INTERNATIONAL CLEANER PRODUCTION INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE

CASE STUDY #51


1.  Headline: Reducing waste in polyester production

2.   Background: Synthetic fibre (polyester) plays an important
     role in the textile industry in Indonesia. The first step in
     polyester production is the production of chips through a
     polymerization process in which raw materials -including
     ethylene glycol, terephtalic acid, additives and a catalyst -
     are combined. This process produces two types of wastes:
     liquid waste that is treated in the wastewater treatment
     plant; and solid waste, known as RG-Residue. Before the
     implementation of cleaner production technologies, the RG-
     Residues were disposed of by incineration.

    Seven boilers provide power for the process. Of these, three
use heat recovered from the diesel engines, two industrial diesel
oil, one natural gas and one diesel fuel.

    P.T.TIFICO was founded in 1973 with two shareholders, Teijin
Ltd and Toyo Menka Kaisha (Japan); the company went public in
1980. P.T.TIFICO consists of 14 departments, including one
dedicated to safety and environmental concerns. P.T.TIFICO
produces staple fibre and filament yarn polyester.

3.  Cleaner Production Principle: Material substitution

4.   Description of Cleaner Production Application: Cleaner
     production initiatives at P.T.TIFICO included the reuse of RG-
     Residue, substitution of industrial diesel oil with natural
     gas, industrial water recirculation and heat recovery. These
     cleaner production initiatives have increased process
     efficiency.

     Reuse of RG-Residue: The RG-Residue was previously disposed
     of in an incinerator with a 1.5 ton/day capacity. This
     process was costly and produced substantial air pollution. It
     was therefore decided to evaluate the reuse of RG-Residue as
     an additive in the production of carpet sheet for roofing.
     The additive was found to improve the characteristics of the
     carpet sheet, and incineration was stopped. This reduced air
     pollution substantially and produced economies in savings on
     incinerator fuel which decreased production costs. The plant
     produces about 35 tons a month of RG-Residue but since demand
     exceeds production there are no storage problems.

     Natural gas utilization: One boiler running off industrial
     diesel fuel oil was converted to run off natural gas,
     reducing air pollution and energy costs.

     Industrial water recycling: In the wastewater treatment
     plant, liquid wastes are treated by activated sludge. Before
     treatment, chemical oxygen demand (COD) levels were 10 000-12
     000 parts per million (ppm). Following treatment, COD levels
     were reduced to 20-40 ppm, a level which easily meets the
     government standard for wastewater of 200 ppm (class II).
     Approximately 32 per cent of the wastewater is now reused in
     the process, reducing the need for fresh water by about 2450
     liters/minute.

     Exhaust gas recovery: Waste heat from the diesel engine is
     used to produce 12 tons/hour of steam.

5.  Economics:

        Natural gas utilization                 US$/year

        Net savings                           387 000

        Capital investment                     637 700
        Payback period                        1.7
years
        Industrial water recycling

        Net savings                           53 408

        Capital investment                     12 074
        Payback period                        3 months


        Exhaust gas boiler

        Net savings                           601 843
        Capital investment                     1 105
990
        Payback period                        1.84
years


        Reuse of RG-Residue
            energy savings            390
            labor savings             1 100
            sales of wastes            5 530

        Total                        7 020


6.  Advantages: N/A

7.  Constraints: N/A

8.  Contacts:Djahri Arsyad
            Tatsushito Maeda
            P.T.TIFICO
            PO Box 485
            Tangerang 15001
            Indonesia
            Phone: +62 21 553 1649
            Fax:   +62 21 553 1646

9.   Keywords:Indonesia, textile, polyester, material
     substitution, RG-residue, COD

10. Reviewer comments: This case study was originally
published in the UNEP IE document "Cleaner Production in the
ASIA and Pacific Economic Coorporation (APEC) Region. In the
process of preparing the document the case study underwent a
technical review.