Project Synopsis
Provide process design/development support (development of preliminary process design information) for a supplier of semi-finished copper and copper alloy products (the client) to a analyze and evaluate the client’s collection of process information from an old plant processing scheme for the de-tinning of metal stamping scrap copper.
Project Summary
The client is a European-based international supplier of semi-finished copper and copper alloy products, with its North American headquarters in the US. The client plans to build, based on an old plant processing scheme, a scrap de-tinning plant near its US headquarters to process tin-plated copper stampings from metal working operations. The resulting de-tinned stampings will be suitable for recycling of the copper.
The client retained Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) to analyze and evaluate the client’s collection of process descriptions, operating procedures, chemical analyses, and equipment details to piece together an overall description of the de-tinning process, complete with stoichiometry, mass and energy balance, process flow diagrams, equipment list, raw material requirements, and waste product generation.
Specific tasks for this project included:
- Analysis of documents from the operation of the original plant
- Preliminary sizing of equipment required to achieve the desired annual production
- Use of OLI electrolyte simulation software to develop the stoichiometry of the reactions from which a heat and energy balance could be constructed
- Development of a set of Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) for the proposed process
- Development of an equipment list with preliminary sizing and materials of construction
- Preparation of a final report detailing the findings and identifying areas requiring further process development.
Industry Type
Metals Recycling
Utilized Skills
- FEL-1 preliminary process design development
- Legacy process information analysis.