Flow and Concentration Measurement of Hydroflouric Acid
Hydrofluoric Acid is know as one of the most aggressive acids. Within industrial processes it is used, amongst other purposes, as a raw material for the production of Teflon. Due to its highly corrosive characteristics, all pipes containing the medium have to be made out of or are at least lined with specialty plastics like PTFE.
Inline flow measurement technologies for such harsh environments are prone to strong corrosion and subsequent failure. This was also the fact for a plant operator who used magnetic inductive flow meters (MID's) for this purpose and which failed only several months after installation.
FLEXIM's ultrasonic clamp-on flow measurement technology offers a superior alternative for such demanding applications. As the transducers reside on the outside of the pipe wall, the measurement system never gets into contact with the medium. Moreover, no pipe works for installation or maintenance are required.
Besides the very satisfying experiences the operator made with the FLUXUS flow meter, the plant engineers were even more pleased when they got introduced to the PIOX S process analyzer, which offers an additional online concentration and mass flow measurement of the Hydrofluoric Acid.
As PIOX S not only measures the volumetric flow rate, but also the sonic velocity of the liquid - which stands in distinctive relation to its concentration - the operator is now able to also supervise the concentration of the Hydrofluoric Acid running through the pipe (range between 45 - 65% conc.).
Advantages
- Non-intrusive volume and mass flow as well as concentration measurement technology - no media contact, no leakage risk
- Long lifetime and virtually no maintenance required
- Additional concentration measurement by applying the non-intrusive PIOX S process analyzer
