The Protection of Chemical Process Equipment

It is often impracticable to employ safety-valves for the protection of pressure vessels used for chemical processing. The bursting disc or rupture diaphragm, a dome of metal foil which will burst when the safe working pressure of a vessel is exceeded, is a particularly suitable form of safety device for process equipment. To function effectively, however, the foil disc must possess a combination of chemical und metallurgical properties which for some purposes only the platinum metals can provide. The selection and use of these metals for bursting discs is discussed in this article.