Hetron^® epoxy vinyl ester resin from Ashland Performance Materials, a commercial unit of Ashland Inc., was used as part of a first-of-its-kind system in the U.S. for carbon capture and sequestration (CCS). American Electric Power’s (AEP) Mountaineer facility in New Haven, WV, recently installed the system, and Hetron resin was used to fabricate the corrosion-resistant duct work and direct contact cooler (DCC) components.

“This is the only CCS unit to date using advanced resin technology for corrosion protection. The CCS system creates a very aggressive environment and fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) was chosen over stainless steel to fabricate these components due to its superior corrosion resistance,” said Thom Johnson, product manager, Ashland Performance Materials. “This new technology, introduced by Alstom Power and being validated by AEP, holds tremendous promise for corrosion resistant FRP use for CCS systems at power plants around the globe.”

Ershigs Inc., a leading design, manufacturing and FRP fabrication company, provided the structural design and manufactured the FRP ductwork and direct contact cooling (DCC) tower vessel for the CCS unit. “We have enjoyed a long history of working with Ashland and their epoxy vinyl ester resins such as Hetron and Derakane^®,” said Steve Hettick, vice president of manufacturing for Ershigs. “This CCS project is an excellent example of how composites, with advanced Ashland resin technology, can be utilized for demanding power plant applications.”

Ashland Performance Materials is a global leader in unsaturated polyester resins and epoxy vinyl ester resins. In addition, it provides customers with leading technologies in gelcoats, pressure-sensitive and structural adhesives, and metal casting consumables and design services.

For more information, visit www.ashland.com.