How a small Alfa Laval heat exchanger made a believer of a Brazilian giant
Braskem, Brazil's biggest petrochemical manufacturer, produces among other chemicals ethylene, a critical component in plastic production. So it's no surprise that the company has been increasing production capacity on a regular basis. Or that space was becoming a critical issue for them.
DATE 2023-11-28Alfa Laval's Compabloc was clearly an excellent solution to the space problem when Braskem planned to revamp their ethylene plant in Camaçari, Brazil in 2002. But, Alfa Laval's small wonder, delivered a “surprisingly” impressive list of other benefits as well.
At Braskem, the Compablocs have been in service for approximately five years, and have not needed cleaning yet. In contrast, the four shell-and-tube heat exchangers running parallel to the Compablocs have to be cleaned approximately every second year.
Benefits
- Small enough and light enough to suit process line specifications
- High resistance to fouling (particularly as compared to shell and tubes)
- No corrosion
- Long maintenance intervals save downtime and money
- Easy access for maintenance when required