Triflic Acid

[JRLAKE]

I need to apologize up front but I cannot get the search function to work on this site. I just get a blank screen.

I am looking for suitable materials for pumping triflic acid. I cannot find this acid in any chemical compatibility charts. Specifically, I want to know if EPDM is an acceptable elastomer.

 

[Chance17]

This is a tough chemical to find compatibility information.
According to a Goggle search this a a "super" acid.
I can not tell you for certain what is a compatible elastomer.
But when I scan a Parker O-ring catalogue, EPDM has a low compatibility rating with most "acids".
I would be very cautious using EPDM.

For a good guess, Kal-Rez should work.
TFE or PTFE is certainly chemically compatible but some applications find the teflon "cold flow" objectionable.

 

[mfowler]

Have you checked with the supplier? They can usually provide very good data on what works for their chemicals.

 

[JRLAKE]

Thanks for the responses. I did check with the supplier and they recommended Hastelloy C. This holds up but not very long.

I will take Yitbos advice and try kal-rez with an all Teflon AODP.

Thank you both for your advice.

 

[mfowler]

Not a bad choice. We handle many corrosive chemicals at our manufacturing site and use HastC for lots of process equipment. This alloy holds up very well as long as we keep running. We see most of our problems when we shut things down for either a process change or maintenance and the equipment "breathes".

We have used Triflic Acid in small quantities as a catalyst in some of our processes. It is delivered to us in stainless steel kegs from the supplier and we repack it down to 1/2gal glass bottles.

I am interested to know if the Kalrez and Teflon hold up under pumping and/or tranfer conditions as we have considered some dosing operations in the past and were concerned about materials of construction.