INTERNATIONAL CLEANER PRODUCTION INFORMATION CLEARINGHOUSE

CASE STUDY # 91

1. Headline: Improved operating practices in the chemical

industry

2. Background: See below.

3. Cleaner Production Principle: Good housekeeping, improved

operating practices

4. Description of Cleaner Production Application: This

facility uses a closed-loop process water recycling system

to reduce its waste. Texasgulf produces phosphate animal

feed supplement by combining phosphate ore, soda ash, and

phosphoric acid in a kiln mixer. The process produces a

kiln scrubber sump water with a flow rate of 1725 gpm at

108 F. Lime is added at a rate of two tons per hour to

precipitate the fluorides as calcium fluoride. These

filtered/dewatered wastes are disposed in a landfill as a

solid. The clean process water is recycled back to the

venturi scrubbers for reuse.

Material/Energy Balances and Substitutions

FEEDSTOCKS:

Inorganic fluorides

WASTES: Calcium

fluoride, wastewater

MEDIUM: Water

5. Economics

MONTHS TO RECOVER: 12

6. Advantages:

FEEDSTOCK REDUCTION:

$870,000/year (water usage)

WASTE PRODUCTION:

$930,000/year reduction (reduced

280,000 gallons per day

IMPACT: Reduces

water usage, wastewater not

discharged to the environment.

7. Constraints: Information not provided.

8. Contacts and Citation:

"Proven Profit from Pollution Prevention," D. Huisingh, L.

Martin, H. Hilger, N. Seldman, The Institute for

Self-Reliance 2425 18th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C.,

United States, 1985, case study 20, Page 80.

Name and Location of

Company:

Texasgulf

Saltville, VA

United States

9. Keywords: United States, USA, chemical, animal food, good

housekeeping, phosphate, fluoride, ISIC 2878.

10. Reviewer's Comments: This case study was originally

abstracted for the United States Environmental Protection

Agency's Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse.

It underwent a UNEP IE funded technical review in 1994 for

quality and completeness. It was edited for the ICPIC

diskette by UNEP IE in July 1995.

(DOCNO: UNEP01.52 306-001-A-024)