When it comes to industrial facility processes, there's no question that specific safety protocols can help mitigate the risks and hazards that are inherent in these environments. But workplace safety can, and should, extend beyond prudent practices to include fully engineered solutions that are part of the process facility equipment and infrastructure.
When it comes to furnishing research labs with their necessary ventilation equipment, it can sometimes feel like a "zero-sum-game" trying to balance system performance and safety with cost and convenience. With this balancing act in mind, below we will do a brief comparison of ducted vs ductless fume hoods for your research lab space.
Topics: lab design, research lab safety, ductless fume hoods
ASTM International (ASTM), originally known as the American Society for Testing and Materials, is an international standards organization that develops and publishes voluntary consensus technical standards for a wide range of materials, products, systems, and services.
Topics: class 1 duct
A recent acid exhaust project where we supplied our PSP® to JB Henderson for an installation at Sandia National Labs was recognized for "outstanding specialty work" in an occupied and operational facility.
The project called for more than 2,000 linear feet of PSP fluoropolymer coated stainless steel duct to replace the existing weathered and contaminated FRP duct system.
Topics: fume exhaust duct, acid fumes, acid exhaust
Operational demands and safety requirements have driven a clear need for more chemically resistant and fire resistant fume exhaust systems among advanced process facilities. Exhaust duct systems in these environments must be able to chemically withstand highly corrosive process fume exhaust, not contribute to smoke or flame-spread in the event of a fire, and still stand up to any external environmental conditions or aggressive cleaning agents to which they may be exposed over the course of their lifecycle.
Topics: fume exhaust duct, lab safety
Traditionally, FRP duct has been the standard material for handling foul air exhaust in wastewater treatment plant odor control systems. Today however, as system longevity, overall fire safety, environmental footprint and ease of installation and maintenance play larger roles in system design specifications, WWTP's are increasingly turning to coated stainless steel for their odor control system needs.
As communities, municipalities and wastewater treatment facilities alike devote more and more resources toward mitigating hydrogen sulfide gas (H2S) as an industrial and environmental pollutant [1], the resultant foul-air systems and the materials from which they are constructed must be called into question.
We are entering a new age, one where people are realizing that it’s possible to meet and exceed business financial goals and to still make progress in preserving our environment. This concept is taking hold in new and diverse ways across many commercial and industrial spheres. It's known as the circular economy.
You’ll be hearing this phrase more and more as its influence grows, but what exactly does it mean?
Sludge dewatering is the process of removing as much water as possible from wastewater and sewage sludge. The output of this process includes untreated water that will continue to be cleaned and purified (before being released and reused), and biosolids with drastically reduced liquid content, volume and mass.
The reduced mass and volume of the biosolid end-product makes it far easier to store or transport, being both lighter and with a far smaller footprint. It is then either land applied as agricultural fertilizer or sent to a landfill.
Topics: wastewater treatment plant odor control, sludge dewatering
Biosolids are a nutrient-rich organic material produced when sewage sludge is extracted from wastewater and treated with several processes, including one to reduce pathogens. It can have an organic matter content of up to 50% and is often used as an alternative to conventional fertilizer.
Topics: biosolids management, wastewater treatment plant odor control
When odors from wastewater treatment facilities become problematic for surrounding communities, they have the potential to cause more headaches than simply an unpleasant smell. Depending on the severity of the foul air, locals may contact plant management to complain, or in more severe cases they may even reach out to local government or the media to make their complaints be known. If these odors begin to garner political or media attention it could hurt the reputation of the plant. Moreover, severe odors can impact job satisfaction and even the safety of on-site employees.
So, what can be done to control problem odors?
Topics: wastewater treatment plant odor control, odor control technology, odor control systems
As part of a corporate wide safety awareness initiative, Fab-Tech recently implemented changes to our manufacturing process to reflect a safer way to perform the fabrication and coating of our vent duct systems. Since our largest diameter exhaust duct was among the first to roll off the production line following the process updates, we decided it was time to take a step back and admire the fruits of our labor.
Topics: fume exhaust duct, careers
Fab-Tech’s proprietary fluoropolymer coated stainless steel fume exhaust duct carries clear benefits across an array of industrial and scientific research applications.
Given its status as the material of choice for venting corrosive fumes in semiconductor manufacturing, laboratory owners in private and university settings have taken note and are now following suit.
Topics: frp duct, fume exhaust duct, laboratory ventilation
A common belief among engineers and facility designers is that coated stainless steel vent pipe is more expensive than FRP duct alternatives. While the upfront material costs of fiberglass may appear slightly cheaper on estimates, it is most important to compare equivalent systems, such as the resin and service type of FRP duct, and to include an evaluation of system installation time and cost.
Topics: vent pipe installation, frp duct, duct installation
The AE marketplace gets more competitive every day. AE firms competing for the larger and more valuable WWTP projects must stay ahead of the competition or become commoditized.
It's not every day that an advanced process solution presents itself in the wastewater treatment market which provides so many benefits to operators and allows specifying engineers to stand out.
So, how can adding PermaShield Pipe to an AE firm’s toolbox help them stand out and stay innovative?
Topics: vent duct, facility design
Belvidere, NJ - During the manufacture of a pilot run of innovative Vitamin C products, Roche Vitamins set out to solve a long standing problem that many pharmaceutical manufacturers and research labs face with their process ventilation systems.
That is, how to contain and convey highly corrosive acid exhaust without having to perpetually replace the vent duct system.
Topics: vent duct, acid fumes
Governments around the world rely on their national labs to conduct research that will keep them at the leading edge of scientific and technological advancement.
Considering that U.S. national labs were developed during the middle of the 20th century and their management model is only recently showing signs of change, a major concern is that our national lab system may be many times inadequate to keep pace with modern day research initiatives.
Topics: lab design, national labs
MIT is currently constructing a 200,000 square foot center for nanotechnology and nano-science at their campus in Cambridge, MA. Nicknamed MIT.nano, the facility will follow an open lab design concept to bring faculty, researchers and students together on a grand scale of collaboration.
Topics: fume exhaust duct, lab design, lab safety
Prior to the appearance of 300 series fluoropolymer coated stainless steel, the most common materials for process ventilation were galvanized steel, polyvinyl chloride, polypropylene and FRP duct.
In today's high-cost high-tech process facilities, strong regulations and higher standards for fire-safety are turning the attention of facility owners, engineers, and underwriting insurers alike toward PSP® fluoropolymer coated fume exhaust duct.
To understand why, let's take a look at how PSP® gets its superior Class 1 fire rating.
Topics: frp duct, class 1 fire rating, astm e-84, class 1 duct
Fume hoods serve as the literal and figurative birthplace for next generation research and scientific discovery. Within these clean, confined spaces, our world is discovering new ways to improve the quality of life for all.
Thomas Edison was known to utilize his fireplace chimney as a fume vent. Without it, chances are his work would have ended prematurely.
These days, fume hoods are better ventilated, more chemically resistant, cleaner, and perform better than Edison’s fireplace, but they still require basic care and planning to ensure that lab safety is not compromised.
Topics: fume exhaust duct, lab design, lab safety
