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Chemical Resistance Charts

1) PP, PVC, and Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic fans are widely used fan materials by Engineering, Industrial, Waster Water, and Lab Fume Hood professionals. These materials have high grade properties of corrosion and chemical resistance to a wide range of acidic, caustic and chlorinated and other aggressive chemical laden gas streams

2) There are a number of Chemical Resistance Charts available to help buyers and their representatives to match fan material to specific chemistry.

A) One of the most comprehensive and easiest to use for Plastic and SS and other materials is the Cole Palmer Chemical Compatibility Database. http://www.coleparmer.com/techinfo/ChemComp.asp

B) Another excellent database for Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Fans and Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic Ductwork and Tanks is the Derakane website. Go to Corrosion Recommendations tab and from there to the Chemical Resistance Guide in English

C) A related database for FRP resins can be found on the Ashland web site at: http://www.ashland.com/businesses/apm/cp/corrosion_guide/hetron.asp

All of these sources of information for chemical compatibility are deemed to be competently developed and reviewed. However IPF LLC makes no representations of any kind as to the accuracy or relevance of this material to any particular project. All end users, contractors, distributors, and engineers are strongly encouraged to review the compatibility of a fan or ventilation material to the chemistry in your gas stream with a licensed chemical engineer or other licensed HVAC profession ordinarily engaged in the business of such material selection.

Sparkless Fans

It is a little known fact that AMCA classes of A, B, & C for fan construction for sparkless fans specifically do not address Plastic or Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic for "sparkless fans" conditions and construction. Furthermore AMCA classes for sparkless fan construction are not a certification process or a testing process but rather a set of guidelines that manufacturers self-certify that they meet.

(See above link to Information Data Sheet on "Anti-Static" PPel.)

There are two standard solutions for creating a sparkless fan other than using non-ferrous fan construction.

In both these matters the standard goal is to dissipate the build-up of static electricity that can build up in either a plastic of reinforced plastic fan.

A) For Polypropylene S fans a carbon based additive is infused into the plastic when it is made. This carbon additive has the same general impact of dissipating static electricity in a plastic fan.

B) For an FRP Fan the following is a widely used application to respond to this issue. Coating the interior fan housing and impeller with a carbon gel coat that has a surface conductivity of 0-30,000 ohms resistance. A grounding lug shall be provided to facilitate the discharging of static electricity to the external ground.

Flame Retardant Polypropylene

There are a variety of standards that can be referred to when discussing Flame Retardant or Self-extinguishing Polypro Fans. Din 4102 B1 is standard widely used in the European Community. UL 94V-0 is a standard for self-extinguishing flame attributes. UL 181 covers flame Spread and Smoke Index rating but this standard tends to relate to fire-wrap and duct hanging materials. Factory Mutual approved PP for their standards of flame retardancy are quite rigorous and expensive. Please call with questions you do have.

IPF LLC is glad to direct you to resources we have found on this general subject. Responsibility for final decisions on what grade of Flame Retardant Polypro (or any other materials) and what standards need to be met for any specific application rest completely with the end user or their in house or consulting engineers.