Customers involved
We worked with SABIC, one of the world's largest producers of petrochemicals, headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The company operates in approximately 50 countries with a global workforce of more than 31,000 people.
Problem to solve
The customer needed to transfer the tar oil to tankers safely. It is a dark brown or viscous liquid of hydrocarbons and free carbon, obtained from a wide variety of organic materials, such as coal, wood, petroleum, or peat. TAR oil is toxic if inhaled and in contact with the skin. It is also highly flammable, easily ignited by heat, sparks, or flames. To minimize the possibility of hazards, operators cannot have direct contact (for handling purposes) with the loading arm.
Technical solution
To do this we have designed, built and tested a semi-automatic loading arm with control panel in AISI 304 stainless steel (ATEX certified).
The arm is equipped with a hydraulic control unit for operating hydraulic cylinders which moves the loading arm on the three axes and therefore it is not necessary for the operator to touch the loading arm for movement.
As the substance to be transferred is highly flammable, the loading arm is marked as an ATEX product and is insulated and lined to prevent heat transfer. At the end of the discharge tube there is a drip cup which collects all the drops of product.
Conclusions
The results are excellent, and the loading arm works properly. We managed to satisfy all the customer's needs and guarantee the operator's safety. The customer is already installing this type of loading arm in his other plants where he processes the same product (tar oil).
