Chemical Engineering September 2023 - 14

the cost and performance, "
says Evoqua's
Kozlowski.
Veronica Garcia
Molina, global marketing
manager for
industrial and energy
segments with
DuPont Water Solutions
(Wilmington,
DuPont
FIGURE
2. DuPont's MLD solution, along with the company's DesaliTec
Closed Circuit Reverse Osmosis (CCRO) technology, helped a chemical
processor achieve minimal liquid discharge while also recovering valuable,
high-quality salts that they were able to reuse in their operations
the specific requirements of each
water-treatment application, as
well as the requirements of the
particular process, " says Juvencio
Casanova, director of customer
vertical with Evoqua. " While there
are common solutions, such as
pre-treatment, demineralization
and polishing at the front end and
meeting wastewater compliance at
the tail end, challenges can arise
based on location and the type of
source water used. Additionally,
a variety of challenges regarding
product water quality specifications,
such as the need to meet ultrapure
water specifications or the
necessity for high reliability due to
water being an essential component
of the chemical processor's
outputs, such as in hydrogen production,
can play a role in the selected
treatment methods. "
In addition, economic feasibility
and sustainability also play roles
in selecting a water-treatment program.
For example, while many facilities
had an interest in ZLD, it was
often difficult to justify financially, so
minimal liquid dishcharge (MLD) is
becoming a more viable alternative
for many facilities. But the way either
ZLD or MLD is achieved can differ,
depending on the specific water
quality and processes at a particular
facility. Often it is a customized
solution including a combination of
technologies such as membrane
filtration, media/ion-exchange technologies,
ultraviolet (UV) light solutions,
ozone treatment and many
other choices. " Facilities should employ
technologies that are the best
fit for that application based on both
14
Del.; www.dupont.
com/water), agrees
and adds that
many of today's approaches
are also
targeted at adding
value to the organization: " The cost
of ZLD can greatly impact the ability
to meet production goals and,
because ZLD is such an energyintensive
process, it's not necessarily
the most environmentally friendly
practice, which is driving facilities to
explore alternatives, such as an MLD
process combined with emerging
solutions that can do more than treat
the water - they may also provide
value or savings. "
She points to one customer, a
coal chemical company in China that
struggled to expand their production
capacity while trying to obtain ZLD.
" Instead, an MLD solution, along
with our new DesaliTec Closed Circuit
Reverse Osmosis (CCRO; Figure
2) technology, tackled the toughto-treat
water challenges, including
wastewater that contained high salt
content, high suspended solids and
a variety of organic pollutants. Our
customer was not only able to meet
water requirements as a result of the
MLD solution, but they were also
able to recover valuable, high-quality
salts that they were able to reuse in
their operations - providing additional
savings. "
In a similar vein, IDE offers the
MaxH2O Desalter System (Figure
3), which uses an RO system and
a fluidized-bed reactor to allow significant
water recoveries while crystallizing
out non-soluble salts from
the system, presenting a lower cost
and smaller footprint compared to
alternative technologies. MaxH2O
operates with variable feed-water
qualities, concentrations, flows and
recoveries. It can be integrated as a
standalone solution or as a downstream
solution to reduce total dissolved
solids, reduce brine volumes
and produce high-quality permeate
for process reuse, solving the existing
challenges of extremely stringent
sulfate discharge regulations,
challenging water compositions,
low water recovery and high operational
costs.
Additional options and various
combinations exist for nearly every
water treatment situation, says DuPont's
Garcia Molina. " Multi-tech solutions
can be tailored to address a
range of water treatment applications
and situations. For example, we can
provide high-recovery schemes for
sites with limited water with CCRO,
minimize plant downtime caused
by biofouling, provide solutions with
minimum or no chemical usage
using UF, RO, mechanical CO2 and
O2 removal and we can help mitigate
inlet water quality fluctuations with a
combination of resins. "
" A lot of factors play into which
technology or technologies will be
most suitable for an application, "
says Veolia's Macios. " Not only are
there new chemistries and treatment
options available, but there are
more sustainability goals for water
and greenhouse gases, more challenges
associated with stressed
water sources and processors still
obviously must operate and achieve
the desired output from the plant.
The key in selecting a treatment is to
find the one that allows processors
to achieve all their goals - water,
sustainability and operational - in
a way that optimizes the chemical
process, provides value and makes
financial and environmental sense
for their specific situation. "
Reducing carbon footprint, too
Since
many
processors
are
revamping
their water-treatment programs
as part of all-inclusive sustainability
agendas, many are looking
for " greener " water-related solutions
that will help them achieve sustainability
goals by reducing their electricity
use and carbon footprint, while
still meeting their water-treatment
needs in a cost-effective manner.
" Non-chemical devices are popping
up in an effort to eliminate chemistry
from water treatment, " says
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SEPTEMBER 2023
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Chemical Engineering September 2023

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