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Polyurethanes,
Polyisocyanates
and Vacuum
Vacuum technology in
the chemical industry
 Headrest Glass encapsulation Headliner Seals A, B, C column Additional springs Body panel
Sun roof Rear deck Slide bearings foaming Axle and support sill
Door panel Stabilizers bearings
Frontal and
End stop (clips)
side impact
protection Arm rest
Steering wheel
Air filter Acoustic foam
carpet
Seats

Gearshift Sheaths for sen-

knob sor cable, e.g.,
Dashboard for ABS, ESP

Wire harness
Bumper
encapsulation
Spoiler
Body mount
Damper bearings
Impact absorbers
Torque supports
Seat cushioning
Spare tire

Figure 1: Polyurethane applications in the automotive sector

The chemical industry is a supplier of indispensable raw materials for many industries. Not
only the automotive and engineering industries, for example, but also the plastics, food,
glass and building material industries rely on basic chemicals produced by the chemical
industry. By far the most important role is played by polyurethane plastics or resins, which
serve as the basis for foams or paints. These substances are employed in countless finished
products that we use on a daily basis. Vacuum technology is indispensable for a large part
of these applications.

Polyurethane, polyisocyanates and vacuum various footwear and automotive interior materials. Poly­
Polyurethanes are compounds which are formed in a polyad- urethane has become indispensable, particularly, for the latter
dition reaction from multiple alcohols (di-, tri- or polyols) and field of application.
polyisocyanates. Depending on the basic components used,
thermosetting plastics, thermoplastics or elastomers are In the EU alone, more than 2 million tons of polyurethanes are
obtained which differ greatly in their properties and can produced annually; global demand rises on average by 5% per
accordingly be used in a large number of different end year.
products.
Polyisocyanates are highly reactive organic compounds and
Polyurethane foam is used, for example, for upholstering fur- act as crosslinkers for two-component polyurethane, from
niture, as mattress foam, carpet backing material, for cleaning which coatings and foams are formed. The targeted curing of
sponges, filter material or as insulating material for buildings the substance at room temperature and the use of a special
and cooling devices. Polyure- coating device, allow to customize
thane as a foam is also used in the curing time for the particular
vehicle construction, for example For the production of high-quality application. For example, in a pro-
as a soft covering for handles, duction plant, coatings only need
interior paneling, steering wheels foams, it requires medium vacuum to be mixed if needed immediately.
or arm rests. conditions up to 0.05 hPa.
Vacuum technology is enormously
As a component in coatings and important for the polyisocyanate
varnishes, polyurethane is characterized by good adhesive production. Following the actual production of the isocyanate,
properties and high resistance against solvents, chemicals, the highest possible concentration is ensured by means of a
and weather conditions. Coatings and varnishes are used in multi-stage distillation process. It requires fine vacuum condi-
many fields, including flooring, textiles, leather, as well as tions, i.e., absolute pressures in the range of 0.05 hPa.

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ATEX certified vacuum solutions for the production of
polyisocyanates
TDI (2,4-toluene diisocyanate), which besides MDI (methylene
diphenyl di-isocyanate) is the most widely-produced polyiso-
cyanate in the world, is not only a very toxic liquid, but can
also be used at higher temperatures to form flammable vapor-
air mixtures. For this reason, the operators of the systems
preferably use vacuum pumping stations which are certified in
accordance with the ATEX Directive 2014/34/EU and which
also meet particularly stringent requirements for tightness.
In order to cover all aspects of quality and safety in the pro-
cess operation, exact configuration according to the specific
requirements of the respective application is necessary. In the
first step, the respective gas volume flows are calculated on
the basis of substance data and flows in the process. The
results then serve as parameters for selecting the appropriate
vacuum pumps. Important requirements include, besides safe-
ty, the durability and reliability of the vacuum technology
used.
Pfeiffer Vacuum offers complete ATEX-certified vacuum sys-
tems for the production of polyisocyanates. Most processes
require a multi-stage construction of the vacuum system. The
Pfeiffer Vacuum experts developed a six-stage system for a
large German chemical company consisting of a five-stage
Roots and a liquid ring vacuum pump. At different stages of
the process, different gas inflows are taken into consideration.
The system was created according to the customer’s specifi-
cations and fulfilled all individual parameters.
CombiLine vacuum pumping stations
To enable companies to create the vacuum conditions
required in the various applications effectively and in a
cost-optimized manner, Pfeiffer Vacuum offers customized
solutions based on its comprehensive range of products.
Especially with regard to applications in the chemical industry
that require a pressure of less than 30 hPa, the Roots pump-
ing stations from Pfeiffer Vacuum’s CombiLine WS have
established themselves as ideal solutions.
ATEX-certified Roots pumps
Thanks to their magnetic coupling, the OktaLine pumps are
ATEX hermetically sealed. Their extremely low leakage rate of
<1 · 10-6 Pa m³/s provides additional safety as it prevents zone
entrainment. Zone entrainment means the risk that, for exam-
ple, failure of a seal can cause explosive mixtures to escape
from the pump to the outside, entraining the risk of explosion
being carried over to the outside. Since the operator of the
system usually does not expect explosive mixtures there, the
risk potential is correspondingly increased. Due to this perma-
nently low leak rate, the pumps are also TA-air compliant.
Long maintenance intervals – reducing operating costs
In addition to the advantages already mentioned, the magnet-
ic coupling eliminates the shaft seals. Pumps with shaft seals
can heat up due to lack of oil lubrication through friction and
therefore represent a potential source of ignition. Experience
from the field has shown that this condition – an empty oil
tank for lubrication of the shaft seals – is very common. Fur-
thermore, shaft seals are weak points in pressure surges and
require regular maintenance.
The OktaLine ATEX has long maintenance Intervals resulting
in lower maintenance costs. The magnetic coupling also
reduces power consumption due to the virtually lossless
transfer of the engine torque. As a result, the power con-
sumption at the operating point can be reduced by up to
20  %. This is realized in comparison with other magnetically
coupled pumps by a non-metallic containment shell, which
has a significantly lower turbulent flow induction than, for
example, magnetically-coupled liquid ring pumps. Air cooling
also requires considerably less energy than water cooling,
which significantly reduces operating costs.

Depending on the required pumping speed and working pres-

sure, different types and quantities of pumps can be installed
in the individual pumping stages. Rotary vane, screw, liquid
ring and gas-cooled Roots pumps are primarily available as
backing pumps.

Roots pumps are usually used for additional stages, which are
available as air-cooled (standard) or gas recirculated versions
and in various materials (e.g., spheroidal graphite cast iron or
stainless steel). Specific coatings and coupling types are also
available and can be combined for individual requirements.
For applications in potentially explosive atmospheres,
ATEX-certified 2G and 3G Roots pumps are available.

Figure 2: Part of an ATEX-certified vacuum pumping station

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 Although it is now easier to replace older devices,
Pfeiffer Vacuum recommends to always check the previous
design of the vacuum system.

Experience shows that even small changes made in the

course of time in the process flow may necessitate a new
consideration. One way of doing this is to optimize the gra-
dation of the Roots pump and the backing pump, allowing
better distribution of loads and temperatures.

This results in an extension of the run-time. From conception

to implementation, the experts at Pfeiffer Vacuum develop
individual solutions together with customers from all differ-
ent areas of the chemical industry. With this close collabora-
tion, the customer’s requirements are exactly
designed to their individual applications.

Figure 3: OktaLine ATEX Roots pump for use in potentially

explosive environments

A non-blocked overflow valve allows easy replacement

and operation of the pumps

Through close contact with the customer, Pfeiffer Vacuum

experts recognized the need for ATEX-certified Roots pumps
with a non-blocked overflow valve that makes pump replace-
ment and operation as easy as possible. In some cases, retro-
fitting a frequency converter was not possible, especially in all
applications where the ATEX-certified Roots pump should
replace a previously used standard version. Moreover, if there Figure 4: Magnetic coupling of a Roots pump
are no additional pressure gauges, then starting the pump at
a defined counter-pressure is not possible either.

Standard pumps can easily be replaced by new ATEX pumps

with its unblocked overflow valve. Neither frequency convert-
ers nor pressure monitoring devices need to be installed.
Once again, the Roots pump can be started at the same time
as the backing pump, so that the new overflow valve ensures
not only safe operation but also shorter evacuation times. If
the ATEX overflow valve is used in addition to a frequency
converter, it ensures faultless operation even in the event of
inverter failure.

Frequency-controlled drives are suitable for increasing effi-

ciency. This ensures that the system always works in opti-
mum operating condition. Energy costs are saved – "vacuum
on demand" becomes possible.

All information is subject to change without prior notice. PI0472PEN (June 2019/0)

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