Chemical Conveyance
Corrosion-Resistant Systems for Safe, Reliable Chemical Transfer
Chemical conveyance is one of the most demanding applications in industrial processing. Moving corrosive fluids from storage to the point of use requires every component in the flow path to resist chemical attack, maintain structural integrity, and perform reliably under actual operating conditions. A single material mismatch or weak connection can result in leaks, unplanned downtime, environmental releases, and costly repairs.
Cortrol provides complete chemical conveyance systems built around non-metallic, corrosion-resistant materials. Rather than supplying individual components, we engineer systems where pipe, valves, pumps, hose, expansion joints, gaskets, and fittings are all selected for chemical compatibility and designed to work together.
The Challenge
Chemical conveyance systems face a combination of stresses that metallic systems often cannot sustain over time. Concentrated acids, caustics, solvents, oxidizers, and brines attack carbon steel and even many alloy materials. Temperature cycling accelerates degradation. Vibration from pumps and equipment creates fatigue at joints and connections. The result is a system that may look adequate on paper but fails prematurely in the field.
Non-metallic materials, when properly selected and specified, eliminate the root cause of most corrosion-related conveyance failures. The key is matching the right material to the right duty across the entire system.
Piping
The pipe run is the backbone of any chemical conveyance system, and the material must be compatible with the chemical at its full concentration and temperature range.
Cortrol supplies multiple piping solutions for corrosive chemical service:
- Fiberglass reinforced plastic (FRP) pipe and fittings provide lightweight, corrosion-resistant conveyance for a broad range of acids, caustics, brines, and process chemicals. FRP pipe is available in both filament-wound and centrifugally cast construction with a range of resin systems to match specific chemical environments. Learn more about Pipe & Fittings
- PTFE-lined steel pipe and fittings combine the mechanical strength of steel with the near-universal chemical resistance of PTFE. These systems are suited for high-pressure, high-temperature, or vacuum applications where FRP alone may not meet the structural requirements.
- Dual-laminate piping systems offer a thermoplastic liner bonded to a fiberglass structural shell, providing both chemical isolation and mechanical strength for aggressive chemical services.
- Thermoplastic pipe and fittings provide a cost-effective solution for many common chemical conveyance applications.
- Custom fabricated spools, headers, nozzles, and fittings fill the gaps between standard components, ensuring every transition, branch, and connection in the system maintains chemical resistance.
Valves
Valves control flow, isolate sections, and regulate pressure throughout a chemical conveyance system. Valve failure in corrosive service is a common and often preventable problem when the right materials and valve types are specified from the start.
Cortrol supplies corrosion-resistant valves for chemical conveyance including butterfly, ball, plug, diaphragm, and sampling valves. Wetted materials are selected to match the chemical in service, and valve types are matched to the function required, whether isolation, throttling, or sampling.
Pumps
The pump is often the most critical and most vulnerable component in a chemical conveyance system. Seal failures, corrosion of wetted parts, and chemical incompatibility are among the most frequent causes of downtime and safety incidents in chemical transfer applications.
Cortrol supplies corrosion-resistant pump technologies matched to specific chemical conveyance requirements:
- Sealless magnetic drive pumps eliminate mechanical seals entirely, preventing the leaks and emissions that are a leading cause of pump failure in corrosive service. ANSIMAG sealless mag drive pumps feature ETFE-lined wetted components for broad chemical resistance up to 250°F. Finish Thompson offers a full range of sealless mag drive centrifugal pumps including horizontal, vertical, self-priming, and multistage configurations in polypropylene, PVDF, and ETFE-lined construction.
- Air-operated double diaphragm (AODD) pumps from RamParts handle a wide range of viscosities and chemical types, including sludge, abrasives, and corrosives. Their sealless diaphragm design makes them well suited for heavy-duty, continuous-operation chemical transfer.
Hoses
Chemical conveyance systems often require flexible connections where piping cannot accommodate movement, vibration, misalignment, or complex routing. Standard industrial hose is not suitable for aggressive chemical service.
Cortrol supplies high-performance fluoropolymer-lined chemical hoses from PureFlex, including FlexChem® chemical-resistant hoses, smooth bore PTFE hoses, and convoluted PTFE hoses (UltraFlex™, ProFlex™, MultiFlex™). These hoses provide chemical resistance, flexibility, and reliable sealing performance at the points in the system where rigid pipe is not practical.
Expansion Joints
Chemical piping systems experience thermal expansion, vibration, and movement that create stress at connections and equipment nozzles. Expansion joints absorb these forces and protect stress-sensitive FRP piping, glass-lined equipment, and other fragile components.
Cortrol supplies PTFE expansion joints that offer near-universal chemical resistance combined with the flexibility to absorb axial, lateral, and angular movement. These expansion joints serve as both flexible connectors and vibration barriers in chemical conveyance piping.
Gaskets
Gasket failure is one of the most common and most preventable causes of leaks in chemical piping systems. A gasket that performs well at ambient temperature may degrade rapidly at operating temperature or when exposed to cleaning chemicals.
Cortrol supplies corrosion-resistant gaskets selected for compatibility with the specific chemicals, temperatures, and pressures in your conveyance system.
Strainers
Protecting downstream equipment from particulate contamination is an important and sometimes overlooked part of chemical conveyance. Fiberglass basket strainers provide corrosion-resistant particulate removal that is consistent with the non-metallic materials used in the rest of the system.
Why a Systems Approach Matters
Chemical conveyance failures rarely happen because one component was the wrong material. They happen because the system was not designed as a system. A corrosion-resistant pipe run connected to incompatible valves, gaskets, or fittings will fail at the weakest link. A pump rated for the chemical but mismatched to the piping layout will create stress at every connection.
Cortrol’s approach is to evaluate the entire conveyance path, from storage tank to point of use, and select materials that are compatible and coordinated across every component. This includes matching resin systems in FRP piping, confirming wetted materials in valves and pumps, specifying gaskets and expansion joints for the actual operating conditions, and addressing mechanical loads at connections and transitions.
Get System-Level Support
If you are building a new chemical conveyance system, replacing components that have failed in service, or evaluating materials for a system upgrade, Cortrol can help. Share your chemical service, concentration, temperature, pressure, and layout requirements, and our team will provide guidance on piping, pumps, valves, hose, and accessories matched to your application.