In the chemical and petrochemical industry, measuring and monitoring pressure is critical to ensuring your operation runs safely and efficiently. Inaccurate pressure measurements can have serious consequences, including employee injury, equipment loss, environmental issues and costly downtime. That’s why it is essential to use instruments engineered to withstand the severe demands of chemical processing operations. Ashcroft has been making accurate and reliable pressure and temperature measurement instruments for more than 170 years. During that time, we have seen how pressure gauges perform in the most demanding conditions and have become an industry authority across the globe. In this article, you will learn about the unique challenges pressure gauges encounter in chemical and petrochemical operations and gain a better understanding of how to ensure your gauge is safe to use in these demanding applications. When you are done reading, you will have access to additional articles and resources to deepen your knowledge even further.

This article is based on a white paper written by John Carissimi and Jeremy Payne in 2015 and rewritten on May 6, 2024. Sour gas and crude oil operations involve harsh conditions with a high risk of corrosion. Metals and alloys used in environments with hydrogen sulfide (H2S) are especially prone to corrosion and stress cracking, which can lead to material failure and dangerous fluid leaks in your system. To enhance safety and prevent equipment failures, the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) established control standards for any instrumentation used in these types of applications. As the Product Marketing Leader for process gauges at Ashcroft, a global leader in pressure and temperature instrumentation, I have spent the past 15 years answering questions and guiding customers on the importance of ensuring compatibility between your instruments and process media. In this article, you will get an overview of the NACE standards that specifically address corrosion that can occur with exposure to sour gas or sour crude. You will also learn what to look for when selecting pressure and temperature instruments for your sour gas and crude applications. When you are done reading, you will be able to access additional resources to help make informed decisions about selecting instrumentation for corrosive operations.

If you are among the growing number of natural gas vehicle (NGV) manufacturers that use Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) or Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) power-generating components, you know that safety in your process is paramount. That is why it is important to ensure any pressure measurement instrumentation used in these applications has proper approvals from applicable governing agencies. However, acceptable approvals for cars and trucks in the U.S. are different from approvals you will need for vehicles made for the overseas market. For instance, all NGV vehicles in Europe must follow Regulation No. 110 (R110) safety regulations. As a recognized leader in pressure and temperature measurement instrumentation for industrial and OEM markets, Ashcroft receives daily questions about the challenges our customers are facing. In this article, you will learn more about CNG and LNG-powered vehicles and why R110 approvals are necessary for any instruments used in the production of NGV vehicles that are sold in Europe. When you are finished reading, you will also receive additional resources to help you select the best pressure instrumentation to meet your specific needs.

This article was originally published on February 9, 2022, and was updated on April 3, 2024. Pressure gauges are often used in challenging environments where they could be exposed to extreme temperatures that may damage them or impact their accuracy. These extreme temperatures can come from a variety of sources such as the surrounding environment (ambient temperature), or the temperature of the process media being measured (media temperature). How do you minimize the effects of temperature on your instrumentation and protect your pressure gauges from damage? Read on to learn the effects that temperature can have on pressure gauges and their performance. Plus, you will gain insights into how you can address these issues to keep your gauge working at peak performance.

This article was originally published on June 27, 2022, and was updated on March 20, 2024. Critical process applications demand implementing critical safety measures. The safety of your operators and your customers depends on using high-quality pressure measuring instruments that can help you avoid disaster. The one thing I've learned in over 25 years of industry experience is that you can never be too careful. Unfortunately, when I visit process plants and other facilities, I often find that proper instrumentation is not installed on many applications. Understanding which instruments to use can be the difference between a successful operation and a dangerous one. In this article, you will learn why installing both an analog pressure gauge and a pressure transmitter to monitor air, gas or liquid pressure in challenging industrial applications is a good safety strategy. They each have a specific job to do. When you are finished reading, you can decide if having both types of instruments working for you is the right decision. You will also get links to additional information that you may find useful.

This article was originally published on June 9, 2021, and was updated on March 4, 2024. Pressure gauges play a critical role in your process applications. They accurately and reliably measure and monitor pressure to determine if process systems are working effectively and efficiently, or if you need to make system alterations or adjustments. This helps ensure the safety of your personnel, the efficiency of your processes and the quality of your products. But what happens when your pressure gauges stop working? Your entire operation is at risk. That's why periodic instrument audits are good practice. Ashcroft has been conducting comprehensive instrument audits for 10 years. As the product lead for process gauges, I see the results of these audits and can tell you why instruments fail in the first place. The good news is that most of these “instrument killers” we've identified can be prevented if you know the warning signs. In this article, you will learn the primary indicators that tell you your pressure gauge may be failing and the 6 most common pressure gauge problems and solutions that we found in our instrument audits. When you are done reading, you will know what to look for and be prepared to address any of these issues ahead of time. Armed with this information, you will be able to keep your processes running safely, smoothly and effectively.