A Guide to Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) Liners & Stacks

FRP Stack Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic stacks and liners are state-of-the-art products that have been proven to last for decades, making them a popular choice for industrial chimney liner upgrades or reconstruction.

Fiberglass as excellent material properties that ensure a long lifetime and require extremely little maintenance. FRP is corrosion resistant, lightweight, high temperature-resistant and mechanically strong – all of which are perfect construction characteristics for a high-use industrial chimney.

FRP Liners

Coal-fired power plants in particular can benefit from switching from concrete or steel chimneys to fiberglass. FRP chimneys prove to be the top choice for long term solutions because they provide superior corrosion resistance in wet acid and elevated chloride environments. FRP liners can be either top supported near the chimney’s outlet and allowed to expand downward, or they can be bottom support and allowed to expand upward toward the outlet.

FRP liners are assembled as cylindrical elements with circular cross-sections, joined together with bolts, bell & spigot, or butt joints. In general, the FRP sections are filament-wound and usually constructed in a factory, however, these sections can be fabricated on location if necessary. There is 4 basic layers of an FRP liner. The inner/base layer is resin rich and contains carbon black fillers. The second layer contains resin with higher glass content than the base layer. The third layer is the structural wall and is a matrix of filament-wound glass and chopped-strand. The outer layer is designed to provide exterior protection from corrosive elements and UV light.

FRP Stacks

Many plants and facilities have been rebuilding stacks or replacing demoed stacks with FRP stacks. There are plenty of advantages that come with choosing fiberglass reinforced plastic, including:

High resistance in wet acid environments
Smooth assembly and installation
Lightweight, yet strong
Self-supporting, guided support or steel support options
Long lifespan & useful life
Conductive inside surface for electrostatic protection
Low mainteancne
Low installation/assembly costs compared to steel

With a reputation for low maintenance and relatively stable cost, FRP provides plant owners with a reliable, cost-effective alternative that can be employed in numerous industrial
applications from scrubbers and stack liners to piping and wastewater treatment. Contact our rope access specialists to find out more about the custom-engineered solutions we can provide for your FRP stack or liner system.