Kinetrol Actuators Protect People and Property with Reliable Performance in Chemical Plant Fire

The Kinetrol actuator is completely
unrecognizable,  having been melted in a fire.

A chemical plant in the Southeast USA that manufactures PTA (purified terephthalic acid) experienced a compressor house fire, causing extensive equipment damage and shutting down production for months.

The building houses a $30 million dollar compressor that supplies process air to reactors to begin the PTA manufacturing process.

As part of the safety system, (2) two 6" class 150 high performance butterfly valves with Kinetrol 097-120 and open/closed limit switches were installed on process air lines of one production unit.

During the fire, the two Kinetrol actuated valve assemblies performed exactly as required, shutting the valves tightly and keeping them shut even after the heat of the fire completely melted the actuator housings.

Closer view.

The actuators had been in service one year at the time of the fire.  Unlike many other Kinetrol actuator applications, these were not chosen for their high cycle capability,  nor for their long service life. In this application Kinetrol was chosen for their absolute reliability in critical situations.

For more information, contact Kinetrol USA by calling 972-447-9443 or by visiting https://kinetrolusa.com.