News El 6 Chelyabinsk

Moscow, June 1, 2020.The Doncarb Graphite LLC branch in Novocherkassk (part of the EPM Group) has completed the cooling system upgrade investment project for the resin infusing and synthesis section. This project has expanded production capabilities and eliminated the dependence on the climatic conditions of the region.

This site synthesizes the resin RFN-60, which is one of the most important components of the unique EPAN material. During the production process, a large amount of heat is released, which is removed by recycled water from the technical reservoir.

From May to September, the water temperature can exceed 25 ⁰C, which eliminates the possibility of controlling the process and creates a risk of failure of expensive equipment.

It is also impractical to preserve RFN-60, since its storage period is limited.

In March 2019, the Investment Committee of the EPM Group approved a project where a freon-based refrigeration unit was proposed as a technical solution. By the end of January 2020, the equipment was fully installed.

At the moment, the new cooling system has passed the commissioning period and is fully ready for commercial operation, which will begin with the first hot days in Novocherkassk.

The cost of the project amounted to 6.4 million rubles.

"The completion of the cooling system upgrade investment project increases the productivity of the site. The five summer months of the year do not fall out of the process, which allows us to fulfill our obligations to consumers in full," commented Nikolay Naumov, Chief Executive Officer of the EPM Group.

Background

EPM Group is a leading Russian company specializing in carbon and graphite products. Its core activity is the production of high-technology electrodes, cathodes, and other carbon and graphite products for steel smelting, aluminum, ferroalloy, silicone, chemical, and machine-building enterprises. Geographically, its customers cover over 60 countries worldwide. The EPM Group includes Novocherkassk, Chelyabinsk, and Novosibirsk electrode plants, as well as Doncarb Graphite (sites in Novocherkassk and Chelyabinsk).

Doncarb Graphite LLC is a leading manufacturer of carbon-graphite structural materials and shaped products with special properties in the Russian Federation and the CIS. The company has mastered and produces pyrolytic, isostatic and silicified graphite items, anti-corrosive graphitized plastics heat-conducting material, carbon and carbon-carbon composite material products. The products include graphite electrodes (diameter from 75 to 200 mm), coke plates, trolleybus and locomotive inserts, cathodic protection elements of pipeline equipment, acid-resistant tiles, special chemical equipment, and graphite heat exchange equipment.

EPAN belongs to the group of carbon-fiber composites, characterized by high fluidity, which makes it possible to obtain parts of complex configuration by compression molding without further mechanical processing. This self-lubricating anti-friction material, which has high mechanical strength and wear resistance, is ideally suited for the manufacture of compressor pistons and joint rings, sliding bearings, and other elements that are used in severe conditions: dust, vibration, limited lubrication, direct contact with aggressive media.