Chemical Engineering September 2023 - 16

IDE
of biosurfactants.
As
biosurfac
-
tants are produced
from
micr obes,
they provide
advantages,
such as biodegradability,
lower
toxicity
and environmental
compatibility.
In
FIGURE
3. IDE offers the MaxH2O Desalter System which uses an RO system and
a fluidized-bed reactor to allow significant water recoveries while crystallizing out
non-soluble salts from the system
Mike Mowbray, senior vice president
of marketing and technology with
Kurita America (Minneapolis, Minn.;
www.kuritaamerica.com). " And while
they do work in narrow applications,
they don't have broad spectrum of
application the way that chemistry
does, so we are working on solutions
that minimize the amount of chemistry
that we use or that use a more
acceptable chemistry, such as one
that is biodegradable and can be discharged,
as well as other options that
help support sustainability along with
water treatment. "
One such example is Kurita's
Dropwise Condensation Technology
(Figure 4), a film-forming solution that
is sprayed into critical heat exchangers
and vessels and reduces the thin
water layer that builds up inside a
steam vessel. " That thin water layer
becomes an insulating barrier and
requires more energy to get heat
from steam through the heat exchanger
to the process on the other
side, " Mowbray explains. " The Dropwise
solution increases the water repellency
and changes it from water
film condensation to liquid droplets
condensation, increasing heat transfer
efficiency. We see a 5% increase
in energy efficiency, which reduces
the amount of energy used in the
process and has an impact on a facility's
overall CO2 footprint. This savings
can add up in facilities that have
large heat exchangers and vessels. "
Another way processors can increase
their sustainability and reduce
their carbon footprint while
still achieving water treatment and
production goals is through the use
16
addition, the
application of
biosurfactants
is growing in wastewater treatment
due to their foaming ability, specific
activity and high selectivity under
wide operational windows of temperature,
pH and salinity. They are also
gaining traction in water treatment
because they can have lower cost in
use and are environmentally friendly.
" Biosurfactants help reduce the
carbon that comes from using naturally
based materials, " says Tim Kraemer,
director of global business with
Locus Ingredients (Solon, Ohio; www.
locusingredients.com), a producer of
biosurfactants (Figure 5) that has entered
into a collaboration with Veolia
Water Technologies to develop new
sustainable, bio-based water and
process additive treatments, such
as emulsion breakers in boiler treatments
and cooling water programs.
" Taking it a step further, our products
are multifunctional, " says Kraemer.
" While they offer several features that
allow for the replacement of chemicals
that would be performing one
function within the formulation, in
many cases, biosurfactants can replace
at least two chemicals in a water-treatment
program. This means
processors are not only consolidating
formulations, but also are replacing
traditional petrochemical materials
that have a higher carbon footprint
impact with one that is lower. "
Veolia's Macios explains further:
" On the application side, what we
see with some biomaterials is not just
surfactant properties, but also corrosion-inhibiting
properties in both
water treatment and process water
treatment. We see lots of advantages
in the ability to replace not just
one for another, but in how one material
can often replace at least two
more harmful materials. This will help
advance the sustainability profile and
environmental impact of water treatment,
while optimizing performance
and reducing costs. "
Benefits of digital technologies
Just as a variety of solutions and
more sustainable offerings are allowing
processors to meet water-related
goals, digital technologies and increased
connectivity are helping processors
more easily achieve a reduction
in their water footprint. " These
technologies allow facilities to better
understand where and how they are
using water, which results in better
decision-making regarding water
reuse/recycling and treatment, " says
Evoqua's Kozlowski. " These technologies
can also improve operations
by proactively alerting processors
to changes in conditions and
allowing water treatment systems to
adapt more quickly. Further, predictive
analytics can greatly reduce opKurita
FIGURE
4. Kurita's Dropwise Condensation Technology, a film-forming solution that is sprayed into critical
heat exchangers and vessels, reduces the thin water layer that builds up inside a steam vessel, which
increases water repellency and changes it from water film condensation to liquid droplets condensation,
increasing heat transfer efficiency and reducing the amount of energy used in the process
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
SEPTEMBER 2023
http://www.kuritaamerica.com http://www.locusingredients.com http://WWW.CHEMENGONLINE.COM
Chemical Engineering September 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering September 2023
