The chemical industry is clearly an extreme testing ground for polymers that can deliver the highest performance levels.
Of all chemical processes, those developed by electroplating certainly need to be on the list of most harmful, not only because of the extremely aggressive organic and inorganic chemicals, used in the galvanizing bath, but also because of the strong electric currents and free ionic species that have the potential to attack the materials used.
All problems well known to Progalvano (http://www.progalvano.it ), an Italian company and world leader in the production of all types of plating barrels used for galvanizing and chemical processes.
To manufacture the tumblers mounted on Rotor systems, Progalvano uses only polyolefins and other resins with optimal resistance to chemical attack.
The door barrels are fastened by large springs, normally made from carbon fibre PVDF. However, Progalvano needed to find a solution other than PVDF for highly alkaline processes, so it turned to LATI with a project full of challenges.
The springs must in fact deliver impressive mechanical performance, be highly resistant but also elastic during use, with exposure to temperatures up to 100°C. The elastic response must always be available to combat phenomena such as creep and relaxation of the coating, thus requiring compounds that are highly reinforced with appropriate fibres.
The resin base is also important and the thermal needs require a high viscosity PP optimized for temperature resistance.
The material used to make the first prototypes is LATENE AG3H K/10, which is a high thermal performance polypropylene reinforced with carbon fibre.
Field tests demonstrate how the performance of the new springs perfectly meets project specifications, and also offers unexpected advantages in terms of life expectancy.