Prevention of Crystallisation – Drum & IBC Heating Solutions
Published 31 May 2021
IBC & Drum Heaters: T&D International are the UK’s largest stockist and supplier of Insulated Heating Jackets for Drums & Containers.
Stopping Crystallisation
Process Heating & Freeze Prevention for Liquid Bulk Storage In Drums & IBC’s
Bulk stored products can be at risk of crystallisation when subject to low ambient temperatures. To prevent this happening ins storage containers such as drums and IBCs, electrical heating jackets can be used to maintain optimum temperatures. Crystallisation of manufactured products has major negative impacts on transport and delivery times.
Most liquids freeze by crystallisation.
Crystallisation is the (natural or artificial) process by which a solid forms, where the atoms or molecules are highly organised into a structure known as a crystal.
Some of the ways by which crystals form are precipitating from a solution, freezing, or more rarely deposition directly from a gas. Attributes of the resulting crystal depend largely on factors such as ambient temperature, air pressure, and in the case of liquid crystals, time of fluid evaporation.
Crystallisation is a 2-step process: i) nucleation – the appearance of a crystalline phase from either a supercooled liquid or a supersaturated solvent ii) crystal growth – this is the increase in the size of particles and leads to a crystal state.
Controlling Chemical Storage Temperatures
Non-Hazardous & Hazardous Area Heaters
Many chemicals require to be stored within certain temperature parameters, with a minimum temperature and a maximum temperature that they can be safely stored at.
Our standard range of electric heaters are suitable for safe “non-hazardous” locations – contact us to discuss applications where the electrical heaters are to be deployed to provide process heating or frost protection in potentially explosive atmospheres such as Zone 1 or Zone 2 hazardous area locations according to the designation of the ATEX Directive.
If the temperature goes outside the specified minimum or maximum parameters, the chemical can be adversely affected and may be no longer be usable or worse still, may become volatile and dangerous. Temperature controlled chemical storage can be provided reliably by using process heating equipment such as heating jackets to warm the contents of drums and IBC’s to prevent freezing.
➡ Is your product too thick to pour or pump from Drums & IBC’s due to cold temperatures? Thorne & Derrick can help by heating and thinning heavy viscous liquids prior to pouring and pumping using a comprehensive range of electrical surface heating products.
Protect Products Against Crystallisation & Freezing | Standard & Customised Heaters
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💡 Contact us today and our skilled and friendly team can provide technical support as well as reliable, fit for purpose and compliant solutions to suit your exact requirements.
Trace Heating | Process Heating | Heating Jackets | Drum & IBC Heaters | Heated Hoses |Silicone Heating Mats
➡See our Winterisation blog TOP PICKS, including our most read articles about Trace Heating and the requirement for electrical heating products and systems to combat and mitigate Winter weather effects.
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