3CR12 meets the challenge of corrosion in the sugar industry

Citation

(1999), "3CR12 meets the challenge of corrosion in the sugar industry", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 46 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.1999.12846eab.008

3CR12 meets the challenge of corrosion in the sugar industry

Methods

3CR12 meets the challenge of corrosion in the sugar industry

Keywords Crominox, Stainless steel, Corrosion prevention

Agro-industry company, Eridania Beghin-Say, are reported to be still using and praising the performance of 3CR12 utility stainless steel in their sugar processing plants in France and Italy after almost 20 years.

They turned to 3CR12 nearly 20 years ago, first using it in their French sugar plants to overcome the effects of silica (sillice) on carbon steel. They also wanted to reduce maintenance costs, improve factory performance and reduce the number of equipment breakdowns and planned shutdowns during campaigns. Early results were good and they began using 3CR12 in more and more applications within the materials handling process plants. They later extended its use to plants in Italy.

Company maintenance engineers are now reporting significant savings across all areas of maintenance and directly attribute much of this to the extended life and corrosion/abrasion resistance of 3CR12.

In the past when still using mild and carbon steels, some sections were being replaced every year and over 150 steel fabricators and maintenance men were needed to complete the work. They now use 3CR12 in all highly corrosive/abrasive materials handling areas such as washers, hoppers and slicers, in screw conveyors, evaporators, troughs and storage tanks.

According to Corminox the change to 3CR12 has helped Eridania Beghin-Say to improve the efficiency of their factories and reduce labour costs. This is said to be because the installed cost of 3CR12 is often only marginally greater than mild steel and it requires no maintenance and lasts four to five times longer than mild.

According to Beghin-Say's Abbeville (France) plant, they are very satisfied with the performance of 3CR12. "It is used in 5mm, 8mm and 10mm thickness in all washing areas and within the delusion and pulp networks," said the plant maintenance manager. He also confirmed that the cost of maintenance has gone down and both warranty and plant efficiency at the Abbeville plant have improved.

Beet sugar processing presents a particularly potent cocktail of corrosive and abrasive challenges to materials handling in the sugar beet industry. These raw agricultural products contain moisture and natural substances (silica/sillice) which when mixed with dirt, stones and assorted other debris create a very aggressive syndicate of wear, deterioration and equipment failure. In short, this mix rapidly corroded mild and carbon steels and became a hugely expensive maintenance bill across Eridania Beghin-Say's 21 plants in France and Italy. The company also has three sugar plants in Budapest, Hungary and various other food-processing plants in Central and Eastern Europe and in North America. They are currently expanding into Asia.

According to its manufacturers 3CR12, a new generation 12 per cent Chromium stainless steel is rapidly displacing mild steel. It is gaining important ground in the fight against corrosion and wear in can and beet plants throughout the world. This ferritic chromium stainless steel is claimed to be a weldable, highly durable material, which is abrasion resistant and is inherently corrosion resistant. Experience of its use in the sugar industry reportedly has now shown it has the performance of stainless steel and the utility of mild steel.

Sugar producers who use 3CR12 are now extending financial planning horizons when they consider plant maintenance and replacement. Crominox believes that true cost of ownership comparisons between several candidate materials - mild steel, conventional stainless and the 3CR12 utility stainless have repeatedly shown that replacement periods can be extended by as much as ten years and amortised costs reduced by up to 80 per cent. The overall life cycle cost is, therefore, said to be dramatically reduced.

Details available from Aciers Crominox. Tel: +44 (0)1782 372459; Fax: +44 (0)1782 373388.