Fluids Handling

Watson-Marlow dosing pumps facilitate ‘ready-made’ effluent treatment plant

Watson Marlow 18/09/2013

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Watson-Marlow dosing pumps facilitate ‘ready-made’ effluent treatment plant

•   New initiative from Lhoist combines Neutralac® ‘smart’ liquid lime with peristaltic pump
•   High flow process pump allows on-site treatment of acidic waste streams
•   System comparable with caustic soda – many already sold

Neutralac® SLS45 high strength liquid lime from Lhoist UK Ltd is proving an irresistible solution for process plants requiring improvements in their effluent treatment procedures.

This is not only due to the innovative properties of Neutralac® (45% solids by weight, 300 Cps viscosity and 5 second KIWA reactivity), but the ability of Lhoist to supply customers with a field trial equipment package tailored to specific needs.

The delivery technology is a Watson-Marlow 720UN/RE high flow dosing/metering pump and Lhoist has already acquired six since the project commenced in 2012.

According to Product Manager, Derek Thompson, Lhoist developed Neutralac® to address the fact that lime is often seen as a low grade commodity.

“Neutralac® is different,” he states. “It allows us to attack the caustic soda market at the high end of effluent treatment. Here, neutralising agents such as caustic soda and magnesium hydroxide are aggressive and can easily damage both operators and plant, hence a comparable alternative is highly desirable. Neutralac® is safer to use than caustic soda and other alkali alternatives, with equal or better performance.”

Investment funds progress

The Lhoist Group has operations throughout Europe and America, with a total headcount exceeding 7000. Around 100 are employed in the UK, at a quarry near Buxton and at a satellite site in Cumbria. Lhoist invests heavily in R&D, and Neutralac® is among the latest products to make the transition from laboratory to production.

“We knew we couldn’t just sell it in bottles or IBCs and expect sales to take off,” explains Mr Thompson. “We had to take it to customer plants and provide delivery and analysis equipment on site. As a result, a lightweight yet robust pumping solution was sought, with peristaltic technology from Watson-Marlow proving the optimum solution.”

The service and technology offered by Lhoist means that a company such as a metal finishing plant, for example, where strong acids are used to etch metals prior to plating, can now process its effluent stream easily and cost effectively.

Lhoist will arrive on site with a ready-to-go system comprising Neutralac®, pH control and delivery equipment, essentially supplying a small, pilot-scale effluent dosing plant.

“We selected a peristaltic unit because they offer the easiest and best way to pump slurry around,” says Mr Thompson. “Neutralac® lime suspension is fairly thick and the pumps are often sited outdoors. However, the Watson-Marlow 720UN/RE is a work of art – it’s tremendously flexible yet extremely robust and reliable. In addition, they are easy to hook up with pH controllers – either our own meters or those used by the end user.”

Ongoing sales

The 720UN/RE is used to pump Neutralac® from storage vessels into effluent treatment plants for pH control. Flow rates vary from 10 to 1500 l/h, which is controlled via a 4-20mA signal from a pH meter.

Run-times vary tremendously but, according to Mr Thompson, the impressive performance of the system often imparts a reluctance to change. As a result, the plant is retained, leading to ongoing sales of Neutralac®, as well as the sale of a Watson-Marlow 720UN/RE pump.

Manufactured in the UK using patented technology, Neutralac® SLS45 contains 45% solids and is designed for treating acidic effluents of all types. It is optimised for rapid acid neutralisation and pH adjustment.

In many cases, the use of Neutralac® SLS45 improves metal precipitation, flocculant stability and filter cake moisture content and porosity. It can also reduce the consumption of polymers and polyelectrolyte reagents in most effluent treatment plants.

It is suitable for use in DAF Plant, metal precipitation, animal, food and dairy industry effluents, and treating all acidic waste streams.

“Our system tends to knock the customer for six – such is its performance that they don’t know what’s hit them by the end of the first day,” says Mr Thompson. “There isn’t much that can compete with Neutralac®, particularly in combination with a high-tech delivery system such as the 720UN/RE. We can flat-line a plant’s pH and ensure legal allowance limits are not exceeded.”

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Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Solutions

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About us

Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group (WMFTG) peristaltic tube and hose pumps meet requirements including: value for money; low cost of ownership; reliability and ease of maintenance to the food and beverage, chemical, pharmaceutical, mining and many other industries.

We demonstrate how pumps deliver significant process efficiencies over the lifetime of the equipment. Whether performing flavouring addition in food processing, chemical metering in water treatment or mineral recovery, we have a solution which can cut pump downtime and reduce costs through higher accuracy metering and transfer. WMFTG has dedicated application engineers available to help customers make the right pump and tubing choice from a range providing microlitres per minute to 80 cubic metres per hour flow rates.

The only part of the pump to come into contact with the product is the tube or hose. This means there are no seals or valves that can wear or fail. Replacing the tube or hose can be performed quickly and safely. Peristaltic pump benefits include:

Total fluid containment with no seals No ancillaries Handle viscous and abrasive slurries and sludge Self-priming capability Dry running without damage to the pump In addition to their range of positive displacement pumps, Watson-Marlow Fluid Technology Group has added PTFE-lined chemical and industrial hoses to their range. Aflex hoses are reinforced to withstand the most severe conditions and use.

Where we supply to

Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, South America, North America

Industries we supply to

Automation, Chemicals, Consultants, Components Electronics, Energy and Power, Food and Beverage, Glass Ceramics Cement, Metals and Minerals, OEM, Paper and Pulp, Pharmaceutical Cosmetics Toiletries, Plastics and Rubber, Recycling, Textiles, Tobacco, Water and Wastewater

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