UNIT-III

MATERIALS OF PLANT
CONSTRUCTION

FACTORS AFFECTING SELECTION OF

MATERIAL FOR PLANT CONSTRUCTION.
Type of factors.
1. Chemical factors
2. Physical factors
3. Economical factors

CHEMICAL FACTORS
1. Contamination of the product by material of plant lead
to instability, decomposition and physiological effect.
E.g. presence of traces of heavy metal decompose
penicillin.
Stability of vitamins decrease in presence of metallic
ions (Cu++, Co++, Ni++).
The color of esters will change to pale yellow in the
presence of iron impurities.
Esters should be processed in S.S.

CHEMICAL FACTORS
2.The effect on the material of plant by drugs and
chemicals.
Acids, Alkalis and Oxidizing agent and tannins may
affect the material of construction.
Allows and Plastic have a corrosion resistant properties.

PHYSICAL FACTORS
1. Adequate Mechanical Strength.
2. Erosion
3. Weight
4. Ease of fabrication
5. Thermal Expansion
6. Thermal Conductivity
7. Cleansing
8. Sterilization
9. Transparency

Material of plant construction

Metals

Ferrous

Non-Ferrous

Aluminum

Non-Metals

Lead
Inorgani
c
Glass

Cast
Iron

Steel
Carbon

Stainless
Steel

Rubber

Organic

Plastic

FERROUS METALS
Widely used bcz of its mechanical strength,
abundant availability and lower cost.
Varieties of iron are
1. Cast Iron
2. Carbon Steel
3. Stainless steel

CAST IRON
Cast iron consist of iron with a proportion of carbon
(beyond 1.5 %).
The properties of iron depends on the amt of carbon
present.
Cast iron is abundantly available, inexpensive.

GRAY CAST IRON

MALLEABLE IRON

HIGH SILICON CAST IRON

NICKEL RESISTANT CAST IRON

CARBON STEEL OR MILD STEEL

CARBON STEEL IS AN IRON ALLOY, WHICH

CONTAINS ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF
CARBON.

Variety of Carbon Composition

Allow

Advantages

STAINLESS STEEL

It is an allow of iron.
It contains chromium and nickel, which makes the steel
corrosion resistant.
S.S. is stabilized by the addition of titanium, or tantalum.
Minor amt of other elements such as copper, molybdenum,
& selenium are added.
S.S has the advantages of ease of fabrication.

Properties

of S.S.

1. Heat resistant
2. Corrosion Resistant
3. Ease of fabrication.
4. Tensile strength
5. Cleaning and Sterilization.

MARTENSITIC

AUSTENITIC

FERRITIC

1.ALUMINIUM

It

is cheap, light in weight and offer good

mechanical strength.
Al. equipment can be easily fabricated.
Al. can be strengthened by cold working.
Number of modifications of Al are
available.
Al is non toxic to micro-organism.

2.LEAD

It

has the lowest cost.

Used as collapsible tube material
particularly for non-food products such
as adhesives, inks, paints and
lubricants.
Lead tubes with internal linings are
used for fluoride tooth-paste.
Lead chamber process is used in the
manufacture of sulphuric acid.

LEAD ALLOYA AND MODIFICATIONS

Acid lead and copper leads are used in chemical
industries.
Some metals are added to lead for altering properties.
Silver and Copper:
Improve corrosion resistant.
Improve creep and fatigue resistant.
Antimony, Tin, Arsenic:
Hardens, steel melting point is low.
Lead lined steel structures are used for the
constructions of pipes, valves, vessels designed for
operations at high temp, fluctuating temp or vacuum.

1.GLASS

1. GLASS

The

glass that is prepared by silicon dioxide alone is

the most resistant, but relatively brittle.
It can be melted and moulded at high temp.
To modify the physicochemical properties cations
such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium,
aluminum, boron, iron etc are added.
Glass containers used in pharmaceutical industries
are classified in four groups, class I , class ii, class
iii, class iv.
Most of the alkali oxides such as Na2O, K2O. Mgo
and Cao enter the spaces within the structures and
reduce the strength of inter-atomic forces between
silicon and oxygen.

1. GLASS
The

oxide decrease the melting point of

glass and are comparatively free to
migrate.
This behavior cause number of problems
like:
Oxides leach in to the solution, raise the
pH, hydrolyze or catalyze chemical
reactions.
Some times glass flakes are formed in the
solution.

Types

General
Description

Properties

Uses

2.GLASS STEEL

RUBBER

Used

as such as a lining material

for the construction of plants.
Type of rubber
1. Natural Rubber
2. Soft rubber.
3. Hard Rubber
4. Synthetic Rubber.

SOME VARIETIES OF SYNTHETIC

RUBBER.
Five

type of Synthetic Rubber

1. Neoprene
2. Nitrile Rubber
3. Butyl Rubber
4. Silicon Rubber
5. Polyisoprene

1. NEOPRENE
(POLYCHLOROPRENE)

2. BUTYL RUBBER.

2. PLASTICS
Light

in wt so transportation is easy and cheap.

Available in variety of shape and easily fabricated.
Used for storing number of materials.
In machines, plastic material is preferred
wherever moving parts are present indicating that
it offers less resistant.
Plastics are synthetic resins containing long
chains of atoms linked to form giant or
macromolecules (polymer).
They have high molecular weight.

TYPE OF PLASTICS

BASED ON UTILITY OF
PLASTICS
Rigid materials
Flexible materials
Metallic surfaces
Plastic cements
Special case plastics