Mucon Iris Diaphragm Valves — Not Just For Controlling Powders

Over the years, the ‘Mucon' Iris Diaphragm Valve (IDV) from Kemutec Group has proved itself one of the most versatile flow control valves for dry bulk solids. When fitted with an elastometric diaphragm, the valve is capable of closing around lumps of product, or even foreign bodies trapped during closure, whist still providing an effective seal to smaller particles and dust. It is this unique feature that has enabled the IDV to be used for a variety of unusual valving applications around the world.

A prime example is cable glanding. Buijs Engineering of Uithoorn, The Netherlands have used a ‘Mucon' IDV to seal around tubes passing through the wall separating two clean rooms. This was their solution to a problem posed by a pharmaceutical company based in Leiden. The pressure loss through the existing seals around the tubes carrying liquids between two clean rooms created problems on a regular basis. These clean rooms operate at a slight overpressure, with one being at a higher pressure than the other.