Texas Eastman cracking plants mix large amounts of steam with feedstock before cracking it into ethylene and propylene. After the steam leaves the reactors it is condensed. Because the condensed water contained various oily materials it had to be treated. Utilities also had to purify the water coming into the facility before it could be used in the process. Both fresh water purification and wastewater treatment are expensive.
A new process water recovery unit was constructed. The unit removes oily contaminant from the condensed water by a DOXTM coalescing unit supplied by Nalco, Inc.. The water is turned back into steam for continuous reuse in the cracking process. The oils from the recovery process are reused as a heat transfer oil and eventually sold as a product.
Wastewater treatment was no longer needed for 105 million gallons of wastewater per year. Also, since the oily contaminants are recovered, there is a reduction in VOC emissions by about 60,000 pounds a year.
Details of Reductions
Additional Information :
Costs savings come from reduced treatment of fresh and waste water and from reduced fuel needs for the cracking unit.
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