Rubber Linings Playbook: The Critical Utility of Rubber-Lined Piping

Industries ranging from power production to mining, chemical processing, and others make extensive use of piping to channel various substances through complex processing systems. These fluids or slurries often contain chemicals or aggregate that can compromise or even destroy the pipes they travel through. Unless those pipes are lined with rubber.

Applying specially formulated rubber linings to the inside surfaces of pipes gives them powerful protection against mechanical wear, corrosion and abrasion.

Rubber-Lined Piping in Industry

Rubber lining and coating solutions are utilized in piping systems, storage tanks, systems for desulfurization and saltwater cooling systems, pump housings, agitators, and more, across a vast array of industries. Here are some examples of the countless ways modern industry benefits from rubber-lined piping:

Mining

Rubber-lined piping plays a vital role in the mining industry by providing protection against abrasion, corrosion, and mechanical wear, ensuring the longevity and efficiency of equipment used in mining operations. Rubber-lined piping in the mining industry serves several critical purposes, including:

Abrasion and Corrosion Resistance – Natural rubber sheets are used as linings for pipes and spools in mining operations to prevent abrasion and corrosion caused by harsh conditions.

Durability and Suitability – Rubber-lined steel pipes are extremely durable, even when handling the most abrasive, corrosive industrial slurries. This gives them great resilience to the toughest of conditions. environments, such as those found in the mining industry.

Noise and Vibration Damping – Rubber’s insulating properties can help minimize the destabilizing effects of vibrations and soundwaves as produced by mining activity. 

Chemical Processing

The processing of industrial chemicals can prove challenging to pipes and other infrastructure. Industrial piping is vulnerable to corrosion caused by exposure to some chemicals. Lining pipes with rubber gives them added resistance to corrosive fluids. Rubber-lined piping is valued for many benefits it brings to the processing of chemicals, including:

Chemical Resistance – Rubber-lined piping and tanks are heavily utilized for the storage and transportation of acids, alkalis, and other chemicals. The rubber protects processes from contamination while reducing maintenance costs and increasing equipment longevity.

Corrosion Resistance – Rubber-lined piping provides protection against corrosion, ensuring the integrity of equipment.

Hygiene and Cleanability – Easy to clean and sterilize, rubber-lined piping helps manufacturers maintain the hygienic standards required by various industries. 

Product Protection – A rubber lining becomes an effective barrier between the product and the metal surface of the piping, preventing any potentially leaching of metal ions into the product during production. 

Power Generation

In power generation, rubber-line piping is crucial for transporting abrasive slurries, handling corrosive chemicals, storing acids and alkalis, and providing resistance to pressure fluctuations. Here are some ways in which rubber-lined pipe makes generating electrical power more efficient, more dependable, and safer:

Abrasion Resistance – Piping used to transport slurry and potash must  be lined with rubber to protect piping from damage and wear. The rubber coating ensures the longevity of the piping system while enhancing its efficiency and safety.

Corrosion Resistance – In power generation facilities, rubber-lined piping is essential to the safe transport of corrosive chemicals from one location to another while protecting the system from chemical damage.

Rubber-Lined Piping from Protective Coatings, Inc. 

Protective Coatings, Inc., is a regional leader in rubber-coated equipment for industrial applications. Our products offer benefits such as lower rates of equipment failure, reduced shutdown costs, minimized maintenance requirements, extended equipment service life, and overall cost-effectiveness.

All our materials are tested for abrasion resistance to ensure every customer receives the best product for their application. Our autoclave vulcanization process produces superior adhesion and longevity over other common curing processes like atmospheric and internal steam curing. 

 Find out more about rubber-lined piping and other coating solutions at https://proco-fwi.com/.