A mini-mill in Kentucky is a major recycler of scrap metal, making rolled steel that is used in the pipe and tube industry, construction, transportation and other markets. To minimize the amount of Ohio River water used to cool the hot steel, the mill filters and recycles water in the cooling process. Unfortunately, oil and grease buildup in the filtration system was causing increased water use, consuming more energy to run pumps and requiring more frequent filter replacements.

Nalco engineers worked with customer employees to understand the mechanical and operating factors affecting water system performance. Nalco CAT-FLOC® technology was used to reduce oil and solids in water that directly contacts the steel during production, improving filtration operations. Nalco 3D TRASAR® technology optimized the cooling system water, enhancing water reuse and recycling.

The results reduced annual raw water use by 179 million gallons per year and decreased pump operations, saving 2.3 million kWh of energy annually. The energy cutback avoided nearly 2,400 tons of annual greenhouse gas emissions while improved filtration eliminated landfilling 410 tons of sludge each year.

A sprawling petrochemical plant in the U.S.  uses water from the Brazos River, the longest river in Texas, which runs from New Mexico to the Gulf of Mexico and has more than 2 million people living in its watershed. Cooling water usage represented about one fifth of the site’s water use.

The site implemented Nalco’s 3D TRASAR Technology for Cooling Water to treat the 80 process and comfort cooling tower systems for the 5,000-acre site using Six Sigma methodology to classify cooling tower systems based on a variety of control parameters to optimize operations.

The result was extended cooling tower cycles and reduced new water needed for the cooling systems, saving one billion gallons (3.8 billion liters) of water per year and cutting the site’s water use by about 9 percent. The project reduced maintenance costs by $4 million per year and decreased energy costs and the related greenhouse gas emissions.

The second largest global producer of eucalyptus pulp, a regional leader in the paper market, had developed a new set of KPIs (key performance indicators) for its papermaking operations. The customer asked Nalco to find ways to improve its performance, reduce costs and optimize the use of natural resources.

The Nalco team identified the combination of a new retention, drainage and formation program with patented PARETO™ Mixing Technology to enhance the wet-end of the papermaking process, where high amounts of water and fiber are formed into the paper sheet before it is dried. Using the PARETO Optimizer solution achieved improved mixing, decreasing water and chemical use.

Using these new technologies in two mills decreased total fresh water demand by more than 79 million gallons per year, leading to a significant improvement in sustainability performance.