Project Synopsis
Provide process engineering services to assist a specialty additives client in improving their WWTS operations for the removal of metals.
Project Summary
The client, a worldwide producer of specialty additives for the polymer industry, currently discharges treated wastewater to a local US municipal treatment facility. The client’s existing on-site wastewater treatment system (WWTS) has issues consistently meeting the discharge limit for metals. PROCESS was contracted under a separate project (phase 1) to perform a technical evaluation of the existing processes and the WWTS to identify treatment technologies that would meet the goals of the plant to avoid future metal limit excursion. This was phase 2 of the project and involved preparation of a process design package and budget cost estimate for the selected technology.
Project tasks included:
- Manage the treatability testing for two (2) competing technologies – chemical precipitation and electrocoagulation. PROCESS generated a treatability test plan for both technologies and worked with the client to identify third party vendors/labs to perform the testing. The chemical precipitation treatability testing was performed by an independent laboratory in the southern United States. The electrocoagulation treatability testing was performed by a vendor. As part of this task, it was determined that caustic instead of lime (which was currently being used) could be used effectively to treat the wastewater.
- Review treatability test data and present updated budget level capital (CAPEX) and operating (OPEX) costs as well as the advantages and disadvantages for both technologies. Based on this effort, chemical precipitation was selected as the preferred treatment method.
- Preparation of an updated Design Basis document summarizing the basis for incorporating chemical precipitation using caustic into their existing systems.
- Preparation of a Process Flow Diagram (PFD) with mass balance data for the new chemical precipitation process to establish a basis for the equipment/instrument sizing and the process control philosophy.
- Preparation of both an equipment list and instrument list with preliminary sizing information.
- Preparation of preliminary P&IDs detailing the new equipment, piping, and instrumentation as integrated into the existing process.
PROCESS is currently working with the client on a subsequent phase 3 effort to complete the detailed process design so that the client can solicit firm quotes for the detailed design and installation of the system.
Industry Type
Polymer Additives Manufacturing
Utilized Skills
- Industrial Wastewater Treatment Design
- WWT Treatability Test Plan Development
- Vendor testing management
- Preliminary process design development.