Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world...

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Treatment of Toxic Effluent Made Easier with Rugged pH System To ensure correct processing of toxic salts and that resulting effluent complies with regulations, involves precise pH measurement. To meet this challenge a metal treatment company required a highly capable pH measurement system. For accuracy, reliability and sensor lifetime METTLER TOLEDO's solution excelled. Liquid waste processing specialists Afig Foessel Engineering is a France-based design-production-assembly firm special- izing in industrial liquid waste processing. One of their customers was looking for a highly accurate pH measurement system for use in the pre-treatment of toxic efflu- ent. METTLER TOLEDO provided the ideal solution. Toxic waste Afig Foessel’s customer is a metal treat- ment company who employ electro- deposition to apply a metallic deposit onto the surface of metals. The waste water from these processes requires condition- ing in an effluent treatment system before being discharged into municipal sewers. Some of the electrodeposition processes involve hexavalent chromium which must undergo pretreatment upstream of the general distribution channel. Dechromatation (the reduction of hexava- lent chromium salts to less toxic trivalent chromium) is possible only with a suffi- cient quantity of a reducer such as sodium bisulfite and a strong acid (hydrochloric or sulfuric acid at pH 2). In order to ensure satisfactory dosing of acid and sodium bisulfite and rapidity of the reaction, a pH / redox measurement is necessary. The measurement is done di- rectly in the dechromatation tank at room temperature. Expectations Afig Foessel’s customer was looking for a News 16 Chemical Perspectives in Liquid Process Analytics INGOLD Leading Process Analytics

Transcript of Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world...

Page 1: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

Treatment of Toxic EffluentMade Easier with Rugged pH SystemTo ensure correct processing of toxic salts and that resulting effluent

complies with regulations, involves precise pH measurement. To meet

this challenge a metal treatment company required a highly capable pH

measurement system. For accuracy, reliability and sensor lifetime

METTLER TOLEDO's solution excelled.

Liquid waste processing specialistsAfig Foessel Engineering is a France-based design-production-assembly firm special-izing in industrial liquid waste processing. One of their customers was looking for a highly accurate pH measurement system for use in the pre-treatment of toxic efflu-ent. METTLER TOLEDO provided the ideal solution.

Toxic wasteAfig Foessel’s customer is a metal treat-ment company who employ electro- deposition to apply a metallic deposit onto the surface of metals. The waste water from these processes requires condition-ing in an effluent treatment system before being discharged into municipal sewers. Some of the electrodeposition processes

involve hexavalent chromium which must undergo pretreatment upstream of the general distribution channel.

Dechromatation (the reduction of hexava-lent chromium salts to less toxic trivalent chromium) is possible only with a suffi-cient quantity of a reducer such as sodium bisulfite and a strong acid (hydrochloric or sulfuric acid at pH 2).

In order to ensure satisfactory dosing of acid and sodium bisulfite and rapidity of the reaction, a pH / redox measurement is necessary. The measurement is done di-rectly in the dechromatation tank at room temperature.

ExpectationsAfig Foessel’s customer was looking for a

News16Chemical

Perspectives in Liquid Process Analytics

INGOLD Leading Process Analytics

Page 2: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

2 METTLER TOLEDO Chemical News 16

Publisher / Production Mettler-Toledo AG

Process Analytics

Im Hackacker 15

CH-8902 Urdorf

Switzerland

IllustrationsMettler-Toledo AG

Clariant GmbH

Feinguss Blank GmbH

Okea | Dreamstime.com

Subject to technical changes.

© Mettler-Toledo AG 07/10

Printed in Switzerland.

pH / redox solution that would be easy to install and control, and which would be low in maintenance. But more impor-tantly, it had to be very accurate to verify that the customer was complying with stringent regulations.

METTLER TOLEDO solutionAfter thoroughly examining the process conditions that measuring equipment would face, we proposed a solution com-prising our InPro 3250 i pH electrode and M300 transmitter.

InPro 3250 i pH electrodeThe InPro 3250 i series are low-mainte-nance pH electrodes that have been designed for a wide range of demanding applications in the Chemical industry. The electrodes are available with an array of pH-sensitive glass membranes to provide optimum measurement performance re-gardless of process conditions.

A major feature of the electrodes is METTLER TOLEDO’s proprietary Intelligent Sensor Management (ISM) technology. ISM reduces the installation, maintenance and calibration efforts of measurement equipment, while increas-ing process reliability, productivity and system availability.

M300 transmitterThe M300 is a robust transmitter which combines simplicity, reliability and af-fordability. Its wide screen, easy-to-access cabling terminals, plain text interface and fast start-up menu ensure practical opera-tion. Like the InPro 3250 i electrode, the M300 is quipped with ISM technology which, for transmitters, allows much eas-ier configuration and commissioning. The unit is equipped with two 0 / 4 … 20 mA outputs that make it possible to monitor pH and redox signals simultaneously.

Excellent performanceAfig Foessel's client is delighted with the METTLER TOLEDO system. They report that accuracy is excellent, and that the electrodes perform reliably and have a long lifetime despite the harsh conditions they are exposed to. Afig Foessel them-selves are also very satisfied and plan to use METTLER TOLEDO systems in future projects.

If you need a highly accurate, low main-tenance pH measurement system at your facility, go to:

www.mt.com/pro-pH www.mt.com/ISM

Reduce maintenance by selecting the appro-priate sensor

METTLER TOLEDO understands the importance to you of keep-ing time intensive maintenance to a minimum. That is why the InPro 3250 i pH electrode was designed with the Chemical in-dustry in mind.

InPro 3250 ijResists foulingjRange of membranes to best

match your processjFeatures ISM for low mainte-

nance and high availability

Discover more at: www.mt.com/InPro3250

Best Practice

pH electrode InPro 3250 i

Page 3: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

METTLER TOLEDO Chemical News 16 3

O 2 M

easu

rem

ent Adding Safety and Efficiency

to Your Inertization ProcessWhen handling potentially explosive substances in your manufacturing

process, limiting the level of oxygen is the method of choice for ensuring

safety. For continuous and direct in-situ oxygen measurement, the

InPro 6850 i G sensors offer an industry-proven and reliable solution.

Primary concern: safetyHaving vapors of flammable liquids or dusts exposed to air in a tank or vessel can be a major safety hazard. This is why a limiting oxygen concentration (LOC) must be determined for each particular application. Keeping the vessel safely be-low the predefined LOC level often relies on injecting additional inert gas to reduce the oxygen to nitrogen ratio to an accept-able level, adding a safety factor of usually a few % oxygen.

How much purging is really needed?The purging usually is done by letting nitrogen flush either continuously or when a specific, fixed overpressure level is reached. Both techniques however are indirect and rely on assumptions on what the effective oxygen to nitrogen ratio in the vessel is, and maintaining this ratio throughout all the process states of filling and emptying the vessel. So, in order to keep the vessel safe at all stages, very often too much nitrogen is consumed.

Measure oxygen where it really mattersWith a measurement system based on the InPro 6850 i G amperometric oxygen sen-sor, the true oxygen concentration in the vessel can be measured in-line, continu-ously. By controlling oxygen, nitrogen purging can be contained and inert gas consumption optimized. Amperometric oxygen sensors convince through their

excellent price / performance ratio, and their minimized maintenance time of only two minutes.

Intelligent sensorsThe InPro 6850 i G sensor features Intelligent Sensor Management (ISM) technology for better measurement reli-ability and predictive maintenance. Digital ISM sensors monitor their own status in real time for early signs of wear and preempt maintenance requirements.

BenefitsTrue in-line oxygen measurementjDirect oxygen determination in

the vessel improves process safety

Efficient operationjContinuous oxygen measurement

in the vessel helps to keep inert gas consumption to a minimum

Easy maintenancejTwo-minute membrane exchange

can be done at the measurement point

Fast, easy calibrationjOne-point calibration in air re-

quires no specialist skills or ex-pensive calibration gases

Predictive maintenancejISM technology for enhanced reli-

ability and advanced maintenance

Excellent valuejExtremely attractive price /

performance ratio

Learn more at: www.mt.com/o2-gas

Oxygen sensor InPro 6850 i G

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pH M

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te Less Maintenance, Greater Process SafetyClariant Switch to Electrode Cleaning SystemSensor maintenance is vital for ensuring your processes are running

correctly. But what if a process allows only periodic access to a sensor?

Automatic cleaning and calibration means sensor access at any time, no

manual maintenance and improved process reliability. Just what Clariant

wanted.

Specialty chemical manufacturerClariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within the group, with around 22,000 Clariant employees at eleven production sites in Germany.

Clariant’s Gendorf industrial park facility is located in the South Bavarian Chemistry Triangle at Altötting. There are 18 compa-nies at that location and Clariant is the largest of them. The 900 employees and 70 trainees produce an approximate 800,000 tons annually of preliminary and inter-mediate chemical products.

The Gendorf Clariant product range in-cludes starting and auxiliary materials for the manufacture of aircraft and run-way de-icing agents, thermal conductor and brake fluids, for petroleum recovery and processing, and for cosmetics, body care, disinfection agents, and industrial and domestic cleaning agents.

TensidesTenside production is also part of these primary and auxiliary products. Tensides are synthetic detergents found in washing products, rinses, shampoos and shower gels. They are comprised of a hydrophobic part consisting of hydrocarbons and a

hydrophilic residue. Tensides deposit on dirt and grease particles with their hydro-phobic part and raise it from the matrix, envelop it and disperse it. The hydrophilic part is oriented towards the water so that the dirt can be carried off by the water.

There are four types of tensides:jcationically active tensides (posi-

tive charge)jnon-ionic tensides (no charge)jamphoteric tensides (positive and

negative charge on the same mol-ecule)

janionically active tensides (nega-tive charge)

It is anionically active tensides that are manufactured by Clariant at Gendorf.

Automated electrode cleaning and calibrationDuring manufacture of their tensides, a pH measurement system is used that was initially installed with an insertion hous-ing. The pH electrodes could not be cleaned or calibrated when needed but only when the process allowed it. In order to undertake the maintenance work, the electrode had to be unscrewed from the housing and this was only possible if the line was empty. Initially, maintenance was done once a month because it was a complicated procedure and the course of the process did not permit it more fre-quently. EasyClean 400 sensor cleaning and calibration system, and M700 transmitter.

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METTLER TOLEDO Chemical News 16 5

Based on the fact that the exact pH value is extremely important for the quality of the tensides, Clariant decided to automate the measurement. A METTLER TOLEDO InTrac retractable housing became the basis for the automation of the measure-ment point, along with an EasyClean 400 cleaning and calibration system. This system means that the pH electrode can be exchanged if necessary, even in a running process.

EasyClean 400 takes over the previously labor intensive cleaning and calibration of the electrodes. Due to the availability of

predefined and freely configurable pro-grams, the system can be adapted to the individual requirements of the operation in which it is installed. The programs can be individually set for weekly intervals within which any weekday can be indi-vidually programmed, or a fixed interval can be used for continuous processes.

Longer electrode lifeThe system, which is controlled via the facility’s process management system, has been running successfully at Clariant in Gendorf since January 2009.

Along with the advantages of having ac-cess to the electrode at any time, and that automation has minimized maintenance costs, process safety has increased due to frequent calibration of the probe. And with maintenance service that can be adapted both to the process conditions as well as the performance of the electrode and does not have to accommodate production se-quences, the life span of the electrodes has been extended.

If you wish to take advantage of auto-mated sensor cleaning and calibration, visit:

www.mt.com/EasyClean

Cond

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ity in

Met

al P

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ing

Reduced Manufacturing ExpenditureDue to Conductivity MeasurementDetermining exactly when an acid solution is no longer fully effective is

critical for process control. For a castings manufacturer in Germany,

conductivity measurement improves a pickling procedure and lowers

material costs.

Precision castings producerInvestment castings manufacturer Feinguss Blank GmbH, is a medium-sized company located in Southern Germany.

It has become a highly specialized enter-prise in recent decades and has developed many innovative methods for manufac-turing precision castings. The company has evolved steadily since its inception in 1960 and produces investment castings that have become an essential part of modern manufacturing processes. The foundry processes approximately 3,000

metric tons of steel, aluminum and cop-per alloys each year. The primary quality criteria of Feinguss Blank are high di-mensional accuracy and excellent surface quality.

Special processOne of the steps in the production process for precision castings is pickling them in a special mixture of nitric and hydroflu-oric acid. This removes an oxide layer from the castings before they undergo further processing. The tricky part here is to achieve complete removal of the oxide

Page 6: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

6 METTLER TOLEDO Chemical News 16

allow Feinguss Blank to control acid us-age more accurately, thereby reducing material costs.

Highly robust sensorThe media-wetted parts of the InPro 7250 PFA inductive conductivity sensor are covered with perfluoroalkoxy alkane (PFA), which is highly resistant to organic and inorganic acids including nitric and hydrofluoric. As the surface is immune to contamination and deposit formation, high measuring accuracy and process reliability are always ensured. The large measuring range and concentration determination capability of the InPro 7250 PFA make it uniquely suitable for use in demanding chemical processes.

Feinguss Blank use the InPro 7250 PEEK HT inductive conductivity sensor, which has excellent heat tolerance, to determine the contamination level of the rinse water after pickling. This reflects the company’s business philosophy of minimizing any environmental impact.

M400 transmitterThe sensors are interfaced via the multi-purpose M400 Type 1 Cond/Ind single- channel transmitter, which can be configured in just a few minutes using the Quick Set-up menu. The display has four lines, allowing it to show the concentra-tion in weight, percentage and the temperature in °C as well as the conduc-tivity in mS / cm. In addition to conductivity, the system can measure pH with analog or digital sensors with

METTLER TOLEDO’s advanced Intelligent Sensor Management technology.

Other M400 models can be used to mea-sure parameters such as pH / redox, pH ISFET, oxygen, CO2 and conductivity.

To discover more, go to: www.mt.com/InPro7250 www.mt.com/M400

Key Benefits of the InPro 7250Reduced measurement costs:jExtreme tolerance of aggressive

chemical solutionsjRobust design for maintenance-

free operation

High measurement accuracy:jSurface is immune to contami-

nation jNo polarization effects

layer, which can only be guaranteed with the right acid mixture. In the past, the concentration was determined manually using a complex and difficult method in order to comply with the company’s stringent quality requirements. This resulted in a relatively high acid con-sumption which was reflected in operating expenses. The need for automated control and significant cost savings led to the idea of using inductive conductivity measure-ments.

Value of conductivity measurementMETTLER TOLEDO provided an InPro 7250 PFA inductive conductivity sensor for use in a test phase. With this sensor it was possible, based on the mea-sured concentration, to determine directly in the dip tank the exact point when the acid mixture no longer provided optimum results. Automated control of the acid concentration reduced the control effort while at the same time increasing the reli-ability of the entire production process. The simplicity and accuracy of this system convinced Feinguss Blank to fit METTLER TOLEDO conductivity measurement points on all their dip tanks.

Along with improved monitoring of acid concentration, the conductivity sensors InPro 7250 PEEK conductivity sensor

One of Feinguss Blank's precision castings

Page 7: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

METTLER TOLEDO Chemical News 16 7

Concept The idea behind InTrac retractable hous-ings is to offer enhanced reliability and operational safety and increased process uptime, plus significantly reducing mea-suring point operating costs. InTrac housings have been designed for use in demanding applications in the Chemical industry where the use of pH / ORP, DO, conductivity and turbidity sensors is nec-essary to control and monitor process conditions.

High safetyCentral to the design of InTrac housings are the Tri-Lock safety features: sensor detector, safety immersion tube and posi-tive position locks. All of which have been designed to avoid unintentional release of process fluids. The sensor detector pre-vents the housing from being inserted without a sensor being installed. The patented immersion tube seals the hous-ing from the process at all times during operation, and the positive position locks always keep the sensor in an optimal measuring position. Complete separation of the sealing and bearing functions im-proves operation and reliability even in highly contaminating applications.

In combination with an EasyClean clean-ing and calibration system, a fully automated measuring system is available, bringing about a substantial reduction in operating costs.

ComplianceThe InTrac housings are fully compliant with ATEX guideline 94 / 9 / EC and are suitable for installation in Zone 0 and 1 hazardous areas. A wide selection of pro-cess fittings enables unrivalled flexibility for any installation purpose.

New lengthThe InTrac 777 line is now available with an extended insertion length of 295 mm to cover even more applications.

If process safety and increased uptime is important to you, go to:

www.mt.com/InTrac

InTr

ac H

ousi

ngs Better Process Safety, More Uptime

with Retractable HousingsIf you have processes that run over extended periods or where sensor

contamination is a concern, retractable housings allow easy and safe

sensor access – without process interruption. That means process safety

is ensured and uptime increased.

InTrac 777 retractable housing

Page 8: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

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Com

preh

ensi

ve W

ebsi

te The Information you Want is at www.mt.com/pro

The new-look METTLER TOLEDO Process Analytics website contains a vast amount of up-to-date information on all our products and services.

Content is localized for your country and tailored to suit your selections.

Simple layout allows you to quickly find the in-formation and features you are looking for.

jLearn about our most recent product developments

jRegister for free webinars

jRequest further information on products and services

jObtain a quote quickly and easily

jDownload our latest white papers

jRead case studies relevant to your industry

jAccess buffer and electrolyte solution certificates

jand more...

The home page has been designed to

get you quickly to the products and

news you are interested in

Page 9: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

METTLER TOLEDO Chemical News 16 9

The Information you Want is at www.mt.com/pro

Product pages provide a product over-

view and quick access to all important

details and documentation

jRead the latest product

news

jAccess our newsletter

archive

jFind out when our next

trade show or exhibi-

tion is in your area

jRegister for free webi-

nars presented by our

industry experts

jDownload our white

papers

Application pages help guide you to the

products that are right for your processes

Page 10: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

10 METTLER TOLEDO Chemical News 16

Plug and Measure

Inte

lligen

t Sen

sor M

anag

emen

t Intelligent Sensor Management Reduces Life Cycle Costs and Improves Process Safety

Intelligent Sensor Management (ISM)ISM reduces the installation, maintenance and calibration effort for METTLER TOLEDO’s digital sensors to a minimum. This considerably im-proves process reliability, productivity and system availability.

Reliable installationDigital communication between sensor and transmitter means signal is always reliable and unaffected by moisture.

Intelligence – starts in the headISM sensors are equipped with integrated elec-tronics in the sensor head that store all relevant sensor parameters and includes algorithms for enhanced sensor diagnostics.

Predictive maintenanceIntelligent diagnostics information is calculated and displayed on the sensor’s transmitter and tells you if the sensor needs maintenance or replacement – no more downtimes due to sen-sor failure!

System integrationKey ISM parameters can be fully integrated in a process control system via PROFIBUS® PA or FOUNDATION Fieldbus™.

jSensors are immediately recognized when connect-ed to the transmitter – eliminating difficult configu-ration procedures.

jOperational availability of measurement point within seconds.

jWireless module available for transmission from sensor to transmitter – no need for costly cable in-stallation.

jSensors can be pre-calibrated in the lab and stored for later use, saving time and increasing operational availability.

METTLER TOLEDO’s ISM product range includes…

… a wide range of sensors for … advanced single- and multi-channel transmitters … software applications j pH j 4-wire j iSense Asset Suite j dissolved and gaseous O2 j 2-wire j pH data logger j conductivity j wireless module j turbidity

Page 11: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

METTLER TOLEDO Chemical News 16 11

Intelligent Sensor Management Reduces Life Cycle Costs and Improves Process Safety

Diagnostics Maximum Performance

jAny sensor maintenance requirement is recognized at an early stage, reducing downtimes and mini-mizing plant operation costs.

jDynamic Lifetime Indicator estimates in real time the remaining lifetime of the sensor.

jCIP / SIP cycles counted automatically.

jSensor spider diagram for fast troubleshooting.

jiSense Asset Suite software offers you a unique means of optimizing the performance of ISM sen-sors for enhanced reliability and process safety.

jKey Performance Table enables you to evaluate the condition of an ISM sensor at a glance, without the need of a transmitter.

jDocumentation of every calibration as well as the entire sensor history – documentation requirements to regulatory standards are easily met.

METTLER TOLEDO’s ISM product range includes…

… a wide range of sensors for … advanced single- and multi-channel transmitters … software applications j pH j 4-wire j iSense Asset Suite j dissolved and gaseous O2 j 2-wire j pH data logger j conductivity j wireless module j turbidity

Intelligence starts in the head

www.mt.com / ISM

Page 12: Industry Segment Newsletter Chemical 16 · Specialty chemical manufacturer Clariant is a world leader in specialty chemicals. There are more than 100 af-filiated companies within

Visit for more informationwww.mt.com/pro

Reduce Start-up Time and Avoid Configuration ErrorsA significant amount of time delay and cost is associated with troubleshooting during the start-up and commissioning phase of projects in chemical plants. When it comes to in-line pH measurement, electrodes are often mounted idly in process vessels if other equipment is not yet ready to run. These electrodes dry out, take a long time to stabilize and need recalibration, all of which causes delay. The Plug and Measure feature of METTLER TOLEDO’s Intelligent Sensor Management (ISM) platform allows quick, last minute in-stallation of electrodes, reducing installation time and avoiding measurement failure. Further, the iSense Asset Suite allows ISM electrodes to be pre-calibrated via a stan-dard PC then stored for future use.

www.mt.com/ISM

Get in-line with METTLER TOLEDO

Mettler-Toledo AGProcess AnalyticsIm Hackacker 15 CH-8902 UrdorfSwitzerland