ECO-TEC INC.

Water Treatment

Eco-Tec specializes in full end-to-end products and services, addressing customer needs in industrial water treatment and chemical recovery. Using its proprietary advanced ion exchange Recoflo®, and the latest in absorption, electro-chemical and membrane technologies, Eco-Tec engineers, designs, manufactures and distributes a large selection of products used for the recovery, purification, and recycling of industrial water and chemicals.

CONDENSATE POLISHING

During the process of steam generation, the steam cools and condensate forms. It is then collected to be polished for reuse in the steam generation process. Purifying or polishing condensate prior to its return to the boiler promotes smoother boiler operation and reduces maintenance. Typical condensate impurities are so easily removed; the polisher can be designed to run at much higher flow rates than the Eco-Tec standard demineralizer and with all the benefits of any Eco-Tec water treatment system.

Benefits:

• Reduced maintenance
• Reduced costs
• Reduced cycle times due to higher flow rates

DEMINERALIZATION

Recoflo Water Demineralizer

The Recoflo® Water Demineralizer is able to produce higher purity water without the need of a mixed bed polisher. In many cases, it is able to produce water with a conductivity as low as 0.1 microseimens/cm with less than 0.010 mg/L of silica using only the cat ion and anion beds.

This high level of performance is made possible by the rapid and efficient exchange kinetics resulting from the use of fine mesh resins and low resin loading. These in combination with the high flow rates, result in short cycle times, both in service and regeneration. Whereas other demineralizers are on stream for approximately 20 hours and require several hours to regenerate, the Recoflo® Demineralizer is typically on stream for less than 30 minutes and is regenerated in less than 7 minutes.

The shorter cycles allow for the continuous supply of the required flow with only one unit since during the short regeneration period, water can be drawn from the product storage tank. The shorter cycles also make the Recoflo® Demineralizer more resistant to organic fouling and allow for the more effective removal of colloidal and ionic silica.

RecoFlo TriFlo Demineralizer

The Recoflo® TriFlo™ Demineralizer produces the very high purity water (i.e. conductivity of less than 0.1 microseimens/cm) often required to feed critical and super critical boilers. It can do this economically and simply in a single process unit from feed waters containing up to 450 ppm of total dissolved solids. Ultra pure water can be achieved by simply adding an additional cat ion resin bed as a polisher after the usual two-bed demineralizer to remove the contaminating sodium ions. The TriFlo™ Demineralizer can provide solutions for applications requiring high purity water in the range of 10 - 17.5 megohm resistivities.

Benefits:

• Reduced operating costs
• Reduced commissioning and installation costs
• Reduced space requirements
• Reduced operator attention
• Rapid return to service after regeneration cycle
• Reduced chemical usage and waste generation
• High-purity water production without a mixed bed

FILTRATION

Spectrum MicroMedia Filtration

The Spectrum Micro Media Filter™ is able to achieve its high level of performance by using two backwash able particulate media layers. An upper layer of coarse media allows for an extended service cycle by providing depth filtration of large particles while a lower layer of very dense micro media provides surface filtration of smaller particles. It can handle water with a suspended solids concentration in excess of 100 mg/L and provides a filtrate turbidity of less than 0.1 NTU. The Spectrum Micro Media Filter™ provides excellent pre-filtration for packed bed ion exchange or reverse osmosis.

Benefits:

• Reduced costs
• Reduced space requirements
• Higher quality pre-filtration than ultra filtration or micro-filtration

REVERSE OSMOSIS

Combining the Recoflo® ion exchange technology with reverse osmosis equals low cost mixed bed quality from high TDS feed waters without mixed bed complications. The patented system delivers high purity water and generates less waste than comparable to RO/mixed bed and double passes RO systems. The system utilizes regenerant recycling therefore simplifying waste treatment equipment.

Benefits:

• High water purity
• Automatic response
• Reduced chemical usage and waste
• Reduced operating cost
• Simple operation

WATER SOFTENING

RecoFlo Water Softener

Recoflo® Water Softeners outperform conventional systems, reduce operating costs up to 40%, use less brine and water for regeneration and deliver less than 0.1 mg/L total hardness. Lower regenerant use means less waste is generated and the compact design makes it ideal for retrofit applications. The shorter cycle times eliminates biological fouling in the resin bed and subsequent release of bacteria in the product water making it ideal for pre treating a reverse osmosis system.

Benefits:

• Reduced operating costs
• Reduced start-up and installation costs
• Less space required
• Brine regeneration eliminates acid and caustic soda
• Eliminating biological fouling

Metals & Chemical Recovery

STAINLESS STEEL PICKING

One of the most widely used acid recycling systems in the world, the Eco-Tec Acid Purification Unit, APU®, eliminates bath dumping by removing metals as they dissolve into the pickling acid. Since 30% - 70% of original acid is lost in bath dumping before being used, the APU® dramatically reduces acid and related waste treatment expenses. With consistent bath chemistry, pickling performance is assured. With metals at low levels, further improvements are realized in cooler running temperatures and reduced generation of sludge and fumes. The APU® uses a resin sorption process and simple water wash to recover acid.

The Eco-Tec MicroPur™ is a standard pre-packaged version of the APU® designed in a range of sizes to accommodate the small to mid-sized pickler. The APU® consists of a column of resin with the ability to separate metal salts and acids using only water. During the sorption step, contaminated acid is pumped upward through the resin column. Free acid is absorbed by the resin while dissolved metal salts pass through.

During the desorption step, water passes down through the resin column to extract the free acid from the resin. The equipment alternates automatically from sorption to desorption every few minutes. The net result is a virtually continuous process for acid purification.

Benefits:

• Reduced acid purchases
• Reduced neutralization costs
• Elimination of bath dumping, clean-out and reformulation labor
• Improved product quality and consistency
• APU® investment ensures the best return and the lowest operating cost

Anodizing

One of the most widely used acid recycling systems in the world, the Eco-Tec Acid Purification Unit, APU®, continuously removes dissolved aluminum which contaminates the anodizing acid. AnoPur™ is an off the shelf, pre-packaged version of the APU®. Since up to 70% of original sulfuric acid is lost in dumping, the APU® dramatically reduces acid and related waste treatment expenses. The APU® uses a resin sorption process and simple water wash to recover acid. Online bath purification with the APU® is used in many industries from window manufacturers, steel mills, capacitor plants to copper refineries.

Benefits:

• Reduced acid purchases
• Reduced neutralization costs
• Elimination of bath dumping, clean-out and reformulation labor
• Improved product quality and consistency
• APU® investment ensures the best return and the lowest operating cost
• Range of sizes designed for the small- to mid-size anodizer
• Reduces chemical costs
• Reduces sulfate discharge
• Predictable, consistent operation at all times

Caustic Etch

Etching or chemical milling with caustic soda is often the greatest operating expense in aluminum finishing. Eco-Tec's Caustic Etch Recovery System, CER, continuously crystallizes and removes dissolved aluminum from caustic soda etchants used in processing aluminum and the caustic is returned to the etching/milling tanks for reuse.

Benefits:

• 75% - 95% reduction in caustic soda purchases
• Dramatically reduced aluminum waste sludge generation of 70% - 80%
• Production of saleable by-product (aluminum trihydrate)

Bright Dip Recovery

Phosphoric brightening produces a highly reflective finish to aluminum for the automotive and appliance trims, lighting fixtures, bathtub enclosures and shower door manufacturers, high losses of phosphoric acid during rinsing leads to substantial operating costs. The Eco-Tec DPU™ system purifies the water rinses and returns acid back to the bright dip process.

Benefits:

• Reduces operating costs
• Eco-Tec designed vacuum evaporator concentrates purified rinse water back to reusable 80% strength

Acid Etchant

For litho-plate and capacitor foil manufacturers using acid to etch aluminum. Low levels of dissolved aluminum are critical to a quality process. Eco-Tec's DPU™ with its innovative regenerant recovery method and ability to keep dissolved aluminum at a low level ensures an excellent return on investment

Benefits:

• Reduces acid and waste neutralization costs
• Allows consistent chemistry composition for consistent quality

ELECTROPLATING

Nickel Recovery

There are several factors that affect a nickel plate bath; brightener levels, pH, sulfate/chloride ratio, sodium contamination and even the nickel concentration itself. The Eco-Tec Nickel Recovery system uses de ionized water from rinsing, avoiding recovery of tap water contaminants. It does not recover brighteners from rinses and rejects sodium from the rinsed water. It recovers nickel salt in the correct sulfate/chloride ratio and removes acid from the recovered nickel salts to ensure the bath pH is not affected. The system is designed to ensure all nickel can be recycled without any long term effects on the plating bath.

Benefits:

• Reduced chemical purchases
• Contaminant removal
• High quality rinsing
• Reduced waste treatment

Chromic Acid Recovery

The Eco-Tec Chromic Acid Purification (Chromapur™) systems improve plating performance with advanced ion exchange technology. During the chrome plating process, there is only a small amount of the acid plated. The balance is lost to rinses and fume scrubbers. The Chromapur™ uses Eco-Tec's advanced ion exchange technology to remove harmful contaminants, leaving clean, effective chromic acid for recycling. The contaminants left in the waste stream are easily treated in a waste treatment system.

Benefits:

• Increased product quality
• Reduced chrome purchases
• Reduced waste treatment costs
• Reduced power costs
• Increased production
• Compact size uses space efficiently

HYDROMETALLURGY

Hydrometallurgy is removing impurities and recovering metal, separating sulfuric acid from dissolved metal salts in refineries, electrolyte bleed streams and leach streams.

One of the most widely used acid recycling systems in the world, the Eco-Tec Acid Purification Unit, APU®, continuously removes dissolved metals which contaminate acid baths. Since up to 70% of original sulfuric acid is lost in dumping, the APU® dramatically reduces acid and related waste treatment expenses. The APU® uses a resin sorption process and simple water wash to recover acid. Online bath purification with the APU® is used in many industries from window manufacturers, steel mills, capacitor plants to copper refineries.

Benefits:

• Reduction in impurity levels - consistently higher purity electrolyte
• Savings in sulfuric acid purchases
• Savings in lime purchases
• More efficient electrolytic process lower voltage/higher current efficiency
• Higher cathode purity
• Small space requirement

Amine Purification

Amine Purification

Controlling the impurities in gas treatment units at refineries, natural gas processing and syngas plants.

Anionic impurities in amine scrubbing solution cause formation of amine Heat Stable Salts (HSS). Increased concentrations of HSS disrupt amine unit operations, cause excessive foaming and corrosion, increasing amine losses and filter replacement frequency. The Eco-Tec AmiPur system using Recoflo® ion exchange technology, continuously removes Heat Stable Salts from amine solutions. Continuous removal of HSS allows for consistent performance of amine units under optimal conditions with minimal attention. Low HSS content has shown to dramatically reduce corrosion, thereby extending the life of process equipment and reducing maintenance and filter replacement requirements.

Benefits:

• Low HSS level at all times
• Reduced operating costs
• Reduced installation costs
• Versatility of location
• Small space requirement

CO2 Recovery

The Eco-Tec AmiPur system, using Recoflo® ion exchange technology, continuously removes Heat Stable Salts (HSS) from amine solutions. Continuous removal of HSS allows for consistent performance of amine units under optimal conditions with minimal attention.

The AmiPur application within CO2 recovery processes became evident as the need for industrial amine “reclaiming” evolves.  Within Fluor's Econamine FG process, the AmiPur-EL (Econamine Light) and AmiPur-EX (Econamine Heavy) are the systems of choice for their high purification quality and overall reliability. 

Benefits:

• Low HSS level at all times
• Reduced operating costs
• Reduced installation costs
• Versatility of location
• Small space requirement

OTHER INNOVATIONS

Pulp and Paper

Generator Acid Purification

In chlorine dioxide (ClO2) generators, sodium chlorate is chemically converted to chlorine dioxide and sodium sulfate in a strong solution of sulfuric acid. The acid is purged from the generator continuously in order to prevent the accumulation of sodium sulfate. Separation of ClO2 generator's waste streams allows for the recycling of the sulfuric acid. Without splitting the streams, the effluent has a very high acid content which consumes alkalinity in the Kraft liquor. In order to counter the acid level, large quantities of caustic soda is consumed. The Eco-Tec GAP system is designed to separate the sulfuric acid from the sodium sulfate. It employs the use of the Eco-Tec APU® system. The resin used in the APU® system absorbs the acid while allowing the salt solution to pass through.

Benefits:

• High efficiency of separation
• Reduced operating and installation costs
• Reduced shipping costs
• High removal efficiency, very low salt cake loss
• Small space requirement

Precipitator Dust Purification

The performance of recovery boilers declines as they become plugged. Treatment of the electrostatic precipitator (ESP) dust, where chlorides are concentrated, removes the chlorides before it is returned to the Kraft cycle. This can reduce deposit formation and plugging. The Eco-Tec Precipitator Dust Purification system reduces boiler plugging by controlling chloride in Kraft Pulping Liquors. It is based on a simple process which allows for the separation of dissolved salts by contacting with a resin, similar to the ion exchange process.

Benefits:

• Reduced downtime for recovery boiler washing
• Increased steam and power production
• Increased boiler capacity
• Reduced operating and installation costs
• High removal efficiency, very low salt cake loss
• Small space requirement

BIOGAS PURIFICATION

Reduce sulfur dioxide emissions, equipment corrosion, and fouling by removing hydrogen sulfide (H2S) from biogas.  Eco-Tec’s H2S reduction system offers cost savings, and greater energy recovery for use in multiple applications.

What are the Applications?

Biogas is a mixture of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) and water.  It is usually contaminated with highly corrosive levels of H2S.  Eco-Tec presents a biogas scrubbing process for the removal of H2S and particulate matter from biogas as it is produced.  Using a patented, high efficiency gas-liquid contacting process, H2S is absorbed and the gas is purified for use in power generation, cogeneration, and heating applications.

The following industry applications can easily incorporate Eco-Tec’s product series for biogas purification:

• Municipal wastewater treatment plants
• Industrial wastewater treatment plants
• Industrial processing
• Food and beverage processing
• Meat Rendering Plants
• Landfill Gas
• Pulp and paper mills

Why use Eco-Tec’s Biogas Purification System?

The system has proven, consistent performance with each of its key features:

• Consistent Purification
• Flexible Design
• Automatic, Robust Design
• Simple Operation
• Economical Operation
• Environmentally Friendly

SOUR GAS PURIFICATION

Industrial Applications for Eco-Tec Inc.’s SgPur™ Desulphurization Process (The Treated Gas may be used for Energy Production or discharged to atmosphere)

Oil and Gas

• Natural Gas
• Associated Solution Flare Gas (From Oil Recovery)
• Claus Process Tail Gas
• Refinery Flare Gas

Steel and Coal Coking

• Coke Oven Gas

Chemical Industry

• Carbon Disulphide Manufacture
• Specialty Chemicals

Click to read about Reciprocating Flow Ion Exchange ~ Recoflo