Toward a healthier world with a boosted industrial efficiency

Nature protection and environmental awareness are ongoing global issues that concern all mankind. Whether on the individual or society level, these are gaining momentum and involving big players in high circles.

Related EU and other countries’ agreements and regulations thereof are in favour of a perennial preserved world and sustainable resources for future generations.[1] Also, reduction and limitation of atmospheric carbon footprint, greenhouse gases and air pollutants are a top priority. For example, on 26 May 2019, a Dutch court curbed the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, requesting a 45% slash-down of their carbon emissions by 2030.[2] This ruling raised drastically the bar far beyond the 20% initially set by this multinational.

Knowing that fugitive emissions from energy-intensive consuming industries – as the oil or process industry – compose a large share of the industrial discharges, such a governmental policy is a welcomed opportunity for the sealing industry to showcase their competence at the service of the heavy industries.

As sealing company, DONIT is specialized in the R&D of purpose-built sealing materials conceived to support existing or future infrastructures for novel and advanced fuel feedstocks of the evolving world. With its renowned brands which comply with low or even down to zero emission requirements, DONIT is actively contributing to the containment of industrial resources and maximization of their value, and conservation of biotops.

Fugitive emissions & resulting costs[3]

Fugitive emissions of production plants consist of in vain wasted volatile fluids through flaring, undesirable evaporation, leaking or accidental spilling.

Notably, a minimum of 20.000 flanged connections – with their jointing gaskets – are encountered in a typical oil refinery installation at the level of gauges, instrumentation, valves, heat-exchangers, pumps, compressors, mixers, vessels, etc., all of which are prone to leakage. Considered individually, the loss per connection is practically minimal whereas the overall total loss, via all the possible fugitive pathways combined, may be incrementally quite significant. To put it in perspective, fugitive emissions emanating from a typical European refinery equal 600–10.000t of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) per year.

Adding to their undisputed environmental harm, fugitive emissions total a burdensome financial loss for the implicated firm in valuable pipes’ transiting products and in energy. These are by definition irrecoverable and contribute to the plant inefficiency. Yet, the actual associated costs are not straightforwardly apparent. Visible costs account for product loss, while invisible costs concern the repair labor for plugging the leak, replacement parts, wasted energy, environment clean-up, governmental fines, court expenses following personal injury claims, in addition to lost/slackened sales resulting from the company’s tarnished image.

Thus, the proper use of an appropriate gasket can spare all danger and damages associated with a leak. A poignant reminder being the unfortunate disaster of the crewed U.S. space-shuttle Challenger; its explosion stemmed from the failure of a small O-ring.[4]

DONIT Select Sealing Materials for “Clean Energy” Businesses

Scientific and economic assessment of diverse energy sources seem to privilege Hydrogen gas (H₂), especially the so-called “Green Hydrogen”, as the best match candidate for current and future energy supply.[5,6]

In fact, hydrogen gas can serve as a universal alternative fuel for all industry sectors, substituting thus emission-intensive fossil fuels. Furthermore, it can be employed as a raw starting substance or a reducing agent in the oil and process industries.

Therefore, ensuring a continuous hydrogen supply for the industry dictates the recourse to a specially adapted infrastructure for its production, storage, transport, and delivery. Sealing elements such as gaskets – which come in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials – are an integral part of this chain.

DONIT sealing products comply with the increasingly stringent environmental regulations and customers’ specifications. We supply innovative structured products to advancing technologies.

DONIT is resolved to enhance its sealing competence in the service of hydrogen-related production & applications including generation systems and conveying circuits.[7] A dedicated instrument was set up which is capable of testing gaskets against hydrogen diffusion under various conditions. Also, we undertook the adaptation of our calendered gasket sheet portfolio, and the premium TESNIT^® BA-SOFT gasket material in particular features a 50-fold increased efficiency versus other common asbestos-free fiber-based ones.[8]

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References:

[1] List of international environmental agreements: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_environmental_agreements
[2] Taylor C., 26 May 2021, https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/26/dutch-court-rules-oil-giant-shell-must-cut-carbon-emissions-by-45percent-by-2030-in-landmark-case.html.
[3] Sealing Devices – Reduction of Fugitive Emissions: Best Available Techniques; The European Sealing Association e.V., 2019.
[4] Space Shuttle Challenger disaster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_Shuttle_Challenger_disaster
[5] Hydrogen is the Answer – What was the Question?; Ausfelder F., ACHEMA MAGAZINE 2021, p. 10–15.
[6] EU Green Deal – “Hydrogen Strategy” project: https://ec.europa.eu/energy/sites/ener/files/hydrogen_strategy.pdf
[7] DONIT, a Perfect Fit for the EU “Hydrogen Strategy”: https://donit.eu/blog/donit-a-perfect-fit-for-the-eu-hydrogen-strategy/
[8] An Advanced Sealing Material for Current Innovative Machinery: https://donit.eu/blog/an-advanced-sealing-material-for-current-innovative-machinery/