Project Synopsis

Determine changes required at a coating manufacturing plant to facilitate the utilization of 93% sulfuric acid in their wastewater treatment process and develop an FEL-0/1 process design study including a cost estimate.

Project Summary

The client, at one of its U.S. coatings materials production plants, currently removes copper and other impurities from wastewater through pH adjustment and subsequently neutralizes the water before discharging it to the river.  The client is interested in using 93% sulfuric acid in place of the 30% sulfuric acid that is currently used in this process.  The client also desires to remove the need for an acid day-tank in the neutralization area, citing environmental concerns.  They tasked Process Engineering Associates, LLC (PROCESS) with determining all changes required to facilitate the move to 93% sulfuric acid and with generating an equipment cost estimate as part of an FEL 0/1 process design study.

Specific tasks for this project included:

  • Examination of existing equipment and pipe configuration to identify the changes required to move to 93% sulfuric acid.
  • Evaluation of alternative configurations for the neutralization area to determine the best way to remove the day-tank.
  • Preparation of a Preliminary Equipment List and a Preliminary Equipment Cost Estimate. Vendor quotations and installation factors were used to estimate a total cost.
  • Preparation of a Summary Report where all recommendations were outlined.

In the execution of these tasks, PROCESS tapped into its’ in-depth knowledge of chemical systems and equipment used in wastewater treatment applications.

Industry Type

Coatings Manufacturing  

Utilized Skills

  • Process alternatives evaluations
  • Materials of construction reviews
  • Preliminary process design
  • Project cost estimating.

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