Tackling the Harsh Conditions in Molten Sulfur Service – A New Lining Case Study

A case history study of a molten sulfur railcar lining. Molten sulfur is regularly transported by rail cars across the continental US, from the mountain meadows of Montana through the hills of Wyoming and the badland valleys of South Dakota to other parts of the country for processing. On average, a rail car hauls 6-8 loads of sulfur per year, and after 3-4 years in this very harsh and aggressive environment, one would say it was the service of a lifetime for most linings and thus required replacement. Worse yet, extensive metal restoration is often needed to repair the car and continue in service. But it has proven to be just the beginning of service life for one new lining entering this space. After 2.5 years in service hauling molten sulfur, two rail cars lined with a new high-performance ceramic epoxy were inspected to evaluate the lining's performance. The lining was found to be in nearly perfect condition and returned to service to continue its service life journey. The performance indicates this new lining could reset the benchmark as we know it for service life expectations in this harsh service environment.(/p) (p)Could this new ceramic epoxy tank lining resent the current service life expectations in molten sulfur service. I believe so.