At the North Carolina State Ports Authority in Morehead City on the Atlantic, supply terminals house the chemical molten sulfur used in making of sulfuric acid and other by-products that store PCS phosphates, such as transportation, chemical food processing, and agricultural products.
The nearby supply terminals are close to Morehead's deepwater port that includes a barge slip for bulk-carrying barges to dock and fill up with the molten sulfur, PSC Phosphate products. Molten sulfur is then transported to various industrial destinations along the Eastern Seaboard.
B&B Hose in Wilmington NC has been a longtime hose supplier to PCS Phosphate, but over the years as environmental laws became more stringent, so have the hoses' specifications.
When B&B needed a new source for these specialized hoses, Richard Horton, the firm's general manager, turned to Pete Livengood of the NovaFlex Group.
In this hose's operation, maintaining molten sulfur at a consistent temperature of 275° F during transfer is crucial, or it will solidify. The molten sulfur's temperature must be maintained when it leaves the South American refinery.
Novaflex Hose of Burlington NC designed and supplied a specialized 2"-thick hose complete with built-in carbon steel flanges made specifically for the transfer of molten sulfur. With working pressures of up to 225 psi with material between 270° to 300° F, an extremely robust hose was needed.
Horton admitted that his company tried hoses from some of the competition, but they just didn't hold up. The last hose he bought from Livengood — prior to his joining Novaflex — lasted 12 years. “There is a specialized way of doing it,” said Horton, “and I have great confidence in Pete's expertise. That's why we're now using Novaflex.”
Contact Novaflex, 20 W Pearce St, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada L4B 1E3 for more details.