Piping Material Selection: Low-Extractable and Cost-Effective |
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Ebara Solar grows a unique silicon ribbon crystal for the solar cell substrate.
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Ebara's expansion into its new facility required a stateof- the-art water system. According to Rosinski, three alternative materials were initially considered for the UPW piping during the planning stages of construction. "We ruled out highpurity PVDF early on because of budget constraints," he said. "We had some experience with conventional PVC in some of our earlier systems, but we had performance concerns under the tougher water quality requirements for this system.
"And we also considered high-purity polypropylene. We actually solicited initial bids for the system with polypropylene, but we had concerns there as well, as past experience revealed that the fusion joining process could be cumbersome and time-consuming, and it required a high degree of installer skill."
With the bidding solicitation process already open, Rosinski learned of a low-extractable PVC (Harvel LXT®) through a reputable design authority. On reviewing the test data and specification information, he recognized the characteristics needed to meet Ebara's demanding performance requirements. Harvel Plastics, Inc. was contacted to provide a technical presentation on the attributes of the system. Shortly thereafter, Harvel LXT® was specified as the material of choice for Ebara's new UPW system. According to Rosinski, "The decision to proceed with Harvel LXT® was influenced by the joining process of the system in addition to other product benefits. Harvel LXT® is used for plumbing throughout the purification sequence as well as the polishing loop, and reclaim and return lines."
| "But purifying the water is not the only requirement in keeping a constant supply for our manufacturing process. We also have to maintain the quality as the water passes through the system." |
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