Plastics as valve material have an ever wider range of uses in the processing industries. Because of their good chemical and mechanical resistance, they are being used more frequently in processing corrosive media such as slurry. Even in solvent supply, the trend is increasingly toward the use of high-performance thermoplastics.
The handling of corrosive or highly flammable media such as solvents is risky because they are conducive to electro-static build-up and the development of flammable vapours. Uncontrolled and sudden discharge can ignite entire plants. Not only safeguarding against shortfalls, but also ensuring the safety of the operating personnel, is in focus during operation of the plants.
Conductive multi-port valve blocks of the GEMÜ PC50 iComLine series and GEMÜ TubeStar tubes reduce the risk of any such ignition to a minimum. Carbon is added to the fluoropolymer during the production process to make the components conductive and to discharge the electro-static build-up specifically over these conductive components.
The GEMÜ PC50 iComLine multi-port valve blocks can be safely operated in the conductive design at an operating pressure of 4.2 bar and ensure an optimal capability to dissipate electro-static charges in conjunction with the conductive GEMÜ TubeStar tubes. The conductivity ranges between 105 and 108 ohms. The tubes referred to are available, made of PFA and PTFE material.
