Rubber linings
Rubber lining of steel and/or concrete structures
The variety of chemical loads which have impact on the structural elements of industrial systems, puts high demands on their designers and users in terms of effective, long-term corrosion protection. For steel structures such as storage tanks, pipelines, reactors, absorbers or other process apparatus, but also for concrete elements (e.g. wastewater tanks), rubber linings are the optimal protection. This applies not only to chemical stresses caused by acids, alkalis, salt solutions, various chemicals or water vapour the adverse impact of which is often reinforced by elevated temperatures, large temperature fluctuations or frequent mechanical stresses (pressure, abrasion).
STEULER-KCH offers an extensive range of materials for workshop and on-site rubber lining. This allows us to individually select the type of rubber that is most suitable for the application and the particular loads involved.
In selecting suitable materials, it is usually necessary to consider multiple criteria. Use of rubber linings as a preventive layer for steel structures is specified in DIN EN 14879. This standard also sets out the requirements for steel structures themselves if they are to be protected by rubber lining. To protect steel structures against the stresses which they are exposed to, the following linings are used:
– soft rubber linings subject to further vulcanisation
– in a forced process (with warm air, water or steam)
– or by self-vulcanisation under the influence of the working medium temperature
– pre-vulcanised rubber (partial vulcanisation at the material production stage), which has the appropriate chemical resistance at the end of its application.
The rubbers used are homogeneous and monolayer mixtures with thicknesses ranging from 2 mm to 6 mm.
Requirements:
- durable chemical resistance and tightness
- durable heat resistance
- durable mechanical load-bearing capacity
- adhesion to the base (steel, concrete)
- resistance to ageing
- anti-adhesion and decontamination properties
- ability to cover cracks in the base (concrete)
- defined layer thickness
- possibility of repeating leakage tests
Types of rubber coatings:
rubber grades for steel and concrete structures based on butyl (IIR), bromo-butyl (BIIR), chloro-butyl (CIIR), chloroprene (CR), hypalon (CSM), natural rubber (NR) polymers as well as special grades
apart from autoclave vulcanized rubber materials, STEULER-KCH also supplies steel structure components which are protected by these materials
self-vulcanizing or pre-vulcanized materials, and also those for hot water vulcanisation