Braskem starts testing a new plastic application for the industry. At the Petrochemical Complex of Camaçari (BA), the company started to use, in a pilot project, thermal insulation jackets made of plastic to protect an isolated steam line, replacing metal sheets.

The plastic material has advantages over other coatings used, such as longer lifespan and great mechanical resilience, that is, it has a high capacity of returning to its normal state after being subjected to an effort situation. In addition, polyolefin jackets can be reused when line maintenance is required.

The work points to long-term gains and technical performance, with a reduction of investment and operating costs, depending on the line insulation element, dimensions and temperature. "With this technology, we once again demonstrate our focus on promoting plastic solutions that foster competitiveness gains for the Brazilian industry, reducing maintenance costs and increasing the reliability of the operating system", says Rodrigo Galvez of the Company's Market Development area.

The technology is already known in Europe and was adapted to the national industry by the market development area of Braskem, in partnership with Röchling Engineering Plastics of Brazil, UCA Engineering Plastics and Priner, an industrial service company responsible for installing the solution.

"The concepts that the Röchling Group has as pillars, competence, quality and innovation have made us seek this partnership with UCA and with Braskem, leading companies with similar purposes to our group. This project has a great importance in the market and breaks the paradigm, even within Braskem itself, that it is not possible to replace steel or aluminum in industrial applications, with the same or better performance", says Rodrigo Maldonado, sales manager for Röchling Engineering Plastics of Brazil.

About Braskem
With a global, human-oriented vision of the future, Braskem's 8,000 members strive to improve people's lives by creating sustainable solutions for chemistry and plastic. It is the largest resin producer in the Americas, with an annual production of 20 million tons, including basic chemicals and petrochemicals, and revenues of R$ 55 billion in 2016. It exports to customers in approximately 100 countries and operates 41 industrial units located in Brazil, USA, Germany and Mexico, the latter in partnership with Mexican Idesa.