We feel very lucky to have the opportunity to help organizations around the world become more sustainable while also protecting assets, improving employee safety, and of course, the most important, saving money.
One common piece of equipment that we help people insulate often are steam pipes, whether they are in a snack food factory, a brewery, a paper mill, or even a hospital, like our latest project. Steam pipes typically operate in the 250F-400F (121-204C) range and need insulation for three main reasons:
- Reduce heat loss/Improve energy efficiency
- Lower the exterior surface temperature for safety reasons (help prevent burns)
- Reduce the amount of heat being expelled into the environment from the pipe
Additional needs include protecting pipes from corrosion (no one wants a costly pipe failure) and moisture (most traditional fibrous insulations degrade quite quickly in moisture environments).
In this arena, we are an expert. We help our clients meet those goals every day.
Results of the Hospital Field Trial
Our most recent success was a field trial of our newly enhanced Nansulate™ High Heat thermal insulation and corrosion control coating. We are always striving to make our great products better, and this coating exceeded all customer expectations for thermal performance.
The Nansulate™ High Heat was used during a 60-day trial for steam pipe insulation. The application used an 8-coat coverage, which is approximately 8/1000’ths of an inch thickness and provided approximately a 110F (61C) temperature reduction, lowering the surface temperature from 302F (150C) to 192F (88.9C) degrees. Quite an accomplishment for a thin film coating, but that’s the magic of nanoscience and next generation insulation products and Sustainability Accelerated™ way to make hospitals more sustainable.
What This Means for the Planet
Great news for the planet is that the projected energy savings and reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are significant.
For every 1,000 S.F. of Steam Pipe Surface area Insulated with Syneffex™ High Heat Coating:
- Annual savings of 3,046.20 MMBtu/year
- Based on today’s energy dollars, that’s $8,285.66 USD/year savings on liquid natural gas
- Reduction of 162 Metric Tons of GHG emissions, according to the U.S. EPA’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions equivalency calculator
- Equivalent savings of 376 barrels of oil per year
- The equivalent of carbon sequestered by 4,141 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.
To learn more about our coatings for steam pipes and other equipment, visit our manufacturing page at: www.syneffex.com/manufacturing/
References:
