Manufacturing and Industrial Companies Make the Switch to Solids
Manufacturing & Industrial
Industrial and manufacturing companies around the globe are making the switch to solids. These companies recognize the financial opportunities that solids present as well as safety & sustainability benefits compared to a liquid program. Many industrial segments have been transforming their approach to water treatment by implementing solids.
These include:
Automotive
Electronics
Boxboard
Key Benefits of Solid Chemistry:
- Keep floor space free from obstruction (unlike bulky, heavy liquid-filled chemical drums), thus optimizing facility square footage. Store cases (recyclable boxes) of solid chemistry safely on shelves. No special containment required.
- In situations where a straight ladder is required to reach evaporative condensers on rooftops or elevated surfaces, solids provide a safe solution. Simply carry solid chemistry in a backpack or satchel while safely climbing a ladder vs. risking your health by attempting to lift heavy, 5-gallon pails of liquid which could create dangerous situations for the employee and the facility.
- Packaging is 100% recyclable in contrast to 55-gallon drums that often require triple rinsing and disposal fees. Solid chemistry packaging can be simply tossed in the nearest recycling bin.
- Reduce carbon footprint. Assuming a 2,000-ton average load at 5 cycles of concentration, switching from liquids to solids can reduce CO2 emissions by 56 tons annually (or 1,123 tons over 20 years.)
- Reduce freight costs: replacing one 55-gallon drum of liquid scale and corrosion inhibitor with one 44 lb. case of solid chemistry, on average, results in a reduction in 2.5 gallons of diesel per shipment.
Case Studies
Poultry Plant | Aerospace Company | Pharmaceutical Facility | Industrial Manufacturer
Poultry Plant – Solids Provide a Safe Solution
Water Treatment Challenge:
A poultry processing plant in the southwestern U.S. was experiencing severe problems in its 3,500- ton ammonia refrigeration system.
The evaporative condensers were located on the roof so a “pulsed power” non-chemical water treatment device was used to treat one of the seven evaporative condensers, while the remaining six systems were only treated by heavy manual bleed. These practices were not effective and allowed heavy scale deposits to form on the evaporative condenser tubes, which resulted in high condensing pressure and increased energy costs. Severe corrosion occurred, which significantly reduced the life span of the evaporative condensers. The plant was considering an expensive coating to help avoid premature replacement of the corroded system.
Plant personnel considered a liquid chemical water treatment program but were concerned about the safety and handling requirements associated with transporting and storing hazardous liquid water treatment chemicals on the roof. The limited space available for drum storage around the evaporative condensers and in the compressor room was also an issue.
Solving the Water Treatment Challenge with Solids:
AP Tech’s solid chemistry for water treatment provided as non-hazardous program in recyclable plastic bottles rather than liquid in drums. The solids are dissolved as needed into a small plastic reservoir using a dissolving board. The feed solution is then pumped into the system being treated, as is done with liquid chemicals.
The dissolving boards were installed inside an enclosure located on the roof near the condensers, and the blended solid concentrates were provided in 11-pound bottles that can be easily transported to the roof as needed. Solids provided benefits of:
- Simplicity of use (solid concentrate is easily moved throughout the facility and product loading only requires handling a single bottle)
- Reduction of splash and spill concerns
- Elimination of drum handling, storage and disposal
- Ideal for use in hard-to-reach locations
- Reduction of fuel and greenhouse gas emissions associated with product delivery
Aerospace Company Saves Money While Improving Safety and Sustainability
Water Treatment Challenge:
One aerospace company with a manufacturing facility in the Midwest decided to make the switch to solids to help save money and to improve safety and sustainability. They had been utilizing liquid chemistry water treatment for four cooling towers in support of its manufacturing processes and facility.
AP Tech’s solid chemistry water treatment program helped the aerospace manufacturer achieve their business goals:
- Maintain the same or better level of cooling tower system cleanliness
- Eliminate chemical drum handling and disposal
- Reduce inventory and related storage issues
- Reduce costs and environmental concerns of, and need for containment areas
Solving the Water Treatment Challenge with Solids:
The installation of AP Tech’s solid chemistry water treatment program included a scale and corrosion inhibitor, a dispersant and a registered biocide. Results included:
- Eliminated all liquid chemicals previously used to treat the cooling towers, while still providing effective water treatment.
- The work area around the cooling towers is significantly neater. The installation reduced the space which had been required for drum storage by at least 75%.
- The heaviest container of solids an operator has to handle is a 44-pound case of solids in recyclable plastic bottles. Previously, the operator handled 55-gallon drums of hazardous liquid chemicals, weighing 500 pounds.
- The solids water treatment program is cost competitive with the previous liquid program. When hidden costs — such as costs for shipping drums, drum washing and disposal, storage space usage, and personnel handling — are factored in, the company reports the facility is saving approximately 15% with solids versus liquids.
Solid Chemistry Simplifies Water Treatment for Pharmaceutical Facility
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Water Treatment Challenge:
A pharmaceutical facility in the Southeastern U.S. used liquid chemicals in their four cooling towers. Due to limited space around the cooling towers there was great difficulty moving large drums of liquid product to the point of use.
The cooling towers had to be hand fed several times a week due to the space constraints as well as lack of proper feed and control equipment. Furthermore, the cooling towers were not being properly treated for corrosion and microbiological fouling. The facility wanted to replace their problematic program with one that eliminated heavy drums and provided a feed system that would fit within their limited space.
Solving the Water Treatment Challenge with Solids:
AP Tech’s solid chemistry and dissolver technology along with automated controllers were installed for each cooling tower and have provided the proven results of a liquid program while allowing the facility to eliminate several challenges and safety hazards.
The new solids program is simple to use:
- Reduced splash and spill concerns
- Eliminated drum handling, storage, and disposal
- Provided automated feed for a corrosion inhibitor, oxidizing biocide, and non-oxidizing biocide to enable proper treatment
Solids proved to be an innovative technology that solved a space and storage issue for a hard to reach location while improving upon the overall water treatment program results.
Solid Chemistry Program Reduces Biofilm Blockage and Eliminates Odor
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Background
A large industrial manufacturer in the USA was faced with major biofilm issues which caused several issues in their processes. Not only was odor an issue, but biomass was causing blockages in the water cooling process. This caused unplanned shutdowns and lost revenue. Traditional liquid biocides were difficult to implement as space was limited and access to the location was difficult even with 5 gallon pails.
The previous water treatment company recommended biocide floats which lacked in working for an extended period of time. Refilling the floats was cumbersome and often forgotten, and so the problem was consistent and worsening.
SoluTion
AP Tech, the manufacturer of highly active biocides in compact sizes, was contacted for a solution. When studying the problem, it was decided that a continuous oxidizing biocide feed with ORP control would be able to provide a safe and effective program. The piece of equipment best suited for this application was the Ultra-G due to its size, easy of use and cost. The dissolver was coupled with a small ORP controller that was plumbed inline of process water. The system was mounted onto a panel and hung on a railing for easy access.
For the oxidizing biocide, DuroKleen 101 was recommended. This is a calcium hypochlorite product that is 65% active as free chlorine and comes in 8 pound bottles for extended run times. Using biocides in recyclable bottles also allowed for easy management of inventory and refills, and helps reduce waste to landfills.
ResULTS
Within the first week, water troughs and holding tanks saw a major reduction in biomass. Upon startups after water had been sitting, the sulfur odor previously observed was eliminated. The customer has been extremely happy with the results and asked for the implementation of the system on the rest of their lines in the facility.
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