Pipe Dreams: An Odor Control System Built to Last

Long Life Cycle

ECS manufactured all of the fiberglass ductwork using a state-of-the-art computerized filament winder. The fiber was impregnated Vipel® K022 corrosion-resistant vinyl ester resin, which is ideally suited for filament winding. “The K022 formulation was the best choice for this project,” says Jeff Jones, president of ECS. “Some of the gases in the air stream are corrosive – hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. There’s also sulfuric acid. Pipes built with this resin are very resistant to what goes in them: They will not easily corrode.”

To help ease installation, ECS prefabricated and sub-assembled the duct system at its facility, then shipped it to Austin about an hour away. A field crew of five from ECS traveled to the construction site and handled all the field layup. That’s when AOC’s service became invaluable, says Jones.

Unparalleled Service

“We work in a controlled environment in the shop, but in the field you are open to the elements,” says Jones. “Some of the days we were in Austin were cold and others were really hot. We had to adjust promotion levels and add inhibitors to work with the resin long enough to do a quality job under tough conditions.” AOC offered technical assistance that helped ECS re-formulate the resin and meet the demands of this material-intensive project. “With the long runs and thick pipes, we went through material much faster than normal, and AOC was very good at meeting this fluctuation in demand,” says Jones. “If we ran out of resin on this job, it would have put the project to a halt. AOC got materials here when we needed them. They were fantastic to work with!