Reliable Dry Vacuum Solution for Critical HCl 32%
Distillation Application
Industry
Pharmaceutical
Customer Concern
A pharmaceutical customer was carrying out a critical distillation process involving
HCl 32%. The application was highly corrosive and challenging for the vacuum system.
The customer had already faced repeated failures with dry vacuum pumps from other
manufacturers. Switching to a water ring vacuum pump was also not a preferred
solution, as it would generate higher effluent and increase operating concerns.
The customer required a reliable vacuum solution that could handle the corrosive
vapour load while avoiding frequent pump failures, additional effluent generation, and uncontrolled distillation behaviour.
Problem Observed
Vovac Engineers studied the customer’s process and vacuum application. The major
challenge was the presence of corrosive HCl vapours and possible condensate
carryover during distillation.
Another important requirement was to maintain better control over the distillation
process by controlling the vacuum level. Direct high vacuum could disturb the process, so the system needed a controlled vacuum approach through suitable conductance control.
The customer needed:
● A reliable dry vacuum solution for HCl 32% distillation
● Protection of the dry vacuum pump from corrosive vapours and condensate
● Reduced risk of pump failure
● Avoidance of water ring vacuum pump due to higher effluent generation
● Better control of distillation through controlled vacuum
● Long-term stable performance where earlier solutions had failed
Vovac Engineers’ Solution
Vovac Engineers provided a suitable dry screw vacuum pump system designed for
the critical HCl distillation application.
To protect the pump from corrosive vapour and condensate carryover, Vovac Engineers incorporated special inline activated carbon filters with adsorption properties. These filters helped reduce the impact of harmful vapours before they entered the dry vacuumpump.
An auto drain facility was also provided to remove inline condensate from the system. This helped prevent condensate accumulation, which could otherwise affect the performance and life of the dry vacuum pump.
In addition, Vovac Engineers provided a suitable arrangement for vacuum control
through conductance creation/control. This helped regulate the vacuum level applied
to the process, allowing the customer to control the distillation more effectively instead of exposing the process to sudden or excessive vacuum.
The solution included:
● Dry screw vacuum pump suitable for critical distillation duty
● Special inline activated carbon filters with adsorption property
● Auto drain facility for removal of inline condensate
● Protection against corrosive vapour and liquid carryover
● Vacuum control through conductance creation/control
● Better control over the distillation process
● Dry vacuum operation without generating additional effluent like water ring
systems
Result Achieved
The dry screw vacuum pump system supplied by Vovac Engineers worked effectively in the customer’s HCl 32% distillation process.
The system helped the customer control the distillation process by regulating the
vacuum through conductance control. This improved process stability and allowed safer, more controlled operation.
Where other pump manufacturers’ solutions had failed within a day or a week, the
Vovac Engineers system continued to operate successfully. The system has been
running for more than one year, delivering stable performance in the critical
application.
Customer Benefit
● Reliable vacuum solution for HCl 32% distillation
● Dry vacuum operation without additional effluent generation
● Reduced pump failure and breakdown risk
● Protection from corrosive vapours through activated carbon filtration
● Inline condensate removal through auto drain facility
● Better distillation control through controlled vacuum and conductance
arrangement
● Improved system life and process reliability
● Successful operation for more than one year
Key Value Delivered
Vovac Engineers helped the pharmaceutical customer overcome repeated
vacuum pump failures in a critical HCl 32% distillation process by providing a dry
screw vacuum pump system with special activated carbon filters, auto drain
facility, and conductance-based vacuum control, delivering reliable and
controlled operation for more than one year where earlier solutions had failed
within days.
