter.

Where performance is important but weight and space are less critical, Promat HPI offers calcium silicate insulation, in addition to medium and high-temperature fibre products.

Insulation for crude oil refinery

During refining, crude oil is turned into more than 2,000 products.

The first level of distillation is topping with various stages between 175 oC and 325 oC, according to the hydrocarbons created. A topping furnace mainly uses Promocast L105 and L124, Promasil Calcium Silicate, Promalight microporous, and Alsiflex 1260 Ceramic Fibre modules.

Cracking is the second stage. One successful project specified heat losses of no more than 350W a metre along a 960m HP steam line on 324mm and 406mm pipe diameters. This was achieved with a combination of 35mm of Microtherm® MPS with an outer layer of 130mm-thick mineral wool.

In reforming, which further improves hydrocarbon quality, Alsitherm 1260 Ceramic Fibre is used extensively on the radiation walls and roof with Promaton firebrick products on the floor backing Refrabrick SK 34. Piping and hairpins are insulated with Promasil 1000 calcium silicate and Alsiflex®.

Insulated pipeline systems for offshore applications

Promat HPI supplies the best available insulated pipeline system to the offshore oil and gas industry. Izoflex® is a flexible microporous panel incorporated in a pipe-in-pipe system, designed for barge laying on the sea-bottom, between installations. The load bearing capability of Microtherm® withstands the bend stresses of the s-laying and the hydrostatic pressure from the sea.
Several hundred kilometres of these pipelines have been installed to date underwater in America, West Africa and Northern Europe. Feedstock operating temperatures range from -45°C up to 155°C. Pipelines have field-demonstrated overall heat transfer coefficients (U-values) as low as 0.35W/m².K.

Promat HPI subsea pipeline systems are now an industry benchmark.

Insulation systems for petrochemical applications

Petrochemical applications that benefit from the use of Promat HPI insulation systems include:

• Styrene monomer plants
• Polyethylene plants
• Steam super-heater manifolds
• Bio gas generators
• Asphalt transfer lines
• Offshore processing
• Fluidised bed reactors

Promat HPI technical support

Promat HPI offers the widest product range in the market, supported by supreme technical and commercial support. R&D facilities based in Belgium include materials and performance laboratories, while our applications team can provide full product and system development assistance, as well as in-house performance testing to international standards.

Technical help, including full 3D transient heat flow calculations is available throughout a project.

Let Promat HPI prove to you the cost-effectiveness of our insulation systems.