Previously sourced entirely from abroad, the strategic component was developed over a six-month period in collaboration with local experts from Arvand’s technical services division and domestic tech firm Mash’al Sazan Karoon. The knit mesh system has now been installed and commissioned in Arvand’s processing lines.
The knit mesh unit plays a critical role in the evaporation phase of caustic concentration, where steam generated carries fine alkaline droplets. Without effective filtration, these droplets can corrode downstream equipment, contaminate condensates, raise maintenance costs, and reduce overall process efficiency.
The newly developed system significantly improves operational integrity by reducing the carryover of liquid particles in the steam to below 15 parts per million—equivalent to just 0.0015%, a figure aligned with global petrochemical standards.
Installed across three key concentration stages—units 41E-32051, 41E-32052, and 41E-32053—the mesh elements were engineered with stainless steel 316 for the initial stage, and nickel alloy series 200/201 for the latter stages. The material selection ensures high corrosion resistance, superior separation performance, and minimal fluid pressure drop.
The strategic localization effort offers multiple technical and economic benefits, including reduced corrosion in downstream units, enhanced operational stability, recycling of condensates, lower industrial water consumption, and savings on high-end equipment imports. It also strengthens domestic engineering capabilities, particularly in light of aging foreign meshes previously used in operations.
According to Arvand, this project aligns with the country’s "resistance economy" policy and the broader strategic goals of the Persian Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company (PGPIC).
The company emphasized that the project represents a shift from assembly-based operations to independent design in Iran’s petrochemical industry. Having reached international separation standards, Iran is now positioned to expand domestic production in other critical areas such as demisters, structured packing, and mist eliminators—opening potential export opportunities and deepening domestic manufacturing capacity for advanced process equipment.