INDUSTRIAL TRAINING REPORT

Completed at : AL TAJIR GLASS INDUSTRIES

JEBEL ALI – 28862, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES

Submitted by-

Ramalingam Kailasham, U09CH153

Final Year, Chemical Engineering

CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

SARDAR VALLABHBHAI NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, SURAT

Acknowledgement

I hereby register my heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Al Tajir Glass Industries who let me pursue my Summer

Industrial Training in their company. Special mentions to Mr.Lakshminarayanan, Mr.Michael Arasu and

Mr.Naresh Kumar who explained the various nuances of the industry in their precious time.

The company very graciously accepted my request to pursue my training here.

I would be failing in my duty if I do not extend the gratitude to my teachers at the Chemical Department of

Sardar Vallabhbhai National Institute of Technology,Surat.

Chapter Content

Chapter 1 Introduction

1.1 Al Tajir Glass

1.2 Glass

1.3 Raw Materials

1.4 Important terms used in

Glass Industry

Chapter 2 Demand And Supply Data

2.1 Products manufactured

Chapter 3 Process Flow Description

3.1 Glass Chemistry

3.2 Process flow diagram and

description

3.3 Product properties

Chapter 4 Pumps and Valves

4.1 Centrifugal pump

4.2 AODD Pump

4.3 Ball Valve

4.4 Gate valve

4.5 Butterfly valve

Chapter 5 Equipment & Instrumentation

5.1 Philips PW 2400 X-

Ray Fluorescence

Spectrometer

5.2 Perkin Elmer UV-VIS

Spectrometer Lambda

20

5.3 Perkin Elmer FT-NIR

Spectrometer 100N

5.4 Hays Gauge

5.5 Actuators

4.6 Solenoid Operated

Valve

Chapter 6 Environment, Health and

Safety

6.1 Fire Safety

6.2 Effluent Treatment

Chapter 1 : Introduction

1.1 Introduction : Al Tajir Glass Industry

Located in the Second Industrial Area of Jebel Ali (United Arab Emirates) ,Al Tajir Glass Industry began

operations in February 1997.Al Tajir Glass has a six-burner side port furnace of 132 m2.With electrical

boosting, the draw can be increased upto 470 mt/day.

Al Tajir Glass Industry is one of the leading suppliers of container glass in the world and has been recognized

by the leading beverage companies like Coca Cola,Pepsi,Hahn,Barbican,etc.

The technology used in the company is supplied by Owens-Illinois,USA.

Light to heavy weight glass can be manufactured by using Blow and Blow Process as well as Narrow Neck

Press Blow.

The company is certified by “Integrated Management System” (IMS) certificate.

IMS meets the requirements of the following certificates :

ISO 9001-2000

ISO 14001-2004

OHSAS 18001-2008 (Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Services)

HACCP (Hazard analysis and critical control points)

The glass manufactured has to adhere to United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and National Formulary (NF)

standards.

Al Tajir is the first large scale container manufacturer to use Ecobrite© Ink on its bottles.This has resulted in the

elimination of heavy metals like lead and cadmium from the process.Also,the use of Ecobrite ink has resulted in

lower processing temperatures.

1.2 Introduction : Glass

Glass, as defined by the American Society for Testing and Materials(ASTM), is an inorganic product of fusion

which has cooled to a rigid condition without crystallizing.Owing to its recyclability and biological

inactivity,glass is preferred by many manufacturers as the preferred containing material.Developed countries all

over the world are encouraging the use of glass over plastic products.

In Al Tajir Glass,the main commodity of production is container glass. There are types of container glass as

listed below.

Type I : Glass with borosilicate content in it. Excellent chemical resistance and strength at

smaller thickness.

Type II : Treated Soda Lime glass. The interior of the container is made to undergo sulphur

treatment which removes excess Na2O and makes the glass stronger.

Type III : Non-treated soda lime glass. Comparatively cheaper and less stronger than Type II

Glass.

Type IV : Non-Parenteral(NP) glass. It is used for topical or oral purpose.Also known as

commercial glass. Upto 20% alkali allowed.

Both flint type and green colored container glass is produced in Al Tajir Glass.

1.3 Raw Materials

The use of raw materials from a particular source is determined by factors such as ease of availability and

transportation, purity and the cost. We shall see these factors at work in the following section.

Major Raw materials

Silica(SiO2)

Sand/silica is the major raw material in the production of glass.It is selected after meeting the required chemical

criterion (amount of moisture, percentage of impurities) and physical criterion like the size of particles. Pure

Silica has a melting point of about 1720oC.This has to be reduced for economic processing.

Sand in the size range of 90-850 µm gives the best results.

Owing to its location, Al Tajir has a huge supply of local brown sand at its disposal. However, this has to

undergo several beneficiation processes before it can be used in the manufacturing process. Nearly 40% of the

silica requirement is met by brown sand.

The remaining 60% is met by sand imported from Egypt.

Limestone (Calcium Carbonate CaCO3)

CaO produced by heating of limestone is necessary to provide strength and stability to the molten batch.

The necessary limestone is imported from the Sultanate of Oman and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Dolomite(MgCO3.CaCO3)

When a pure source of Calcium Carbonate is not available, dolomite may be used as an alternative. MgO also

offers strength to the final product.

Dolomite is mainly imported from Oman.

Soda Ash (Anhydrous Sodium Carbonate Na2CO3)

Na2O produced by heating soda ash is the main flux in glass production. It helps to reduce the melting point of

silica from 1720oC to about 1500

oC.Soda ash is found naturally or can be produced from Solvay Process. The

Soda Ash requirement of Al Tajir Glass is met by import from Kenya.

Feldspar (KAlSi3O8, NaAlSi3O8, CaAl2Si2O8)

Feldspar is added as per requirement, mainly for the production of green/amber glass.

Cullet

This is basically rejected glassware from the production line that is crushed and ready to be remelted.

Minor Raw Materials

Salt Cake (Anhydrous Sodium Sulphate Na2SO4)

Once the raw materials are charged in the batch and melted,CO2 begins to evolve. Salt cake is added to speed up

the bubbling of CO2.This creates convection currents in the melt that helps in more efficient heat

transfer.Na2SO4 is obtained as a by-product from the textile industry.

Salt Cake imported from China is used.

Carbon

Sodium Sulphite is a better oxidizing agent than Sodium Sulphate for the evolution of CO2.Carbon helps to

reduce Na2SO4 to Na2SO3.Also,the presence of carbon in the reaction mix helps to control the redox

environment in the batch.

High quality carbon, imported from Germany, is used in the process.

Iron Chromite (Fe2O + Cr2O3)

This is used as per requirement in the production of green glass. The amount of chromite used depends on the

final shade of green required(Emerald/jade/rum/champagne/French/Dead leaf)

Masking Agents

In Flint glass production,the final colour of the container is as important as its chemical composition.It is not

possible to reduce the FeO content beneath a certain level.Sometimes,it is economical to mask the resultant light

green tinge instead of carrying out additional purification steps.

The addition of certain colours to the final product masks out(makes invisible) the greenish tinge. This is an

application of the Bezold-Brucke phenomenon.

Selenium(Se) and Cobalt Oxide(CoO) are prominent masking agents. Selenium is preferred due to its

comparatively lower cost. Se is obtained as a by-product of copper extraction.

Se granules imported from UK is used.

1.4 Important terms used in Glass Industry

1. Viscosity

As glass is an amorphous substance, it does not have a fixed melting point.Its physical properties are,

therefore, specified on the basis of its viscosity. Viscosity is typically specified in “poise”. A viscosity

of, say, 100,000 poise is written as LOG 5 for convenience. The following table specifies the common

viscosity ranges for various operations.

Viscosity Operation

Log 2 Melting

Log 3 – Log 4 Feeder/gob temperature

Log 3.2 Hand gathering

Log 7 Ware removed from mold

Log 7.65 Softening point

Log 13 Annealing point

Log 14.5 Strain point

2. Cooling Time

The length of time (in seconds) required for a given mass of glass to cool from a temperature

corresponding to Log 3 to the temperature at Log 7.

3. Chromaticity Diagram

Any colour can be expressed in terms of its “trichromatic coefficient”.A chromaticity diagram is plotted

covering the normal range of human vision. Once we have the information regarding the colur present in

a particular glass sample,we can add suitable masking agents to make the glass clear.(See Bezolde-

Brucke Phenomenon)

4. Bezolde-Brucke Phenomenon

The Bezold–Brücke shift is a change in hue perception as intensity changes. The resultant of mixing any

2 colours lies on the joining the 2 colour co-ordinates on the chromaticity diagram. This fact is used to

remove faint traces of colour from the glass.

5. Draw

Al Tajir glass uses continuous process for producing glass.For calculating consumption of glass we have

a formula called “draw”.

Draw is defined as the multiplication of machine speed,bottle weight and time.

Draw = Machine Speed x Bottle weight x Time

For example

Speed of machine = 500 BPM (Bottles per minute)

Bottle Weight = 200 g = 0.200 kg = 0.0002 mt

Time = 24 hrs = 24 x 60 = 1440 minutes

Therefore, Draw = 500 x 0.002 x 1440

= 144 mt/day

6. Boosting

The process of assisting the melting of glass in the furnace by supplying electricity through electrodes is

known as boosting. Boosting improves the quality of glass through its localized application of heat and

also reduces the operating temperature of the furnace. This improves the furnace life and reduces dust

emission.

7. Narrow Neck Press and Blow Process (NNPB)

In this process, the metal plunger in the mold is much smaller in diameter. This process is used to

manufacture containers with narrow finish diameters(<=38mm).

The introduction of this process has enabled glass manufacturers to increases overall productivity and

reduce weight and variations in the thickness distribution of beer and beverage bottles.

8. Blow and Blow Process (B & B)

In the Blow and Blow process,compressed air blows a cavity into the molten gob in the blank mold of

the forming machine,thereby creating a perform shape known as a parison.

From there the parison is transferred to the blow mold where compressed air is used to blow the bottle

into its final shape.

Chapter 2 : Demand and Supply Data

2.1 Products Manufactured

Flint type container glass

This type of glass is predominantly used for storing soft-drinks and consumable items. For aesthetic purposes, it

shouldn’t have any tinge of coloring to it.

Coloring is removed by addition of masking agents, such as Selenium granules imported from the United

Kingdom.

While soft-drinks are normally stored in plastic bottles in western countries, the demand for glass containers is

particularly strong in North African countries.

Green colored container glass

Alcoholic beverages such as beer are generally stored in green colored containers.

Most of the green container glass manufactured in Al Tajir is exported to breweries in South Africa and

Australia.

Al Tajir glass produces nearly 470 tonnes of glass every day.

This puts their annual production at 6000 tonnes.

Chapter 3 : Process Description

3.1 Glass Chemistry

Solid state reactions below 1000oC

Na2CO3 + MgCO3 ----------------> Na2Mg(CO3)2

Na2CO3 + CaCO3 ----------------> Na2Ca(CO3)2

Na2Ca(CO3)2 + 2SiO2 -----------------> Na2SiO3 + CaSiO3 + 2CO2 ( )

Na2CO3 + SiO2 -----------------> Na2SiO3 + CO2 ( )

2 CaCO3 + SiO2 ------------------> Ca2SiO4 + 2 CO2 ( )

At a temperature above 800oC,the silica will react with the alkali rich carbonate melt into a sodium silicate melt.

Na2CO3 + SiO2 ------------------> Na2O.nSiO2 + CO2 ( )

Teut (Na2O.2SiO2 + SiO2 ) = 790oC

In combination with calcium oxide, an even lower (ternary) eutectic temperature may occur.

Teut (Na2O.3CaO.6SiO2 + SiO2 + Na2O.2SiO2 ) = 725oC

Actually a temperature 0f 1100oC is enough but the reaction rate will be slow.

Hence, a furnace temperature of around 1450oC is maintained for increasing the rate of reaction.

3.2 Process Flow Diagram and description

The manufacturing of glass can be systematically divided into 3 sections : batch-house, hot end and cold end.

Preliminary :

The raw materials are regularly tested in the Quality Control department for conformity with the chemical

standards. This is done with the help of a PW 2400 Philips X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) Spectrometer. A sample

of the XRF analysis is given.

Once the standards have been adhered to, a batch house formula is prepared by the authorized personnel.

Derived from the basic chemical equation stoichiometry, this formula dictates the amount of each raw material

(major and minor) that has to be drawn per batch.

A sample of the batch formula can be seen.

Batch-House

The Programmable Logic Control (PLC) system in the Batch-house is fed with the formula at the beginning of

each day. Accordingly, the raw materials are withdrawn from their silos and mixed together. A small amount of

moisture is added in this step to avoid excessive dust formation.

(Moisture has to be removed from the stored raw materials as it hinders flow).

The mixed raw materials is fed into a 6-port side entry furnace. The furnace area is 132 m2.It furnace has 6 side

ports(on right and left side) that are fired with the help of Fuel Oil. The ports are fired alternately between the

right and left side at an interval of 20 minutes. Fuel Oil is heated to about 110oC( @ 5.2 bar) in a fuel oil

preheater and fed in to the furnace. This heating reduces viscosity and permits easy flow. The atomized fuel-oil

mixes with the compressed air to provide the necessary heating.The furnace is maintained at a positive pressure

with respect to the environment to avoid the rushing in of cold air that can reduce the flame temperature.

Regenerators are provided on the left and right sides of the furnace. The hot exhaust gases pass through the

regenerators which are lined with refractory bricks known as “checkers”.The checkers retain the heat and this is

used to heat the cold,compressed air when the next cycle begins.The use of preheated air increases flame

temperature and improves fuel economy.

3 - 5/8% Voltage Regulators, known as boosters, are provided to provide extra heat in the furnace. Electrical

boosting is a must if NNPB quality is required.

The temperature in the furnace is maintained at around 1500 oC. The amount of material drawn depends on the

pre-fed formula. Molten glass is contained in the melting end refining chambers to a depth extending from the

furnace bottom to the elevation identified as the Metal Line. The metal line in the furnace is usually maintained

at 57 inches. Any variation in this height is detected with the help of a probe that loops back to the batch-house

PLC.

Typical daily production is around 470 Tonnes.

Hot-End

From the refining chamber,the glass flows to the forming machines through the forehearths.These latter devices

are relatively shallow,narrow channels connected to the refining chamber at the glass surface.They have

refractory roofs and individual firing systems so as to control the glass temperature.Sufficient cooling time is

provided for the melt to reduce to Log 3 from Log 2.

At a viscosity of Log 2,gobs are cut and passed into the assembly line with the help of compressed air.

Depending on the demand and properties of the finished product, NNPB or Blow and Blow process is employed

for shaping of the glass.

After the glass is shaped, we reach a viscosity level of Log 7.The time required in seconds for the melt to go

from log3 to log 7 is known as the cooling period.

The glass containers are then led in to a lehr.

A Lehr is a long tunnel shaped oven for annealing glass by continuous passage. Annealing is necessary to

prevent/remove objectionable stresses by controlled cooling. The Lehr used here has 9 zones (with alternate hot

and cold zones)

Cold-End

Once the bottles come out of the annealing Lehr,they are top and bottom sprayed with Duracoat to prevent

abrasion while they collide against one another.

After this,the bottles pass through various stations where they are subjected to several visual and optical tests.

For example, in the ICK machine, the bottles that can withstand a pressure of 30-35 psi are allowed to move

forward in the assembly line.

The approved bottles are then moved to the ACL (Applied Color Labelling) or the palletizing section depending

on whether the bottle needs decoration or not.

3.3 Product Properties(Container glass – flint type)

Cooling time : 95 to 102 seconds

Thermal expansion co-efficient : 85 x 10-7

/ oC

Density : 2.48 – 2.52 g/cc

Dominant wavelength : 565 – 568 nm

Purity : <11 %

Brightness : >50 %

(Dominant wavelength, purity and brightness defined for a flint sample of thickness 40 mm)

Chapter 4 : Pumps & Valves

In a Glass Industry, the transportation of raw materials and the finished product is either in the solid or molten

state.Hence pumps and valves are used as auxiliary equipment only. They are involved in the transport of

cooling water to the Lehr and Gob-cutters. As such the flow rates are not monitored. Only the suction line and

discharge pressures are controlled by the PLC systems.

PUMPS

4.1 Centrifugal Pumps

A centrifugal pump is a rotodynamic pump that uses a rotating impeller to increase the pressure of a fluid.

Centrifugal pumps are commonly used to move liquids through a piping system. The fluid enters the pump

impeller along or near to the rotating axis and is accelerated by the impeller, flowing radially outward into a

diffuser or volute chamber (Casing), from where it exits into the downstream piping system. Centrifugal pumps

are used for large discharge through smaller heads.

A centrifugal pump works by the conversion of the rotational kinetic energy, typically from an electric motor or

turbine, to an increased static fluid pressure.

At Al Tajir Glass,the centrifugal pumps are normally operated at either 1450 rpm or 300 rpm.

4.2 Air Operated Double Diaphragm Pumps

The AODD pump design features few moving parts. Those that do move have simple, specific tasks:

1. Air Chamber. Houses the air that powers the diaphragms.

2. Air Distribution System. The heart of the pump, it is the mechanism that shifts the pump to create suction and

discharge strokes.

3. Outer Diaphragm Piston. Connects the diaphragms to the reciprocating common shaft and seals the liquid

side from the air side of the diaphragm.

4. Inner Diaphragm Piston. Located on the air side of the pump, it does not come in contact with the process

fluid.

5. Valve Ball. Seal and release on the check-valve seats, allowing for discharge and suction of process fluids to

occur.

6. Valve Seat. Provide the ball valves a place to check

7. Discharge Manifold. Allows fluid to exit the pump through the discharge port that is typically located at the

top of the pump

8. Liquid Chamber. Separated from the compressed air by the diaphragms, it fills with process fluid during the

suction stroke and is emptied during the discharge stroke

9. Diaphragm. Acts as a separation membrane between the process fluid and the compressed air that is the

driving force of the pump. To perform adequately, diaphragms should be of sufficient thickness and appropriate

material to prevent degradation or permeation in specific process-fluid applications.

10.Inlet Manifold. Allows fluid to enter the pump through the intake port located at the bottom of the pump.

In Al Tajir Glass,AODD pumps are used for transporting lubricating oil. Gear pumps or centrifugal

pumps,because of the shear they exert on the fluid,negatively affect the lubricant properties. Hence

AODD’s,despite their higher cost,are used for pumping lubricants.

VALVES

4.3 Ball Valve

A ball valve is a valve with a spherical disc, the part of the valve which controls the flow through it. The sphere

has a hole, or port, through the middle so that when the port is in line with both ends of the valve, flow will

occur. When the valve is closed, the hole is perpendicular to the ends of the valve, and flow is blocked. The

handle or lever will be inline with the port position letting you "see" the valve's position.

4.4 Globe Valve

A globe valve is a type of valve used for regulating flow in a pipeline, consisting of a movable disk-type

element and a stationary ring seat in a generally spherical body.

Globe valves are named for their spherical body shape with the two halves of the body being separated by an

internal baffle. This has an opening that forms a seat onto which a movable plug can be screwed in to close (or

shut) the valve. The plug is also called a disc or disk.In globe valves, the plug is connected to a stem which is

operated by screw action using a handwheel in manual valves. Typically, automated globe valves use smooth

stems rather than threaded and are opened and closed by an actuator assembly.

4.5 Butterfly valve

A butterfly valve is a valve which can be used for isolating or regulating flow. The closing mechanism takes the

form of a disk. Operation is similar to that of a ball valve, which allows for quick shut off. Butterfly valves are

generally favored because they are lower in cost to other valve designs as well as being lighter in weight,

meaning less support is required. The disc is positioned in the center of the pipe, passing through the disc is a

rod connected to an actuator on the outside of the valve. Rotating the actuator turns the disc either parallel or

perpendicular to the flow. Unlike a ball valve, the disc is always present within the flow, therefore a pressure

drop is always induced in the flow, regardless of valve position.

Chapter 5: Equipment & Instrumentation

The equipment used in a glass industry are slightly different from the ones used in a typical process plant.

The following are the key equipment and instrumentation involved in Al Tajir Glass Industry.

1. Philips PW 2400 X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer

2. Perkin Elmer UV-VIS Spectrometer Lambda 20

3. Perkin Elmer FT-NIR Spectrometer 100N

4. Hays Gauge

5. Actuators

6. Solenoid Operating Valve

5.1 Philips PW 2400 X-Ray Fluorescence Spectrometer

What is X-Ray Spectroscopy ?

X-ray spectroscopy is a gathering name for several spectroscopic techniques for characterization of

materials by using x-ray excitation. When an electron from the inner shell of an atom is lost due to some

sort of excitation, it is replaced with an electron from the outer shell; difference in energy is emitted as

an X-ray photon of characteristic for the element wavelength (there could be several of characteristic

wavelengths per element). Equipment Specifications

Type: automatic sequential wavelength dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer

PW 2400 (Philips)

Year of construction: 1996

HT generator: high frequency (ultra sonic), microprocessor controlled, 60 kV, 125

mA, 3000 W max., 0.0005 % stability

Tube: super sharp end window X-ray tube, 60 kV, 125 mA, 3000 W max.,

Rhodium anode

Spectrometer: sample changer (2 positions), spinner 30 rpm, 8 analysing crystals

(LiF 200, LiF 220, PE 002, Ge 111, PX1 multilayer, PX2 multilayer, PX4

multilayer, TlAP 100 coated), Argon flow counter 2 µm (13° to 148° 2theta, 2000

KCPS max.), scintillation counter (0° to 104° 2theta, 1000 KCPS max.), masks 10,

25, 30 and 35 mm

Goniometer: theta/2theta decoupled, direct optical position sensors, slewing speed

40° 2theta/s, scanning speed 0.0001° to 2° 2theta/s,angular accuracy 0.0025°

theta,2theta, angular reproducibility 0.0001° theta,2theta

Multi channel analyser: non-linearity > 1 %

Filters: Al (200,750 µm), Brass (100,300 µm), Pb (1000 µm)

Primary collimators: 150, 300, 700 µm

Beam path: Vacuum or He (liquids)

MS Windows based Super-Q / Semi-Q software

Peripherals: automatic fusion machine Perl’X 3 (Philips)

5.2 Perkin Elmer UV-VIS Spectrometer Lambda 20

The UV-VIS spectrometer is used for the optical properties analysis of glass samples.After the sample

has been fed in,we get information regarding the dominant wavelength,purity and brightness via the

attached computer.Windows-95 based PRISMA 100 is used in Al Tajir Glass.

5.3 Perkin Elmer FT-NIR Spectrometer 100N

Near Infrared Spectrometry is used especially to check for entrapped water molecules in the final glass product.

The instrument is designed for safe use in indoor conditions, within ambient temperatures of 5oC to 40

oC and a

voltage fluctuation of not more than ± 10 %.

5.4 Hays Gauge

Hays Cleveland Model D-06200-00 MULTIPOINTER GAUGES, available in semi-flush or

surface-mounted enclosures, are designed for applications requiring two or more indicating

scales in a limited area and on a limited budget. A three-way selector valve is a standard feature

that permits the operator to reset to zero and clean the sample lines without disturbing the

unit's factory-set calibration. Another standard feature is a special beryllium calibrating spring

that provides permanent, unvarying tension.

5.5 Actuators

The commonly used actuator types are shown in the following figures.

Spring Return Diaphragm type

Spring return piston cylinder type

Double Acting Actuators

5.6 SOLENOID OPERATING VALVE:

A solenoid valve is an electromechanical valve for use with liquid or gas. The valve is controlled by an electric

current through a solenoid coil. Solenoid valves may have two or more ports: in the case of a two-port valve the

flow is switched on or off; in the case of a three-port valve, the outflow is switched between the two outlet

ports. Multiple solenoid valves can be placed together on a manifold.

Solenoid valves are the most frequently used control elements in fluidics. Their tasks are to shut off, release,

dose, distribute or mix fluids. They are found in many application areas. Solenoids offer fast and safe switching,

high reliability, long service life, good medium compatibility of the materials used, low control power and

compact design.

Besides the plunger-type actuator which is used most frequently, pivoted-armature actuators and rocker

actuators are also used.

Chapter 6 : Environment, Health and Safety (EHS)

6.1 Fire Safety

With the growing stringent environmental regulations and human rights awareness, the EHS department of any

company these days occupies a crucial position. It is no different at Al Tajir Industries.

Owing to the techniques used in the packing and palletizing section, fire is a very prominent hazard. Here’s a

brief discussion on the topic.

Fire is a chemical reaction in which heat & gas are generated. Technically it is called Combustion. For fire to

take place, three things viz. FUEL, OXYGEN & SUFFICIENT HEAT SOURCE are necessary.

There are 3 common ways in which a fire-break out can be controlled

Starving : By removing the fuel/combustible substance from the site of fire.

Smothering : By cutting off the supply of oxygen to the fire.

Cooling : By reducing the temperature of the ambient air.

Types of Fire

Fires are classified on the basis of the fuel involved. This helps in identifying the right type of extinguisher to be

used in a particular situation.

Class A : Fire caused due to solid fuels like paper, rubber, clothes, etc.

Class B : Source of fire is liquids like petrol,kerosene,paint oil,etc.

Class C : Fire caused due to gases like methane,butane,etc.

Class D : Fire caused due to metals like magnesium,aluminium,etc.

Class E : Fires caused due to overloaded electrical circuits,short circuits and bad practices.

Types of fire extinguishers and cases where they can be used

Class of Fire Extinguishing Agent (Effective Range) Colour of the cylinder

Water (30-40 ft)

RED

Foam(10-12 ft)

CREAM

CO2 (3-8 ft)

BLACK

DCP(5-20 ft)

BLUE

A YES YES NO YES

B NO YES YES YES

C NO YES YES YES

D NO NO NO YES

E NO NO YES YES

Fire Fighting facilities and preventive measures at Al Tajir Glass

Portable Fire Control Equipment

1. Extinguishers

2. Fire blankets

3. Fire buckets

Fixed Fire control Equipment

1. Fire station with Control Room, Booster pumps, Store for fire fighting accessories.

2. Mobile phones and naked flames not allowed near the LPG and Fuel Oil yard.

3. Smoke detectors placed at regular intervals; connected to sprinklers

4. Hose reels

6.2 Effluent Treatment

Water usage in the plant is limited to furnace cooling and glass-mold cooling.As such,water disposal is not a

problem and there is no hazard to the underground water-table.

The plant,however,has to adhere to strict standards as whereas gaseous emissions are concerned.

The commonly monitored gaseous components are

NOx,SO2,CO,Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC),CO2,water % and O2 %.

The Furnace Exhaust Abatement Device suggested for Al Tajir Glass is a combination of Electrostatic

Precipitator(ESP) and dry scrubber.

ESP

It is a series flow,multiple zone system.The electrodes are connected to high voltage rectifiers/transformers.As

the gaseous stream is passed through the ESP,the particles get negatively charged and get attracted to the

collection plate(which is maintained at ground potential).

These particles are removed by vibration with a rapping hammer/sonic horn.

A stack fan is used to force the exhaust out of the system.

Dry Scrubber

A dry re-agent such as soda ash/sodium bicarbonate is usually milled to a fine powder and injected to the

exhaust stream.

The reagent reacts with the exhaust to form a sulphate precipitate,thereby removing the SOx gas.

The solid precipitate is then collected by the ESP or Bag House.

With a relatively small pressure difference of 125 Pa and reasonable maintenance charges,the ESP-Dry scrubber

combination is an economical option.