Fire and water are two major processing risks that threaten the safe operation, reliability, and economics of piping systems in many industrial plants. An unchecked fire in a plant raise the risks of employee injuries, millions of dollars of damage to equipment and property, and poor air quality for neighboring communities. The ingress of water can cause corrosion under insulation (CUI) that attacks a pipe’s metal surface to shorten its operating life. Whether fire or water impacts one section of pipe or an entire line, the end result is significant downtime, unplanned repairs and rebuilds, and a major hit to a plant’s profitability.
ROCKWOOL Technical Insulation has developed a stone wool insulation solution that addresses both of these costly risks. The new ROCKWOOL ProRox® PS 680 pipe insulation is a mandrel-wound, stone wool material that is specially treated to protect piping networks from fire and CUI.
Proven passive fire protection
Each fiber in the ProRox PS 680 pipe insulation is treated with FR-Tech™, a fire-resistant technology that provides highly effective passive fire protection in the event of a fire. Specifically, the FR-Tech fiber structure and chemistry slows the transfer of a fire’s heat to the steel piping and the hydrocarbons or other flammable liquids contained within. This gives plant personnel additional time to safely evacuate and enact measures to stop a fire’s spread.
ProRox PS 680’s fire protection performance was evaluated by internationally recognized testing and development bodies including SWRI, Intertek, and SGH. The insulation was tested to the UL 1709 fire curve, which requires materials to protect equipment and maintain structural integrity for at least 30 minutes in a 2,000°F (1090°C) fire. ProRox PS 680 was tested at 1- and 2-hour time intervals on Schedule 40 and Schedule 80 pipe sections. In each test, the stone wool insulation kept the pipe core temperature below 1,000°F (538°C) at a range of nominal pipe sizes and minimal insulation thickness.
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Keeping corrosion at bay
ProRox 680 also incorporates ROCKWOOL’s proven WR-Tech™ technology, a revolutionary low-chloride, water-repellent binder that coats each individual insulation fiber to combat CUI. Extensive testing confirms that WR-Tech makes ProRox PS 680 five times more water repellent (at 482°F/250°C) than standard EN-compliant stone wool, even after heating and aging.
ProRox PS 680 builds on ROCKWOOL’s 80-year history of supplying stone wool insulation products for a range of industrial applications. In addition to passive fire protection and water repellency, this newest insulation technology provides additional performance benefits for optimal plant operations.
- Installs easily with less downtime. ProRox PS 680 protects against fire and water with fewer application layers than conventional insulation options. This makes installation faster and easier, and without the need for sealants, offsite cutting, or specialized personal protective equipment.
- Frees up space in tight places. ProRox PS 680 installs at a fraction of the thickness of conventional insulation materials, making it easier to apply around tight pipe bends or in areas with limited clearance space.
- Lowers maintenance and replacement costs. ProRox PS 680 is removable and reusable, allowing for easy inspection without the additional expense of replacing the material.
- Minimizes a plant’s carbon footprint. Like other ROCKWOOL insulation solutions, ProRox PS 680 helps optimize plant performance by minimizing heat losses in hot pipes. On average, these stone wool insulation solutions save 20,000 times more CO2 over their operating life than what is emitted during their production.
ProRox PS 680 is made in North America, for North American plant operators who need reliable and durable fire and water protection. A growing number of operators are moving quickly to install ProRox PS 680 on their piping systems—in less time, at lower costs, and with less effort than conventional insulation solutions.
To learn how ProRox PS 680 with FR-Tech can safely protect against fire and CUI in your plant, visit https://rti.rockwool.com/applications/fr-tech-passive-fire-protection/.