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INTRODUCTION

Cleaner production is an integrated preventive environmental strategy applied during production


process and service cycle and this concept is a practically implementing concept in
manufacturing industry. Cleaner production applies to production process by conserving raw
materials and energy, eliminating toxic materials, reducing the quantity / toxicity / hazard of
emissions and wastes at the point of their generation. Cleaner production concept also applied to
products refers to reducing the negative impact, all along the entire product’s life cycle, from
production to final elimination. Cleaner production applied to services refers to incorporating
environmental issues in designing and offering of services.
Cleaner production assessment methodology can be divided into six phases.

The cleaner product assessment is done in completing 17 steps under the different phase which
are mentioned above. This assessment is done as detailed overview of implementation of cleaner
product for the hot dip galvanizing process of LTL Galvanizers (pvt) Ltd.

Hot dip galvanizing process

LTL galvanizers is the leading galvanizing company in Sri Lanka is equipped with German
machinery technology and has a production capacity of 150 Metric Tons per day. The LTL Hot
Dip Galvanizers has total production capacity of the plant is 6.2 metric tons per hour and operates for
24 hours per day. This production from the steel bath for large materials and from the centrifugal
bath for small materials. Steel bath has production capacity of 5 metric tons per hour and 7 m long
items can be single dipped. Maximum 13.5 m long items can be double dipped. The total process
consist of several main steps including,

 Pre preparation of materials


 Pickling
 Rinsing
 Fluxing
 Oven Drying
 Dipping in Zinc bath
 Quenching
 Cleaning of galvanized products.
Planning and Oraganization

The planning and organization is the initial step of the cleaner product assessment process. Main
task of this step is the allocating a team for this purpose.

Designate CP Team

The manager should appoint a cleaner production team to carry out the cleaner production
assessment. When doing so, the manager should keep in mind that the members should have the
necessary authority, skills and time to carry out the cleaner production assessment. The project
team should consist of representatives from ƒ

 Management levelƒ
 Accounting department
 storage departmentƒ
 Production department
 Technical department
 Maintenance department

Besides, it can be very useful to include external experts in the cleaner production team in order
to have a third-eye approach. The objectives of allocating this team are reducing energy and raw
material consumption, Identification of new techniques that can be applied for existing process,
reducing environmental impact, converting waste stream into reusable streams and improve
overall production efficiency.

Analyzing Process Steps

Initially, the cleaner production team should make an overview of the entire company by listing
all unit operations and their main inputs and outputs. A detailed and elaborate flow diagram or
activity diagram can be guided for this. This is necessary to get a proper overview and
understanding of the manufacturing process. When analyzing process steps, the tasks that should
completed are identification process steps, select wasteful process step, developing process flow
diagram, conducting material and energy balance and allocating cost for waste streams.

Process steps in hot dip galvanizing process

Pre preparation of materials

Surface conditions of the material are further checked since it is necessary factor for the hot dip
galvanizing and the metal and check whether the metal is free of rust. If oil or grease present on
the metal, they are removed using a degreaser. If paint or excessive rust present on the metal,
they are removed by sandblasting process.

Pickling
Before pickling oil, grease, and other organic contaminates are removed from the surface of steel
and previously a degreasing bath has been used with sodium hydroxide solution. But now they
are removed manually. Pickling is removal of rust of the steel using a strong acid. In this plant
hydrochloric acid is used in this process. Pickling time depends on the concentration of the HCL
acid. Pickling reaction,

Fe2O3 + Fe + 6HCl = 3FeCl2 + 3H2O

Rinsing

Pickled items then rinsed with water to prevent acid residues to be carried over to the next bath.
There are 2 rinsing baths in the plant. Average time for rinsing is 19 minutes. The pH value of
the rinsing water id recorded daily and when it exceeds 1, water is discharged.

Fluxing

Rinsed items are then immersed in a flux solution and flux is zinc ammonium chloride with
wetting agents. The flux solution removes the oxide film which forms on the highly reactive steel
surface after acid cleaning, and prevents further oxidation before galvanizing. Earlier the
temperature of the flux solution has been kept at 600C. For the initial flux preparation Triple Salt
having 54% Ammonium Chloride and 46% Zinc Chloride is used and this is prepared so that the
relative density is about 1.2. Flux renewing is done when the iron content exceeds 3g/L.

Oven Drying

After fluxing items are dried in oven which temperature is 1200C. Moisture is removed from the
steel surface using clean hot air blowing. Average drying time is 42 minutes for a frame.

Dipping in Zinc bath

Bath contains molten zinc at 4470C. Zinc blocks having purity of 99.95% is used for this. The
heat for the zinc kettle is supplied from a LP gas furnace. The steel is immersed at a fairly rapid
speed and Once the coating has formed, withdrawal is at a slower speed to ensure uniform
drainage and a smooth finish. Average dipping time is 6 minutes.

Quenching
Hot dip galvanized items then quenched by immersing in water. With this process the zinc
coating solidifies, as this ensure easy handling. It also arrests the alloying reaction in the case of
reactive steels, which continues well below the melting temperature of zinc. Quenched water is
recycled by air cooling.

Cleaning

Grinding edges is done to get good finishing. Zinc rich paints are sprayed at some places.
Damaged materials are kept at allocated area and will be retuned for galvanizing.

Pickled acid neutralizing

The pickled acid contains high amount of iron and chlorides. Rinsing water and quenching water
are also released and little considerable amount of zinc and little amount of arsenic. These all
waste are stored in a tank. The method used to remove iron is neutralizing with hydrated lime.
The neutralized solution is then to filterpress operation.

Selection of wasteful process steps

Based on the flow diagram and through site-inspection the team should identify wasteful unit
operations. Along with existing data on consumption of resources and materials, this work is the
base for deciding the focus of the cleaner production assessment. Preliminary priority setting
among process steps

 Monetary losses with waste streams


 Volume and composition of the waste stream
 Expected improvement opportunities

In the hot dip galvanizing process the following steps are identified as wasteful steps considering
the economic, environmental and technical factors.

Material pre preparation process


Excessive rust of the metals is removed by the sand blasting process and quartz sand is used for
this process. High amount of sand disperses around and sometimes it damages to instruments.

Pickling

High amount of HCL is removed from this process and sent to the effluent treatment process.
Initial concentration of pickling HCl solution is 18% by weight. This solution is prepared by
diluting commercial HCl with 36% w/w. with steel pickling, acid concentration reduces and iron
concentration increases. When iron concentration increases to 7% by weight acid top up or
renew is done.

Dipping in Zinc bath

About 0.05 lead is added to the kettle and lead layer on the bottom of the kettle will prevent
sticking of dross to the iron kettle-bottom and makes it possible to remove the dross from the
bottom of the kettle. Dross means some compound formed with zinc and iron. Dross formation is
a high amount of zinc loss and considerable amount of lead is added to remove the dross. Lead is
a heavy metal and dross is waste cost. Extra zinc amount of the galvanized surface means
another waste cost and keeping the required

Zinc bath is heated up to 4470C and maintaining the suitable bath temperature is more important
because less temperature means high dross formation. In the dipping process high amount of
smoke forms and this contains ZnO particles.

Quenching

In quenching process, some port of water is removed and other part is recycled. Removing
quench water contains lead and zinc.

Cleaning

In cleaning process, solidified galvanized are generated as waste and mostly zinc dust forms and
pollutions happens.

Neutralized pickled acid


Neutralizing process generates high amount of filter cake formed as Fe(OH)3 and this waste is
sent to cement factories after paying a fee. The filtered solution also contains considerable
amount of chlorides and suspended solids and this waste is also sent to water collectors after
paying a fee.

Process Flow Diagram


Costs to Waste Streams

The cost assignment gives a very good picture of how much money is lost with each waste
stream. At the same time such figures creates commitment; indicates the potential of savings;
and shows how high investments may be to avoid or minimize the waste streams.

Waste stream Characterization of waste Cost Assignment


stream
Pickled acid Unwanted acid removal Cost for HCl

Zinc bath Heating unsuitable temperature Causes to dross formation


and cost for the formed
dross.
Galvanized product Unwanted amount of zinc Extra cost for the zinc
upon the steel materials
Fiter cake Contains high amount of Cost for hand over to
Fe(OH)3 cement factories
Filtered effluent solution Contains high amount of Cost for sending to water
chlorides and suspended collectors for further
solids. treatments.

Generating Cleaner Product Opportunities

Generating cleaner product opportunities includes the giving solutions to overcome the
mentioned difficulties. The possible countermeasures are input material change, product
modification, technology change, production technology change, onsite reuse, good
housekeeping and production of useful byproduct.

Waste Stream Cause Cleaner Production


Opportunity

Pickled acid Acid top up is HCL waste Instead of acid top-up, only
method and acid renewing is acid renew method can be
less HCL consumed process done.
in the pickling process.
Zinc bath Heating Commonly 4440C is used in Keeping the bath temperature
industrially but 4470C is most at 4470C
economical when consider
the dross formation.
Galvanized product Standard galvanized Hoisting speed can be done at
thickness is enough for the high speed value.
protection of metals. Extra
thickness means cost for the
extra zinc
Filtered effluent solution This solution cannot be In plant treatment process can
release to the environment be developed.
even after the treatment
process since this contains
high amount of chlorides and
suspended solids.

Additionally these methods, high amount of sand dispersion and sand dust can be reduced by using a
developed method such as fully covered area for the sand blasting process. High amount of fume
generation when steel galvanizing process can be minimized by using powerful fume blowers instead
of currently used blowers.

Selection of CP Opportunities

For the more complicated cleaner production options, it is necessary to carry out a detailed
feasibility study focusing on technical, economic and environmental aspects. The following
expected benefits are part of the technical feasibility study

 Reduction in energy and water consumption; ƒ


 Reduction in material consumption
 Reduction of waste.

Some of the aspects that should be covered during the technical feasibility include,

 Product quality ƒ
 Production capacity ƒ
 Space requirementsƒ
 Close-down-time during installation
 Compatibility with the existing equipmentƒ
 Operation and maintenance requirementsƒ
 Occupational health and safety aspects
http://www.unido.org/fileadmin/user_media/UNIDO_Worldwide/Offices/UNIDO_Offices/Viet_Na
m/cp-miniguide.pdf

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