Chemical Company Reduces Hazardous Waste On Resin Production Line
Learn how a chemical company reduced hazardous waste on their resin production line by using a unique industrial filter.
(PRWEB) November 5, 2005 -- Resin and Polymer manufacturing demands tremendous finished product quality and consistency. Even slight impurities can cause significant problems later in the manufacturing process, not to mention the risks associated with the hazardous waste.
The plant manager at a U.S. chemical company--which produced resins for the construction industry--wanted to make improvements in their resin production line filtering systems to reduce their hazardous waste. Using filtration effectively means a finished product with consistent properties, which is free from contaminants and offers homogenous composition.
Chemical Company Example -- Filtration process:
There were three separate filtering applications on the line: pre-pump straining, intermediate filtering, and finished product filtering. And, each filtering system generated a host of housekeeping, waste disposal and productivity issues.
A standard pump strainer installed between a process vessel and pump was being used to screen out large diameter particles before product entered the pump.
Cleaning the strainer was a messy job, and the cleaning process sometimes allowed large particulate to bypass the strainer and cause pump failure.
Further down the line, a cartridge filter screened out small particulate after a process tank discharge pump. Changing the fiber-mesh filter cartridges required halting production, and the used cartridges generated environmental and disposal costs.
Finished product filtering was handled by a dual housing bag filter that used two 300-micron, nylon bags. In addition to the hazardous waste generated when the bag filters were changed, product was being wasted when the product-gorged filter bags were removed.
The plant manager consulted with Ronningen-Petter about upgrading the facilities filtering processes. He was interested in the capability of the company's DCF Self-Cleaning (Mechanically Cleaned) filter, and was especially attracted by the prospect of eliminating the messy housekeeping and disposal problems that the current pump strainer, cartridge filter, and dual bag filters generated.
Solution:
The standard pump strainer was replaced with a Ronningen-Petter DCF-1600 filter. The cleaning cycle on DCF is automatically initiated when the differential pressure within the system reaches a predetermined point.
Now, with DCF in place, filtering is continuous and the pump is protected from the large particulate that previously threatened pump performance.
To eliminate the hazardous waste problems associated with disposal, the intermediate cartridge filter was replaced with a DCF-1600 equipped with the twin actuator option.
Resins are a unique filtering challenge and the twin actuators were designed for sticky, quick-drying liquids. With its robust dual drive mechanism, DCF with Twin Actuator option performs the difficult resin-filtering task flawlessly.
The standard Ronningen-Petter DCF Mechanically-Cleaned filter performs its self-cleaning action using a single pneumatic actuator to drive a patented cleaning disc up and down the filtering screen, scraping debris from the screen.
Collected debris is then automatically purged from the collection chamber at the bottom of the filter, without halting production.
The Ronningen-Petter DCF with Twin option performs the same function as the standard DCF but uses two actuators in place of one. This enables the unit to filter tough applications like viscous and/or sticky liquids, high shear materials, sugar-based liquids and quick-drying paints.
Resins are no problem for the DCF with Twin Actuator option.
Finished product filtering was also upgraded by installing a Ronningen-Petter
DCF-1600 in place of the bag filters for final cleaning before product is loaded
into tankers for shipment.
Results:
The upgrades made by installing Ronningen-Petter DCF Mechanically-Cleaned filters at pre-pump, intermediate and finished product filtering stages have provided tremendous improvements in overall resin processing productivity,
filtering quality, waste reduction and maintenance.
By automating the pre-pump filter cleaning process, filter screen cleaning is performed on demand, rather than when product flow becomes severely restricted.
In addition, DCF performs its cleaning cycle without halting production or leaving the pump exposed to contaminants. At the resin filtering or intermediate stage, DCF eliminated the hazardous waste challenges and messy filter changes required by cartridge filters.
DCF installed for finished product filtering eliminated many housekeeping issues. Contaminated bag filters are no longer being transported down the loading platform, because the DCF Mechanically-Cleaned filter drains at ground level.
The mess, time and cost of removing, transporting and disposing of the bag filters is gone forever. DCF has also provided the ability to reuse filter purges
in lower grade product, thereby reducing product loss and increasing product output.
Conclusion:
The success of the Ronningen-Petter DCF Mechanically-Cleaned filter with Twin Actuator option in resin filtering has prompted the plant manager to specify the filter for all new filter installations at the plant.
Because of the proven performance of DCF at this site, three other company facilities have installed DCF 1600 filters for finished product filtering.
Application details:
Filter model: Ronningen-Petter DCF-1600 with Twin Actuator Option
Type of liquid: Resins used in the construction industry
Application: Intermediate filtering of resins
Temperature: 100° F (38° C)
Flow Rate: 90 gpm (20.4 m3/h)
Viscosity: 500-3500 cps (500-3500 cPo)
Particle size and Loading: Small particles and light loading.
--by Ask Filter Man
For questions about industrial filtration, please visit the Ask Filter Man at http://www.ronningen-petter.com/Ask-Filter-Man-Blog.asp
If you would like to discuss this filtration solution with one of Ronningen-Petter's highly trained Applications Specialists, please contact us at http://www.ronningen-petter.com/ContactUs/Contact-Us.asp
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