LOX-8 thread sealant is applied to the couplings on all Chemflow Hose Assemblies.

Mike Johnson is the founder and President of Chemflow Products, a leading distributor of flow control products to the chlorine industry. In 2009, Johnson was instrumental in getting the KLAW Safety Breakaway Coupling approved for use in the chlorine industry, and today he sells this KLAW product throughout the U.S.

“The KLAW Breakaway Coupling, which is manufactured by KLAW Products in the UK, is an important safety component in chlorine industry,” says Johnson. “In the event that something goes wrong in the transfer of chlorine from a railcar to a stationary tank, or vice versa, the KLAW Coupling provides an engineered breakpoint, which prevents damage to the connected piping systems. This was a major safety enhancement when it was approved for use in 2009, and today it is widely used throughout the chlorine industry.”

Chemflow handles all annual maintenance on KLAW Breakaway Couplings, a crucial safety component in the bulk transfer of chlorine.

The specifications and uses of The KLAW Coupling are described in Pamphlet 57, Emergency Shutdown Systems for the Bulk Transfer of Chlorine, which is published by the Chlorine Institute. According to Johnson, chlorine-compatible LOX-8 Paste is an important specified part of the assembly and maintenance of the KLAW Coupling.

“One of the key specifications for the manufacturing of the KLAW Breakaway Coupling is that LOX-8 Paste must be used to lubricate the three O-rings found in the center of the coupling,” says Johnson. “LOX-8 is a lubricating paste that allows the O-rings to seat-in properly and stay in place, and each KLAW Coupling is assembled in this manner.

“As an authorized service center for KLAW, Chemflow also handles the annual preventative maintenance on Breakaway Couplings,” says Johnson. “As part of this maintenance, we open the coupling, remove the old O-rings, and conduct an extensive cleaning procedure. We then install three new O-rings, applying LOX-8 Paste on each one. As directed in the specifications, we also use LOX-8 Oil in reassembling the coupling, by placing one drop on each of the three break studs. This allows us to get consistent torque when tightening the nuts that secure the break studs.”

LOX-8 Paste is applied to the O-rings during routine maintenance of KLAW Breakaway Couplings.

“LOX-8 Paste and LOX-8 Oil are versatile, robust products that are widely used to seal and lubricate handling systems for many harsh chemicals and gases,” says Johnson. “We now use LOX-8 Paste in tandem with PTFE tape to seal our own Chemflow Hose Assemblies, and, of course, we sell LOX-8 products to many of our customers. If you work with chlorine, you need tough thread sealants and lubricants, and LOX-8 products from Fluoramics have been proven to be up to the task.”