When our online magazine first reported a little more than two years ago that the use of calcium-containing materials such as thermal insulation (insulation) or also assembly pastes in the high-temperature area of engines and turbines, but also in exhaust gas aftertreatment, can lead to the formation of the carcinogenic, mutagenic and acutely environmentally harmful chromium (VI) compound calcium chromate (CaCrO4), first of all - NOTHING happened!
A little later came "the first attacks" (blog article from December 2020 ) in the form of so-called "punitive injunctions" and even an injunction.
Sender: "the insulation industry", in both cases the respective market leaders for calcium-containing insulation materials, in one case even in association with a now insolvent insulation company, which at that time was still the house and home supplier of all well-known engine and turbine manufacturers at home and abroad.
The gap created by the insulating company's insolvency was quickly closed, many of the former employees rapidly found new employment with the previous competitor, and so within a few weeks the new market leader emerged with, according to our current state of knowledge, still old technology, and this despite the fact that German state authorities are already warning against "chromium (VI) exposure during the maintenance and repair of turbines and engines:
In the next few weeks, the editorial team will also inform the responsible authorities in the remaining federal states; we will report on this in a separate article.
It will take time for word to get out about the danger to people and the environment in the large power plants, but we will not stop publicizing the problem. Many years ago, the reaction was too late and many workers and in many cases also their innocent family members paid for this laziness with their lives; the family members because often the work clothes were contaminated with carcinogenic substances and were "passed on" in the washroom at home.
However, if you look at other countries, something more is happening, for example in Great Britain:
And in contrast to Germany, the first substitutions of engine insulation are also being made in the United Kingdom:
Here it is the company Hopes Generation Ltd. that has already equipped several engine types with calcium-free high-temperature insulation systems for its customers:
"Substituting calcium-containing insulation with calcium-free high-temperature insulation is straightforward and stands out for its flexibility and ease of installation, and most importantly, it doesn't dust or itch" reports Lloyd Hopes, owner of Hopes Generation Ltd. "More and more customers are approaching me and in a few weeks we will be doing an overhaul (regular engine maintenance, editor's note) where not only will the engine insulation be calcium free, the customer wants to go completely calcium free and has also banned all calcium containing assembly pastes and will be using the Molyslip product for the first time" continues the innovative Plymouth based entrepreneur.
On the island, "calcium-free" is thus becoming socially acceptable, the "calcium exit" has begun, at least in the United Kingdom...
We will report on the projects shown in the picture gallery and also on the planned complete calcium-free overhaul.
And in Germany, the topic continues to be kept small, but at least the scientific findings are no longer contradicted, perhaps also because one of the world's largest turbine manufacturers based in Germany published the following lecture at a congress some time ago:
Very important is the third last slide, here is expressed from a competent side what also the editorial office has been reporting for a long time, the so-called "Chromate Disaster" (#TheChromateDisaster) is still state of the art and the question of substitution of calcium-containing insulation to prevent chromate formation is the crucial point of the checklist mentioned by the State Office (top picture of this article), even if it is mentioned as the last point.
The purpose of a substitution test is to check whether it is possible to prevent the occurrence of hazardous substances in the future, for example, by using substitute substances (substitution). If this check is positive and technically feasible, then the Hazardous Substances Ordinance stipulates that substitution must be carried out.
The picture gallery clearly shows that substitution is possible, so there can be no more excuses. In Great Britain, this has been understood, but in Germany, people are probably afraid of it...
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