Industrial Sewn Products (Hampshire)

We have recently been made aware of a reaction that can occur between any insulation cover and the steel bodies (engine, turbine, component) they are placed on and high temperatures. This can be caused by the calcium content in the materials commonly used. The reaction can, in some cases, cause the formation of Chromium V1 or Hexavalent Chromium which is a known carcinogen. While lab testing is the only sure way to know if this is present, an indication of it being present are yellow residual deposits, typically in areas of high heat.

We are trying to understand this ourselves and have sought advice from our material suppliers. At the time of manufacture, there is no danger in our covers.

Our jackets do not contain Chromium VI, however when the wrong combination of materials/temps/conditions collide, all calcium containing insulation materials, including fibreglass can start to react. This calcium is present in every material we currently buy and there is nothing currently in our market without it.

We can reduce the problem to a certain degree by using silica-based materials as these have a lower percentage of calcium but this cannot negate the problem completely. We are also told that by using a wire mesh over the top of the inner hot face materials that we currently use can also help as it reduces the amount of contact on to the steel surface. The implications in this are higher costs and the silica-based material is not as robust as the materials we currently use.

We are making you aware of this as this Hexavalent Chromium will only be apparent once the covers are removed from their place – perhaps for maintenance or to measure for new covers. At that point, you should advise your workforce to take precautions and use PPE – nitrile gloves, disposable protective suit, eye protection and mask to FFP2 standard. Wash hands and face carefully before eating, drinking or smoking. Dispose of the used PPE appropriately. This is normal common sense for all dusty environments.

We would imagine that more will become known about this as time goes on and the HSE website and other websites provide more information if you would like to investigate yourselves.

In future when quoting for high temp jobs – probably those 350 deg C and above, we will make all our customers aware of the above so they can make an informed decision on materials to use before going forward with a job.

If in any doubt please get in touch and call us on 023 8060 2410