We got a call complaining that the new brick floor we supplied to this acid plant was heaving and cracking it’s phenolic mortar joints. We discovered that although the phenolic mortar could take hot sulfuric acid, as could the brick, there was a Viton (flouroelastomer) expansion joint right beneath the hot acid tank in this picture. Whenever the tank overflowed it destroyed the expansion joint - exposing the asphaltic membrane beneath to hot H2SO4, which caused membrane failure and allowed sulfuric acid into the concrete foundation. Call Interep for tips on your brick design to avoid situations like this.

We got a call complaining that the new brick floor we supplied to this acid plant was heaving and cracking it’s phenolic mortar joints. We discovered that although the phenolic mortar could take hot sulfuric acid, as could the brick, there was a Viton (flouroelastomer) expansion joint right beneath the hot acid tank in this picture. Whenever the tank overflowed it destroyed the expansion joint – exposing the asphaltic membrane beneath to hot H2SO4, which caused membrane failure and allowed sulfuric acid into the concrete foundation. Call Interep for tips on your brick design to avoid situations like this.