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August 2024 | VOL. 4 | ISSUE 3

THERMAL EXPANSION, CONTRACTION, AND CONTROL OF THOSE FORCES​​​

Many engineered systems and constructions expand and contract due to changes in ambient temperatures. During the most recent heat wave, many of us experienced delays in mass transit – particularly rail service – due to the effect of excessive heat on the railway’s catenary wires and steel rails. Trains must be operated at reduced speeds to limit the stress on the rails (so they don’t buckle) and avoid entanglement in the overhead wires due to excessive sagging in the heat.​

 

We’ve all seen and felt expansion joints when driving over bridges and overpasses. Piping systems are no different. All pipe materials expand and contract due to changes in media temperature and/or ambient conditions. When working with thermoplastic piping materials, it is important to consider these factors in one’s design.​

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A “rule of thumb” for polyethylene and polypropylene pipes is that they expand per “1/10/100”; that is, 100 feet of pipe will expand (or contract) 1 inch for every 10 degrees F change in temperature from its installed temperature.​

ASAHI/AMERICA ASPE-CERTIFIED PRESENTATIONS AND LUNCH & LEARN OFFERINGS​​

Asahi/America strives to provide exceptional support to engineering professionals who work with our valves, actuators, and piping systems. We value our customers and are pleased to offer continuing education units (CEU) or professional development hours (PDH) through an accredited program run by the American Society of Plumbing Engineers (ASPE). By completing an Asahi/America presentation from the list below, course participants have the opportunity to earn 0.10 - 0.15 CEU or 1.00 - 1.50 PDH presented by Asahi/America’s business development team.

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The courses Asahi provides offer key insights on how to optimize the design of your systems. For example, in high purity water systems, we recommend the use of diaphragm valves instead of ball valves. Diaphragm valves help to prevent bacteria growth because they are designed to eliminate dead space or entrapment areas where water could stagnate. Another example is in the transport of bleach (sodium hypochlorite). We recommend our Chem Proline® advanced PE100RC polyethylene piping for this application because of its excellent material properties and fusion joining.

ASAHI/AMERICA'S
MCELROY PARTNERSHIP
*LAUNCHED 9/1/2023*

Did you know that Asahi/America recently formed a partnership with McElroy Manufacturing Inc. to provide industry-leading fusion equipment? As of September 1, 2023, Asahi/America now offers McElroy-manufactured butt and socket fusion equipment that is available for rental or purchase. Asahi/America’s current McElroy tool fleet is able to butt or socket weld single wall and double wall pipe diameters ranging from 20 - 110mm (1/2” - 4”) for socket and 20 - 630mm (1/2” - 24”) for butt fusion in thermoplastic materials such as polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE and PE100RC), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE). The new tool offering is available for shop or field use, as rental units or purchased tools.

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​McElroy’s support in assisting Asahi/America with in-house and customer needs in the field has proven to be invaluable. McElroy scheduled several trips to meet with installers of Asahi/America's thermoplastic pipe systems. 

BONUS ARTICLE!   -   THERMOPLASTICS IN SILICON CARBIDE WAFER FABS

Silicon carbide (SiC) has emerged as a pivotal material in the semiconductor industry due to its unique electrical properties compared to traditional silicon. SiC devices enable higher efficiency, lower losses, and enhanced performance, making them indispensable for modern power electronics and electric vehicle technologies.

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One of the distinguishing features of SiC wafer processing is the significantly higher process temperatures required compared to silicon wafers. SiC wafer processing fabs may generate 1.5 times more heat compared to similarly-sized silicon wafer fabs. In addition to upsizing process cooling water lines, the thermal output necessitates robust thermal management strategies to maintain optimal operating conditions and equipment reliability.

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