Profit from Zero Liquid

Discharge

By – Dr. Sanjay Jain

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”. Albert Einstein

“ The important thing is not to stop

questioning”

Case studies of P-ZLD

Sr.

No.

Chemical

Recovered

Industry

Segment

Platform Technology

used

Payback

1 Aluminium Chloride

Hexahydrate

Pharma Antisolvent Crystallization

Technology

10 months

2 Formaldehyde Pharma Novel Extraction

Technology

11 months

3 Formic Acid API Novel Extraction

Technology

9 months

4 Glycolic Acid API Novel Separation

Technology

11 months

5 Para-Toluene Sulfonic

Acid

Pharma Novel Reactive

Precipitation Technology

9 months

Case studies of P-ZLD

Sr.

No.

Chemical

Recovered

Industry

Segment

Platform Technology

used

Payback

1 Acetic Acid Textile Novel Extraction

Technology

8 months

2 Ammonium Sulfate Agro-chemicals Antisolvent Crystallization

Technology

12 months

3 Potassium

Carbonate

Agro-chemicals Antisolvent Crystallization

Technology

9 months

4 Potassium Chloride Dyes &

Pigments

Antisolvent Crystallization

Technology

8 months

5 Potassium Nitrate Agro-chemicals Antisolvent Crystallization

Technology

8 months

6 Sodium Sulfate Agro-chemicals Antisolvent Crystallization

Technology

10 months

Why P-ZLD?

• To add to the bottom line (payback <2 years)

• To add to the green credentials

• To give strategic / locational advantage

• To eliminate statutory hassles

• To free the land for productive uses

• Achieve balance between environment and economy

• Goodwill in the community

New Approach

P-ZLD (Profit from Zero Liquid Discharge)

Three step process

– Awareness – of loss of value

– Technology solutions (innovative application

of existing technologies)

– Execute on commercial scale

The Strategy

Step 1: Changed Thinking

Remember the crude oil problem – look at the value

and not the problem

Step 2: Innovative Technologies

New applications of existing technologies

Step 3: SMART implementation

Synergetic, Measurable, Attainable, Risk-free, Time-

bound

Think ISI

Step – 1: Identification • Call the chemical by its correct name and qualify thewaste stream by proper chemical composition

Step - 2 : Segregation• Segregate the streams at source. Equalization tank isthe biggest killer of value.

Step – 3 : Integration• Consider recovery and P-ZLD as integral part ofmanufacturing

Changed Thinking

Pose the right problem• COD / TDS = Cost• Glycerol, Na2SO4, K2CO3 etc. are values• 50,000 ppm TDS may be 5% Na2SO4• 80,000 ppm COD may be 6-10% solvents, intermediates orproducts

Awareness of money going down the drain

Industrial Waste water is a resource• Awaiting the right solution

Geist Research Private Ltd

Offers game changers in waste water

recycling by

WOOW Processes…

For Profitable, Industrial

Waste Water Recycling

WOOW Processes

WOOW – Crystallization– for recovery of solids

WOOW – Extraction– for recovery of liquids (mainly organics)

WOOW – Dewatering– for non evaporative concentration of dilute

streams

WOOW - Crystallization

Used for solids in waste waters

Recovery depends of achieving super saturation by:•Commonly used

- Temperature – very common

- Evaporation of water – common and expensive

WOOW Crystallization

• Intelligent use of common ion effect

• Change the system properties by

- pH

- polarity

- dielectric constant

WOOW - Extraction

Used to recover pure organics and other liquids fromwaste streams

Various Extraction technologies:

Normal Extraction• Cross current / counter current• Mass transfer based on activity coeffs

Reactive Extraction• Enhance the partition coefficient by reversible adductformation• Use the free energy of reaction in addition toconcentration potential

WOOW - Dewatering

For concentration of Dilute streams

Similar to Extraction

Extracts water from resource stream

The aqueous stream is saturated

• Further processing is cheaper

Solvents with UCST / LCST can• Separate water from resource stream

• Without evaporation of water or solvent

Challenges

Challenge – 1

• No mathematical models, no accurate simulators.

Available simulators can give wrong results. pH of the

system is an added factor

Challenge – 2

• No data / databases for multi component aqueous

systems.

Challenge – 3

• Designing a continuous system for efficiency

Geist’s Way

Our USP:• Our own customization lab, data generation set ups• Follow our own version of fast screening and bounding boxapproach• Our own design methods for dealing with multi-componentaqueous systems

Additionally:• Our own team for execution with single point responsibility• Take complete charge of your waste water problem• Comprehensive ecosystem of all water related issues

Some of the molecules recovered from resource

streams

Inorganic MoleculesAluminium Chloride Hexahydrate,

Ammonium Sulfate, Phosphoric

Acid, Potassium Carbonate,

Potassium Chloride, Potassium

Hydroxide, Potassium Nitrate,

Potassium Sulfate, Sodium

Bisulfite, Sodium Chloride, Sodium

Hydroxide, Sodium Metabisulfite,

Sodium Sulfate, Sodium Sulfite,

Sodium Thiosulfate, Sulfuric Acid,

Sodium Bromide, Sodium Silicate

Organic MoleculesAcetaldehyde, Acetic Acid,

Butraldehyde, Cellosolve,

Formaldehyde, Formic Acid,

Glycerol, Glycolic Acid, Glycols, N-

methyl Pyrrolidone,

Phenol/Phenolics,

Polyglycerol, Para Toluene Sulfonic

Acid, Sodium Formate, Dimethyl

Sulfoxide, Dimethyl Sulfide

CLIENTELE

Agro Chemicals

API & Intermediates

Dyes & Pigments

Specialty Chemicals

Petro chemicals

Other Chemical Process

Industries

Fine Chemicals

Inorganic Chemicals

To summarize

Balance:

• Between development and environment

• Does not mean compromise

• Means the ability to consider all aspects and creating

win – win situations

• Needs the left side of brain working in tandem with

right side

• Between engineer and artist

Thank You

The Journey of a Thousand Miles Starts with a Single Step