Applications

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Surfactants

State-of-the-art reactors, accurate process control, optimised energy balance to obtain the purest surfactants with maximised yield and operational reliability.

Production capacities ranging from pilot plants to the largest capacities ever installed.

Exhaust gas treatment units according to all international standards.


Anionic



















Dry










Non-Ionic



















Special Surfactants (Amphoterics & Cationics)




















Formulated Detergents

The whole range of mixing, blending, agglomeration and drying units based on proprietary technologies developed for the household and industrial detergent production industries.




Low Density Detergent Powders














Medium & High Density Powder















Liquid detergents













LIDET

The liquid form for household detergents is gaining market share in many world markets particularly for dish-washing and light-duty applications. Moreover, the personal care products in liquid form have a substantial share of the market and can be manufactured in the same plants as liquid detergents.

For this reason, whenever reference is made to liquid detergent, it is meant to refer also the personal care products.

Independently from the type of liquid detergent or personal care product and their specific targeted uses,  the manufacturing of liquid detergents should be based on processes, equipment and operation sequences in compliance with the chemical and physical demand of these products.

The formulated liquid detergent where the various components have to be "incorporated" has to be stable and this target is accomplished when all the formulation components are properly selected and their introduction into the product recipe is such to avoid strong variation to temperature, pH and viscosity, as well as undesired chemical reactions.

In other words, the manufacturing of liquid detergents requires high care in constituting stable and strong “micelles” distributed into the liquid product and this is commonly perceived as "product homogeneity".

What is required for a liquid detergent, independently from its duty and specific application, can be summarised as follows:

Desmet Ballestra design and supplies complete plants for the production of a wide range of chemicals by using special equipment for each specific application on the basis of know-how developed in-house or outsourced.


Raw Materials for Detergent Industry


Zeolites

Plant for production of zeolite from alumina, caustic soda and silica sand.










Sodium Silicate

Ballestra's experience in the design of surfactants, detergents and chemical plants has been applied in the design of a very compact and reliable plant for the production of sodium silicate solution, as described hereinafter.

The plant uses silica sand and commercial caustic soda solution as raw materials.

While the process steps are relatively simple, the production of good quality, transparent, sodium silicate solution and the trouble free, low maintenance plant operation require a specific know how. Ballestra has acquired this experience and has already supplied many sodium silicate plants of different capacities and using different types of silica sand all over the world.

The sodium silicate plays a very important role in the formulation of synthetic detergents for its property to suspend soil in solution and to prevent subsequent re-deposition on clothes.

Besides the water softening effect by the formation of precipitates which can be easily rinsed out by water, sodium silicate has wetting and emulsifying properties, especially on glass and glazed surfaces, making it particularly suitable for use in dishwashing formulations.

No other alkalis commonly used in detergents have a buffering action as good as sodium silicate and finally, it effectively inhibits the corrosion of stainless steel and aluminum by synthetic detergents and complex phosphates.

Sodium silicate is therefore one of the most important components in the synthetic detergent powder formulations; its content in detergent formulations may reach 10% and it is used in form of water solution at various dry-matter content in the formulated detergent production process. The importance of Sodium silicate is not limited to the detergent applications as it is extensively used in a wide variety of processes and productions such as: concrete, adhesives, films and coatings, gels, paper and de-flocculating agents.

The standard sizes of Ballestra sodium silicate (solution 42% wt.) plant are:

• 20 MTD (1 reactor)
  
• 50 MTD (1 reactor)
  
• 100 MTD (2 reactors)

The production of liquid Sodium Silicate by means of the Ballestra process entails the following main advantages:

• Use of cheap raw materials (Silica Sand and Caustic Soda Solution worldwide available as commodities).
• Energy and utility demand lower than the "thermal" process (based on the reaction of silica sand and Na₂CO₃ in a rotary furnace).
• Possibility to produce Na₂SiO₃ solution with a wide range of chemical (and application) characteristics (i.e.: mole ratio SiO₂ / Na₂O = 1/1 to 2.2/1).
• Production flexibility (due to batch-operating mode) with possibility of "modular" expansion of the plant capacity by parallel addition of batch reactors.
• Operation profitability also for plants of limited capacity.
• High plant operation safety, thanks to the relief and control devices included into the standard plant configuration.

All the above entail a very good profitability of the investment and allow a fast economical return.

PLANT BLOCK DIAGRAM (simplified)

Sodium Sulphate























Hydrotropes





















Glycerine

















Methylester Sulphonates (MES)

There is an expected increase in the demand of anionic surfactants.

The supply tightness of mineral oil will tend to reduce petrochemical based surfactants. The attractivity of the feedstock in terms of price and availability will drive new investments in the direction of oleo-chemicals.

Desmet Ballestra started the R&D on the MES in the mid-seventies with extensive pilot-plant activities leading to industrial plants in 1979.

In 1985 the first Falling Film Reactors were installed and a technical cooperation implemented with Henkel KgaA.

Since 1994, we continued R&D focusing on the ME characteristics, bleaching techniques, drying and physical shape modification.

Desmet Ballestra's approach for the MES production is to make use of existing sulphonation plants with minimum modifications and equipment additions, or to design new sulphonation plants in accordance to customer’s requests.

The MES application in detergent production can be as a primary anionic surfactant or as a contributing surfactant to the package formulation.

MES offers many advantages to detergent formulators: high biodegradability, high tolerance to H2O hardness (particularly versus Ca++ ions), high compatibility with other detergent ingredients (including enzymes), and a good overall detergency.

Dry MES has advantages for detergent manufacturers: workable in processes where liquid shape cannot be used, increased range of product formulations and relevant performance, and easiness in handling & dosing.

Dry MES has advantages for surfactant manufacturers: easy and safe production process; added value for the production; easy storage, handling and transportation; increased production range/variety; offering additional marketing opportunities.

Processing steps

Last Generation MTFR Multitube Film Sulphonation Reactor

Advantages

• Use of consolidated and well proven sulphonation process
  
• Possibility to retrofit existing plant
  
• Maximised conversion
  
• ME->MES
  
• Minimized reaction by-products
  

Double – Step Loop-Neutralization

Advantages

• Use of well proven process
  
• No solvents
  
• No need for costly corrosion-proof equiment
  
• Minimized Di-Salt content
  
• High active MES paste
  

Neutral Bleaching

Advantages

• No solvent
  
• No viscosity aid
  
• No hazardous by-products (as in case of acidic-bleaching)
  
• No risk of explosivity
  
• Low MES paste colour
  

Vacuum Drying by Wiped Film Evaporator

Advantages

• Short and narrowly-distributed
  
• drying time
  
• Bone-dry MES production
  
• preserving product quality
  
• High reliability
  
• Easy operation
  

Obtainable MES Product Specifications

MES in paste form:

• Total active matter: 30-70%
  

Composition:

• Ester sulphonates: 97% min
  
• NEA: 3% max
  
• Unsulphonated matter: 1.8-2.5%
  
• Na₂SO₄: 2-3%
  
• pH: 6-8%
  
• Colour (°Klett): 50-70  typical
  

MES in dry-powder form:

• Total active matter: 85-90%
• Dry content: 97-98%
• Water: 2-3%
• Na₂SO₄: 2-3%
• Colour (°Klett): 100 max

Powder specs:

• BD: 0,5-0,7 Kg/dm³
• Granulometry: 90% between 20 and 200 mesh

Sodium Tripolyphosphate

Plant for the production of Detergent-grade STPP (in powder or granular shape, at different ratiophase I vs. phase II)


LAB (Linear Alkylbenzene)

The plant uses UOP Detal new process technology. The LAB product quality will be suitable for the manufacture of top quality anionic surfactants. The process feedstock are Linear-paraffins (n-paraffins), typically in the C10-C13 carbon range, and Benzene.

UOP, in conjunction with Ballestra, has developed the 30 KMTA LAB plant standard design so to minimise the capital investment of the plant while maintaining the same performance guarantees. Ballestra and UOP have worked together to standardise the engineering design and to competitively source the equipment to further reduce capital costs.

The plant uses the UOP DetalTM process which is the most modern Alkylation technology:

The main advantages of DetalTM technology are:

• 1) Excellent LAB product quality.
  
  
• 2) Excellent overall plant performances in terms of safety and environmental impact.

Conventional technologies, (which are Hydrofluoric Acid or Aluminum Chloride Alkylation), require special acid resistant units and acid treatments. The waste production in the conventional technologies are considerable and need to be treated or displaced during plant operation.

The production cost of Detal process, in terms of raw materials consumption, is better than conventional technologies.

The overall economics show that the 30 KMTA LAB plant is the best choice for the regional LAB producers who do not wish to build an integrated paraffin/LAB complex.

The standard plant is sized to produce 30 KMTA of LAB, which corresponds to the required feedstock for the production of approximately 40 KMTA of LABS sulphonic acid. This quantity is consistent with the sulphonic acid requirement for 200 - 250 KMTA production of detergent powder, which corresponds to the yearly consumption of approximately 20 - 25 million people in a developed country or 30 - 40 million people in a developing country. Therefore, the plant size is the most appropriate especially for areas where LAB is presently imported.

The main process units of the plant are:

• N-paraffins dehydrogenation process unit (Pacol)
• N-olefins purification and n-olefins Alkylation units (PEP-Detal)
  

LINEAR ALKYL BENZENE PRODUCTION

PLANT BLOCK DIAGRAM AND OVERALL MATERIAL BALANCE

CMC (Carboxymethyl Cellulose)

Desmet Ballestra has the technology available for production of Carboxymethyl Cellulose, starting from cellulose for food, detergent, oil drilling and agriculture application.


Other Chemicals


Sodium Sulphite







Sulphuric Acid

Ballestra designs and supplies Sulfuric Acid production plants, technical or battery grade, based on the Ballestra proprietary technology and/or Monsanto license (on case by case basis).

Plants are studied in full compliance with the safety and environmental principles, as per international standards and are developed taking into consideration the Ballestra's experiences of over 35 years activities in design and supply of SO₃ generation plants (over 500 plants supplied worldwide).

Ballestra's technology has been developed taking into consideration the necessity to guarantee flexibility, reliability and low operating cost, while maintaining the best quality standard as guaranteed by the ISO 9001 certification.

A wide range of plants capacities are envisageable, from small size (24TPD) for local or very specific applications to big industrial production units (400 TPD and more).

Ballestra design foresees the following configuration:

• Single SO₃ adsorption, with or without heat recovery system.
  
• Double SO₃ adsorption, with heat recovery system.

The main units composing the plant are the following:

• Air drying.
  
• Sulphur melting and dosing system.
  
• Sulphur combustion.
  
• SO₂ to SO₃ conversion unit.
  
• SO₃ adsorption unit (double or single adsorption).
  
• Exhaust gases treatment system.
  
• Heat recovery (optional)

The raw material is solid Sulphur (liquid Sulphur can also be used, avoiding the Sulphur melting section), which is melted into the plant and fed to the Sulphur furnace together with dried air. Dried air is produced by dehydration system which uses H₂SO₄ as the dehydrating agent. Gaseous SO₂ is the result of the Sulphur combustion with oxygen. SO₂ is then converted to SO₃ by a catalytic reaction with oxygen. SO₃ is absorbed using water in order to produce 98.5 wt % sulfuric acid (99 wt % in case of double SO₃ absorption).

The SO₃ absorption can be done by single stage or double stage or latter: in the latter, the overall plant yield is improved and it is not necessary to install an exhaust gas scrubber to remove the SO₂ (also small quantity of SO₃ and acid mist) present in the gases released to the atmosphere. The installation of the gas treatment ensures that the SOx traces in the exhaust gases always remain within the permitted limits, according to the most stringent international standards.

Steam can be produced by the heat recovery system and it can be used directly in the plant in particular for the Sulphur melting unit and for the (steam) driver of the air blower. For large plants also an electric unit power generation, can be foreseen.

H₂SO₄ PRODUCTION

PLANT BLOCK DIAGRAM AND OVERALL MATERIAL BALANCE

Single SO₃ Absorption

Fertilizers & Compounds

Potassium Sulphates

Plants for the production of sodium/Potassium sulphate by direct reaction of sodium/potassium chloride with sulphuric acid.

Global solution

Ballestra experience allows to find the most appropriate solution to the production of potassium sulphate, giving the priority to a safe, environmental friendly and cost effective operation.

Available Know-how

In order to produce potassium sulphate (K₂SO₄) Ballestra can propose its Know how developed in collaboration with Marchi Industriale, which is the largest manufacturer of Potassium sulphate in Italy.

Single Superphosphates

Plant for the production of quality fertilizers from phosphate rocks, phosphoric and sulfuric acids as well as NPK compounds.

Triple Superphosphates

Plant for the production of quality fertilizers from phosphate rocks, phosphoric and sulfuric acids as well as NPK compounds.


Copper Oxychloride








White Oils & Petrosulphonates








Starch & Yeast

Production of various types glucose of starch & yeast and glucose (maltose, dextrose, fructose) starting from maize, corn, etc.

Sodium Hypochlorite

Plant for the production of sodium hypochlorite by direct reaction of chlorine gas with caustic soda.

Sulphur Dioxide/Trioxide

Plant for the production of pure SO₂/SO₃ in liquid and gas form for several applications