Sulfuric Acid Today Spring/Summer 2014

Covering Maintenance Solutions for the Industry
Sulfuric Acid
T
www.H 2S0 4Today.com
Spring/Summer 2014
s
r
a
e
Y 2014
1994-
IN THIS ISSUE > > > >
Sulfuric Acid Today revisits 20 years of

cover stories Page 11
Global sulfuric acid market a twenty year

retrospective Page 22
Reviving Ravensthorpe: FQM revitalizes
Australian nickel mine Page 30
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Keystone Publishing
P.O. Box 3502
Covington, LA
70434
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Sulfuric Acid
T
Vol. 20 No. 1
Covering Maintenance Solutions for the Industry
Spring/Summer 2014
FROM THE PUBLISHER

ON THE COVER
6 Sulfuric Acid Today celebrates
20th anniversary with a look at
how industry has evolved since
1994.
DEPARTMENTS
4 In Memory of...
Bob Borges and Lou Doerr
4 Industry Insights
News items about the sulfuric
acid and related industries
26 Lessons Learned
Case histories from the sulfuric
acid industry
54 Calendar of Events
Upcoming industry events
54 Faces & Places
Covering sulfuric acid industry
events
Dear Friends,
NORAMThe best of the past 20 years (page 40).
Acid Today magazine. Where does the time go? It seems
Acid Today advertisers, including Acid Piping Technology
Welcome to the 20th Anniversary issue of Sulfuric

like just yesterday we began compiling the first issue of
Sulfuric Acid Today. I would like to thank all of those companies and individuals who were with us from the beginning
and believed in the vision of producing a sulfuric acid industry
magazine that would focus on the latest products and technology to improve the maintenance and operations of acid plants.
What began in 1994 as a black and white newsprint tabloid
of just 16 pages has grown into a full-color glossy magazine
that today reaches sulfuric acid professionals globally. Im
extremely proud and grateful to be part of an industry that
is willing and open to the exchange of information. Im

looking forward to another two decades of publishing
Sulfuric Acid Today magazine as well as sponsoring
sulfuric acid roundtables and workshops in the U.S.
EDITOR
April Kabbash
ASSISTANTEDITOR
April Smith
DESIGN & LAYOUT
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3502

Covington, LA 70434
Phone: (985) 893-8692
Fax: (985) 893-8693
E-Mail: kathy@h2so4today.com
www.h2so4today.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS
U.S. Plant Personnel Complimentary
U.S. Subscription $39 per year (2 issues)
Internatl Subscription $59 per year (2 issues)
Subscribe Online: www.h2so4today.com
Inc., Beltran Technologies, Central Maintenance & Welding,

Chemetics Inc., Corrosion Services, El Dorado Metals Inc.,
FLEXIM, Haldor Topse A/S, Kimre, Koch Knight LLC,
MECS Inc., Lac-Mac, Mercad Equipment Inc., NORAM

Engineering & Constructors, Outotec, Pelseal Technologies
LLC, Sauereisen, Southwest Refractory of Texas, Spraying
Systems Co., SNC-Lavalin, Southern Environmental Inc.,

The Roberts Company, Tenova Minerals, VIP International
and Weir Minerals Lewis Pumps.

As this issue goes to press, we are finalizing the last
details of the 2014 Australasia Sulfruic Acid Workshop,
which will take place March 24-27, 2014, in Adelaide, South

Australia. We will be hearing some excellent presentations
from our Co-Sponsors as well as delving into some perti-
nent plant discussion topics. Im looking forward to another
and informative.
In this issue, you will find several articles that
take a look back over the last 20 years. Be sure to

read such articles as Sulfuric acid industry evolves
over 20 years (page 6), Sulfuric Acid Today revisits 20 years of cover stories (page 11), Twenty years
of safety (page 21), Global sulfuric acid marketa

Company highlights accomplishments (page 34), and
PUBLISHER
Kathy Hayward
I would like to thank our new and returning Sulfuric
and Australia. I hope you find this issue both helpful
twenty year retrospective (page 22), The Roberts
PUBLISHED BY
Keystone Publishing L.L.C.
successful meeting.
We are currently compiling information for our Fall/Win-
ter 2014 issue. If you have any suggestions for articles or other
information you would like included, please feel free to contact me via e-mail at kathy@h2so4today.com

I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Kathy Hayward
FEATURES &
GUEST COLUMNS
6
Sulfuric acid industry evolves over 20 years
Sulfuric Acid Today revisits 20 years of cover stories
11
21 Twenty years of safety
22 Global sulfuric acid marketa twenty year retrospective
24 Advancements in sulfur spraying: new hybrid gun and predictive modeling
30 Reviving Ravensthorpe: FQM revitalizes Australian nickel mine
32 Understanding vibration in vertical chemical pumps
34 The Roberts Company highlights accomplishments
36 Restoration technology for polymer concrete
38 Innovative wet electrostatic precipitator design for acid mist removal
40 NORAMThe best of the past 20 years
42
Saving time and money with form-in-place gasket material
46
Structural Preservation Systems uses liquid fluoroelastomer in resealing
procedure on sulfur pit
46
Maintain acid purity and control corrosion with anodic protection
48
Kimre mist eliminators for sulfuric acid production
50
Combining safety and comfort with GORE fabric
52 HRS in a brownfield plant
26
30
De
ep
pa
ar t m e
D
en
ntt
In memory of ...
Remembering Lou Doerr

The sulfuric acid industry is mourning the
Lou stayed on as the Vice President of Sales until
loss of Louis John Doerr, Jr., who passed away
his retirement in 1995.
at age 90 on December 28, 2013. A native of
As much as Lou was instrumental in
Saint Louis, Mo., Lou began his education at
making Lewis Pumps a well-respected name
Washington University before active duty in
and sought-after brand throughout the world,
World War II came calling. Lou left school at the
his reach was felt far beyond the walls of the
start of the war to join the Navy. He flew rescue
company. Lou was an avid supporter of the
missions in the Pacific, picking up
British Sulfur Conference and was a
downed U.S. airmen at sea. After
member of the British Sulfur Board
the war ended, Lou returned to
of Directors. He also teamed with
his home in Saint Louis and his
others in the industry to establish
studies at Washington University,
the Sulfuric Acid Roundtable as a
graduating with a degree in
way for participants to exchange
Mechanical Engineering.
ideas and spur industry growth.

Lou spent time as a salesman
Lou was considered an expert in
for Aero Tool before finding his
the industry and his contributions
Lou Doerr 1923-2013
way to Chas. S. Lewis & Co. in
will indeed be missed.
1969. Lou and three other investors
In his personal life, Lou and his wife
purchased the company from Jim Lewis, son
Rosemary had recently celebrated their 63rd
of the companys founder, Charles Lewis.
wedding anniversary. Their five children,
As Chairman of the Board, Lou focused on
numerous grandchildren, and one greatchanging the company from a local success to
grandchild helped complete the Doerr family
an international sensation. At the start of Lous
Lous lasting legacy. Always active in the
tenure, Lewis Pumps products were sold in
community, Lou was an avid fan of local sports
the United States and Canada. Thanks to Lous
teams as well as a skilled golfer and tennis player.
persistence and his many contacts throughout
He actively supported St. Louis FIRST Robotics,

the industry, within eight years Lewis Pumps
an organization aimed at inspiring high school
products were sold in more than 90 countries
students to be technology leaders with future
around the world. Building on that success, Weir
careers in engineering and science. Lous
Minerals Lewis Pumps today has products in
presence within his family, his community, and
use in more than 120 countries. Though Lou and
his investor partners sold the company in 1977,
the sulfuric acid industry will be greatly missed.
In Memory of Bob Borges
while also raising pump quality for customers.

The Lewis Pumps family and the sulfuric
Bob also helped move the company in new
acid industry have been deeply saddened by
directions, such as initiating the companys first
the sudden passing of Robert Bob Borges
molten salt pump and opening the door to the
on January 5, 2014 at the age of 62. Bobs
companys first sulfur recovery units.
genuine nature and kind heart will be missed

Bob was highly respected both at Lewis
by his friends throughout the industry as well
Pumps and throughout the industry. Coworkers
as by his beloved wife, Kathy, and their two
remember Bob as a good friend
daughters, Liz and Margie.
who would always stand behind
Raised in Milwaukee, Wis.,
his workers and stand up for
Bob graduated as a metallurgist
what was right. He was loyal and
from Michigan Technical Institute.
supportive with an ever-present
He began his career with the
eye on moving the company and
Falk Corporation in Milwaukee,
the whole industry forward. Bob
working on some of the largest gear
enjoyed the opportunity to share
reduction systems in the world.
his expertise with others, and
Bob later worked for American
Bob
Borges
1951-2014
throughout the years, he helped
Magotteaux in Nashville, Tenn.,
many companies solve complex
handling technical sales and
problems and improve their systems.
engineering troubleshooting.
Retiring from Weir Minerals Lewis

In March of 1985, Bob made the move to
Pumps in 2009, Bob continued to work in the
Chas. S. Lewis & Co., Inc. in Saint Louis, Mo.
industry as a consultant. Outside of work, Bob
Hired as a metallurgist, Bob was instrumental
was a good golfer, always striving for his first
in developing new materials for use in acid
hole-in-one, and he had significant interest
pumps. Over the years, he moved through
in financial investments. He was very proud
the organization as the Vice President of
of his family, and often spoke of his wife and
Engineering and later the Vice President of
daughters. Bobs boisterous laugh and beaming
Sales & Marketing. His vast knowledge made
smile always announced his arrival and will
him a natural fit for field work, and Bob was
be fondly remembered by those who knew
often called on by customers around the world
him. Bob was indeed one-of-a-kind and his
to diagnose pump problems. He revamped the
untimely passing has left a void that will not
way Lewis Pumps products were built and
soon be filled.
tested, increasing the profitability of pumps
PAGE 4
Industry Insights
Maaden Selects MECS
sulfuric acid technology
from DuPont Sustainable
Solutions for phosphate
fertilizer complex
WILMINGTON,
Del.DuPont
Sustainable Solutions recently announced
that MECS, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary
of DuPont, has been awarded the sulfuric
acid technology license by the Saudi
Arabian Mining Company (Maaden) for
its Waad Al Shamal Phosphate Project.
MECS will provide the sulfuric acid
technology and proprietary equipment
for this three-line, 15,150 metric-ton-perday sulfuric acid facility. Maaden has
selected a consortium led by long-time
MECS licensee SNC Lavalin Group Inc.
to perform engineering, procurement
and construction of the sulfuric acid and
power segments of the complex.
When operational in 2016, the
facility will be one of the largest worldclass phosphate fertilizer complexes,
positioning Maaden as a significant
global producer of fertilizers and other
phosphate-based products. We are proud
to partner with Maaden and SNC on
this landmark project and look forward
to supporting Maaden in its endeavor
to be a world-class minerals enterprise,
said Kirk Schall, MECS vice president of
licensing.

For more information, please visit
www.sustainablesolutions.dupont.com.
Codelco taps Foster

Wheeler for molybdenum
refinery in Chile
ZUG, SwitzerlandFoster Wheeler AG
recently announced that a subsidiary of
its Global Engineering and Construction
Group has been awarded a contract for
engineering, procurement and related
services for a grassroots molybdenum
refinery in Chile. The contract was
awarded by Molyb Ltda., an affiliate
company of Codelco, the Chilean Copper
Corporation, the worlds largest copper
producing company and also a leading
molybdenum concentrate producer. The
new facility, planned to be one of the
largest of its kind, will be located near
Mejillones in northern Chile. The terms
of the award were not disclosed.

Foster Wheeler will undertake detailed
engineering and provide procurement
assistance and field engineering services
for the new refinery, which is planned
to process and refine 16,000 tonnes per
annum (TPA) of molybdenum feedstock,
obtained from various Codelco copper
concentrator plants. The facility is
expected to yield molybdenum as well
as copper, rhenium and sulfuric acid as

by-products. Molybdenum and rhenium
are used in electronics, special steels,
petroleum refineries and the aerospace
industry. Foster Wheelers scope of work
is scheduled to be completed during the
second quarter of 2015.
This latest award is a further
important step in the extension of our
Minerals and Metals track record and in
the further development of our already
excellent working relationship with
Codelco, said Dave Lawson, president
and global leader of minerals and metals,
Foster Wheeler AG.This award reflects
Codelcos continued confidence in
the quality of our technical expertise
in minerals processing and our project
execution.
Foster Wheeler AG is a global
engineering and construction company
and power equipment supplier. The
companys Global Engineering and
Construction Group designs and constructs
leading-edge processing facilities for the
upstream oil and gas, LNG and gasto-liquids, refining, chemicals and
petrochemicals, power, minerals and
metals, environmental, pharmaceuticals,
biotechnology and healthcare industries.
The companys Global Power Group is
a world leader in combustion and steam
generation technology that designs,
manufactures and erects steam generating
and auxiliary equipment for power stations
and industrial facilities and also provides
a wide range of aftermarket services. The
company is based in Zug, Switzerland,
and its operational headquarters office is
in Reading, United Kingdom.

www.fwc.com.
Chemtrade announces
acquisition
TORONTO,
OntarioChemtrade
Logistics Income Fund announced today
that it has completed its previouslyannounced acquisition of Parsippany,
NJ-based General Chemical Holding
Company (General Chemical). The final
total cash purchase price is expected to
be approximately $900 million, after a
working capital adjustment and payment
of post-closing taxes.
This is a historic event for
Chemtrade. The acquisition of General
Chemical adds significant size, scale and
scope to Chemtrades existing product
and service platform, said Chemtrade
President and Chief Executive Officer,
Mark Davis. General Chemical has
strong portfolio alignment with our
current business, enhancing our existing
sulfuric acid geographic footprint and
greatly expanding our water treatment
business so it now extends across most
of North America. The acquisition of
Sulfuric Acid Today Spring/Summer 2014
General Chemical also moves Chemtrade

into new but related product categories and
end markets, and positions Chemtrade to
capitalize on new growth opportunities.

www.chemtradelogistics.com.
Solvay taps Credit Suisse

for chemical unit sale
BRUSSELSChemical producer Solvay
SA has hired Credit Suisse Group to
find a buyer for its sulfuric acid unit and
approached private equity firms about
a deal that could reach $800 million,
according to people familiar with the
matter.

The unit, referred to as eco services,
has annual earnings of around $110
million before interest, tax, depreciation
and amortization.

Solvay said it would explore strategic
options for the unit but did not give more
details. A Solvay spokeswoman did not
respond to a request for comment on
the details of the sale. A Credit Suisse
spokesman declined to comment.
Solvays eco service business
produces and regenerates sulfuric acid,
which is used as a catalyst at refineries in
the production of high-octane gasoline.
The unit is a supplier to the largest
refineries on the U.S. West Coast, along
the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and in the U.S.
Midwest and Canada. It accounted for
9 percent of Solvays net sales of $4.32
billion in 2013.
Solvay Chief Executive Jean-Pierre
Clamadieu said a sale of eco services
would simplify Solvay and allow it to
reallocate resources to fast-growing
businesses.
I think this business could be
qualified as a cash cow or a sustainable
cash generator to use a nice terminology,
Clamadieu said about eco services.

www.solvay.com.
Kansanshi Mine targets

savings
VANCOUVER, British Columbia
Kansanshi Mine says it will save about
$150 million annually once the new copper
smelter is in operation and producing
sulfuric acid as a by-product. Kansanshi
Mine, which is owned by First Quantum
Minerals Limited, says the sulfuric acid
is intended to be used in the solvent
extraction/electrowinning
(SXEW)
process, thereby eliminating the need to
purchase sulfur.
Meanwhile, construction of the new
1.2 million tonnes-per-annum copper
smelter was approaching peak levels with
commissioning intended to start in the
Department
Industry Insights
second quarter of 2014, with the rampup continuing this year. The smelter is
expected to operate at 80 percent of its
design capacity by mid-2015 and achieve
full capacity in the first quarter of 2016.

www.first-quantum.com.
Dundee Precious Metals

Tsumeb smelter on track
TORONTO, ONTARIOAs part of its
long term strategy to bring the Tsumeb
smelter to internationally accepted
environmental standards and consistent
with directives issued by the Namibian
Government, Dundee Precious Metals Inc.
entered into a lump sum turnkey contract
with Outotec for the engineering, supply,
construction and commissioning of a
facility to treat smelter off-gas and produce
sulfuric acid. The project is progressing
well with engineering 60 percent complete,
all long lead items purchased and the
earthworks component of construction
complete. At this stage, the total capital
cost to complete the acid plant currently
under construction, including owners
costs, is estimated at $240 million, up from
the initial estimate of $204 million.
The project remains on track for
commercial operations and acid deliveries
to commence in the fourth quarter of 2014.
The installation of the acid plant
is expected to complete our major
environmental upgrades at the smelter
and our obligations to the government,
thereby minimizing the environmental and
political risks to the smelter, said Rick
Howes, president and CEO.
www.dundeeprecious.com.
Sulfuric acid plant planned

at Turkmenabat chemical
plant
TURKMENISTANA turnkey project
on construction of a sulfuric acid plant
with the capacity of 500,000 tons per
year has kicked off at the Turkmenabat
chemical plant. The new plant will support
production of phosphate fertilizers for
Turkmenistans agricultural sector. The
plants surplus production will be sold
abroad. The plant should be commissioned
in July 2016.
The new facility has been ordered
by the State Concern Turkmenhimiya.
The project is being implemented by the
consortium comprising Japanese company
Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding Co.,
Ltd and Turkish Rnesans Trkmen Insaat
Sanai we Tijaret Anonim Sirketi.
www.turkmenistan.ru/en/. q
PAGE 5
Cover Story
Sulfuric acid industry evolves over 20 years

By: April Kabbash
The past 20 years have been a time

of great change, both in the sulfuric
acid industry and the world. Through it
all, Sulfuric Acid Today has been there,
helping readers navigate an increasingly
evolving global marketplace. To celebrate
the 20th anniversary of the magazine, we
asked several clients who have been with us
from the beginning for their thoughts about
the last two decades, and what they hope
is on the horizon. From new technology
to environmental stewardship, safety
enhancements to information sharing, its
been an impressive two decades in sulfuric
acid production. Here are just a few ways
our advertisers have seen the changes first
hand.
Comprehensive
maintenance
For many years, the old adage if it

aint broke, dont fix it applied in acid
plants. Time and money were not spent on
comprehensive, preventative maintenance
programs. When something failed (often
catastrophically), it was fixed quickly, so
that production could resume as soon as
possible. Otherwise, maintenance was
done during scheduled turnarounds, and
not given much consideration in between.
But technological advances have changed
all that.
Twenty years ago, many customers
struggled to operate on a continuous
twelve-month run between catalyst
screenings, Jack Harris, president of
VIP International, said. Today, with
improved, shape-optimized catalyst, many
customers run 30 to 36 months between
catalyst screenings. The extended runtime
has promoted maintenance planners to
consider more comprehensive preventive
maintenance programs. As converter
runtimes are extended, other equipment
must be examined to assure reliability
throughout the campaign. Sophisticated
and knowledgeable inspections must be
maintained. In the early 1990s, we would
respond to as many as a half a dozen
catastrophic failures in towers per year.
Today, through comprehensive inspections
and preventive maintenance practices,
these catastrophic failures are typically
avoided.
Ed Knoll, president of Acid Piping
Technology, added, with more emphasis
on safety and preventative maintenance,
plants no longer run piping to the point of
failure.
These longer cycles and focus on
preventative maintenance mean that
PAGE 6
The exchange of best practices between

plants increases the knowledge base of the
industry as a whole. George Wang of Solvay,
right, shares his companys experiences
during the flow control panel discussion
at the 2013 Sulfuric Acid Roundtable. Also
chairing the panel are, from left, Jerry
Johnson of Tesoro and Frank Ybarra of
Phillips 66.
there are more pieces to juggle at each

turnaround, as well. Plant management
wants to get the most out of each facility,
optimizing both efficiency and time during
an outage. Clients require a much more
sophisticated work breakdown schedule
for the turnaround as the focus on asset
utilization is much greater, Doug Royster
of Central Maintenance and Welding,
Florida, said.
Changing relationships
One of the most significant changes

noted in our interviews was the business
relationship between the sulfuric acid
producer and the service contractor.
Contractors werent always viewed as
part of the team, but as a necessary evil
required to perform the tasks the producer
was unwilling or unable to complete with
plant personnel.
Twenty years ago, the contractor
was viewed as an outside entity and, many
times, as an expendable labor force, said
Harris. As one old, crusty maintenance
manager told me, Son, you have to realize
you have two strikes against you when you
come through the gate as a contractor. If
you were worth your salt, you would be
working for a plant like we are.
Luckily, attitudes are changing,
providing a more productive, collaborative
and safer workplace for everyone involved.
In the past, the contractor was generally
evaluated on the end result and was left
to his own devices as far as procedure,
said Harris. Today, turning a blind eye to
contractor protocol has been replaced with
collaboration in examining every aspect
of the work to assure mutual safety and
productivity. Drawing upon the strength
and expertise from each side in an effort
of cooperation and respect has transformed
an adversarial role into one of mutual

success.

Another relationship that has changed
over the years is that between plants,
suppliers and contractors when it comes
to information sharing. Gone are the days
of secrecy, thanks to global conferences
and workshops where problems and best
practices are shared, often leading to
unexpected solutions.
Consolidation of companies has led
to increased cooperation and collaboration
between plants and suppliers. The industry
has improved itself through the sharing
of experiences, said Bob Braun, director
of engineering at Weir Minerals Lewis
Pumps. Conferences and seminars around
the world have facilitated significant and
valuable information transfer. This was
unheard of prior to 1990. As companies
and individuals throughout the industry
share their ideas, experiences, triumphs
and setbacks, the entire industry benefits
and grows.

Conferences allow a free exchange of
information, ideas and best practices to be
shared globally throughout the industry,
Harris said. This magazine, Sulfuric Acid
Today, has without a doubt had the largest
effect on the network of information.
Chris Bailey, president of Roberts, a
frequent attendee at industry conferences,
shared these sentiments. Our industry is one
of continuous learning and improvement,
Bailey said. My hope would be that there
continues to be communication of best
practices among sulfuric plant operators
because it is through continuous learning,
and sharing of best practices, that safer and
more efficient protocols can be developed.
Focus on environmental
stewardship
Another major change over the past

two decades has been a trend toward
environmental awareness and green
practices. While spurred by stricter
government regulations, many of these
initiatives, including energy recovery and
cogeneration projects, have in turn become
money savers for facilities, while also
helping to safeguard the environment.
With more stringent government
regulations, plant designs are far more
efficient. Single absorption plants are
almost a thing of the past, being replaced
by low emission facilities that were thought
to be unachievable only a few decades ago,
Harris said. Some plants have further
enhanced environmental preservation by
converting waste heat into cogeneration
Relationships between contractors and plant

personnel have improved greatly over the
past 20 years, creating a win-win situation for
everyone. Jack Harris of VIP International,
right, explains the neutralization process
to Bob Meisch, left, and Rick Bywater of
Cornerstone Chemical Co.
power plants, thereby reducing the need for

fossil fuel.

Energy efficiency has gone up to 95
percent on most plants with heat recovery
systems, said John Horne, sales director,
MECS, Inc. There were about 10 reference
HRS plants in the mid 1990s, compared to
85 plus now.
Stricter environmental regulations
have also led to innovative technological
advances that might not have otherwise
been developed. The demand for lower
emissions has allowed our R&D to develop
and bring new catalysts and technologies
to market that would not have had much
demand unless plants were being forced to
reduce emissions, Frands E. Jensen, sales
manager, environmental for Haldor Topse
A/S, said. And lower SO2 emissions
requirements will most likely continue.
There are currently no overall international
environmental regulations in place. Each
country has its own regulations, and in
some countries specific requirements are
established for each individual plant. The
European Union is, however, in a process
aimed at establishing binding common
rules for the whole of the European Union
valid for a number of important industrial
sectors.
Steve Puricelli of
the MECS
Technology Group also credits new
technologies with helping reduce emissions.
SO2 emissions have been squeezed down
to 1-2 pounds per ton, with scrubbers
(DynaWave) and regenerative scrubbers
(SolvR) getting the number down to 20
ppm. And acid mist emissions have been
reduced from 0.15 pounds per ton to 0.075
pounds per ton.

The industry must continue to change
and adapt, in order to take advantage of
new technology and meet new challenges
head-on. As fossil fuels become more
expensive, sulfuric acid production will
Cover Story
become a coveted source of energy. For

this reason many new plants will be
constructed with built-in energy recovery
features, said John V. Orlando, P. Eng.,
senior project manager/sales for NORAM
Engineering and Constructors Ltd. But
suppliers must be ready to adapt quickly
to changing needs and environmental
standards. Technology providers will be
called upon to provide acid plants that are
proven and reliable to operate. To achieve
these goals, more innovative designs
and modern technologies will need to be
developed and implemented.
These changes wont stop any time
soon, either. We expect the continuation
of lower emission levels for all types of
plants and the need to expand existing plant
capacity through improved plant, process
and catalyst design, said Mike Fenton,
Chemetics Senior BD Manager for Acid
Proprietary Equipment. There will also
be a need for continued improvement in
heat recovery in sulfur burning acid plants,
and greater recognition that the overall
lifecycle costs of a plant and its equipment
are of prime importance.
When all of this is taken together,
from stricter emissions standards to power
cogeneration to constantly improving
technology, the end result is a win-win
for the sulfuric acid industry and the
environment. The improved energy
efficiency has resulted in additional
power cogeneration allowing sulfuric acid
producers to reduce energy costs, while
continuing to be good stewards of the
environment, said Bailey.
Economies of scale
The past two decades have brought

about many changes affecting plant size,
as well. From consolidation within the
industry to cost concerns, the result is that
facilities are getting bigger. The last 20
years have seen a significant increase in
the physical size of the plants. A typical
plant used to produce 2,500 to 3,000 tons
per day, whereas today the new plants
are producing 4,500 tons per day, said
Doug Royster of Central Maintenance and
Welding, Florida.

MECS Horne echoed this sentiment.
In the 1990s, 3,500 STPD was considered
a world class plant. Today, world class is
closer to 5,500 STPD.
The economy of scale trending
toward larger plants for phosphate fertilizer
production and quicker turnaround times
have changed the landscape of the sulfuric
acid market within the past decade, said
Mike Graeff, president of Koch Knight
LLC.
Dr. Hannes Storch, vice president,
sulfuric acid/off-gas of Outotec, agrees.
Economy of scale has resulted in larger

and larger plant sizes to keep the production
costs down. And Storch predicts that
further economic pressure will result in
even larger units.

As with any other major change, larger
plant size affects suppliers, too, demanding
different solutions and new equipment.
Increased plant capacity has led to the
development of larger pumps, said Janey
Marie Hartzell, marketing specialist, Weir
Minerals Lewis Pumps. This has spawned
research and development efforts into new
designs as well as the investigation of new
materials. As the industry changes, so must
any supplier hoping to stay at the top.
New products and

technologies
Along with larger plants and more

complete maintenance schedules comes a
need for new products and technologies.
Many of our client companies have kept
pace with the changes in the industry,
meeting the demands and exceeding the
expectations of facilities worldwide. Here,
in their own words, are some of their
most important advances over the last two
decades.
exchanger tube cleaning and sleeving;

and catalyst handling and NOx removal
to acid and sulfate neutralization. VIP is
also relied on for SO2 and SO3 scrubbing,
packing removal, tower demolition,
distribution repair and replacement and
high temperature entry.
MECS Inc.

The MECS HRS system has made
practical the recovery of the last 25 percent
of the energy generated by the sulfuric
acid process as medium pressure steam.
The more than 80 units in operation are a
testament to the ease of use and robustness
of this technology.

The MECS SolvR technology has
opened doors to waste-sulfur recovery.
Many flue gas streams contain sulfur,
but are too dilute to recover as a usable
product. SolvR technology now provides
a way to recover the SO2 and process it in
a conventional sulfuric acid plant. When
SolvR technology is used instead of
alkali based scrubbers, waste is converted
into a useful product.
VIP International
VIP International has long served

the sulfuric acid industry by solving
turnaround maintenance problems. In
the last 20 years the VIP employees have
performed almost 4,000 tower inspections.
During that same time they have handled
over 160,000,000 liters of sulfuric acid
catalyst. With this much experience under
their belts, they may not have seen it all, but
when it comes to acid plants theyve seen
more than anyone else.

Combining experience and innovation,
VIP has focused on reducing downtime
while providing superior service, safety,
experience and productivity. The company
continues to provide new and creative
maintenance solutions for everything
from converter maintenance to tower
inspections and repair; mist eliminator
removal, cleaning and installation to
A major advancement in catalyst handling is

VIPs patented dust-free loading system.
MECS SolvR Technology can be

integrated into new sulfuric acid plant
designs to achieve ultra-low SO2 emissions
and high energy recovery with virtually zero
waste.
MECS ZeCor Alloys have made tower

replacements a more manageable task
during a routine shutdown and provides
the potential for easier maintenance repairs
over the life of the tower.
There have been three significant

improvements made to MECS Catalyst
over the years. The shapes have been
optimized to reduce pressure drop and to
accommodate a greater build-up of dust.
The activity has improved, allowing for
better conversion, greater acid production
or lower catalyst loadings. And thirdly,
new formulations have allowed for lower
operating temperatures, which translate to
higher conversion or the ability to process
higher concentrations of SO2.
Mist eliminator technology has also
been improved. The MECS Brink XP
element and Brink AutoDrain features
are the first major steps forward in new
mist eliminator design. These elements are
more efficient, operate at lower pressure
drop and significantly reduce maintenance
and operating issues by eliminating seal
cups and drain legs.

MECS ZeCor Alloys have opened
the door to innovative distributor designs
like the UniFlo Acid Distributor that
improves the performance of sulfuric
acid towers and at the same time reduces
maintenance. ZeCor has also made tower
replacements a much more manageable task
during a routine shutdown and provides the
potential for easier maintenance repairs
over the life of the tower.
MECS Operator Training Simulators
(OTS) for sulfuric acid plants have
brought operator training into the 21st
century. MECS has created a suite of
training simulators that are considered
the best-in-class method to prepare
operators for real world situations such
as emergency scenarios, troubleshooting
and process optimization. The benefits of
the OTS include greater student interest
and participation, as well as a significant
increase in long-term knowledge retention.
All of these equate to a greater return on
the customers investment in training time.
Haldor Topse
On the catalyst side, Haldor Topse

has developed and introduced several new
types of catalysts to meet the needs of
facilities around the world.
VK69, the first cesium catalyst
type tailored for lean gases, has with its
Topses VK-701 LEAP5 catalyst.

PAGE 7
Cover Story
Acid Piping Technology
Topse WSA plant at Yunnan Riches

Chemical Industry Co. Ltd., Kaiyuan,
Yunnan, Peoples Republic of China. With
start-up in 2008, the WSA plant cleans sour
gases from a coal gasification plant and
produces 83 MTPD of sulfuric acid.
unsurpassed performance helped numerous

clients achieve lower emissions and higher
production.
The VK-WSX catalyst was
developed as a low-temperature catalyst
for the last bed of wet sulfuric acid
(WSA) plants, meaning that up to 99.7
percent conversion can be achieved in
single contact WSA plants. VK-WSX is
installed in several WSA plants.
The VK38 25 mm Daisy dust
protection catalyst allows bigger penetration
depth of dust particles into the 25 mm Daisy
layer. The resulting higher dust capacity
yields significant savings in blower energy
and allows plants to lengthen the campaign
compared to standard size catalyst.
After installing cesium catalyst, our
VK-701 LEAP5 is the next step for
achieving even higher conversion. VK701 LEAP5 uses the new LEAP
technology to circumvent the transport
deficiencies in the molten phase and
improve the amount of vanadium in the
V+5 form.
On the technology side, the
development of the WSA-DC (double
condensation) has been one of our major
achievements in recent years. The WSADC is a double condensation wet gas
technology that allows combining the high
energy efficiency of the WSA technology
with very high SO2 conversion efficiency
of the double contact principle. WSADC plants can be designed for as high as
99.99 percent conversion efficiency.
Codelcos Mina Ministro Hales sulfuric acid

plant in northern Chile was constructed by
Outotec.
Outotec LUREC strong gas processing

technology and Outotec HEROS
low pressure steam heat recovery. To
increase lifetime, Outotec has also worked
on equipment such as stainless steel
converters, CORD gas heat exchangers
and SX solutions. Our goal is to make
sure that we are always ready to respond to
changing requirements.
NORAM Engineering and

Constructors
NORAM has also brought several

new technologies to market over the last
two decades. One of these products is the
NORAM HP (High Performance) low
pressure drop ceramic saddles packing.
By choosing NORAM HP packing,
clients can debottleneck their acid plant
and increase production rate or reduce
energy consumption. HP packing has
been proven to reduce pressure drop across
the packing in acid towers and increase gas
flow throughput in the tower by 25 percent.

NORAM has also developed the Split
Flow radial flow gas heat exchanger to
Large diameter SX acid towers and SX pump

tank were designed and supplied by NORAM.
address problems of corrosion in cold gas

exchangers due to condensation of the gas
at cold zones of the exchanger, typically at
the bottom tube sheet. For more than 15
years this patented product has improved
the reliability and life-cycle of cold gas
heat exchangers, SO3 coolers, pre-heaters
and tail-gas re-heat exchangers.

NORAMs pipe-type acid distributors
have also been well received by the
industry because of their low cost and easy
installation. These distributors promote
uniform acid distribution into the packing
as no leveling is required, unlike that of
competitor products. Additionally, the
design features external access ports, which
provide added safety to service personnel.
In addition to completing several

major projects around the globe, including
the U.S., Australia, Morocco and Jordan,
Acid Piping Technology (APT) has
improved the options available to plants in
a number of ways.
Mondi piping alloy has undergone
major improvements in metallurgy and
casting techniques. Thanks to these
improvements, piping will now last the life
of the acid plant.
APT has partnered with ASC Valve
Company to provide excellent gas duct
valves and jug valves at competitive prices.
ASC is one of the few, perhaps only,
manufacturers offering tight shutoff, high
temperature, low pressure valves.
In recent years, APT has also
developed low pressure drop, high
efficiency tower saddle packing.
Chemetics
Although Chemetics was the first

to introduce silicon stainless steels
(SARAMET alloy) to the industry in
1982, the 1990s and early 2000s were a
period of acceptance by industry for this
alloy in all strong acid systemstowers,
tanks, distributors and pipingover
traditional brick lined vessels and cast iron.
Chemetics improved its mechanical designs
and modernized its fabrication facilities
to meet the increasing competition from
global sourcing. We have led in the supply
of modular gas exchangers and stainless
steel converters to lower the overall cost
and risk for overseas projects. As the acid
plants have been getting bigger, we have
continued to lead in the development of
acid coolers, pushing the limits of cooler
size, water and acid temperatures while
ensuring reliability.
Outotec
Acid Piping Technology has been providing

products for the sulfuric acid industry
since 1991. Pictured is APTs line of high
performance ceramics.
Koch Knight LLC
Koch Knight has challenged the

market by producing multiple product
advancements over the past 20 years with
the introduction of our PYROFLEX
acid resistant sheet lining 500 for tower
membranes, FLEXERAMIC ceramic
structured packing for more efficient mass
transfer, LPD random packing for lower
pressure drop in towers and advancements
in our KNIGHT-WARE ceramic dome
supports to replace outdated support
arches.
For higher efficiency, the company

has been developing technologies such as
Outotec constructed the worlds largest

sulfuric acid plant for Maaden in Saudi Arabia.
PAGE 8
Stainless steel converter designed and

supplied by NORAM.
Chemetics delivered the worlds largest acid

cooler forJSC Kazakhmys in 2007. Since
then, similar sized coolers have also been
supplied to other Chemetics clients.
Koch Knight transports a completely brick

lined final absorption sulfuric acid tower.
Cover Story
the fabrication and installation of the acid

cooler with new piping. The company also
completed the fabrication and installation
of a converter and new ductwork for a plant
in Alabama, including demolition of the
old converter.
Central Maintenance and

Welding
CMWs process has incorporated

computer generated parts to be cut on
CNC equipment, which has increased the
accuracy and efficiency of vessel and duct
fabrication. Many developed parts that
once would have been cut long for shop
fit and trim can now be cut exactly with
great confidence and accuracy. Stitch cut
and pre-cut developed openings decrease
layout errors and speed the fit-up process.
The computer-generated and CNC-cut
parts fit for a more uniform profile which
speeds welding and increases weld quality.
Installation of Koch Knights proprietary

PYROFLEX acid resistant sheet lining.

Sulfuric Acid Today is proud to have
been a part of the past 20 years in the
sulfuric acid industry, and we look forward
to the next 20. The companies and people
who make up this thriving industry will
continue to surmount any obstacles and
meet any goals set out for them, adapting
as they go. We look forward to helping that
happen. q
Weir Minerals Lewis Pumps
As a supplier, our focus is on

answering or anticipating the needs of the
industry. As a result, we have developed
several new pump sizes. The largest is the
18H pump, capable of delivering 11,000
gallons per minute against 128 feet of
head. Designed for both standard acid
applications and HRS facilities, this pump
quickly gained popularity among our
customers. We also developed our longest
pumps to dateat more than 40 feetfor
the concentrated solar power market. We
continue to adapt our existing products and
develop new products to meet the needs of
our customers around the world.
Mosaic Fertilizers New Wales 02 HRS Tower

set in preparation by Central Maintenance
& Welding for the Spring 2014 turnaround.
The field assembly was partially completed,
awaiting insulation and platform placement.
Weir Minerals Lewis Pumps size 18H vertical

centrifugal pump.
Roberts
November 1994
The first issue of
Sulfuric Acid Today
is published. The
16-page newsprint
tabloid
featured
Magma Metals new
3,400 tons per day capacity third train with
Monsanto Enviro-Chem (now MECS Inc.)
state-of-the-art design on the cover and VIP
Internationals innovative turbo turnarounds
expertise.
Winter 1997
Sulfuric Acid Today
is printed in all color
on glossy paper.
October 1998
Sulfuric Acid
Today hosts its
first conference,
the Sulfuric Acid
Re g e n e r at i o n
Maintenance
Workshop, in Baton Rouge, La., with
more than 40 professionals from the acid
regeneration industry.
Roberts replaces an outdated carbon steel

converter with a new stainless steel model.
With more than 35 years of experience, The Roberts Company (now Roberts)
offers turn-key engineering, fabrication
and installation services. Technological
advances over the last 20 years, including
improved welding processes allowing consistent high-quality tube to tube sheet joint
welds, have enhanced the products Roberts can offer its customers. Some of their
recent projects include the design for the
replacement of two plate and frame heat
exchangers with a ZeCor-Z acid cooler.
This project also included a cost analysis
of the ZeCor-Z acid cooler versus an anodically protected acid cooler, as well as
20 years of
Sulfuric Acid Today
milestones
Central Maintenance and Welding sets the

200-foot sulfuric stack for Mosaic Fertilizers
New Wales 04 plant during their Spring 2014
turnaround.
A carbon steel, brick-lined tower was

recently converted by Roberts to a MECS
ZeCor Alloy tower in Louisiana.
May 2002
Sulfuric Acid
Today hosts its
first Australasia
Sulfuric Acid
Workshop in Melbourne, Australia with
over 50 sulfuric acid professionals from
13 countries. Since then we have hosted
seven biennial Australian workshops
throughout the country.
March 2009
Sulfuric Acid Today assumes all responsibility
of the Phosphate Maintenance Roundtable
(PMR), changing the name to the Sulfuric
Acid Roundtable (SAR).

Started in 1991 by Lou Doerr and John
Warhoover, Sr, of Lewis Pumps and Dever
Biggerstaff, the first PMR was held in a small
meeting room at the Peace River Country
Club in Florida with approximately 20 people
in attendance.
In 1999, the
roundtable was
moved to Plant
City, Fla., and
began to grow
and was later moved to Lakeland, Fla.
The first Sulfuric Acid Roundtable
sponsored by Sulfuric Acid Today magazine
was held in Galveston, Texas. Since then,
we have hosted two more Roundtables: 2011
in Pinehurst, NC, and 2013 in Scottsdale,
AZ which was attended by 180 industry
professionals.
PAGE 9
Feature
Sulfuric Acid Today revisits twenty years

of cover stories
By: April Kabbash and April Smith

Since the first issue of Sulfuric Acid Today magazine
rolled off the presses in November 1994, the vision of
the magazine has remained the same: to publish a trade
journal for the sulfuric acid industry that communicates
the latest technology and services available in order to
maintain and operate acid plants more efficiently.

We at Sulfuric Acid Today would like to sincerely
thank all of the following producing plant companies for
allowing us to profile their company in our magazine
and believing in our vision as well. In celebration of
our 20th anniversary, we took a look back at all of our
past cover stories, as well as what those plants are doing
today. We hope you enjoy these snapshots of our everchanging industry.
Magma Metal Company
November 1994 Vol. 1, No. 1

Magma Metal Co. of
San Manuel, Ariz., made its
mark on the industry as a rapidfire turnaround facility. With
complete turnarounds taking
place at 15-month intervals,
the company fine-tuned its
turnaround procedures to make
the necessary events both safe
and efficient.

At the time, Magma
was producing 1 million short
tons of 100-percent sulfuric acid per year, making it one
of the largest one-site producers of smelter acid in the
United States.

Company Update

In 1995, The Broken Hill Proprietary Company
Limited (BHP) acquired Magma Metals for $2.4 billion.

Prior to its shutdown in 1999, Magmas operation
in San Manuel was the largest operating underground
copper mine in the country.

In 2006, the Magma Metals plant was dismantled
and sold. The two remaining smokestacks were toppled
in January 2007.
Kennecott Utah Copper Corp.
September 1995 Vol. 1, No. 2

In June 1995, following
three years of planning and
engineering, Kennecott Utah
Copper Corp. brought the
worlds largest metallurgical
sulfuric acid plant online just
outside of Salt Lake City at
the Bingham Canyon Mine.
This modern facility replaced
a previously existing plant,
which was shutdown in May
1995.
The 3,860-ton per day plant was designed and
constructed by St. Louis-based Monsanto Enviro-Chem
(now MECS Inc.).
In addition to its economic attributes, the new

facility also garnered attention as one of the most
environmentally sensitive plants in the world. The
MECS design included reductions of sulfur dioxide
emissions from around 17,000 tons per year to less than
1,000 tons per year.

The facility was also the first to feature MECS
new HRS system that helps capture and recover energy
around 24 megawatts on an average production basis. In
addition, it was the first to use two HRS towers.

Company Update

In April 2013, a landslide occurred at the mine. It
was the largest non-volcanic landslide in the history
of North America. Around 65-70 million cubic meters
of dirt and rock thundered down the side of the pit.
Mining operations were shut down the previous day in
anticipation of the slide. The massive slide is expected
to cut the production of the mined copper by 110,000
short tons. A second slide caused an evacuation of 100
workers on September 11, 2013.
In addition to producing about 300,000 tons of
copper a year, the Bingham Canyon Mine also produces
approximately 400,000 ounces of gold; 4 million ounces
of silver; 30 million pounds of molybdenum; and 1
million tons of sulfuric acid annually.
Asarco Inc. El Paso, Texas facility
Spring/Summer 1996 Vol. 2, No. 1

First started over a
century ago, the Asarco Inc. El
Paso, Texas, facility was one
of the nations oldest copper
smelters.
Originally
built
to
handle ore from Mexico, the
site consisted of two sulfuric
acid plantsa 1972 Lurgi
(575 tons per day) and a 1978
Monsanto (1,050 tons per day).

In the mid-1990s, the
onset of stricter environmental standards prompted
Asarco to monitor the heat exchangers for potential
leaks that can increase emissions. In 1996, if a plants
sulfuric acid emissions exceeded 600 parts per million,
it was shut down. If a facility lost a heat exchanger due
to a few leaking tubes, the amount of tail gas would shut
that site down. To determine a leak, acoustic monitoring
equipment must be utilized inside the exchanger. But
accessing the exchanger requires a cool down process
that can take days.

To save both time and money, Asarco called on VIP
International (VIP) of Baton Rouge, La., and its high
temperature entry process. VIPs high temperature entry
virtually eliminates the exchanger cooling process. VIP
can usually enter after only four hours of cooling.

Once inside, VIP uses acoustic emissions equipment
to spot the leaks, and can have them plugged long before
the conventional process would even begin.
Company Update
The Asarco El Paso, Texas, smelter was idled in
February 1999 due to historically low worldwide copper
prices and the closure of several copper mines.

In its last full year of operation, the plant produced
120,320 tons of copper. When the plant was fully
operational, it provided about 400 high-paying jobs and
had a direct and indirect impact on the local economy of
about $300 million annually.

Asarco was acquired by Grupo Mexico in November
1999. With the purchase of Asarco, Grupo Mexico
became the third largest copper producer in the world.
Asarco is a subsidiary of Grupo Mexico Sa de CV. In
April 2001, Asarco suspended operations in East Helena,
Montana.
In 2005, Asarco filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
In 2009, Asarco emerged from bankruptcy and reintegrated into Grupo Mexico, deciding not to reopen
its El Paso smelter. In December 2009 Asarco signed
an agreement guiding the course of the environmental
cleanup of the El Paso 400-acre smelter, which will
be lead by the Texas Commission on Environmental
Quality. Cleanup of the site began in 2010 and the two
remaining smokestacks were demolished in April 2013.
Completion of the cleanup is targeted for 2015.
Rhone-Poulenc Environmental
Services
Winter 1997 Vol. 3, No. 1

Founded in 1895, RhonePoulenc began as a producer of
drugs that would later be used
to treat casualties in World War
I.

Since then, the Parisbased operation has set up shop
in more than 160 countries
and become the worlds
seventh largest chemical and
pharmaceutical company.

In 1948, the company
moved to U.S. markets. It employed more than 7,300
people at 50 plants in more than 25 U.S. states.
North American operations were steeped in the
production of agricultural products and basic and
specialty chemicals. One of the companys strongholds
was in the sulfuric acid business, operated under the guise
of the companys Environmental Services Enterprise.
The company was a leading producer among merchant
sulfuric acid suppliers. Rhone-Poulenc was also the U.S.
and world leader in sulfuric acid regeneration.
Within the Environmental Services branch, there
are six facilities that compose the core strength of
Rhone-Poulencs sulfur capacity. They are located in
Baton Rouge, La.; Baytown, Texas; Dominguez, Calif.;
Hammond, Ind.; Houston; and Martinez, Calif.

Company Update

In 1998, Rhodia became an independent company
following the merger of Rhone-Poulencs pharmaceutical
PAGE 11
Feature
operations with those of Germanys Hoescht. The

pharmaceutical end later became known as Aventis,
while the remaining chemical interests became Rhodia.
Rhodias Eco Services, headquartered in Cranbury, N.J.,
is a $230 million division of the global chemical giant
Rhodia Inc.

For decades, Rhodia, following in the footsteps of
predecessors Stauffer Chemical and Rhone-Poulenc, has
been the leading provider of sulfuric acid regeneration
services and sulfuric acid to industrial markets. This
commitment remains unchanged. The six sites have
operated as a nationwide network for more than 45 years.
In 2011, Solvay, an international chemical group
headquartered in Brussels, purchased Rhodia for $4.84
billion.

Today, Rhodia is a leading provider of sulfuric acid
regeneration services to refineries and other chemical
manufacturers, as well as a manufacturer of sulfuric acid
and other sulfur-related products.
Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc.
Fall 1997/Winter 1998 Vol. 3, No. 2

In the short span of
a decade, Potash Corp. of
Sasktachewan
(PCS)
has
helped change the future of
the fertilizer industry. Through
a
managerial
philosophy
that embraces growth and
change, PCS has built a
company of quality reserves,
quality operations and quality
employees, which continues to be further enhanced by
new acquisitions.
In March 1997, PCS acquired Memphis, Tenn.based Arcadian Corp. The companys integration into the
PCS structure created a fertilizer empire unparalleled
in quality and service capabilities. It cemented PCS
as the No. 1 nitrogen producer in the U.S. and the
second worldwide, and enabled the company to build
connections among subsidiaries and develop synergies
that enable it to better serve its clientele as a one-stopshop. What was once a potash-only corporation is now
set for the 21st century as a powerhouse in the potash,
phosphate and nitrogen fields.

At the helm of the PCS metamorphosis is Chairman,
President and Chief Executive Officer C. E. Childers. A
40-year industry veteran, Childers joined PCS in 1987.
He brought with him a clear-cut vision of the industrys
future. He led the company through privatization in
1989, bringing a return to shareholders of more than 500
percent.

Childers foresight helped prepare the company for
the rising world population and the growing demands on
economies and farmers.
Company Update
Over the last several years,PCS has continued
to invest in its operations by completing potash
debottlenecking projects at its Canadian facilities
in Rocanville, Allan, Lanigan and Patience Lake.
Expansion projects have also been completed at Allan
and Cory, and Aurora, N.C.

The company has also been enhancing its portfolio
through corporate acquisitions. In 1999, the company
acquired Minera Yolanda SCM, a specialty potash
producer in Chile, for $37M. In addition, PCS has
been purchasing increasingly larger stakes in Sociedad
PAGE 12
Quimica y Minera de Chile (SQM), Arab Potash

Company, Sinofert Holdings Ltd. and Israel Chemicals
Limited.
DuPont Sulfur Products

As
the
oldest
continuously
operating
industrial
enterprise
in
the world, the DuPont Co.
has
consistently
evolved
to meet societys changing
needs. Established in 1802
as
a
smokeless
powder
manufacture, the company
is known for its quality and
consistent performance.

The companys Sulfur
Products Division, which is in the process of growing
to include 10 sulfuric acid plants worldwide, brings a
unique group of products and services to the company,
and has helped secure DuPonts bright future into the
next millennium. DuPont currently operates six sulfuric
acid plants in the U.S., has part ownership in two in
Mexico, and two in Europe as part of the purchase of the
Tioxide business from ICI.
The divisions U.S. plants, located in Fort Hill,
Ohio; Wurtland, Ky.; James River, Va.; La Porte, Texas;
and Lake Charles and Burnside, La., have a combined
capacity of approximately 1.5 million tons per year
of fuming, nonfuming and specialty acids. The sites
also provide spent acid regeneration services for the
petroleum industry.

Company Update
DuPont continues to be a benchmark for sulfuric
acid plant operations and services. For an update on
DuPont, see DuPont Clean Technologies Spring/
Summer 2009 Vol. 15, No. 1 later in this article.
Phelps Dodge Mining
Fall/Winter 1998 Vol. 4, No. 2

Throughout its 115-year
history as part of the copper
mining industry, Phelps Dodge
Corp. has evolved into one
of the worlds largest copper
producers, while never straying
from the belief that being a
good business goes handin-hand with being a good
neighbor.

Since its inception in
the 1830s, Phelps Dodge has placed environmental
responsibility at the heart of its mining operations. As
times, products and people have changed, those ideals
set forth by the company founder, Anson Greene Phelps,
have never faltered.

Phelps Dodge entered the copper mining business
in 1881. As part of the governments requirements
placed upon copper miners and their sulfur emissions
regulations, Phelps Dodge operates three sulfuric acid
plants for use with its copper smelting business. The
production of acid is essential to the smelter operations.

In 1998, Phelps maintained two smelter operations
the Chino Mines Co. and Phelps Dodge Hidalgo Inc.
The Hidalgo site runs two acid plants to keep up with its
copper smelting.
Phelps Dodge has found an alternative to the

transport and disposal of its sulfuric acid with the
development of an internal consumer through its minefor-leach operations. The leaching process requires the
acid, so the two operations serve as a perfect complement.
Company Update
In March 2007, Freeport-McMoRan Copper &
Gold Inc. acquired Phelps Dodge corporation, creating
the worlds largest publicly traded copper company.
For a company update, see Freeport-McMoRan Spring/
Summer 2012Vol. 18, No. 1 later in this article.
CF Industries Inc. Florida

Operations

As one of the worlds
leading manufacturers and
distributors
of
fertilizer
products, CF Industries Inc. has
carved a unique niche for itself
as a consistent, unchanging
face in a rapidly consolidating
industry.
The
companys
Florida
Operationswhich
include four sites at Bartow,
Plant City, Hardee and the
Port of Tampaserve as the base of all the companys
phosphate mining, manufacturing and distribution.
The four facilities within the Florida Operations
have been bolstered by CFs unusual structure as a
corporate entity owned by farm supply cooperatives
throughout the United States and Canada. The Florida
sites work in tandem to mine, manufacture and distribute
the necessary nutrients to CFs cooperative owners. This
co-op arrangement has been the saving grace for CF
during market ups and downs. With a built-in market,
operating at capacity is always cost-effective.
Production levels at CF are at an all-time high.
Bartow produces between 1,000 and 1,100 tons per day
and Plant City generates as much as 7,000 tons per day
on average. In March 1999, Plant City levels reached
record-setting status with a 100-percent operating factor
on all acid plants.
Company Update

CF Industries Florida Operations has always been
a stellar example of production and safety for the
industry as a whole. In September 2003, the company
was recognized for its efforts and was named one of
Americas Safest Companies by Occupational Hazards
magazine. To earn that title, CF achieved over 6 million
safe work hours at the Plant City Complex in late 2003.

In 2005, CF Industries Inc. initiated an initial public
offering as the final step to establishing CF Industries
Holdings, Inc. as a public company.
Continuing their quest to become a nitrogen
bellwether in the global fertilizer industry, in 2010 CF
Industries acquired Terra Industries Inc. This positioned
CF Industries as the premier nitrogen and phosphate
fertilizer manufacturer in North America, the second
largest nitrogen fertilizer producer in the world and the
third largest phosphate fertilizer producer among public
companies.
In late 2013, the Mosaic Co. announced an
agreement to purchase CF Industries for $1.4 billion.
Under the deal, CF Industries agreed to sell the Hardee
County phosphate rock mine; the Plant City phosphate
Feature
complex; an ammonia terminal, phosphate warehouse

and dock at the Port of Tampa; and the site of the former
Bartow phosphate complex to Mosaic. The facilities to
be acquired by Mosaic currently produce roughly 1.8
million tons of phosphate fertilizer per year.The deal is
also subject to a long-term ammonia supply agreement,
under which CF Industries will supply ammonia to
Mosaic from its Donaldsonville, La., nitrogen complex.
The company will also supply ammonia to Mosaic from
its 50 percent owned Point Lisas Nitrogen Ltd. (PLNL)
facility in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. Under
the Donaldsonville ammonia agreement, CF Industries
will supply between 600,000 and 800,000 tons of
ammonia per year for up to 15 years, which is expected
to begin by 2017.
SF Phosphates Ltd. Co.

Dedicated to producing
a cost-conscious product while
remaining a valiant defender
of the unique environment
in which it thrives, SF
Phosphates Ltd. Co. has
proved a shrewd competitor
in the fertilizer industry. The
companys operations consist
of two facilities that work in
conjunction with one another
to create a streamlined, cost-effective system.
The Vernal, Utah, site is home to the companys
mining operations while the Rock Springs, Wyo.,
location is home to the companys fertilizer plant. The
two sites are connected with a 10-inch slurry line that
transports the phosphate concentrate over the Uintah
Mountains to Rock Springs, some 96 miles away. The
pipeline, constructed by predecessor Chevron, has
freed the company from the reliance on other forms
of transportation that are often affected by inclement
weather in the region.
Two sulfuric acid plants power the Rock Springs
operation. The first, a Lurgi model, produces 1,900
short tons per day. The more recent plant, brought online
in 1995, is a 1,250 short tons per day Monsanto model.
Prior to its installation, SF had been purchasing its
sulfuric acid to supplement the plants production.

Two finished products are created at SFs facilities
super phosphoric acid and MAP. Resources produced
internally, such as the sulfuric acid and the phosphate
rock mined at Vernal, help keep SFs production costs to
a minimum.
Company Update

In late 2003, the J.R. Simplot company purchased
Farmlands interest in the SF Phosphates venture for
approximately $64.5 million. The manufacturing
facility at Rock Springs, Wyo., and the phosphate mine
at Vernal, Utah, are now a Simplot-only enterprise
known as Simplot Phospahtes. For an update on Simplot
Phosphates, see J.R. Simplot Co. Fall/Winter 2001 Vol.
7, No. 2 later in this article.
Rohm and Haas Texas

Rohm and Haas Deer Park site is a highly innovative
specialty chemicals business and a rising star in the
Lone Star State. World-class production facilitiesboth
in size and capacitymake the facility the crowning
glory in the companys network

of franchises.

Located in the shadow
of the towering 570-foot
monument that marks the
historic battle of San Jacinto,
Rohm and Haas is a stalwart
representative of Texas 21st
century leaders. A highly
innovative specialty polymer
and chemical company, Rohm
and Haas Texas is in constant growth mode as it builds
an ever-broadening technical base to serve the global
community.
Founded in 1907 by two aspiring German
entrepreneurs, Rohm and Haas branched out to the
United States in its first decade. In the 1920s, the
company moved to specialty chemicals. Innovations in
acrylic chemistry and the creation of Plexiglas helped
bolster company profits and reputation.

In the late 1940s, Deer Park set up shop along the
Houston Ship Channel. Today, the site is one of the most
productive in the companys network. Central to the site
is a sulfuric acid plant that produces more than half-amillion tons of sulfuric acid each year.
Company Update

Consolidation has been a major factor in the sulfuric
acid industry over the past 20 years, and Rohm and Haas
is no exception. In 2009, Dow Chemical Company bought
Rohm and Haas for $15 million. Today, Dow Deer Park
occupies 700 acres along the Houston Ship Channel, and
employs nearly 790 people within eight production areas
that operate as separate facilities or plants within a
plant. The myriad of specialty chemicals manufactured
at the site include methyl methacrylate, acrylic acid,
amines and various acrylates.
Mississippi Phosphates Corp.

Mississippi Phosphates
Corp. is ideally located for
domestic and international
business along the coastal
waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The company has blossomed
as a successful industrial
enterprise with a corporate
philosophy that is more about
family and roots than big
business and bottom lines.

In the mid-1950s, the company moved toward the
Gulf Coast area to combine all three primary plant
nutrientspotassium, nitrogen and phosphate. Some
40 years later, following a variety of acquisitions,
mergers and overhauls, Mississippi Phosphates is now
a 250-person strong company, producing 900,000 tons
of DAP per year. The site has a 70,000-ton storage
capacity, and its close proximity to a port at Pascagoula
enables the company to ship at a rate of 8,000 tons of
product per day.

Presently, there are two Lurgi sulfuric acid plants in
operation on the site. Both were originally 1,500 tons per
day plants. Upgrades and the addition of low-pressure
catalyst have pushed the plants to 1,750 tons per day.
Mississippi Phosphates combines its homegrown
sulfuric acid with internationally imported Moroccan
phosphate rock to create its quality product. Close
proximity to the southern Mississippi port and the high

quality of the imported rock made the decision an easy
one. With the finely milled Moroccan rock, Mississippi
Phosphates only has to run one mill to prep the resource
for production.
Company Update
In June 2003, Mississippi Chemicals voluntarily
filed for a Chapter 11 reorganization. The company
determined that this choice was the best for the longterm interests of the company and its stakeholders.
In 2005, Terra Industries Inc. purchased the
nitrogen side of the business for $268 million, including
assumed debt. In 2010, Terra Industries was acquired by
CF Industries for $4.7 billion. The combined company
became the second largest nitrogen fertilizer producer in
the world. CF Industries and Terra have complementary
strengths in nitrogen, providing breadth and flexibility
in product offerings. In addition, the locations of CF
Industries and Terras facilities together expand the
combined companys domestic reach.

The phosphate side of the business emerged from
Chapter 11 proceedings as Mississippi Phosphates Corp.
MPCs manufacturing facilities at Pascagoula include
the two Lurgi sulfuric acid plants, a phosphoric acid
plant and a DAP granulation plant. The DAP granulation
plant has a maximum annual production capacity of
approximately 850,000 tons. The existing sulfuric
acid plants have the capacity to produce sulfuric acid
sufficient for annual DAP production of approximately
600,000 to 640,000 tons. The company has been plagued
in recent years by a string of safety violations, including
the deaths of two workers.
In January, the company announced that it will
add monoammonium phosphate (MAP) to its product
line, beginning this spring. The addition of MAP to
the MPC product portfolio will allow the company
to take advantage of broader market opportunities. In
broadening its product mix, MPC will combine internal
marketing efforts with an exclusive off-take agreement
for MAP with Interoceanic Corporation (IOC), of
Ossining, N.Y., in an effort to enhance its targeting of
value-added market sectors.
INEOS Acrylics
Spring/Summer 2001 Vol 7, No. 1

With an eye on the
future and a firm grasp on the
successes of the past, INEOS
Acrylics has forged a secure
post for itself as a global
leader in the acrylics trade.
Though the INEOS name is
relatively new, the companys
roots are deepimbedded in
the strengths of its diverse
background, derived from the
combination of seven companies.
The name INEOS was first adopted in 1999,
following the purchase of ICI Acrylics by INEOS
Capital and Charterhouse Development Capital. The
combination of the companies merged 70-plus years of
cutting-edge research and development history under
one roof.
Chemist John Crawford provided ICI with its
entre into the worldwide methyl methacrylate (MMA)
markets in 1931. Crawford built on the principals used to
polymerize MMAfirst developed by Rohm and Haas
PAGE 13
Feature
and made the product a commercial success through its

applications in the aviation industry.
Following World War II, INEOS was forced to
seek new applications for MMA and PMMA. Today the
marketplace abounds with distinctive products including
appliances, paint, inks, adhesives, lubricants and textiles.
At each of INEOS five MMA plants, a side
process stream of weak acid is produced. The stream is
processed by burning the acid, reconstituting the fresh
acid and then reworking it back into the plant as oleum.
That oleum is then utilized to create methacrylamide.
Each of INEOS five plants also houses a sulfuric acid
regeneration (SAR) unit that together supply acid to
worldwide markets.
Company Update

In May 2002, INEOS Acrylics changed its name to
Lucite International to better align the company with
its top brand: Lucite. In 2009, Lucite International was
acquired by Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd., creating the
worlds largest supplier of MMA. Already a well-known
name throughout the Americas, Lucite has a growing
presence in Europe and other areas of the world.
Over the past 15 years, Lucite International has
focused on innovation. The company developed Alpha
technology, a new, patented route to MMA based on
readily available raw materials including ethylene,
methanol and carbon monoxide. The first Alpha plant,
a 120,000 metric tons per year facility in Singapore,
became fully operational in 2007. Plans are in the works
for two more Alpha sites.
Lucite International was also the first MMA
producer to successfully adopt a three-year overhaul
cycle, which continues to release additional capacity
from existing assets.

Lucite Internationals focus on novel research into
catalysis and new processes has won the company
several awards, including the 2009 Kirkpatrick
Chemical Engineering Award and the Chemical Industry
Association (CIA) 2009 Innovation Award.
J.R. Simplot Co. Don Plant

From humble beginnings
in the 1920s to its present
status as a major agribusiness,
the J.R. Simplot Co. has been
an ever-changing reflection
of the times and technologies
throughout its 80-plus years
in business. Company founder
J.R. Jack Simplot recognized
the inevitability of change, and
he used that knowledge to grow
his one-man operation to a major agribusiness, currently
employing over 9,000 people.

In the mid-1940s, Simplots livelihood was threatened
by the diminishing supply of phosphate fertilizer. To
ensure a long-term supply for his agribusiness, Simplot
founded his flagship fertilizer production facility in
Pocatello, Idaho. Soon after the Don Plant went online
in 1944, the Simplot name became synonymous with the
processing of agricultural assistance products.

The Don Plant is joined in its production of fertilizer
by two sites state side in central California. An additional
facility is operated under the Simplot Canada Ltd. name,
headquartered in Brandon, Manitoba.

The Simplot family of fertilizer producers expanded
PAGE 14
once again in 1992 when Simplot and Farmland Industries

created a joint venture known as SF Phosphates Ltd. Co.

Whenever the times have been hardest and the markets
have been their bleakest, Simplot Co. has relied upon the
wisdom of the company founder to guide it through. By
enacting a policy of low costs and high assets, Simplot
turned his small farming entity into a global enterprise.
Company Update
The Simplot Company suffered a great loss with
the death of founder J.R. Simplot in May 2008. The
company has carried on, though, led by four members
of the Simplot family who comprise the executive
committee of the companys board of directors. They
have continued his tradition of plowing profits back
into the enterprise, responsibly advancing J.R. Simplots
lifelong mission of bringing Earths resources to life.
From 2002-2005, Simplot paid several fines to
the EPA for unreported release of sulfur dioxide at the
Don Plant, among other things. Since then, though, the
company has redoubled its efforts at environmental
stewardship.

Simplot is one of six major companies to join the
Obama Administration in an effort to significantly
reduce energy use over the next 10 years. The company
has received a number of awards, including the state
Earth Day award for environmental work completed
in Nevada, and a star award for outstanding safety and
health results over the last 5 years.
In June 2012, Simplot partnered with two
conservation groups in an effort to improve the water
quality of the Blackfoot River in Eastern Idaho. The
consortium includes J.R. Simplot Company, Monsanto
and Agrium/Nu-West Industries, the Idaho Conservation
League and Trout Unlimited.
IMC Phosphates

Feeding the world it
may be a noble calling, but it
is also a daunting task. But,
for the dedicated employees of
IMC Phosphates (now Mosaic
Co.), its all in a days work.

As the worlds leading
supplier of crop nutrients,
IMC is at the forefront of
an industry that focuses
on supplementing the food
demands of a growing planet.

The focal point of IMCs business is the phosphate
process. Each year IMC generates 8.5 million short
tons of concentrated phosphates from approximately 4
million short tons of phosphoric acid. This represents 10
percent of the global capacity, making IMC a mainstay
in global markets.
In central Florida, the company manages four
phosphate minesFour Corners (the largest mine in
the world), Fort Green, Kingsford and Hopewell. The
company also operates two chemical process unitsone
at New Wales and one at South Pierce. The New Wales
site is the largest concentrated phosphate plant in the
world.

New Wales is a vast and complex facility. It is home
to five large sulfuric acid plants, three phosphoric acid
plants and granular plants. On a typical day the site
brings in around 20,000 tons of rock, 4,500 tons of
sulfur and 2,400 tons of ammonia. Railcars and trucks
leave the site daily with 13,000 tons of fertilizer and

2,500 tons of animal feed products.

The Louisiana leg includes operations at Uncle Sam,
Faustina and Taft. Both Faustina and Taft were subject
to closures, the later permanently, during major industry
downturns.
Company Update

In 2004, Cargill joined forces with IMC to create
Mosaic Co. The new venture provided customers
around the globe with a more diversified product mix,
including all three of the worlds primary concentrated
crop nutrients: phosphate, potash and nitrogen. For
more information on Mosaic, see Mosaic Co. Fall/
Winter 2009 - Vol. 15, No. 2 later in this article.
Newmont Mining Corp.

In its 80-plus year
history, Newmont Mining Corp.
has been a stellar reflection of
the companys clearly stated
directivecreating value with
every ounce.

A global force in the
gold industry, Newmont is the
worlds largest producer of
the precious metal. Newmont
operations and assets dot the
planet and include five continents, 87 million ounces
of long-lived reserves and roughly 94,000 square miles
of territory in the worlds best gold districts. Newmont
complements its impressive catalog of resources with
investments in technology, ensuring the greatest gold
recovery rates.

Since the first discovery of the colossal Carlin Trend
in 1961, Newmont has maintained a strong presence in
the Nevada mining territory. The companys current
operations include nine open pit mines, five underground
mines and 15 processing facilities.
Remaining the leader in gold production requires
that Newmont rely on the latest technology for obtaining
and refining its product. The company incorporates all of
the advanced processesleaches, oxide mills, flotation
plants, autoclaves, roasters and bio-oxidationto create
an impressive ore blend.

As an offshoot to the efficient extraction processes,
Newmont is left with an extensive waste stream of SO2.
As a conscientious member of the community and a
dedicated environmental steward, Newmont constructed
a sulfuric acid plant at the back end of Mill 6. This highly
effective, profit-saving method for re-using Newmonts
waste has also boosted the plants profit margin. The
company uses the sulfuric acid for cost-saving on site
(as part of the cyanide detoxification process) and profit
raising off site (as a supplier to other gold producers).
Company Update
Newmonts mining operations in Nevada have
expanded over the past 20 years. Operations now
include 14 open-pit and four underground mines and
14 processing facilities. The properties operate as an
integrated unit, and together, they boast the widest
variety of processing methods of any gold mining
complex in the world.

In 2013, Newmont expanded its scope of operations
at the Phoenix gold mine, near Battle Mountain. The
company began recovering copper from gold-mining
Feature
waste rock, leaching the rock with a sulfuric acid

solution to dissolve the copper. Roughly one-third of the
acid used is currently produced on-site. Production in
2013 was around 5 million pounds of copper, with an
estimated annual production rate of 20 million pounds
per year for the first five years of full-scale operation.

The company also has a long-standing dedication to
safety. The Carlin Surface Mine rescue team won the title
of 2013 Overall Champion at the National Mine Rescue
Championship, the first team from Nevada to do so.
Cargill Phosphate Production

For nearly eight decades,
Cargill Phosphate Production
has been a familiar face
among the Florida phosphate
industryin spirit if not
always in name. From a singlebuilding startup in the early
1920s to a global network of
facilities in the 21st century,
Cargill has endured as both
a potent competitor and an
aggressive steward of high standards.
A successful string of acquisitions and mergers
preceded the establishment of the Cargill name in 1985.
Today, the companys Florida operations include seven
sites Riverview (formerly Tikal), Bartow, Green Bay,
Mulberry, Fort Meade, South Fort Meade and Hookers
Prairie. The companys mining and plant properties total
approximately 90,000 acres. Roughly 1,500 employees
ensure Cargills spot as a top industry performer.

Each of the Cargill facilities functions on a relatively
autonomous management policy, while at the same time
working toward the greater good of serving all of the
companys clients. Five main products are produced in
the Florida network granular triple super phosphate
(GTSP), MAP, DAP, animal feed ingredients (AFI)
and hydrofluosilisic acid. A total of 5.7 million tons of
finished product is generated per year from these sites.

Additionally, a notable number of acid plants10 in
allare situated throughout Cargills Florida Operations.
These facilities are a vital aspect of production, generating
an average 23,000 tons per day of sulfuric acid. Riverview,
Bartow and Green Bay are each home to three separate
plants, while Mulberry operates one.
In 2002, another Florida operation, Farmland
Hydro LP, fell victim to dwindling markets. When
the company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in May,
Cargill orchestrated a buy out. The merging of the two
operations moved Green Bay into the Cargill familya
mutually beneficial venture for both Cargill and the
employees of Farmland.
Company Update

In 2004, Cargill joined forces with IMC to create
The Mosaic Co. The new venture provided customers
around the globe with a more diversified product mix,
including all three of the worlds primary concentrated
crop nutrients: phosphate, potash and nitrogen. For more
information on Mosaic, see Mosaic Co. Fall/Winter
2009 Vol. 15, No. 2 later in this article.

In 2011, due to industry forces and changing goals,
Cargill and Mosaic decided to split again into two separate
companies. Cargill distributed its 64 percent stake in
Mosaic to Cargills shareholders and debt holders.

With earnings of $2.31 billion in 2013, Cargill has
140,000 employees in 65 countries, and is one of the

largest private companies in the world.
Agrium Inc.

Take root in the rock.
For more than seven decades,
that has been the mantra of
Agrium Inc. as they supplied
farmers the world over with
the secret formula for steady
vigorous crop growth. The
companys philosophy refers
to the crop-boosting nutrients
harvested from the mining of
North and South Americas
rich phosphate reserves.
With 14 production facilities in North America
and Argentina, Agrium has the capacity to produce,
market and distribute approximately 7 million tons of
nitrogen, 2 million tons of potash and 1 million tons of
phosphate annually. The majority of these products are
sold to agricultural customers, with around 20 percent
remaining for industrial applications.

Agriums North American phosphate production
is contained at two facilitiesRedwater Fertilizer
Operations in Alberta, Canada and Conda Phosphate
Operations near Soda Springs, Idaho. Redwater annually
produces 680,000 tons of MAP and 345,000 tons of
P 2O5. Two sulfuric acid units generate more than 3,400
metric tons per day.

Conda is home to a single acid plant, designed to
generate 1,440 tons per day. The conflux of acid and
raw material enables Conda to produce 482,000 tons
of phosphate as well as impressive quantities of super
phosphoric acid, merchant grade acid, MAP, ammonium
phosphate sulfate and DAP annually.

To maintain its superior production status, Agrium
constantly revitalizes its equipment with technological
advances. At Redwater alone, the past year has seen four
major capital projects completed including a replaced
IPA cooler in both units, a drying acid cooler in the SA-1
unit, a converter project for the SA-1 and a containment
project to the sulfuric and sulfur storage area.
Company Update
Agrium Inc.s wholly owned subsidiary Nu-West
Industries Inc. acquired ownership of certain Astaris
assetsincluding equipment and various mining assets
and phosphate rock reservesat Nu-Wests Conda Idaho
phosphate operation in early 2004.

The agreement was negotiated as part of Astariss
decision to cease production of purified phosphoric acid
at the Conda facility in October of 2003.
The acquisition helped increase Nu-Wests
phosphate fertilizer production and extend the life of
Agriums phosphate rock reserves.
Agrium announced in 2011 that it plans to cut
sulfur dioxide emissions from its two sulfuric acid units
at its Redwater fertilizer plant by roughly a third. The
companys $800,000 project will reduce emissions at
the plant by 215 metric tons a year from its current 690
metric tons a year. The company made the announcement
in response to a report by the Fort Air Partnership
saying the plant had exceeded provincial guidelines on a
number of occasions last year. The provinces air quality
guidelines are different from the facilitys permitted
emissions limits, which have not been violated over
the course of the reports time frame. Agrium intends

to complete the program during scheduled maintenance
shutdowns.
The company, the third-largest nitrogen producer
in the world, also recently announced that it has put on
hold a proposed $150 million expansion of its nitrogen
operations in Redwater. With many rivals planning to
expand nitrogen production in the U.S., Agrium decided
the time was not right for them.
U.S. Agri-Chemicals

U.S. Agri-Chemicals is a
unique entity in the phosphate
industry. Though the company
is owned and operated by
a governmental arm of the
Peoples Republic of China
(known as Sinochem Corp.),
it still reflects the current
business management structure
of other western enterprises.

Sinochem enjoys the
stature of being Chinas largest importer of fertilizers
with more than 60 percent of the Chinese market.
The company has an expansive global network of
subsidiaries, 72 at last count, that employs more than
9,000 employees.
Founded in 1950, USACs China-based parent
company has been named to the list of the Fortune
Global 500 companies for the past 13 years. USACs
predecessor, Morris Fertilizer, opened its doors in
Florida in 1905at the ground floor of Floridas
phosphate boom.

Expansion, joint ventures and acquisition followed
USAC into the 21st century, and the companys holdings
grew exponentially. By the dawn of the millennium,
USAC had installed facilities to clarify phosphoric acid
to ensure DAP quality, negotiated a 20-year extension
on a valuable rock supply source, IMC, and modified its
Fort Meade Chemical Products complex into a powdered
monoammonium plant and a granular MAP plant with
an engineered capacity of 325,000 tons per year.

From modest beginnings to its current global
leadership status, USAC has served as a critical link for
farming. Its products have served as the key ingredient
to millions of acres of fertile farmland.
Company Update
USAC shut down its phosphoric acid plant in Fort
Meade and its phosphate fertilizer manufacturing plant
in Bartow in 2005. The shutdown stemmed from USACs
agreement to immediate termination of its phosphate rock
supply contract with the Mosaic Co. The agreement was
USACs sole source of phosphate rock. Under the contract,
Mosaic supplied 2 million tons of rock annually, which
USAC turned into about 1 million tons diammonium
phosphate fertilizer at the Bartow plant.
Southern States Chemical;

Langeloth Metallurgical; Chevron
Hawaii Refinery
Spring/Summer 2005Vol. 11, No. 1

The stories of these three facilitiesSouthern
States Chemical (SSC), Langeloth Metallurgical Co.
and Chevron Hawaii Refinerydemonstrate that
PAGE 15
Feature
maintenance concerns, from

monitoring pressure drop and
gas emissions to replacing
corroded parts and performing
shutdowns, are common to all
plants, both big and small.
Family
owned
and
operated since 1897, Southern
States
Chemical
(SSC)
produces sulfuric acid in two
locations, Savannah, Ga. and
Wilmington, N.C. Each site
operates two single-absorption sulfur burning acid
plants. At one of the plants, SSC reconstructed a vintage
1969 absorption tower, both shoring up its concrete
support and overhauling the tower base.
Langeloth Metallurgical Company (LMC) has a
long history of producing high quality metallurgical
products. The facility has a roasting capacity of 35 million
pounds of molybdenum per year from its multiplehearth furnaces used for the conversion (roasting) of
molybdenum disulfide concentrates into technical grade
molybdenum oxide (tech oxide), which is sold or used
as feedstock to produce pure molybdenum oxide or
ferromolybdenum. Sulfuric acid is produced at the site
using the SO2 generated from the roasting process, such
that the acid plant serves to control SO2 emissions.

Under new ownership in 1994, the company breathed
new life into its 12-year dormant sulfuric acid plant
starting with a complete replacement of the cast iron
piping using Acid Piping Technology Inc.s MONDI
Piping System. Later, in 2001, the company replaced
its humidifying towers corroded lead lining with El
Dorado Metals Panel Bond liner, easing maintenance
and hastening downtime.

Chevron Hawaii Refinery, which operates a singleabsorption 90 tpd MECS plant, produces a range of
products from gasoline to asphalt. Sulfuric acid is
used as a catalyst for making gasoline octane booster
and aviation fuel. At the time, maintenance included
replacing corroded pump tanks and the associated
piping. MECS ZeCor Alloy was employed for the
pump tanks eliminating the need for brick lining, while
combination carbon steel and Alloy 20 was used for the
new pipes.
Company Update
For SSC company update, see Southern States Chemical
Spring/Summer 2011Vol. 17, No. 1 later in this article.
For Langeloth Metallurgical company update, see
Langeloth Metallurgical Company Fall/Winter 2012
Vol.18, No. 2 later in this article.
For Chevron Hawaii Refinery, new EPA rules
beginning in 2015 may make continued production at
the plant prohibitive. Business analysts cite EPA rules
for the state that will prohibit using fuel oil in power
generation, as any fuel that leaves ash when burning will
need to be eliminated. Other uses for the plant are under
consideration.
Despite these circumstances, the company
continues to enhance its operation by improving safety
and environmental preservation. A scheduled October
turnaround that includes replacing the main air blower
and drying tower distribution header will help bring
the facility into compliance. In the acid plant, Pegasys
testing has identified the cause of SO2 slip through
the converter, which has lead to improvements in SO2
reliability and the addition of an O2 monitoring point on
the operator control board.
PAGE 16

Other plans include gas flow distribution modeling
to help identify potential gas mixing problems in the
combustion chamber, which could be the root cause of a
deviation in two O2 analyzer readings. An upgrade of the
converter preheater is also on the horizon. The upgrade
will include a revamp of the fuel/air control and an
installation of a burner management system to promote
the safe operation of the furnace.
Rotem Amfert Negev, Israel

Rotem Amfert Negev
Ltd., a subsidiary of ICL
Fertilizer, operates phosphate
mines in the desert of Negev,
Israel. As a multinational
manufacturing and marketing
company, Rotem aids in the
delivery of a wide range
of fertilizer products to
worldwide
clientele.
The
companys two on-site acid
plants provide sulfuric acid for phosphoric acid and
fertilizer production. Recently, Rotem focused heavily on
improving turnaround time by employing the following
upgrades: replacing high silicon cast iron piping with
MONDI piping, replacing C.S. gas ducts with S.S.
ducts, and installing a catalyst screening system from
VIP International.
Company Update

Rotem, working with MECS DuPont, has recently
completed several maintenance and upgrade projects to
replace old equipment and improve plant availability on
their 2,400 MTPD acid plant.
In the first phase, performed during a 2011 turnaround, a new, improved superheater was installed and
an old steel-lined final absorbing tower was replaced by
a new alloy tower. The second phase, planned for 2015,
includes the replacement of an old steel-and-brick interpass absorbing tower with a new alloy tower, and the
replacement of the sulfur furnace. A new heating system will also be installed, which will enable heating of
the sulfur burner and the converter with air heated by
superheated steam and pumped by a designated blower. This system will reduce the plant heating time after
turnaround, and the new designated blower enables plant
operation at partial capacity if the main blower is out of
order.
The Mosaic Company

In 2004, two crop
nutrient leaders, Cargill Crop
Nutrition and IMC Global Inc.,
merged to form The Mosaic Co.,
combining some of the greatest
tangible assets in the industry.
The companys phosphate-,
potash- and nitrogen-based
fertilizers augment the food
demands of a growing planet
by increasing crop yields and
producing larger, healthier livestock.

Principal phosphate production is handled through
multiple facilities in Florida and Louisiana. On the
Louisiana side, Mosaic owns three locations: Faustina,
Taft and Uncle Sam. Mosaics Florida operations include
six mines in central Florida and three processing centers

in South Pierce, Bartow and New Wales.
Sulfuric acid is paramount to the companys
operations with 20 acid plants in the Mosaic system,
six of them HRS units. Since the merger, acid plant
managers have been streamlining their maintenance
activities by sharing information and best practices
across the new company. Louisiana and Florida have
completed a number of high-tech turnarounds in recent
months. In Louisiana, the company installed an MECS
Inc. 98-percent tower in the A-train single-absorption
plant. In Florida, converters were replaced at all three
facilities in South Pierce, New Wales and Riverview, all
with state-of-the-art materials.
Company Update
For The Mosaic Co. update, see The Mosaic Co.
Fall/Winter 2009 - Vol. 15, No. 2 issue later in this
article.
Zinifex Limited

Headquartered
in
Melbourne, Australia, Zinifex
has become the dominant
global source for zinc and lead
metal and associated alloys. A
significant portion of Zinifex
exports support the growing
industrial markets of the AsiaPacific region.
Zinifex
owns
and
operates four primary smelting
facilities located in Tasmania (Hobart - zinc smelter),
South Australia (Port Pirie - lead and zinc smelter),
the Netherlands (Budel - zinc smelter) and Tennessee
(Clarksville - zinc smelter). The facilities are ideally
located to supply global demand. The companys most
significant mining resource is the Century Mine, located
in Queensland, and the Rosebery Mine, in Tasmania.
Each smelter supplies its own sulfuric acid
produced on site. The Hobart smelter has two acid plants
that supply the smelting operation with the remaining
acid sold to nearby fertilizer plants. The acid produced
in Port Piries multi-metal smelter is used internally
for zinc and copper processing with the remainder
sold to fertilizer and metallurgical plants. The Budel
smelter, which processes low-lead Century Minegenerated concentrates, produces both 96-percent and
high quality sulfuric acid, the majority of which is sold
to nearby customers. Budel also installed the first gas
phase NOx destruction process to be incorporated into a
sulfuric acid plant. The Clarksville site uses just a small
percentage of the acid produced there with the majority
sold externally.
Company Update
In 2007, Zinifex was combined with Umicore (a
Belgian materials technology company) to create a new
company, Nyrstar, incorporated in Belgium. Since 2009,
Nyrstar has been expanding upstream into mining both
to secure raw material supply for its smelters and to gain
exposure to the more profitable part of the zinc value
chain (zinc mining being historically more profitable
than zinc smelting).
Feature
Last fall, Nyrstar completed a strategic review of

its smelting operations and identified investments for
multi-metals recovery and overall metals processing.
The investment plan consists of approximately 25
projects categorized under debottlenecking smelters,
building fuming capacity and minor metals extraction.
The expected capital investment for the entire plan is
approximately 280 million euro. Initial projections show
the projects to be complete by early 2017.

The company also performed a pre-feasibility study
for the redevelopment of the Port Pirie smelter into an
advanced metals recovery and refining facility, which
would fundamentally transform the sites operating and
business model. The study has confirmed the technical
and environmental capability of the redevelopment. The
business case for the project is driven by a substantial
increase in free metal, with higher margins expected
to be earned on every unit of metal produced through
the processing of internal zinc smelter residues. The
redevelopment will also increase metals production. The
base case project capital investment is estimated at 270
million euro.
CVRD Inco Limited

CVRD Inco Limited,
in business for 100 years, is
one of Canadas best-known
companies and the number one
holder of nickel reserves in the
world. The companys Sudbury
operations, located about 240
miles north of Toronto, are the
largest fully-integrated mining,
milling and smelting and
refining complex in Canada.
Employing 4,560 people, the facilities produce nickel,
copper, precious metals, cobalt, platinum-group metals,
sulfuric acid and liquid sulfur dioxide.

Beginning in 2003, CVRD Inco launched a threephase fluid bed roaster SO2 abatement project. Phase I
of the project took place over 14 days and within this
short window, two cold interpass gas exchangers were
replaced with a single larger unit, a new SO3 interpass
gas cooler was installed in parallel with a cold interpass
exchanger, a new final absorbing tower top was added,
and several other updates were made. Phases II and III,
done concurrently in 2005, included replacement of hot
gas and hot interpass gas exchangers with larger units,
increased catalyst volume in the converter, and a new
IPAT tower top with standing demister candles.
Over the years, CVRD Incos Sudbury operations
have made significant investments to improve
environmental performance, including close to $700
million in equipment and technology upgrades designed
to drastically reduce sulfur dioxide emissions.
Company Update
Vale Canada Limited (formerly CVRD Inco
Ltd.), owned by Vale S.A. of Brazil (formerly CVRD),
has taken steps to offset challenges caused by lower
nickel prices, increased mining costs, greater global
competition, and tighter environmental controls in
Canada. Some of these steps include reducing operating
costs by closing unprofitable mines, such as Frood, and
investing in Sudbury operations.
In Sudbury, the company has increased capital
investments to access ore buried deeper underground,
since the easily accessible ore has already been mined.

Since 2007, when Vale S.A. bought Inco Ltd., the company
has invested over $2.7 billion in local operations.
The company has also entered into an agreement
with KGHM International to mine the Victoria deposit,
containing ore rich in copper, nickel and precious metals.
KGHM International will build and operate Victoria
as the sole owner of the project and Vale Canada will
receive a royalty and off-take on all future production
from the project.
Southern Copper Corp.

Southern Copper Corp.
(SCC) is one of the largest
integrated copper producers
worldwide as well as the
worlds leading producer of
molybdenum, silver and zinc.
The company operates four
open-pit copper minestwo
in Mexico and two in Peru
and five underground mines,
all in Mexico. SCC has three
metallurgical processing complexestwo in Mexico and
one in Peruto refine the raw copper pulled from its
mines. In addition to its mining operations, the company
is currently exploring other opportunities in Mexico,
Peru and Chile.
In early 2007, SCC completed a massive
modernization of its smelter in Ilo, Peru. The upgrade
was part of a larger commitment under the governments
Environmental Compliance Management Program.
Changes made to the smelter were designed to increase
the capture of sulfur dioxide from 33 percent to over 92
percent (the required capture rate). The Ilo project was
the last of many projects SCC undertook to honor its
agreement to bring its operations into compliance.

Key to achieving this compliance at the Ilo facility
was the addition of a new sulfuric acid plant. The new
3,740 mtpd acid plant consists of a gas cleaning system,
the acid unit and a new effluent treatment plant.
Company Update
To support its investment program, SCC issued a
$1.5 billion bond in November 2012. Investor response
to the offering was favorable and the company plans to
invest about $6 billion over the next four to five years
in a number of brownfield and greenfield projects
throughout Latin America. A flagship investment is the
Mexican Buenavista mine brownfield expansion, which
aims to increase production from the current 180,000
metic tons to approximately 495,000 metric tons. Other
key growth projects are the Peru Tia Maria greenfield
solvent extraction mine and the Peru Toquepala
brownfield expansion.
Minara Resources Ltd.

Minara Resources Ltd., one of the top ten nickel
producers in the world, operates the Murrin Murrin
nickel mine in Perth, Australia. The Murrin Murrin
operation centers on the mining and processing of
laterite ore for the procurement of nickel and cobalt.
Sulfuric acid is used in the leaching process and as such,
Minaras onsite 4,400 tpd sulfuric acid plant is integral
to the operation. Steam produced by the acid plant is
also used to heat the autoclaves and generate power.

In 2006, the site set an
all time record for production
with 31,254 tons of nickel and
2,096 tons of cobalt. Industry
experts agree that the numbers
will remain strong at Murrin
Murrin with the sites plentiful
ore supply.
Minara
performed
significant upgrades to its
operation during a seven-week
shutdown in 2007 in which a $15 million superheater was
installed along with many other capital improvements
costing nearly $100 million.
Company Update
In the fall of 2011, the Swiss commodities giant
Glencore increased its stake in Minara Resources to over
90 percent, effectively completing the purchase of the
company.
A heap leach facility is now fully integrated at
Murrin Murrin with the existing processing plant
allowing for additional recovery of nickel and cobalt
from lower grade ores. Operating costs for the heap
leach unit are below that of the existing HPAL circuit.
The heap leach operation provides a second, low risk,
processing stream independent of HPAL delivering an
on-going source of revenue. It also delivers increased
recovery of nickel and cobalt from mineral resources,
reduces CO2 emissions by neutralizing excess acid, and
reduces overall consumption of water per ton of metal.
The company continues to implement changes to
improve energy consumption, decrease water use, and
reduce emissions.
Doe Run Peru

Doe Run Peru operates
the Cobriza mine and La Oroya
metallurgical complex in Perus
central Andes. The complex
produces a large variety of
premium metals, which are
sold to markets around the
globe as well as the internal
Peruvian market.
The
smelter
and
refineries
of
La
Oroya
comprise one of the worlds most technically
challenging metallurgical facilities, due to the diversity
of technologies and operations functioning in one single
location. The complex produces copper, zinc, silver,
lead, indium, bismuth, gold, selenium, tellurium and
antimony, as well as zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, sulfuric
acid, arsenic trioxide, sodium bisulfate, zinc oxide, zinc
dust and zinc-silver concentrates. The facilities include
three independent yet completely integrated circuits:
zinc, copper, lead and a precious metals sub-circuit.

Doe Run recently went online with a $50 million
lead acid plant to treat sulfur dioxide emissions from the
lead circuit. The project is the second of three sulfuric
acid plants being constructed under the companys
environmental operating agreement with the Peruvian
government. The first sulfuric acid plant, for the zinc
circuit, is already in operation with a capacity of 62,000
metric tons per year. A third plant for the copper circuit
is also under construction. The gas cleaning section of
this plant should be completed by October 2009.
PAGE 17
Feature
Company Update
In June 2009, with weak metals prices and
insufficient bank credit, production at the Doe Run
Peru smelter was halted. The company also suspended
its upgrade projects to improve the environment, which
suffered from unregulated production for many years
prior to Doe Runs purchase of the facility in 1997.
In July 2013, after three years inactivity, the
company restarted its zinc-processing circuit. With
resumption of the zinc unit, which Doe Run had already
updated to meet current environmental standards, there
is hope that lead operations will resume soon, since that
unit also meets current standards.

Perus Minister of Energy and Mines, Merino Tafur,
looks forward to resolving issues related to copper
operations, particularly the pending construction of a
sulfuric acid plant for the copper circuit.
Tafur said the resumption of the zinc-circuit was
achieved through consensus of the management company
Right Business, workers at the smelter, and Doe Run
Perus creditors, who were all interested in resurrecting
a vital investment to the economy of La Oroya.
DuPont Clean Technologies

Through the experience
and innovation housed in
DuPont Clean Technologies,
DuPont offers its customers
future-focused solutions to
reduce the impact it and its
green-minded customers have
on the environment. From
the reduction of sulfur oxides
(SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx)
and particulate emissions to
technologies that support the
production of clean fuels, DuPont delivers a broad range
of clean and green services. The company operates eight
sulfuric acid manufacturing facilities in the United States
with sites at Delaware City, DE; El Paso, TX; Linden,
NJ; Wurtland, KY; North Bend, OH; Richmond, VA;
Burnside, LA; and LaPorte, TX. In recent years, DuPont
has honed proprietary techniques and acquired new
resources to support its sulfur facilities and its efforts
in the refining sector. Its integrated environmental
solutions roster currently features STRATCO , BELCO
and IsoTherming technologies as well as capabilities in
spent acid regeneration (SAR) and sulfur gas recovery
(SGR).

One of the world leaders in sulfuric acid alkylation
technology, STRATCO became part of the DuPont
family in 2003. BELCO , a leader in air quality control
for refineries, was acquired in 2006.
The use of on-site sulfur management systems,
through spent acid regenerationsulfur gas recovery
(SAR-SGR) is another route for DuPont to meet refinery
customers need to use higher sulfur crude feed-stocks
and reduce sulfur oxide emissions. This high-tech, onsite model allows for a DuPont built, owned, operated
and maintained SAR-SGR plant to be constructed either
adjacent to or on the site of a refinery.
The companys product offerings are not strictly
limited to technological applications. Through its
Global Engineered Solutions (GES) group, DuPont is
replicating the successful operation of DuPont facilities
to consumers around the world. With consulting and onsite services, DuPont Clean Technologies is bringing its
PAGE 18
technical and scientific standards of excellence to other

companies engaged in sulfuric acid plant operation and
maintenance.
Everything is trending toward a safer, more
environmentally responsible world, and DuPont is
poised to lead the field.
Company Update

DuPont Clean Technologies (part of the DuPont Sustainable Solutions business) continues to lead the way in
sulfur management expertise. Today, however, this expertise has expanded beyond the refining industry and into the
fertilizer, non-ferrous metals and general chemical industries. With the completion of its acquisition of MECS, Inc.
(MECS) of St. Louis, Mo., in 2010, DuPont cemented its
market leadership in sulfur by-product conversion.
MECS and its offerings fit squarely into the Clean
Technologies portfolio, which includes the STRATCO
Alkylation Technology, BELCO Clean Air Technologies,
and IsoTherming Hydroprocessing Technology. DuPont
Clean Technologies is a provider of technology, services
and proprietary equipment, combined with solid science,
technical and engineering capabilities, that help reduce air
pollution emissions and produce cleaner fuels.
In March 2014, DuPont was named to FORTUNE
magazines list of the worlds Top 50 Most Admired Companies for the 5th consecutive year. For the 3rd consecutive year, DuPont is the only company in its sector on the
list.
Mosaic Co. Louisiana facility

In the last two years,
Mosaic has been improving
technology and efficiency at its
Uncle Sam facility in Convent,
La. The facility produces
phosphoric acid, sulfuric acid
and hydrofluosilicic acid, a
product used in the municipal
water treatment industry. The
site operates three sulfuric acid
plants, which produce about
7,400 tpd of sulfuric acid, 2,800
tpd of phosphoric acid, and 34 tpd of hydrofluosilicic
acid. The plants also generate enough steam to provide
power to the Uncle Sam complex via two 11-megawatt
steam turbine generators.
In 2008, the company replaced two aging bricklined absorption towers in its D-Train acid plant with
alloy towers. The following year, the A-Train plant
received both a new sulfur burner and a new stainless
steel converter.
Company Update

In 2010, the company installed a modular Cansolv
SO2 scrubbing system to capture SO2 from sulfuric acid
plant tail gas at its Uncle Sam facility.
In 2012, the company approved a major energy
recovery project at their New Wales complex in
Mulberry, Fla. The project will utilize the MECS HRS
to recover 290,000 pounds per hour of steam from waste
heat that is currently rejected in cooling towers. The
project is scheduled for completion in the second quarter
of 2014.
In 2013, Mosaic entered into an agreement with
Maaden and the Saudi Basic Industries Corp. to
participate in integrated phosphate facilities in the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The approximately $7 billion

greenfield project, to be known as the Waad Al Shammal
or Northern Promise Phosphate Project, will be built in
the northern region of Saudi Arabia.
PCS Phosphate Aurora

The largest sulfuric acid plant
in North America was placed
into operation by PCS Phosphate
Co., Inc., in Aurora, N.C. The
4,500 tpd sulfur burning plant
was licensed, designed and built
by MECS, Inc., of St. Louis, Mo.
PCS Phosphate is a subsidiary of
Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc., the worlds largest fertilizer company by capacity, producing the three primary crop
nutrientspotash, phosphate and nitrogen.
PCS Phosphate-Aurora produces a diverse array of
products including phosphoric acid, purified acid and phosphate feed. A recent addition is silicon tetrafluoride, which
is used in manufacturing computer components and solar
panels.
The new plant includes the MECS Heat Recovery
System (HRS), which recovers waste heat from the sulfuric acid process. The facility recovers 95 percent of the heat
generated and supplies approximately 700,000 pounds per
hour of steam to the turbogenerator and fertilizer complex.
The plant was designed to meet or exceed stringent environmental standards and has among the lowest emissions
in the industry.
Company Update

PCS Auroas new Plant 7 continues to run extremely
well with the a highest on-stream factor and higher-thandesign production rate. PCS Aurora recently installed a
new MECS ZeCor Acid Cooler and has converted over
to MECS GEAR Catalyst in Pass 1 in all three of their
plants. The company also plans to replace existing mist
eliminators with MECS AutoDrain technology in the
near future.
Tenke Fungurume

Tenke Fungurume Mining
(TFM), led by a partnership with
Freeport-McMoRan
Copper
and Gold, has invested an
initial $1.9 billion in a project
to significantly increase copper
and cobalt production in the
Democratic Republic of Congo
(DRC). The project is expected
to initially produce 250 million
pounds of copper and 18 million
pounds of cobalt per year. The
Tenke Fungurume project is the largest capital investment
in the DRC in decades.

Freeport-McMoRan is TFMs major operating partner
and 56 percent owner. The remaining partners are Lundin
Mining Corporation, which owns 24 percent, and the DRC
government at 20 percent.
In addition to funding major investments in power,
roads and other infrastructure, the project has invested more
than $85 million in social and environmental programs.
Construction started in late 2006 on open pit and
Feature
oxide ore processing facilities and by the end of 2009 was

at nameplate capacity, producing 15,000 tpy of cathode
copper and more than 8,000 tpy of cobalt in hydroxide.
Aker Chemetics contributions to Tenke Fungurume
resulted in a 600 tpd sulfur-burning acid plant, a
5.5-megawatt co-gen power plant using steam generated
from the acid facility and a 180-tpd gaseous sulfur dixoide
plant. The acid plant is a double-contact, double absorption
(DCDA) acid plant, designed for high sulfuric acid capture.
Company Update
An expansion of the project to optimize the current
plant and increase capacity was substantially completed
at the end of 2012. The expanded mill is capable of
throughput of 14,000 metric tons of ore per day, and
expanded processing facilities will enable the addition
of approximately 150 million pounds of copper per year.
The expansion project included mill upgrades, additional
mining equipment, a new tankhouse and an additional
sulfuric acid plant (expected to be completed in 2015).
Last fall, the company won an award for its
commitment to corporate social responsibility during the
second year of the CSR round table event, which took place
in Kinshasa, DRC. The award honors Tenke Fungurume
Minings numerous social and environmental programs.

Southern States Chemical

Just a few miles down
the
road
from
Southern
States
Chemicals
existing
Wilmington, N.C. facility, the
company constructed a $31
million sulfuric acid plant using
equipment
harvested
from
a 35-year-old army plant in
Wisconsin. Three towers, two
gas heat exchangers, some Lewis
acid pumps and structural steel
was shipped from Wisconsin to North Carolina.
Despite some recycled parts, state-of-the-art
technology was a cornerstone for the project, along with
heightened environmental stewardship and increased
production capacity. The new facility produces roughly
three times as much sulfuric acid as Wilmingtons older
two units, with fewer emissions. The new plant solidifies
Southern States Chemicals position as the premier
industrial producer/supplier of Sulfuric Acid on the East
Coast.

Besides selling sulfuric acid, the company also sells
the by-product of the new units acid production, highpressure steam, to neighboring Invista Wilmington, a
synthetic polymer and fiber manufacturer. The steam is
delivered via pipeline spanning between the two sites.
Company Update
Not long after the new acid plant came online, the
company powered down its older Wilmington plant to be in
compliance with stricter EPA emissions standards. The site
went up for sale last fall. The newer Wilmington facility is
still in operation.
The company won the 2013 CSX Chemical Safety
Award, which was presented last spring in Washington,
D.C. To qualify for the award, customers must ship more
than 600 carloads of hazardous materials during the year
without a non-accidental release.

Dulany Industries, Southern States Chemicals parent
company, won the bid for the former 1,600-acre Tronox site
in Savannah, Ga. The facility offers deep water access to

the Savannah River and includes an operating sulfuric acid
plant.
OCP Group
Fall/Winter 2011 Vol. 17, No.2

Morocco-based
Office
Cherifien
des
Phosphates
(OCP) began construction of
four new fertilizer plants in the
port of Jorf Lasfar for a total
investment of about $2.5 billion.
Morocco owns approximately
two thirds of the worlds reserves
of phosphate rock, and the
four plants make Morocco the
largest supplier of phosphate
rock, phosphoric acid, diammonium phosphate (DAP) and
monoammonium phosphate (MAP). OCPs investment is
based on expected increases in phosphate demand, driven
by rising world population, changing diets and the need to
improve agriculture yields in Africa and other developing
areas.

In addition to the mining, processing and fertilizer
producing activities at OCP, the company runs a vast
distribution network that moves phosphoric acid and
fertilizers to over 50 countries on five continents

Sulfuric acid is used to treat phosphate rock to produce
phosphoric acid, which in turn leads to the production of
simple or triple superphosphate. The superphosphates can
be used directly as fertilizer or can be combined with other
sources of nitrogen or potassium to produce compound
fertilizers.

The four new fertilizer plants at Jorf Lasfar are part of
a larger industrial investment plan to invest more than $8
billion by 2020.
Company Update
OCP Group is implementing a multi-billion dollar
20102020 investment strategy to modernize its industrial
assets and boost its production capacity to meet the
growing demand for phosphate-related products. Included
in the plan are four new mines, 300 kilometers of slurry
pipeline, 10 new integrated fertilizer units at Jorf Lasfar,
four units of integrated DAP/MAP production, and two
granulation DAP/MAP plants. Thus, as global demand for
food grows, OCP states, so will the companys ability to
provide fertilizer to increase agricultural yields, rebuild
depleted soils and contribute to global food security.

Last August, OCP and DuPont announced the creation
of a joint venture to provide consulting and training services
to improve the safety, operational and environmental
performance of companies in Morocco and other African
countries. The joint venture will be named DuPont OCP
Operations Consulting, and DuPont and OCP will each
hold 50 percent of its share capital.
Freeport-McMoRan
Spring/Summer 2012 Vol. 18, No.1

In the spring of 2011, Freeport-McMoRan Copper &
Gold Inc., a leading international metals mining company,
opened a 1,550 tpd sulfur-burning sulfuric acid plant at
its Safford, Ariz., copper mine. An increase in copper
demand spurred the $150 million investment. Sulfuric
acid is used for the companys leaching, solution extraction
and electrowinning operations. The creation of the plant
provides greater flexibility in securing a more cost effective
acid supply.
Operating
on
four
continents, Freeport-McMoRan
is at the forefront of supplying
the worlds economies with
essential metals. It is the largest
publicly traded copper producer
worldwide, the globes largest
producer of molybdenum and a
significant gold producer.

The Safford copper mine
was completed in 2008 and was
the first new major copper mine to be approved in the U.S.
in 30 years. It is an open-pit, zero discharge facility, and one
of the most environmentally advanced copper mines ever
built.
Company Update

The company is preparing both to transition its Safford
mine from oxide ores to sulfide ores and to upgrade
production with a target of delivering 36,000 gpm of
leaching solution to the leach pads by the second quarter of
2014. Sulfide ores require less acid in the leaching solution
relative to oxide ores, but they also require additional
oxygen, longer leach cycle times and other modifications.
To increase production and prepare for the sulfide ores,
the company will perform significant enhancements to
pumping, piping, instrumentation, and several other areas.
The second phase of the leach pad at Safford is
complete and under operation. This allows for the continued
placement of leach ore through the end of mine life.
Langeloth Metallurgical
Fall/Winter 2012 Vol.18, No. 2

The Langeloth Metallurgical
Co. complex, located 25 miles
west of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a
world-class facility with a long
history of producing high quality metallurgical products used
mainly in the steel and chemical
industries. The 147-acre facility
has a roasting capacity of 35 million pounds of molybdenum per
year.

The facility includes a 240 tpd MECS acid plant to
process the SO2 that is generated by the molybdenum roasters into sulfuric acid. Between 2008 and 2011, the company
focused on increasing its acid capacity and improving plant
reliability by replacing three 35-year old brick-lined towers.
The interpass tower, the final tower, and the drying tower
were all replaced with MECS ZeCor high silicon stainless
steel alloy towers. The replacements also allowed the company to extend their turnaround cycle to two years.
Company Update

The ZeCor stainless steel strong acid towers and piping has extended the Langeloth acid plants outage intervals, but in the range of 2.5 to 3 years. The plant has been
running 24/7 since the tower replacements were complete
in 2012. Sulfate buildups in the strong acid tower section
of the plant are no longer a cause of planned or unplanned
shutdowns. During its next scheduled major turnaround in
May 2015, the facility plans to replace its sulfur burner.

The unit has also been operating its rhenium extraction
process to remove the rare metal from the weak acid purge
stream prior to the acids treatment in the Liquid Effluent
Treatment plant. Both ammonium perrhenate and pure rhenium metal products are being produced from this process.
PAGE 19
Feature
Acidos y Minerales of Venezuela

Acidos y Minerales of
Venezuela (AMV), a small
aluminum sulfate manufacturer
in southeastern Venezuela, built
a sulfuric acid plant on their site
with no prior knowledge of acid
or acid plants. It took eight years
to accomplish, from gaining
knowledge, to permissions, to
financing to supplies, but the
70 tpd capacity sulfur-burning 3/1 double absorption plant
finally came online at the end of 2011.
At AMVs facility, sulfuric acid is used to produce
aluminum sulfate, which is used in water purification to
potable standards, in the pulp and paper industry and the oil
industry. Bringing acid on site enabled AMV to double their
aluminum sulfate production, finally satisfying customer
demand.
Company Update

AMV has increased its aluminum sulfate production
following demand from the Venezuelan governments
water facilities. The company also continues to supply the
demand for sulfuric acid in the eastern part of the country.
PAGE 20

In response to a problem with its liquid sulfur supplier,
the company employed its can-do spirit once again by
building its own sulfur melting facility, which allowed
it to continue manufacturing until the refinery resumed
production.
The company has experienced a reorganization as
part of the growing pains of increasing staff from 30 to
105. AMV is also managing the challenges of procuring
sufficient currency for the purchase of parts and spares,
continuously training new engineers as some leave the
company, and inflation, among other factors.

However, executives are optimistic about the future as
the company looks to expand in areas related to sulfur and
sulfuric acid.
Cornerstone Chemical Co.

Cornerstone
Chemical
Co. operates an 800-acre,
continuous process facility
located just outside of New
Orleans in Waggaman, La. At the
site, the company manufactures
acrylonitrile, melamine and
sulfuric acid, which are used in a
variety of everyday applications,
including recreation (CD players, fishing rods), automobiles

(tires, headlight lenses, batteries), homes (dishware,
countertops, plastic piping), clothing (acrylic fibers), and
flame retardants.

Sulfuric acid is used in one of the reaction steps during
the manufacture of methyl methacrylate (MMA), which is
produced at the facility by Evonik Industries AG. In the
early 1990s, the sulfuric acid plant was converted to a
sulfuric acid regeneration (SAR) unit, allowing the site to
recover spent acid from the MMA plant. About one third of
the plants annual acid capacity of 800,000 tons is consumed
on site with the remaining portion sold externally.
Cornerstone is working in partnership with Dyno
Nobel, who recently broke ground at the Waggaman site on
an 800,000 metric ton per year ammonia plant. By the time
of the plants opening, Cornerstone will have completed six
years of maintenance and infrastructure work that will help
support the ammonia plant.
Company Update

Reports indicate that construction of the new ammonia
plant, being built on the Waggaman site by Dyno Nobel,
is well underway with production still slated to begin in
2016. Excavations for the plants foundations have been
completed, and nearly 12,000 tons of concrete from
previous plant foundations and 29,000 tons of earth have
been removed from the brownfield site. q
Feature
Twenty years of safety

By: Darwin Passman, CSP/HR Safety Director, VIP International

How has safety changed in the past 20
years? Twenty years ago, an emphasis on
safety meant having workers compensation
insurance and someone to document
accidents. The majority of the contractor
industry had little or no safety training and
traditionally used temporary labor from an
employment agency. These employees often
had no training, very little work experience
and seldom stayed the duration of the job.
In the early 1990s, safety councils
found their way into the large industrial
areas of Baton Rouge, La., and Houston.
These sites were the result of local area
petrochemical facilities coming together and
identifying the need for a more consistently
trained workforce. The safety councils
were commissioned to provide basic safety
training skills to the surrounding work
force, teaching them to work safely in a plant
environment. The basic orientation began as
a day-and-a-half training program with a
written test on each topic, ranging from hand
tool safety to confined space entry. The idea

was to give the worker a basic understanding
of safety related tasks that occur on a plant
site. The orientation touched on many topics
but did not provide detailed training on any
one topic. The worker was given a card
certifying completion of training, which
became a requirement for entry into the
surrounding facilities.
It was apparent to the industry that
more detailed, specific topics were needed
and the safety councils were the right fit.
The councils began providing everything
from forklift training to hazardous materials
handling. As usual, incidents on sites
dictate new training needs. Lock out tag
out, confined space, asbestos awareness,
atmospheric monitoring, elevated work and
electrical safety are just a few of the hot
topics identified for additional training.
The terrorist attack on September 11,
2001, changed the way the industry looked
at safety. Security of sulfuric acid facilities
from a terrorist attack became a top priority.

Facilities purchased equipment, implemented
procedures and provided specialized training
to prevent potential terrorist attacks on their
sites. The federal government implemented
Maritime Security (MARSEC) and the
Transportation
Workers
Identification
Card (TWIC). Independent criminal
background checks were implemented for
all workers prior to allowing them entry to a
petrochemical site.
Since then, the sulfuric acid industry
has used safety councils to administer their
site-specific training, most of which is
computer-based training (CBT). Currently,
there are 38 safety councils throughout the
country that belong to the Association of
Reciprocal Safety Councils (ARSC). The
ARSC program ensures the same training
is provided to all workers regardless of their
geographic location. Facilities know that
out-of-state workers with ARSC training
have received the same training their local
work force has. Additionally, the ARSC
program allows site-specific training to be
transferred to safety councils in another area
for employee training prior to travel for a site
shutdown.
Although
safety
councils
are
convenient, all training cannot be attained
through them. It is the responsibility of

contract employers to provide performancebased training to their employees, specific
to their job tasks. An effective training
program requires a methodology to be
in place for the work being performed.
Standard operating procedures (SOPs)
are an excellent tool in defining this
methodology. With this tool, employees
will experience an increase in morale and
success at the jobsite, rather than simply
meeting minimum OSHA requirements. the
figures depict the reduction of fatalities of
industrial workers over the past 20 years.
If you subscribe to the safety pyramid
philosophy of Bird and Germain, for every
reduction of an accidental death there are
at least 600 fewer unsafe acts that occur in
the workplace. Thats a significant reduction
over the last 20 years.

The future of safety in the sulfuric acid
industry is in the hands of the management
of each organization. Management must not
only commit the resources, it must commit
itself to the development, implementation and
value of an on-going, ever-changing program.
For more information, please contact
Darwin Passman of VIP International at
(225) 753-8575 or darwin@vipinc.com. q
PAGE 21
Feature
Global sulfuric acid market a twenty

year retrospective
By: Fiona Boyd, Argus Media edited by Chris Baltimore, Argus Media
1994: Low prices in sulfuric acid and related markets

The first issue of Sulfuric Acid Today appeared at a time of low prices worldwide
for sulfuric acid and in key related markets. The benchmark U.S. Gulf/Tampa import
price for acid was around $30/ton cost-in-freight (cfr), the U.S. benchmark molten
sulfur price was $60/long ton delivered at Tampa, the world price for solid sulfur was
around $60 metric ton freight-on-board (fob) Vancouver, diammonium phosphate
(DAP) was trading at $175/ton fob Tampa for exports and copper was trading at around
$0.85/lb. All were low by historical standards.

World trade in sulfuric acid was around 6.5 million tons/year, of which most was
short-haul trade within Europe and Asia, and from Canada into the United States. Longhaul sea trade was confined to shipments to the U.S. and Latin America from Europe
and Japan. Dominating world trade were three Swiss-based companies. The market
leader was Interacid, then part European-owned and part owned by Sumitomo of Japan.
Interacid held a strong supply position in Europe and held exclusive export rights from
Japan to destinations outside Asia. Boliden Chemtrade (BCT) and Metallgesellschaft
(MG) had strong supply positions in Europe because of their origin within base metal
majors. All three traders were active in imports to the U.S. and Brazil, and Interacid
and BCT were starting to invest in logistics to serve the emerging Chilean market.
In North America, the phosphate fertilizer industry was diverse, with 10
companies in the Florida Bone Valley region alone producing phosphoric acid and
finished products. IMC, Cargill, CF Industries and Agrico were the leading producers.
Because of this diversity, Interacid subsidiary SATCO (a joint venture with Freeport
McMoRan Copper & Gold) invested in sulfuric acid import tanks at Tampa in the late
1980s, with BCT following shortly thereafter. By 1994, acid imports into Tampa were
about 650,000 tons/year, compared with up to 1 million tons/year earlier in the decade.

It was a notable year on the sulfur side. Freeports new Main Pass 299 Frasch mine
offshore New Orleans had just reached full production of 5,000 long tons per day, and
its Culberson mine in west Texas was also producing over 3,000 long tons per day.
Smelter acid production in the United States had been through a period of
consolidation in the late 1980s and early 1990s because of low copper prices, leaving
Phelps Dodge, Asarco and Magma in the Southwest and Rio Tintos Kennecott in Utah
as the main producers. Elsewhere, alkylation acid majors DuPont, General Chemical
and Rhone-Poulenc were major acid vendors, as was BCTs Intertrade sulfur-based
plant at Copperhill, Tennessee. In eastern Canada, Marsulex and Noranda made most
of their combined 1.6 million tons per year export sales by rail into the U.S., Marsulex
through its contract with Inco, and Noranda from its own smelters and from those of
Falconbridge, in which Noranda was building an ownership position.
1995 2007: Prices stable; industry consolidating and

restructuring
Fig. 1, taken from the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of Sulfuric Acid Today, shows
sulfuric acid prices remained relatively steady all the way from 1994 until early 2007.
Acid prices were around $50/ton cfr Tampa for imports, Tampa sulfur was $70/long ton
delivered, Vancouver sulfur was $65/ton fob, DAP was trading at $250/ton fob Tampa
for exports and copper had risen to about $2.50/lb.
Fig. 1

Seaborne trade in acid by 2007 was about 8 million tons, of which over 5 million
tons was long-haul. In terms of sources, South Korea had become an important
exporter with the opening of two large smelters by LS-Nikko Copper and Korea Zinc,
both at Onsan in 1999. By 2007 Korean acid exports rivaled the Japanese. Together
they were the largest source of sulfuric acid from smelting, followed by Europe.
China had become a key importer of over 2 million tons per year from Japan/South
Korea, handled directly by smelter acid producers. This played a significant role in
stabilizing the global market. It also meant that the United States was no longer a prime
target for acid imports. One key reason was the emergence of Chile as the leading
importer of long-haul tonnage, importing about 1.4 million tons in 2007 to support
copper ore leaching. The leading traders were now Interacid, BCT and a new player
Transammonia (now known as Trammo). With the advent of tonnage from South
Korea, Interacid, now wholly-owned by Sumitomo, had been unable to hold on to its
exclusive position with regard to exports outside Asia, allowing other traders to secure
positions there. That is how Transammonia gained market entry. Meanwhile, since
1998 BCT had been owned out of Canada. German trader MG had virtually exited the
international acid market. All three leading traders invested heavily in Chile. Major
sulfur trader ICEC also began to be active in the sulfuric acid market as did smelting
major Glencore.
Meanwhile, this period was one of consolidation and change in U.S. markets. In
sulfur, Freeport closed its Culberson, Texas, mine in 1999 and surprisingly its flagship
Main Pass 299 mine after less than 10 years of production. These closures were a
result of the growth of sulfur produced involuntary through oil refining and natural
gas processing combined with the low prevailing prices. In phosphates, many years of
low profitability came to a head in 2004, when Mosaic was formed as the vehicle by
which Cargill acquired the assets of IMC including the former Agrico plants. This left
Mosaic as the U.S. market leader, with a dominating position in Central Florida, where
only CF Industries in Plant City remained outside its system. One of the consequences
of the consolidation was that the need for sulfuric acid imports into Tampa virtually
disappeared. The U.S. Gulf coast became the focus instead, with direct imports by
Agrifos in Texas and Mississippi Phosphates, complemented by Martin Midstream
Partners investment in a new import terminal at Beaumont, Texas, in 1999 giving
access to industrial markets. Transammonia too became an active importer into the
United States.
In terms of acid supply within the United States, low copper prices forced the
closure of major smelters by Asarco (Texas), BHP Magma (Arizona) and Phelps
Dodge (New Mexico), all in 1999. These closures were followed by Marsulex
(Tennessee) in 2000 and Asarco (Montana) and Phelps Dodge (New Mexico) by
2002. In Canada, Noranda closed the Gaspe smelter in Quebec. This was also
a tumultuous time for the ownership of smelters. In 2004-05, after competitive
bidding, mining major Vale of Brazil acquired Inco, and soon Xstrata bought
Falconbridge/Noranda, which by then was a single entity. Phelps Dodge had been
a bidder in Canada, but was itself soon acquired by Freeport. The impact of all this
on acid marketing was less than might have been expected. Chemtrade Logistics had
spun off from Marsulex in 2000 and kept the Inco acid marketing contract following
the Vale deal. Noranda had been handling all the Falconbridge and Noranda tonnage
since the late 1990s. It then entered an ill-fated joint venture on acid marketing with
DuPont that was dissolved in 2001, after three years. NorFalco was formed then to
take on the acid marketing, and it retained the business after the sale to Xstrata. Total
Canadian acid sales by rail to the United States now exceeded 2 million tons/year.
2008-2009: Unprecedented boom and bust
The sulfur price figure (Fig.2), taken from the Spring/Summer 2009 issue of
Sulfuric Acid Today, shows the magnitude of the price boom and subsequent collapse
that took place from the second half of 2007 until early 2009. The commodity boom
driven by demand in China drove DAP prices in China up to a staggering $1,200/
ton cfr by mid-2008. This allowed sulfur prices to rise accordingly, reaching a peak
PAGE 22
of $800/ton fob Vancouver. The Tampa molten sulfur price reached $600/long ton
delivered in the third quarter 2008. The sulfuric acid import price into the U.S. peaked
at $440/ton cfr in the same quarter. All these price surges were driven by the need to
make more DAP. Copper was trading at over $4/lb. The collapse in an over-heated
market was even faster, though. By the first quarter of 2009 Tampa sulfur was $0/long
ton delivered and sulfuric acid was landing in the U.S. at below $15/ton cfr for most
of 2009.
The consequences for the global sulfuric acid market were significant. During
the boom, new sources of smelter acid like the west coast of India joined the market.
Sulfur-based acid in Europe and even China also became exportable. Most of these
new sources disappeared as quickly as they came, but new opportunities were thereby
revealed.
The key change going forward was that the acid trading community became
still more fragmented. ICEC took the opportunity to get involved in exports out of
China and increased its acid trade volume. The opportunities in sulfuric were noted
by a number of fertilizer traders; several jumped into the market; some of these, like
Ameropa and Quantum, are still involved in the business.

In North America, the 2009 collapse renewed the push by the oil refining industry
to invest in prilling to provide access to the international solid sulfur market as a
safety valve at times of weak demand. Similarly in acid, early 2009 was the first time
in history eastern Canadian marketers could not guarantee movement of acid from
smelters. Due to containment issues, involuntary production cutbacks were imposed
on smelters.
acid marketing via NorFalco was not affected. In 2014, Chemtrade Logistics acquired
General Chemical and Mosaic agreed to buy CF Industries phosphate business.
On the production and consumption side, there was a loss of supply in Canada
with the closure of Xstratas Kid Creek smelter in 2010. Freeport opened a new
sulfur-based burner to support copper leaching in Arizona in 2011, increasing sulfur
consumption as well as sulfuric acid production in the US. In Texas, Agrifos became a
merchant sulfuric acid supplier as it consumed less internally when in 2011 it switched
from producing DAP to ammonium sulphate (amsul).

Looking ahead, there are new sources of sulfur and sulfuric acid supply planned.
New sulfuric acid production is expected from gasification projects in the U.S. Gulf
coast region, such as a petcoke project in Louisiana and a lignite coal project in
Mississippi. On the sulfur side, new supply will be felt from BPs Whiting, Indiana,
refinery following an expansion there allowing it to run heavier crudes.

It remains to be seen, however, if new production of sulfur and sulfuric acid will
be absorbed in the domestic market. In the case of sulfur, the increase in production
will be met with a loss of demand with the closure of a PCS chemical plant in Florida.
Meanwhile, length in the global market will be emerging toward the end of 2014 as
new projects come on-stream. As a result, sulfur exports out of the U.S. Gulf Coast
are expected to increase to balance the market. On the sulfuric acid side of the market,
increased domestic production will either back out offshore imports and affect volumes
delivered by rail from Mexico and Canada or see first significant volumes of acid
exported from the U.S.
Argus Media publishes weekly global reports on sulfur and sulfuric acid as well
as reports on fertilizer-related products including nitrogen, ammonia, potash and
phosphate. In addition, a North American-focused sulfur and sulfuric acid publication
that includes in-depth analysis of the domestic market was launched in September
2013. For more information on Argus and its portfolio of fertilizer publications, please
visit www.argusmedia.com/fertilizer. q
2010 and beyond: Market returns to normal

Demand for phosphate fertilizers and other commodities improved in the fourth
quarter of 2009, which saw prices for products increase going into 2010. Since then the
sulfur market has been in a supply deficit which has supported prices. This influenced
price ideas in sulfuric acid markets where relative stability has been exhibited since
2010 until recent months. As our article in the Fall/Winter 2013 issue of Sulfuric Acid
Today examined, some weakness in both the sulfur and sulfuric acid markets developed
during the second half of 2013. Reduced demand for phosphate fertilizer related to
India was a catalyst for reduced sulfur consumption. This also reduced demand for spot
sulfuric acid to augment sulfur-based production to support phosphoric acid. In both
markets, the dip in demand put downward pressure on prices. As 2014 began, sulfur
prices were strengthening as phosphate fertilizer producers increased consumption at
a time when tight supply prevailed. The sulfuric acid market lagged because of steady
but not robust demand for industrial uses. For the balance of 2014, market performance
will be dictated in part by fertilizer demand in India.

By 2013, global acid trade was stable with players remaining the samemajor
exporters included Europe, South Korea and Japan. Chile remains the main importer
but its import needs are peaking and its requirement will be key moving forward.

Since 2010 there have been notable changes in the North American market structure.
In 2011, ICEC was acquired by leading petroleum coke marketer Oxbow, and Chemtrade
Logistics bought Marsulex, from which it had spun off in 2000. In 2013, Glencore
acquired Xstrata, which put several Canadian smelters under new ownership, although
PAGE 23
Feature
Fig. 2
Feature
Advancements in sulfur spraying: new hybrid

gun and predictive modeling
Hydraulic nozzles have long been the standard
for spraying molten sulfur, but the benefits of using air
atomizing nozzles can be significant. The smaller drops
produced by air atomizing nozzles typically improve
combustion and eliminate carryover and damage to
downstream equipment. Until now, testing guns equipped
with air atomizing nozzles required purchasing new guns
to equip an entire furnace.
A new hybrid sulfur gun has been introduced by
Spraying Systems Co. The guns can be easily converted
from hydraulic operation with WhirlJet BA nozzles to air
atomizing operation with FloMax nozzles. In addition,
CFD shows impingement with base of combustion chamber using hydraulic nozzle (left) and no impingement using air
atomizing nozzle (right).
the guns can be converted back to hydraulic operation if

air atomizing performance doesnt meet expectations. The
hybrid guns offer producers an easy and risk-free way to
evaluate air atomizing nozzles in their operations.
Using modeling tools to optimize spray

performance and identify potential
failures
Hydraulic nozzles can be replaced with air atomizing

nozzles on hybrid sulfur guns providing producers with an
easy and economical way to compare performance between
nozzle types. See animation at www.spray.com/hybridgun.
PAGE 24
Optimizing molten sulfur spraying is dependent on

many variables including atomization, drop size, residence
time, placement of the gun, furnace baffle locations and
operating conditions in the furnace. Many producers are
turning to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling
to improve performance. Common studies look at both gun
placement to avoid sulfur impingement on walls and drop
size to determine the optimal size for complete vaporization
and full combustion. Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI)

modeling is also gaining rapid acceptance. One recent
study looked at the thermal and structural properties of a
sulfur gun and the effect of flow-induced vibrations. The
study validated the thermal integrity of the sulfur gun but
identified a structural weakness that could result in gun
failure. The gun was redesigned to include support collars
to counteract the vibrations.
More information on sulfur gun technology is
available at www.spray.com/hybridgun including the
following topics:
Animation of hybrid sulfur gun conversion from
hydraulic to air atomizing
Presentation: Optimizing Sulfur Spraying, Sulfuric
Acid Roundtable 2013
Sulfur gun fluid interaction study
Sulfur gun and spray nozzle overview q
Department
lessons learned
Case histories from the sulfuric acid industry

By: Orlando Perez, OP & Associates H2SO4 Consultants
Supporting acid
pipelines
One of the cost-effective

methods used by piping designers
to support pipelines is to weld a
dummy pipe on elbows to provide
vertical or horizontal support, as
shown in Fig. 1.
Fig. 1: Dummy pipe support on

elbow.
This method was used in

a carbon steel acid pipeline to
transport 99.2 percent acid to a
refinery customers storage tank
located a couple of miles from
the acid plant. The pipeline is
supported on pipe racks together
with other pipelines that run along
the roadway. A routine pipeline
inspection revealed a leak that was
emanating from one of the dummy
pipes that was welded to elbows.
The pipeline was evacuated to
perform a closer inspection and
repairs. Removal of the dummy
pipe revealed a slit on the elbow,
as shown in Fig. 2. The elbow had
suffered erosion-corrosion from
acid flow, as shown in Fig. 3.
pipelines; acid velocity guideline

in open literature is only for
straight pipes.
Spitting plant stack
The plant stack normally

functions without any trouble in a
properly operated and maintained
acid plant. It is designed as tall as
possible to disperse any residual
SO2, SO3, acid mist and NOx to
the environment to minimize the
impact on nearby communities.
Like any acid plant equipment,
proper maintenance is necessary
for trouble-free operation, such as
washing the stack to remove sulfates
that may have absorbed moisture
during a prolonged turnaround
(especially in high humidity regions),
checking for holes (especially at the
bottom of the stack) that may have
formed over years of operation, etc.
Fig. 3: Erosion-corrosion on elbow.
In a particular acid plant

in North America, the vent line
from decommissioned equipment
that was still hooked up to the
stack was removed in preparation
for demolition of the abandoned
equipment. The removal process
looked innocuous enough, so a
Fig. 2: Slit on elbow. Note the dummy pipe support outline on elbow.
Lesson learned
Never support acid pipelines
with dummy pipes on elbows. While
this method may be acceptable for
non-corrosive/erosive fluids, it is
not good practice for acid pipelines.
The dummy pipe prevents regular
ultrasonic thickness inspections
from detecting thinning of the
elbows critical areas.
Consider the effective flow
area in elbows when sizing
PAGE 26
Fig. 4: Sulfate on asphalt roadway

coming from the stack.
process safety review, as part of

the management of change (MOC),
was never performed. During the
course of plant operation after the
vent line removal, sulfate started to
appear on roadways in the vicinity
of the stack. The stack had been
spitting! Investigation revealed that
the vent nozzle in the stack for the
decommissioned equipment was
never blinded off when the vent

line was removed. This allowed
moisture to draft in, wetting the dry
sulfate coating on the stack interior.
When enough moisture collects,
the sulfate dislodges, gets carried
with the gas and spews out of the
stack. The sulfate comes back down
and lands on nearby equipment,
building roofs and automobiles,
causing damage to properties.
Lesson learned

Always perform process safety
reviews of equipment changes no
matter how innocuous they may
appear. Perform regular inspections,
especially checking the bottom of
the stack for holes that may have
resulted from corrosion due to weak
acid formation.
SO2 stripper distributor
SO2 strippers are used in

metallurgical and spent acid
regeneration plants to remove
dissolved SO2 in the acid. SO2 gas
laden acid is fed to the top of a
packed tower and distributed as
uniformly as possible across the
towers cross section using a pipeor trough-type distributor. Ambient
air is fed at the bottom of the packed
section and as it flows upward in
counter-current flow with the acid,
dissolved SO2 in the acid is stripped.
The air plus acid mist coming out of
the packed tower is directed to the
inlet of the drying tower; so total
removal of moisture in the ambient
air is not normally done.
The choice of materials
for the tower and its internals is
critical; improper selection can
lead to premature failure. Such
is the case for the SO2 stripper
in a metallurgical acid plant.
The technology provider chose
an alloy material that is resistant
to the acid concentration and
temperature for the distributor.
In less than two years, the
distributor failed catastrophically,
as shown in Fig. 5. Weak acid that
formed on the outside surfaces
of the distributor during normal
Fig. 5: Corroded SO2 stripper

distributor.
operation and downtimes caused

corrosion of the alloy material.
Lesson learned
Always consider the process
and all the possible modes of
operation for the equipment when
choosing materials of construction.
Materials that are resistant to the
acid concentration and temperature
may not necessarily work even for
normal operations, let alone upsets
or downtime modes.
Water dilution
Water dilution in pump tanks

has been and continues to be one of
many sources of headaches to many
acid plant operators. The corrosion
of acid circulation pumps resulting
from the failure of the water
dilution system has contributed to
the reduction of the plants overall
equipment
efficiency
(OEE).
Corroded acid circulation pumps
as shown in Figs. 6 and 7 will result
in an unplanned plant shutdown
due to an increase in stack SO2/SO3
emissions. Roof corrosion, as shown
in Fig. 8, is also a consequence of
the water dilution system failure.
Common methods of adding
water to acid in pump tanks are: a)
through a dip pipe that is immersed
in the acid bath, b) through a sparger
in the runback line from the acid
tower to the pump tank that is
immersed in the acid bath and c)
through a sparger in a mixing tee
with a dip pipe that is also immersed
in the acid bath. Material selection is
critical in all these methods for the
longevity of the circulation pump
Fig. 6: Hole in pump discharge

pipe. Pump shaft column is also
corroded.
Fig. 7: Pump discharge pipe

corrosion.
Fig. 8: Stainless steel roof

nozzle and pump support beam
corrosion.
and other metallic components of

a brick-lined pump tank, and is
extremely critical to the longevity of
alloy pump tanks.

Technology providers normally
specify PTFE encapsulated carbon
steel pipe and solid PTFE tube
for water dilution dip pipes. Some
end-users have used high-alloy dip
pipes as replacements only to find
out they dont fare as well. This is
the case of a metallurgical acid
plant where the solid PTFE dip pipe
was replaced with a high-alloy dip
pipe one failure after the other. The
high-alloy dip pipe lasted less than
three months due to the frequent
shutdown of the acid plant.
Fig. 9: Common dilution water dip

pipes. PTFE encapsulated carbon
steel (left), solid PTFE tube (middle), and Alloy (right).
Fig. 9 shows the failures of

water dilution dip pipes. Once the
dip pipe fails, water will free-fall on
the acid bath and the weak acid mist
that is created will corrode the roof
and other metallic components of
the pump tank. The weak acid layer
that is also formed due to improper
mixing will corrode the pump
discharge pipe and shaft column
and any other metallic components
that are immersed in the acid
bath at the operating liquid levels.
We redesigned the dip pipe after
careful analysis of the failure mode.
A prototype has been in service
for over eight years now without
problems.
Lesson learned
Never change material of
construction without having full
understanding of the failure mode.

For more information, please
call (604) 428-3300 or email
orlando.perez@outlook.com. q
Feature
Reviving Ravensthorpe: FQM revitalizes

Australian nickel mine
By: April Smith

Its all a matter of perspective.
What one person tosses aside
another retrieves, believing in
its value. Add some specialized
know how and ingenuity, and
you transform the cast-off into a
triumph.
This is just the sort of
perspective
First
Quantum
Minerals Ltd. (FQM) employed
when, in 2010, it purchased a
decommissioned Australian nickel
mine and created the success it is
today.

The mine, located outside the
town of Ravensthorpe in Western
Australia, was completed in 2007
and began operation in 2008. But
the facility, then owned by BHP
Billiton, closed its doors just
eight months into its life, due in
large part to a significant drop
in nickel prices. BHP Billiton
kept the decommissioned mine
for just over one year, until the
opportunity to sell arose in 2010.

The opportunity came in the
form of FQM, with a different
perspective on BHPs mothballed
mine. We regarded Ravensthorpe
mine as an opportunity to diversify
by product and geography, said
General Manager Morris Rowe. So
in February 2010, FQM purchased
the mine, made significant
improvements over the next 20
months, and created a much more
robust Ravensthorpe. Adding
the upgraded facility to FQMs
portfolio has indeed contributed
to emerging global recognition
for the company. We are now
recognised as an established and
growing international mining and
metals company operating seven
mines that produce copper, nickel,
gold, zinc and platinum group
metals, said Rowe.
The company was first
incorporated in 1983 under the
name Xenium Resources. In
1996, it changed its name to
First Quantum Minerals Ltd.
and acquired the Bwana copper
facility in Zambia. This and more
recent global scale acquisitions
paved the way for FQM to become
one of todays fastest growing
copper companies. The company
predicts a compound annual
growth in copper production of
more than 20 percent for at least
the next decade. Now, with the
addition of Ravensthorpe, Kevitsa
in Finland and the growth
potential in the Enterprise Nickel
project in Zambia, FQM has
emerged as a significant nickel
producer as well.
PAGE 30
In December 2011, FQM successfully returned the Ravensthorpe

operation to commercial production after 20 months of modifications
and re-commissioning.
Processing at
Ravensthorpe
The Ravensthorpe nickel

operation produces and sells
mixed hydroxide precipitate
(MHP), which contains about 40
percent nickel and 1.4 percent
cobalt on a dry basis. Getting
to MHP involves a multi-step
process consisting of open pit
mining and beneficiation of nickel
laterite ore, pressure acid leaching,
atmospheric leaching, counter
current decantation, precipitation
and filtration.
Sulfuric acid and its onsite
production play an integral
role in the process. The acid
manufactured at Ravensthorpes
sulfuric acid plant is used in the
leaching process to separate the
nickel from the mined ore. In
addition, the steam produced as
a by-product from sulfur burning
is converted to high-pressure
superheated steam, which is then
used to generate the sites power
as well as the high temperatures
required for the leaching process.
The technical
challenges
Perspective played a key

role in FQMs evaluation of the
technical aspects involved in
making Ravensthorpe a success.
What seemed like hurdles to some
was a chance for FQM to stretch its
technical muscle. Ravensthorpe
was attractive because of the
technical challenges, says Plant
Manager Barry Wells, not in
spite of them. Ravensthorpes
particular mix of circumstances
was a perfect match for FQMs
technical know-how and history of
taking on very complex projects

and operating them efficiently,
Wells explains.
One key complexity comes
courtesy of Mother Naturethe
inherent qualities of the laterite
ore deposits at the mine. Unlike
sulfide mineral ores, laterite ores
do not respond well to conventional
mineral dressing practices such
as flotation, which separates the
valuable ore fragments from the
remaining ore. As a result, says
Wells, laterite processing flow
sheets must contend with high
volumes of relatively low-grade
ore, which, in turn, means higher
capital and operating costs.
Also, laterite ores do not
typically contain many valuable
by-products, such as platinum
group metals or copper. This puts
more pressure on the operation to
be viable on the basis of nickel and
cobalt production alone.
And FQM was ready to
take on that pressure. During the
20 months between its purchase
of Ravensthorpe and when the
operation came back on line in
December of 2011, FQM made
the improvements necessary to
optimize production.

Most of the changes focused
on the beginning of the process.
The front-end materials handling
did not provide a constant
stream of beneficiated ore to
the plant for leaching, explains
Wells. As a result, the company
installed two new crushing
stations, a dewatering plant, two
beneficiation ore storage buffer
ponds and upgraded many of the
transfer points.
Other updates included
simply reconditioning the plant
and its acid process to enable them
to perform to specification.
Looking out over the CCDs and the hydrometallurgical section.
A second challenge, also

a natural phenomenon of the
ore deposits, was variation in
ore geochemistry. To this end,
FQM developed process models
that could anticipate the effect
of ore variability and ultimately
optimize metal recovery. A free
acid predicter for the leaching
area ensures the optimal leaching
of the nickel while rejecting
unwanted impurities such as iron
and aluminium.
Production results

So what is the outcome from
all these improvements? In 2012,
its first year of production under
FQM ownership, Ravensthorpe
produced a better-than-expected
nickel yield of over 32,000
metric tons. Last year, production
exceeded 38,000 metric tons. Over
the anticipated 30 plus-year life of
the mine, the company expects
an average yearly production of
28,000 metric tons.
On the acid side of the
operation, the sulfuric acid plant,
though run as high as at 95
percent of its 4,400 metric ton per

day capacity, need only run at 85
percent to meet current leaching
demands.
Sulfuric acid at
Ravensthorpe

Sulfuric acid is fundamental
to Ravensthorpes operation, says
Wells. Besides the acids use in the
leaching process, waste heat from
the onsite sulfur burning plant is
recovered for multiple purposes:
to produce high-pressure steam
for nickel leaching and power
production, produce hot water
for the desalination plant, and to
preheat boiler feed water for use in
the power plant.
Construction of the acid
plant was completed in 2007 by
Chemetics, then a division of
Aker Kvaerner Canada Inc. Tyler
Caviglia, Business Development
Manager at Chemetics, now
owned by Jacobs, recalls the
particular circumstances with
Ravensthorpes
acid
plant.
Because the plant was so
Birds eye view from the acid plant stack looking over the sulfur melting
area, acid storage and converter.
and preheat boiler feed water for

the power plant.
Protecting people and

place
That
Ravensthorpe
has
become a model of productive
efficiency is a sidelight to the
attention FQM focuses on
protecting and developing its
workforce. Providing a safe
working environment for all of
our employees is our priority,
says Rowe. The company
demonstrates this commitment,
he continues, through its
robust engineering controls,
safety management systems and
protocols.
The company is also
committed to fostering a culture
of personal growth, where
employees
receive
on-going
training, instruction and support.
People form the backbone of
this operation, Rowe says. We
want to ensure that everyone has
the training to perform their job
safely, but also that we maintain a
culture of trust, so that questions
can be raised without fear of
reprisal and we are flexible and
responsive to change.

Ravensthorpe also recognizes
its role as a corporate neighbor
and is committed to employing
as many local and regional staff as
possible, says Rowe. In fact, more
than 98 percent of Ravensthorpes
workforce are local or rotate in
from Perth.
Being a good corporate
neighbor extends to protecting the
surrounding community. Because
we are situated among significant
vegetation communities, explains
Rowe, we have buffer zones
in place to minimize impact.
The operation also manages an
onsite buffer zone that provides
a significant barrier between the
plant and its neighbors.
Preserving the environment
for Ravensthorpe also includes
operating under strict regulations
designed to minimize, monitor and
manage all environmental risk.
The DCDA acid plant does its bit
as well, with its modern converter
and exchanger minimizing SO2
and SO3 leaks.
Looking forward

Continuing to employ its vast
mining and minerals operating
experience, FQM envisions a
Feature
completely integrated into steam,

power and desalination operations,
reliability was critical, Caviglia
explains.

In fact, says Caviglia, key
innovative elements of the plant
were all focused on achieving
maximum reliability, while at the
same time minimizing costs.
To that end, Chemetics
incorporated
radial
flow
exchangers and a converter
with internal superheater and
exchanger, which reduced capital,
operating and maintenance costs,
while offering better reliability.
Also installed was a single,
no-baffle furnace with steam
cooled sulfur guns. The steamcooled guns provided ease of
operation because the guns would
cool even in the event of a plant
trip. The baffle-free furnace
afforded improved reliability and
lower maintenance costs.

In terms of energy recovery
from the acid circulate, the
installation
included
very
reliable anodically protected
Anotrol acid coolers. The
acid coolers produced the hot
water that provided all the heat
necessary to both supply the
energy for the desalination plant
First Quantum Minerals single train 4,400 metric ton per day sulfur burning
acid plant located near the town of Ravensthorpe in Western Australia was
constructed by Chemetics in 2007.
bright future for Ravensthorpe.

Along with sustaining its culture
of safety for people and the
environment, plans are in place
to improve the heat recovery of
the acid plant. We are going to
upgrade the external superheater
and economizer, Wells says, so
that we can achieve optimum heat
transfer at high rates.
We will also continue the
acid plants rigorous maintenance
schedule, he says, which includes
major outages every two or three
years for catalyst screening and
statutory inspections.

FQM saw the potential of the
once mothballed Ravensthorpe
and leveraged its know-how to
revive the operation, reshaping it
into the right fit for the company.
But vision and knowledge are
pieces to the larger puzzle that
also includes a willingness to
embrace change. It is important
to be responsive to change as we
go forward, says Rowe. After all,
a tree that is unbending is easily
brokenonly the flexible tree
survives. q
PAGE 31
Department
PUMP MAINTENANCE
Understanding vibration in vertical chemical pumps

By: Marwan Karaki, Project Engineer Manager, Weir Minerals Lewis Pumps

Beginning in the early 1940s, Lewis Pumps (now Weir
Minerals Lewis Pumps) built a reputation for reliability
and excellence in engineered pumps. Today, the company
continues with an industry-respected reputation for rugged equipment specifically engineered for molten sulfur,
sulfuric acid and phosphoric acid to meet the needs of refineries and fertilizer plants. We understand that the pump
is the heart of every plant. For that reason, Weir Minerals
Lewis Pumps works tirelessly to ensure the reliability of its
pumps.

To better understand issues and concerns with pumps
manufactured by Weir Minerals Lewis Pumps, it is important to explore common concerns of the pump system.
While the company extensively tests its pumps prior to
shipment, many factors can affect the effectiveness of the
pump. Such factors may include the type of fluid being
pumped temperature of the fluid, pump speed, operation
schedule and maintenance/turnaround schedules.
Regardless of the industry, pumps may experience
complications as a result of unintentional vibration. The
most common causes of pump vibration can be categorized
as either mechanical or hydraulic.
performance can be derived from a poor alignment between

the pump and motor. The misalignment of the coupling has
no direct effect on the motor efficiency; however, correct
alignment will ensure a smooth, efficient transmission of
power from the motor to the pump. Misalignment takes
place when the centerlines of the pump and the pump shaft
are not in line with each other. Misalignment can cause the
following symptoms: excessive vibration, increased bearing temperature, and shortened bearing or coupling life.
Cavitation damage to an impeller.
Hydraulic vibration
Mechanical vibration
Pump alignment:

It is very important to have all critical pump components aligned properly, particularly the shaft column, discharge pipe, and volute. Before installing a pump and after
all pump maintenance, a freedom of rotation test should be
performed by suspending the pump vertically and manually turning the shaft to determine if any interference exists.
After installation, the forces and moments at the flanged
connections should be maintained within allowable margins identified by Weir Minerals Lewis Pumps to eliminate
distortions that may cause rubbing of rotating parts where
clearances are reduced or even eliminated.
Shaft straightness:
The pump shaft must be maintained as straight as
possible at all time. Straightness must be checked at major overhauls or when the shaft assembly is rebuilt, even if
there is no vibration. When mounted between centers in a
lathe, the run-out at critical points such as the midpoint of
shaft bearing assemblies and the impeller location should
be within 0.002 inches TIR. (See your pump manual for
more information). Vibration frequency owing to the degree of shaft straightness ranges from one times rotational
speed to occasionally two to three times rotational speed.
The amplitude is typically 150 percent of radial vibration in
the axial plane.
Unbalanced impeller:

The impeller is a major rotating mass in the pump that,
if unbalanced, may result in high vibration. All Lewis
Pumps impellers are dynamically balanced to ISO standard 1,940/I Grade 6.3 or better, depending on customer
specifications. Impellers in both sulfur and acid environments may face rough conditions that lead to impeller imbalance. In sulfur environments, a foreign object might hit
the impeller at high speed and result in damage that causes
imbalance. In an acid environment, an impeller may suffer from uneven areas of erosion or corrosion that result
in imbalance and significant pump vibration. Selecting the
appropriate material is critical to avoid such situations. In
general, the vibration frequency in this instance is equal to
the rotational speed. Amplitude is greatest in the radial direction with a magnitude that is proportional to the amount
of imbalance.
PAGE 32
There are three types of misalignments to look for:

Angular misalignment occurs where the motor is set at
an angle to the pump. If both shafts are extended they
will cross each other.
Parallel misalignment occurs where the motor and
pump shafts are parallel to each other.
Combination misalignment occurs where the pump
and motor shaft suffer from an angular and parallel
misalignment.
Checking for shaft straightnessa common culprit of pump

vibration.
Bearing lubrication:
The majority of Lewis Pumps vertical chemical
pumps are supplied with a shielded, double-row ball bearing of maximum capacity design intended to handle the
applied hydraulic and mechanical loads properly. It is important to have the bearings replaced with OEM parts and
to rigorously follow the pump manufacturers lubrication
instructions. Proper installation of the bearing to both the
shaft and the ball bearing housing is critical. The vibration frequency related to bearings is equal to the rotational
speed times the number of rolling elements; and amplitude
is proportional to damage and wear of the bearing. In addition, it is well known that amplitude increases with time.
Motor/driver:

The motor/driver may generate some vibration caused
by a worn bearing or imbalanced rotor. If supplying your
own motor, it is recommended to run the motor isolated
from the pump to determine if there is any vibration caused
by the motor. If the motor is purchased new, it is highly
recommended to request the routine test that will lead to
testing and certification by the motor manufacturer.
Baseplates:

Vertical pump cover plates and sole plates should be
leveled and sufficiently robust. The components should be
carefully examined after several years of service since they
have the tendency to lose their rigidity and distort, thus contributing to major pump vibration.

Misaligned plates prevent the pump from being properly rebuilt and aligned.
Pump motor alignment:
In some cases, abnormal vibration and mechanical
Cavitation:

Cavitation occurs when the NPSHr is greater than the
NPSHa. This causes an implosion of vapor bubbles, formed
in the liquid being pumped, usually on the low pressure
side of the impeller vanes. Cavitation can result in damage to the impeller by removing particles of metal from the
surface with explosive force. This causes several problems,
including discernible pump vibration. Most of the time, this
condition takes place when there is a change in the system
characteristics, which alter the pump flow and head conditions for which the pump was originally selected.
Hydraulic imbalance:

Suction conditions may exist that cause the flow distribution of liquid entering the pump impeller to be uneven.
This can result from vortexing, improper clearances under
or around the pumps suction inlet, or gas entrainment. The
effect can be much the same as cavitation due to insufficient NPSHa.
Vibration monitoring:

Vibration monitoring is fairly common today. Accelerometer probes are usually installed on the pumps upper
thrust bearing or on a motor bearing. Measurements in at
least two horizontal planes, located 90 degrees apart, and in
the vertical plane can be made for vibration amplitude and
frequency.

A log of these readings can be useful in both helping
to discern the beginning of component wear before failure
and in identifying and remedying an installation problem.
It is perhaps less important to focus on the magnitude and
exact frequency of vibration (unless it is extreme) than it is
to pay attention to a change in the signature or pattern of the
vibration spectrum. Be aware that it is nearly impossible to
completely eliminate all pump installation vibration.
ANSI/HI-9.6.4-2001 edition, Centrifugal and Vertical Pumps, Vibration Measurement and Allowable Values,
provides a guideline for the acceptable level of vibration
depending on the pump structure. However, with knowledge of vibration sources, a good maintenance program and
installation procedures, and perhaps a monitoring system,
pump vibration can be controlled and serious problems
avoided. q
Reference:
Karassik, Igor, Pump Handbook, 2nd edition, copyright
1986, McGraw-Hill Inc.
Feature
The Roberts Company highlights accomplishments

Since Sulfuric Acid Today began publishing 20 years ago, The Roberts Company has been in the shop and the field
supplying high quality, reliable fabrication,
construction and plant start-up solutions
for our heavy industrial customers in the
sulfuric acid industry. In fact, since 1977,
weve been known for our accurate, quality
workmanship and safety record.
In 2006 our partnership with PPS
Engineers, a fully integrated engineering
group, enabled Roberts to begin offering a
more complete range of services. With the
addition of civil, structural, mechanical,
piping, electrical and process engineering
services, the company expanded to a onestop-shop making the project process
seamless, less time consuming and more
cost effective for our customers.
Roberts continued to expand its
fabrication operations in 2011 by adding
another state-of-the art fabrication facility
to keep up with increased demand. With
railway service and close proximity to a
deep water port, the company has taken
the necessary steps that will allow it to
continue its focus on delivering safe,
PAGE 34
reliable products and services to its

customers, regardless of their geographic
location.
Providing a safe work environment
for employees and customers has long
been a top priority for Roberts, and in 2013
that focus was recognized by the North
Carolina Department of Labors Division of
Occupational Safety & Health by awarding
Roberts the prestigious Carolina STAR.
This is the NCDOLs highest level of safety
recognition awarded to companies that
have successful safety and health systems
in place and are able to effectively control
workplace hazards and incidents.
A new identity, same great

company
While Roberts has grown, we have

remained true to our commitment of
working together as a teama team
made up of not only our staff but also
our customersto find solutions for
any project. Today, we have unveiled a
new name and brand, Roberts and PPS
EngineersPowered by Roberts, that
better reflects who we are as a project
solutions group. The company and its

staff still embody the same principles
that our customers have come to rely on
for more than 35 years: a safe, creative
solutions company that is competitive and
reliable.
Our knowledge base

expands
In addition to the new Roberts

brand, the company has recently added
several new team members including
R.M. Monty Glover as Chief Operating
Officer and T. Jason Dunaway as
Executive Vice President. With 30 years
of construction, engineering and plant
operations experience in a variety of
industries, Glover not only brings his
knowledge of business sectors currently
served by Roberts, but the ability to
expand Roberts into new and developing
markets. Dunaways experience lies
in relationship building and resolving
complex operations and commercial
issues for existing and new customers.
The addition of both Monty and Jason
will allow Roberts to continue to expand
our services and reach, said Chris Bailey,

Roberts President and CEO. Both believe
in the Roberts mission of building lasting
customer relationships and providing plant
services that are cost effective and ontime while achieving the highest industry
standards of safety and quality.
A beneficial partnership

Roberts would like to take a moment to
congratulate Sulfuric Acid Today on their
20th Anniversary. Your publication has
enabled sulfuric facilities and operators,
as well as plant designers, engineers and
manufacturers to explore and highlight
innovative technologies in the sulfuric acid
industry. In addition, your conferences
bring everyone in the industry together to
participate in panel discussions that result
in a beneficial exchange of information
useful to all participants.

Our company looks forward to the next
20 years and the many accomplishments
yet to come in this exciting industry.

Chris Bailey at (252) 355-9331 or visit
www.robertscompany.com. q
Feature
Restoration technology
for polymer concrete
By: John Davis, Inside Sales & Marketing Specialist, Sauereisen, Inc.
Polymer concrete is one of the most

durable, long-lasting and corrosionresistant materials available for industrial
infrastructure. This class of products
consists of a matrix composed of heavyduty aggregate and either chemical-resistant
resin or cement binder. These castable
materials may offer up to five times the
physical strength of standard portland-based
concrete.

Polymer concretes are designed to give
superior mechanical properties similar to
masonry. Because of chemical resistance
throughout the entire thickness, polymer
concretes may preclude the necessity of
barrier coatings and linings. They offer
a one-step approach to solving corrosion
and provide superior compressive, flexural
and tensile strength. In addition, select
fillers enable physical properties such as
absorption and freeze-thaw durability to far
exceed most inorganic counterparts.

Application of polymer concrete offers
advantages since the product develops
strength rapidly. Most castables in this
category set through a catalyzed chemical
reaction. This thermo-setting process occurs
within 24-48 hours, primarily. Compared

to the 28-day hydration/curing downtime of
standard concrete, construction may proceed
much more rapidly.

When properly specified and installed,
polymer concrete provides a solution
for some of the most difficult corrosion
problems. Understanding the capabilities and
limitations of the different fillers and resin
systems within the polymer concrete family
is important. As technologies evolve, the
chemistry of various formulations changes
as well. Engineers, architects, maintenance
personnel and contractors can create a valueadded solution to their corrosion problems
by knowing what to recommend. The wide
variety of polymer concrete formulations
can make selecting the correct materials
a challenge. Ultimately, selecting the right
chemistry can translate into substantial cost
savings as determined by increased longevity
or decreased construction downtime.

A few of the more common formulations
of polymer concretes include silicates,
epoxies, calcium-aluminates and vinyl esters.
Sauereisen, Inc. of Pittsburgh specializes in
corrosion resistant materials and produces
Above: Tank pad & pump base poured with

polymer concrete
Right: Concrete pad rehabilitation with
polymer concrete around a sulfuric acid tank
a broad selection of polymer concretes to

supplement other product lines including
refractories, mortars and monolithic barriers
of various thickness. For environments
subject to the highest temperatures and acid
concentrations, potassium silicate polymer
concretes provide optimum protection. The
silicates can withstand temperature ranges in
excess of 14,000F (7600C). This chemistry
will also withstand most solvents, oils, acids
and acid salts (except hydrofluoric) over a
pH range of 0.0 to 7.0.
For years, silicate-based refractories
have provided thermal insulation and
chemical protection for flue gas structures
subject to hot, acidic gasses commonly
found in coal burning power generation
facilities. Recently, polymer concretes have
been specified for horizontal applications,
such as chimney floors, where greater
compressive strength is beneficial compared
to the gunite-applied refractory. In either

case, these acid-proof concretes possess
resistance to full concentrations of sulfuric
acid and up to oleum. Typical applications
are construction of sumps, containment
pads, dikes, trenches, support columns
or bases. One novel installation in South
America involved the formation of a
potassium silicate polymer concrete jacket
around the exterior surface of a sulfuric acid
drying tower.
Epoxy polymer concretes, as a group,
offer low permeability and broad chemical
resistance. Epoxies exhibit greater bond
strength, lower porosity and more broad
chemical resistance than inorganic varieties.
Typically, compressive strength of epoxies is
greater than 10,000 psi. This classification
of polymer concretes shows tolerance to a
wide spectrum of acids and alkalis over a pH
range of 0.0 to 14.0. These products are often
Continued on page 50
PAGE 36
Feature
Innovative wet electrostatic precipitator

design for acid mist removal
By: Hardik Shah, Applications Engineer, Southern Environmental, Inc.
this design is that the water is dripped, not

Sulfuric acid mist in the SO2 enriched
sprayed, over the membrane. Capillary action
off-gas is of concern to the non-ferrous metals
of the membrane material, along with an assist
industry due to its potential for creating
from gravity, spreads the liquid throughout
operational problems, such as corrosion, in
the membrane, eliminating any splashing or
the sulfuric acid manufacturing plant. Acid
spraying. The amount of liquid delivered and
mist is typically highly corrosive in nature and
its resulting thickness can also be controlled
submicron in size. Wet electrostatic precipitator
to achieve optimum cleaning. Because the
(WESP) technology is an excellent choice for
liquid film is also the collecting surface (i.e.
its removal, as a WESP uses liquid to remove
it conducts electricity), the
the collected acid mist and
membranes can be made
the particulate from its
from corrosion resistant,
collection surfaces. This
nonconductive materials
makes any re-entrainment
like polypropylene and
problem virtually nonPPS. These materials
existent, due to adhesion
essentially eliminate the
between the liquid and
above described dry-spots
the collected material. A
and corrosion issues,
WESP also achieves up to
while offering a more
several times the typical
economical alternative to
corona power levels of a
metals such as lead and
dry precipitator. These two
stainless steel alloys.
advantages, together, greatly
enhance the collection of The membrane WESP is a tubular, Testing and experience
submicron particles. Also, up-flow type design consisting of from pilot and commercial
scale installations indicate
the gas stream temperature two modules in series.
that these membranes are
is lowered to the saturation
excellent as WESP collecting electrodes.
temperature before entering the WESP,
In 2009, the membrane-design WESP
promoting condensation and enhancing the
was selected to replace an aging lead-type
collection of soluble acid mist.
WESP located in a gas cleaning system of

In most old-design WESPs, both tubular
a molybdenum roasting facility. Here, ore
and flat-plate, the collection surface is in the
consisting of MoS2 is roasted to remove
form of a solid continuous sheet of metal or
plastic. A flushing liquid passing over the
sulfur. This process oxidizes molybdenum
metal or plastic surface tends to bead due
to MoO3 and removes sulfur in the form of
to both surface tension effects and surface
SO2 and SO3 in the off-gas coming out of
imperfections. Therefore, the flushing liquid
the roasters. The SO2- and SO3-rich flue gas
cannot be uniformly distributed over the
from the roasters then passes through a gas
surface leading to channeling and dry spots.
cleaning system mainly consisting of cyclone,
The resulting build-up causes corrosion
spray cooler, dry ESP, gas saturator, gas
of the collecting surfaces, which in turn
cooler and WESP. The gas cleaning system
causes the precipitator corona power levels
removes particulate, moisture and SO3 from
and performance to degrade. In non-ferrous
the flue gas, leaving SO2 in the gas. This SO2metals plants, this liquid has to be in the form
enriched gas is then used to make sulfuric
of a highly corrosive weak acid solution to
acid in the downstream acid plant.
ensure negligible SO2 scrubbing out of gas
The membrane WESP is a tubular,
up-flow type design consisting of two modules
stream during the WESPs collection surface
in series, as shown in the photograph. Testing
cleaning. Therefore, WESP components are
has indicated that the SO2 enriched gas out of
typically made out of corrosion resistant
materials.
the WESP is optically clear, indicating less
To avoid the problem of dry spots,
than 30 mg/Nm3 (~8 ppm) acid mist loading.
most old-design WESPs employ frequent
Most of the components are made out of
intermittent spraying to remove the collected
fiberglass reinforced plastic with membrane
material. However, any spraying into the gas
collecting surfaces out of felted polypropylene
stream will produce aqueous mist droplets
material. The membranes are continuously
which are highly conductive in nature. As
cleaned using weak acid that has a pH of
a result, the WESPs high voltage electric
approximately 0.5. To date, the WESPs are
field will have a conductive path to ground,
operating with the original membranes and
shorting out the field. To avoid this grounding,
showing no signs of degradation.
called spark over, the field voltage is usually
Overall, this innovative WESP design
reduced or switched off during intermittent
solves historical operating problems associated
spraying. This causes frequent downtime of
with old-design WESP technologies and is
the WESP.
ideally suited to replace aging lead type
An innovative design of WESP has
WESPs in non-ferrous metals plants.
been developed in which fabric membranes
For more information, please
replace metal or plastic collecting electrodes,
contact Michael Johnson of Southern
solving these problems. A flushing liquid can
Environmental, Inc. at (850) 944-4475 or
be delivered to the membrane in a number
mjohnson@sei-group.com, or visit www.
of ways. The most important aspect of
southernenvironmental.com. q
PAGE 38
Feature
NORAM -The best of the past 20 years

By: Guy Cooper, Director, Sulfuric Acid Business Group, NORAM Engineering and Constructors Ltd.

NORAM Engineering as a company has
grown impressively over the last 20 years. In
the sulfuric acid business area NORAMs
evolutionary upgrading of equipment and
engineering smarts have resulted in new
designs that have helped operators world-wide
to improve acid plant performance.
As a relative newcomer to the sulfuric
acid business, the first plant upgrade studies
were done in the early 1990s in conjunction
with Dr. Gordon Cameron. NORAM provided
engineering services and Gordon provided the
process know-how and design ideas. Gordon
had previously worked at CIL Sudbury, Ontario
where he co-invented the anodically Protected
acid cooler and was recognized as a guru in
the sulfuric acid industry. As sole proprietor
of Cecebe Technologies, Gordons unrelenting
work led to many innovative designs, patents
and improvements in sulfuric acid plants.
NORAM and Gordon continued to work
together building a client base appreciative
of Gordons ideas. As a result NORAM and
Gordons business grew bigger, and in 1995
NORAM acquired Cecebe Technologies and
its patents. To date NORAM has performed
over 200 engineering studies and provided
sulfuric acid plant equipment to over 60 acid
plants around the world including two new
2,750 MTPD sulfur burning acid plants in
Ambatovy, Madagascar.
NORAMs first equipment component
was the radial flow gas exchanger. The
patented design results in exchangers where
all the tubes do the work. The units are
smaller, more efficient, offer longer life and
result in lower pressure drop than their double
and single segmental predecessors. NORAMs
debut acid project was to design the first radial
flow CECEBE gas exchangers that went into
the largest North American acid plant at the
time. It takes skill, and experience to break
in your new exchanger design in a 3,400
STPD acid plant. Not only did they work,
they worked well. The client, Magma Copper,
found that these new radial flow exchangers
exceeded expectations with a pressure drop
Radial flow gas exchanger

PAGE 40
20-inch WC below specifications.

The innovation of the split flow design,
a variation of the radial flow gas exchanger,
continued to grow NORAMs business. This
patented feature can be used to keep the
exchanger cool or hot depending upon the
service requirement.
For cold or cold IP exchangers, the hot
sweep feature directs hot shell gas to the
cold end of the exchanger to keep metal
temperatures warm and reduce cold end
corrosion. The exchanger performs better
and lasts longer. The hot sweep in an SO3
cooler reduces or eliminates the recycle flow
result: a more efficient system with a smaller
exchanger and smaller air blower.

For a preheater exchanger, the cold sweep
keeps the hot end cool. Now one can increase
the furnace temperatures knowing the metal
will be kept cool. The exchangers LMTD,
or temperature driving force, increases
nicely with a cascade of positive effects. The
furnace gas flow reduces along with the size
of the exchanger, furnace, and blower. The
equipment becomes smaller, more efficient,
and more reliable.

The success of the NORAM radial flow
gas exchanger led to NORAMs business
growth in retrofit projects, replacing aging
and problematic gas exchangers. One of
NORAMs recent projects was for Phillips
66 in Lake Charles where four of the five
gas exchangers were replaced with NORAM
radial flow models, as well as replacing the
existing converter.
To date, there are over 120 NORAM
radial flow exchangers installed in plants
worldwide ranging in plant capacities from
190 to 3,850 STPD of acid production. Some
20 split flow exchangers have been installed
around the world since its inception with more
on the way. It is noteworthy to mention that
NORAM radial flow gas exchangers have
gone into the new twin 2,750 MTPD sulfuric
acid plants in Ambatovy, Madagascar.

NORAM has spent the last twenty years
compiling and perfecting a toolbox of process
and mechanical programs and techniques for
the design and retrofit of new and existing
acid plants. Our clients have provided the
best compliments in terms of comparative
capabilities.
NORAM has developed in-house
programs for process simulation and also
routinely uses computational fluid dynamics
(CFD) when gas flow modeling is important,
finite element analysis (FEA) to evaluate
mechanical stresses in designs, dynamic
simulation to better understand and control
process fluctuations, and flexibility analysis
to ensure proper design and specification
for ducting and piping systems, especially
expansion joints design. A sulfuric acid plant
retrofit requires those special skills to ensure a
low cost and reliable upgrade.

NORAM implements these tools in the
design of all of its equipment. The NORAM
acid towers are designed to be safe, reliable,
and to perform well. Brick lined towers
featuring dished bottom head and dome
packing support offer reliability, durability,

and worry-free operation from process upsets.
NORAM SX alloy towers do not require brick
lining and thus are smaller, lighter and require
considerably less time for installation.

New towers use NORAM HP ceramic
saddle packing because of their low-pressure
drop and low breakage or no-chips benefits.
Fewer chips means the packing, acid cooler,
and distributor are less likely to plug or foul.
For debottlenecking projects, existing
towers benefit by repacking with HP
ceramic saddle packing because of its proven
performance in reducing pressure drop by 50
percent compared to standard 3 inch saddle
packing or in increasing gas flow through the
tower by 25 percent.
The NORAM SMART acid
distributor distributes acid uniformly across
the tower cross section, reliably, and with
minimum splash. The pipe header system sits
above the packing and delivers acid through
downcomer tubes slowly and gently into the
packing. No splash means less spray and
less entrainment. A powerful feature of the
SMART distributor in new NORAM acid
towers is the external cleanout ports which
permit easy clean out of the distributor quickly
and without having to enter the tower. SX
alloy is used for the pipe headers providing
a long lasting, corrosion and sulfate resistant
service.
One of the most up and coming
applications for SX alloy is the acid cooler.
Customer confidence and acceptance for alloy
acid coolers is increasing and NORAM has
poised itself to be able to offer this choice
to its customers. In 2010 NORAM opened
a new office in Gothenburg, Sweden. With
it come personnel with over 25 years of
individual experience in the design of SX
acid equipment. SX alloys excellent corrosion
resistance eliminates the need for anodic
protection providing a very simple, reliable
and low maintenance acid cooler design.
SX erosion resistance properties allow for
Brick Lined Acid Towers
increased fluid velocity providing for a more

compact design and large operating flexibility.
The opening of the Swedish office marks
NORAMs entrance into using SX alloy for
the design of acid coolers and pump tanks,
acid towers and distributors and acid piping.

NORAM has realized further success in
the growth of its sulfuric acid business with
the purchase of Axton fabrication shop located
in Delta, B.C., Canada. The shop is equipped
with state-of-the-art equipment to fabricate
many of the equipment items mentioned in
this article. It is very adept at fabricating all
sorts of alloy products; both large and small.
One example is the NORAM converter shown
in the photo. NORAM offers an all welded
all stainless steel converter using catenary
plates for catalyst supports and bed divisions.
NORAM uses the catenary design because of
its high strength under load and its excellent
ability to accommodate thermal expansion.
The NORAM converter can also include
one or two internal gas exchangers. This
proven feature offers big benefits: reduced
equipment costs, elimination of hot ducting,
simple equipment layout, and low pressure
drop performance.

In the last 20, years NORAM has grown
as a company and also as a provider of
sulfuric acid technology. The company staff
has increased from five employees to over 100,
the majority being professional engineers and
designers. The early leadership and technology
of Gordon Cameron, the hiring of skilled
and experienced professional engineering
personnel, the acquisition of a fabrication
shop equipped with modern manufacturing
and materials handling capabilities and the
foresight to recently acquire a specialty
materials group in Sweden, have not only
grown NORAMs business in the last 20 years
but have assured NORAMs future growth for
the next 20 years.
Congrats to Sulfuric Acid

Today
SMART SX acid distributor
SX acid
cooler
The Sulfuric Acid Today magazine has

been an industry leader and a staple of the
sulfuric acid industry for twenty years. It
has connected and informed acid operators,
vendors, users and technology companies
around the world, providing an invaluable
service to all of its readers. NORAM would
like to congratulate publisher Kathy Hayward
and the Sulfuric Acid Today team for reaching
their twentieth anniversary milestone, and
wish them the best for the next twenty years
and more!
Guy Cooper, P. Eng., at (604) 696-6910 or
email gcooper@noram-eng.com. q
Feature
Saving time and money with form-in-place

gasket material
By: John Czerwinski, Rick Freer, Charlene Jones & Mike Raimer, W.L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

This case study involves sulfuric acid
concentrator units at a facility in Texas. The
facility incorporates a train of tantalum heat
exchangers, fitted originally with graphite
one-piece gaskets. Almost complete
disassembly of the units was required in
order to replace the one-piece gaskets
around the exchanger tubes. A further
challenge was the difficulty in realigning
the numerous tubes for bundle reinsertion.
Overall, this process required up to 72
man-hours to complete for each exchanger,
comprising a three-man maintenance teams
efforts over three shifts.

Looking for a faster, easier solution, the
customer turned to Gore. GORE Gasket
Tape is now used in the heat exchangers,
saving the plant a significant amount of
time, money and trouble. Formed in place,
GORE Gasket Tape simply goes around
the tubes for installation, without the need to
remove the bundle.

Made of 100 percent expanded PTFE
(polytetrafluoroethylene), GORE Gasket
Tape is chemically inert and stands up to
the challenge of sulfuric acid. Strong and
resistant to creep and cold-flow, the tape
also withstands the extremes of thermal
cycling in heat exchanger applications. The
use of GORE Gasket Tape has resulted
in documented reduced cost and dramatic
improvements in productivity at the plant.
heat exchangers. These heat exchangers heat

the sulfuric acid using either thermal oil
or steam materials of construction because
these heat exchangers must be capable of
withstanding the highly corrosive nature
of sulfuric acid. Glass-lined steel or select
exotic metals are often selected depending
on the specific application.
Given the aggressive operating
conditions of these SAC units, heat
exchangers are typically of the u-tube or
floating header design to allow for both
thermal expansion and for access to the shell
side of the equipment. Both designs require
gaskets to seal the shells bolted flanged
connection.
Gasket selection is critical to ensure
reliable and safe operation of the exchanger.
Gaskets should be chemically compatible
with the process media, capable of
generating an initial seal given the available
load, and able to maintain the seal at the
operating pressure and temperature. Gasket
conformability should also be considered to
ensure any flange surface irregularities are
accommodated.
Adapted from Thermopedia.com
Process and application

background
Sulfuric acid is an important product

of the chemical industry, and is used in
many processes. A common application of
sulfuric acid is to remove water from process
streams in the sulfonation and nitration of
organics. It is frequently used to dry gases
such as chlorine, bromine or chloromethane.
Sulfuric acid is also used to dehydrate
hydrochloric acid, nitric acid or acetic acid.
In the course of use, the acid concentration
is reduced and, depending on the process, it
may also become contaminated with organic
substances. In order to recycle and reuse the
acid and control the acids corrosivity, it is
necessary to re-concentrate the acid.
Numerous processes have been
developed to re-concentrate sulfuric acid
and are generally referred to as sulfuric
acid concentrators (SAC). Most are operated
under vacuum to enhance the separation
of water from the sulfuric acid in single or
multiple effect evaporators. The units can
typically regenerate weak sulfuric acid to
medium concentrations of 85 to 90 percent
H2SO4 or to high concentrations of 96 to 98
percent H2SO4.

Common equipment employed in these
SAC processes is one or more shell and tube
Fig. 1: Typical u-tube

showing gasket location.
heat
exchanger
Case study
A large chemical processing plant in

Texas utilizes sulfuric acid concentration
as a key element in their product process
to remove water from the proprietary
product stream. The facility uses a train
of u-tube heat exchangers for this sulfuric
acid concentration process. This case study
focuses on one exchanger from this train.
The heat exchanger has an operating
temperature of approximately 205 degrees
C / 400 degrees F and an operating pressure
of approximately 17 bar / 240 psi. It is used
to concentrate the sulfuric acid to above 85
percent by weight. Given these operating
conditions, the heat exchanger is made
from tantalum. The heat exchanger contains
62 u-tubes and has total dimensions of
approximately 2.4 meters (8 feet) long and
approximately 686 mm (27 in) around. The
end bonnet flanged connection has an inside
diameter of 635 mm (25 in) and is secured
using 20 UNC 1-inch Grade B7 bolts with
hardened steel washers.
Problem

Periodically, the plant needed to open
a flange to perform routine maintenance

or to address joint leaks. With each flange
opening, replacing the u-tube heat exchanger
gasket was cumbersome, expensive, and
time consuming.

A one-piece, graphite-with-metal gasket
was specified by the original equipment
manufacturer (OEM). To replace such a onepiece gasket, the tube bundle needed to be
completely extracted from the shell. For this
heat exchanger in particular, the tube bundle
extraction required relocation of the entire
main body of the equipment. Located on the
fifth floor of the plant, the heat exchanger
was constructed with very narrow confines
making disassembly impossible on-site. As
a result, a crane was required to relocate
the main body of the heat exchanger before
the tube bundle could be removed and the
gasket replaced.

In addition, this particular u-tube heat
exchanger had especially tight tolerances,
making tube bundle reinsertion extremely
difficult. Any damage to the tantalum heat
exchanger was costly to repair.
Overall, gasket replacement in each
exchanger required up to 72 man-hours to
complete, comprising a 3-man maintenance
teams efforts over 3 shifts. The total cost
for this maintenance activity was $9,600,
which included $7,200 in labor costs and
$2,400 in crane rental. This cost does not
include production losses due to the 3-day
downtime.
Solution
GORE Gasket Tape is now used in the
heat exchanger, saving the plant a significant
amount of time, money, and trouble
compared to the prior one-piece gasket. This
is possible due to a unique advantage of the
GORE Gasket Tape: Formed in place, the
gasket tape simply goes around the tubes for
installation, without the need to remove the
bundle altogether.
The tape also stays in place and
withstands sulfuric acid and the temperature
extremes of heat exchangers.
The plant has used GORE Gasket
Tape successfully since 2006, counting
Fig. 3: Forming GORE Gasket Tape in

place on flange.
Fig. 4: GORE Gasket Tape can be applied

to flange without removing tube bundles.
on its reliable performance and its unique

economical installation.
Result
The use of GORE Gasket Tape has
resulted in reduced cost and dramatic
improvements in productivity at the plant.
Installed in as little as a half shift, the manhours required have decreased from 72 to
12 for each exchanger. This means that for
each installation, the production unit saves
$6,000 in man-hours alone. Across a bank
of exchangers, those savings add up quickly.
In addition, the use of GORE Gasket Tape
has freed up hundreds of man-hours that can
be directed to other plant maintenance and
operations needs.
Additional savings from GORE
Gasket Tape include eliminating the need
for a crane to remove the tube bundlea
three-day $2,400 expense per exchanger
unit. And, since the GORE tape can be
created on demand for any size flange in
nearly any plant application, significant
savings in procurement and inventory also
result.
Expense Per
Heat Exchanger
Welded Filled
PTFE Gaskets
GORE
Gasket
Tape
Installation Time
72 Man Hours
12 Man
Hours
Crane Expense
$2,400
$0
Table 1: Comparison of costs.
Other applications for

GORE Gasket Tape
Fig. 2: GORE Gasket Tape.
GORE Gasket Tape is an excellent

solution for sealing any flange larger than
24 inches in diameter. However, GORE
Gasket Tapes features particularly shine
Continued on page 44
PAGE 42
Feature
Continued from page 42
when used on large diameter flanges. Gore recommends

the use of GORE Series 500 Gasket Tape for steel flanges
and GORE Series 600 Gasket Tape for glass-lined steel
applications.
Problems With Large
Gaskets
Advantages Using Gasket

Tape
Custom fabrication off-site
Customization on-site
Excessive lead time
Eliminate lead time
Difficult to ship and store
Easier to ship and store
Costly inventory
Reduced inventory
Difficult to install
Quick and easy installation
Table 2: Advantages of using GORE Gasket Tape in large

gaskets.
GORE Series 500 Gasket Tape in large

steel applications
A Louisiana plant had historically used large prefabricated one-piece gaskets to seal two towers ( 2,769
mm /109 in). These gaskets were constructed off-site by
welding filled PTFE sections together. Careful planning and
procurement was required by the turnaround schedulers to
ensure these gaskets would be available as needed due to a
multiple-week lead-time. Shipped flat in a wooden box to
protect the gasket, the large, nearly 3,048 mm (10 ft) wide
gaskets take up a considerable amount of space at 9.3m (100
ft). With concerns about gasket damage, the operators would
need to take extra care during transfer to the job site.
GORE Gasket Tape was installed in May 2009.
It was readily available from the local supplier, and an
PAGE 44
Fig. 5:
Large welded
PTFE gasket on
shipping support.
operator
could
easily carry it
to the job site to
be fitted to the
flange within a few minutes. With its strong adhesive,
the GORE Gasket Tape stays reliably in place while the
tower head is assembled.

The plant no longer needs to have a gasket prefabricated
and shipped. No crane operations are required and all
concerns of gasket damage are eliminated.
Welded Filled
PTFE Gaskets
GORE Gasket Tape
Lead Time
Several weeks
Minutes to hours
Upfront Cost
$4800
$2660
Shipping Cost
$300
< $10
Transport to
Site
Crane plus
multiple operators
Single Operator
Table 3: Comparison of customer value for both towers.
GORE Series 600 Gasket Tape in

glass-lined steel applications

A large specialty chemical company in the United States
washes sulfuric acid from its product using a glass-lined steel
vessel. The 2,000-gallon reactor operates at 120 degrees C

(248 degrees F) and 2.4 bar (35 psig) and was traditionally
sealed using a PTFE envelope gasket.
After years of service, the reactor was re-glassed
for $130,000. However, the newly re-glassed surface was
severely uneven, with 0.240-inch variances. The PTFE
envelope gasket was unable to accommodate such deviation,
resulting in noticeable leakage during start-up. The plant was
faced with shutting down to once again re-glass the vessel.
GORE Series 600 Gasket Tape was installed to create a
custom gasket on-site to address the severe surface variations.
By mapping the sealing surface, layers of tape were built-up
to match the deviation. With GORE Series 600 Gasket Tape,
the plant was able to start up operations immediately. Total
savings of $280,000 were realized by eliminating the need
for removing and re-glassing the 2,000-gallon glass-lined
steel reactor and by avoiding the associated lost production.
GORE Series 600 Gasket Tape is a form-in-place
gasket tape for glass-lined equipment that guards against
premature gasket failure. Unlike PTFE envelope gaskets,
which consist of PTFE surrounding an insert, GORE Gasket
Tape is 100 percent PTFE. While PTFE envelope gaskets
can fail when stress cracks lead to chemical degradation of
the filler material, GORE Gasket Tape will not degrade
due to chemical attack, ensuring a tight and long-lasting
seal. This unique gasket tape conforms to the imperfections
common in glass-lined flange surfaces, while maintaining
dimensional stability for superior sealing reliability.

For more information, please contact John Czerwinski
at (410) 506-7580 or jczerwin@wlgore.com, or visit www.
gore.com. q
Feature
Structural Preservation Systems uses liquid

fluoroelastomer in resealing procedure on sulfur pit
Structural Preservation Systems
of Deer Park, Texas, collaborates with
clients to improve infrastructure by
combining specialty construction, repair
and maintenance services with proprietary
technologies to provide innovative
solutions for demanding engineering and
construction challenges.
A major industrial petrochemical
facility in the Gulf Coast needed to reseal their sulfur pita Claus sulfur
recovery unitwhere recovered molten
sulfur is stored. The pit is a large, square
reinforced-concrete box lined with a steel
plate incorporating a refractory liner and
a stainless steel partition wall which runs
the length of the pit. The roof of the pit
is a series of pre-cast reinforced concrete
panels, which were sealed with gasket
material at each joint location to eliminate
vapor emissions to the atmosphere.
During maintenance and restoration
activities, when the refractory liner is
installed overtop of the steel plate, the
refractory materials have a high water content
and require a specified dry-out period
before the unit can be put into elevatedtemperature service. Unfortunately, during
this process the stainless steel partition wall
lifted the precast concrete panels, due to

stainless steel expanding 1.5 times more than
concrete and carbon steel (which have very
similar coefficients of thermal expansion).

FLUOROELASTOMER
SEALANT (PELSEAL 2690)
GAP WIDTH VARIES

(APPROXIMATELY 1/2)
HIGH TEMPERATURE FOAM BACKER ROD
AREA TO BE PREPPED (1)
AREA TO BE PREPPED (1)(2)
GAP WIDTH VARIES

(APPROXIMATELY 1/2)
GAP WIDTH VARIES

(APPROXIMATELY 1/2)
HIGH TEMPERATURE
FOAM BACKER ROD
FLUOROELASTOMER
FLUOROELASTOMER
REINFORCING FABRIC
OMITTED FOR CLARITY
AREA TO BE MECHANICALLY
PREPPED USING PNEUMATIC
NEEDLE SCALER AND/OR GRINDER
DEPENDING ON ACCESS
FLUOROELASTOMER
COATING (PLV6032)
WITH REINFORCED FABRIC
Sealant Detail Overhead View of Concrete

Lid.
The refractory dryout was temporarily

suspended. The panels reseated themselves
as the pit cooled. However, although the
panels were reseated, the previously installed
panel joint seals were compromised. Once
the damaged seal conditions were evaluated,
engineering measures were taken to ensure
the panels would not lift during the dryout or
operation of the unit. The sulfur pit concrete
panel seals had to be redesigned and the new
design implemented into the work prior to
commissioning. Resealing while the sulfur
pit was in service and hot was not a viable
option.
Structural Preservation Systems
discussed the proposed repair procedure
with Pelseal Technologies, the leading
manufacturer of high performance liquid
fluoroelastomer products. Pelseal walked
through the problem with Structural and
recommended the companys PLV6032
fluoroelastomer coating and Pelseal 2690,
a fluoroelastomer caulk. We talked
about the repair procedure with Bill Ross
of Pelseal, who was a big help, said
Structurals project manager.
Maintain acid purity and control corrosion

with anodic protection
TORONTOAs acid temperature rises, the corrosion rate of
a 93-98 percent sulfuric acid
tank increases rapidly, contaminating the acid and decreasing
service life. Anodic protection
is an economical solution that
reduces iron pick-up and extends tank life by minimizing
the corrosion rate.

For a typical acid tank, an
anodic protection system consists of cathode and reference
electrode hardware installed
through the tank roof (so it does
not require tank entry) and an
automatic potential controlled rectifier installed adjacent to
the vessel. The installation is straightforward and can be done
by a local contractor. Unlike expensive applied coatings the
system can be installed on acid tanks which are in operation,
reducing the need for costly shutdowns.

Initially, direct current (DC) is applied to the vessel, moving the corrosion potential of the vessel from the high corrosion region to the passive region where a tenacious film of ox-
PAGE 46
ide forms on the metal surface.

After this initial passivation,
nominally 5 percent of rated
current is required to maintain
the passive film.

Corrosion Service Company Limited (CSCL) has over
60 years of experience applying Anotection Anodic Protection systems for acid tanks
and piping globally. Anotection increases the life span of
infrastructure and the quality
of the acid with respect to iron
content, an important criterion
for acid purchasers. This makes Anotection particularly
beneficial in the manufacture, storage and transport of acids.
Anotection systems feature complete automatic system operation. Remote monitoring service is available at a low cost
to ensure the system operation is optimal, with minimal maintenance requirements.

For more information, contact Corrosion Service Co. Ltd.
at (416) 630-2600 or e-mail acid@corrosionservice.com q
Sulfur pit with roof panels in need of repair.
Sulfur pit after repair.
The failed joint sealant materials

on the topside of the panels were totally
removed and then all precast concrete
panel joints were mechanically abraded
and cleaned. The joint cavities were filled
with a high temperature backer rod, leaving
an approximate quarter-inch depth from
the center of the backer rod to the exterior
edge of the joint. The cavity was then filled
with Pelseal 2690 sealant. The sealant was
installed in two passes, with two smaller
adjacent beads to assist in the curing of the
material and to help prevent sagging.
A secondary seal was applied to
the exterior joints. A priming coat of the
PLV6032 material was then applied 3-4
inches on each side of the joint, just thick
enough to completely cover or wet the
substrate. Next, a polyester reinforcing
fabric was centered over the joint and
installed in the wet material. Then, the
PLV6032 was applied to the fabric and
tooled-in to completely saturate the fabric.
Once the PLV6032 material became
tacky, additional coats were applied to
smooth in the fabric. Additional amounts of
the PLV6032 material were placed on top
of the system for a secondary seal.

Following the re-sealing of the pit, no
leaks were detected during the refractory
dryout period or subsequently once the unit
was put into operation.

Bill Ross of Pelseal Technologies, LLC, at
(215) 245-0581 or email bross@pelseal.
com or visit www.pelseal.com. q
Feature
Kimre mist eliminators for sulfuric acid production

Kimre has applied more than 40 years
of successful experience building mist
eliminators to provide the broadest available range of mist elimination options in
sulfuric acid. Based on B-GON media
and enhanced by fiber bed filter technology, Kimre can tackle any sulfuric acid mist
removal challenge. B-GON Mist Eliminators are widely used in the gas cleaning and
contact sections of sulfuric acid plants. Metallurgical, oleum producing, sulfur burning
and regeneration plants rely on mist eliminators in drying towers, absorption towers,
gas cleaning units and tail gas scrubbers to
protect the quality of the product acid, protect downstream equipment from corrosion,
protect the catalysts and ultimately protect
the environment.
Kimre offers a complete selection of
mist elimination equipment for all sulfuric
acid manufacturing applications including
both knitted metal and structured B-GON
mesh for drying towers, traditional Brownian diffusion candle mist eliminators for
absorption towers, and impaction candles
using both traditional fiberglass and knitted
mesh media, as well as Kimre B-GON media. Kimre additionally offers innovative solutions for gas cleaning in metallurgical and
regeneration plants as well as mist eliminators for tail gas scrubbers.
Available in PFA-TEFLON and
ETFE polymers, as well as other plastics,
the B-GON products can handle any sulfuric acid operation up to temperatures of
400 degrees F.
The unique structured design of BGON mesh, shown in Fig. 1, enables cost
competitive designs. For application by
product and metallurgical plants, the performance is unmatched. Over the last few
years, we have had the good fortune to replace mist eliminators from every other major supplier with resounding success.
Proven applications in sulfuric acid production include:

Drying towers
B-GON Mist Eliminators provide extremely long life as replacements for knitted
metal mesh. B-GON candles can be supplied to provide high efficiency mist removal in a convenient cylindrical form. Kimre
can also supply traditional metal knitted
mesh and co-knit pads and candles.
Absorption towers

Kimre offers a full range of mist elimination options for absorption towers. High
efficiency Brownian diffusion candles provide excellent separation of sub-micron
mists. Dual wall concentric candles reduce
pressure drop or increase throughput in limited space. Fiberglass, metal knitted mesh
and B-GON impaction candles provide
high efficiency mist removal at an economical cost.
Feed gas clean-up
B-GON Mist Eliminators are used for
a variety of applications in raw gas clean-up
operations particularly in combination with
the SXF Semi Cross Flow technology.
The AEROSEP Multi-Stage Aerosol Separation technology is Kimres newest development for sub-micron aerosol removal.
Tail gas scrubbing
B-GON Mist Eliminators are proven
for optimum mist separation on tail gas
scrubbers. Where extremely high efficiency
is required, Kimre can provide high efficiency Brownian diffusion candles.
Oleum vent scrubbing
Kimres AEROSEP Multi-Stage
Aerosol Separation System has proven capable of easily removing the sub-micron sulfuric acid mist originating from oleum vapors
people on the move

Roberts announces new executive vice
president
WINTERVILLE, N.C. Roberts (formerly known as The Roberts
Co.), with offices in Winterville and Raleigh, recently announced
the addition of T. Jason Dunaway as Executive Vice President.

Dunaway recently served as Vice President of Operations at
CB&I, Power in Georgia and before that was Director and Business
Manager for Shaw Group Inc., Power where
he had previously served more than two
years as a Prime Contract Manager in
Charlotte, NC. Jasons more than 18 yearsexperience in the industry, specifically in
the area of internal and external customer
relationship management, offers Roberts
and their customers a broad and far-reaching
T. Jason Dunaway, network of alliances.
Jasons experience and desire to
Roberts Executive
build relationships and resolve complex
Vice President
PAGE 48
Fig. 1: B-GON mesh.
contact with atmospheric moisture.

Kimre, Inc. manufactures the B-GON
Mist Eliminators out of thermoplastics ranging from polypropylene to PFA-Teflon.
This is advantageous over the stainless steel
mesh with respect to corrosion resistance.
B-GON Mist Eliminators do not lose their
shape from corrosion as stainless steel mesh
can. In addition, the product has these advantages:
The unique structure is the most cleanable,
reusable material available in the world.
Economics are particularly improved by
reusing existing grids in almost all cases.
Available in large pieces, which enable
very rapid installation and, where required,
quick removal for cleaning and reliable reinstallation.
Able to handle more extreme conditions
than other technologies due to wider ranges
of fiber diameters.

Kimre fiber bed mist eliminators can
meet the most challenging mist elimination
needs in oleum towers, high-temperature
absorption towers and standard absorption
towers. Using high efficiency fiberglass media, the Kimre fiber bed mist eliminators
can achieve efficiencies greater than 99.9
percent on particles smaller than 1 micron
operations and commercial issues makes him the right fit for the
position of Executive Vice President with Roberts, stated Monty
Glover, Roberts COO. His focus on customer service is an
excellent complement to the existing culture at Roberts, and we are
very pleased to have Jason as part of our team.

For more information, visit www.robertscompany.com
Acid Piping Technology appoints Brazil

representative
ST. LOUIS, MO Acid Piping Technology
Inc. (APT) recently appointed Paulo Costa
as their representative in Brazil. Costa will
have responsibilities for technical sales and
customer service for all of the APT product
lines including Mondi piping, ceramics,
valves and other specialty products.

For more information, please contact Paulo Costa, Acid
Paulo Costa at +55 11 996101299 or Piping Technology
paulocosta2910@gmail.com. q
Brazil Representative
Fig. 2: B-GON candles in cylinder form.
and outlet loading below 15 milligrams per

cubic meter.
The B-GON Mist Eliminators combine the best features of knitted mesh and
plate-type mist eliminators. The ladder-like
structure of the B-GON mesh causes a
change in direction of vapor flow that enhances droplet removal by impaction, interception and centrifugal actions. This structure also produces a cross flow of captured
liquid that flushes particulates from the media. The improved drainage of the geometric
structure is a big advantage over the knitted
mesh pads. Finally, the interlocking structure provides the B-GON Mist Eliminator
with excellent resiliency and resistance to
compression or cold flow of the media.
The monofilaments in the B-GON
structure align approximately 93 percent of
the fibers perpendicular to the gas flow for
maximum droplet removal efficiency. The
conventional knitted types seldom exceed
67 percent. The high number of fibers perpendicular to the gas flow allow for higher
removal efficiency per unit of pressure drop,
which corresponds to lower energy usage,
lower operating costs and immediate results.

The main advantages of the B-GON
material is the lower pressure drop per unit
of collection efficiency, the improved liquid
handling ability and resistance to plugging.

When Kimre recommends a B-GON
Mist Eliminator or fiber bed filter to a customer, calculations are run on the various
styles of material to optimize the price,
performance, life and operating costs of the
mist eliminator. The wide variety of styles
allows Kimre, Inc. to provide customers
with customized solutions for each individual process.

For more information about Kimre
products, please visit www.kimre.com or
e-mail sales@kimre.com. q
Feature
Combining safety, comfort with

GORE Chemical Splash Fabric

When working with corrosive liquid chemicals, you need to
be protected against chemical splashes. The right protective garment
assists in reducing worker injury and minimizes the risk for accidental skin contact with chemicals. Choosing protective garments
made with GORE Chemical Splash Fabric provides exceptional
liquid splash protection without sacrificing comfort, meaning workers wont resist wearing them. Garments made from this unique
fabric provide the wearer time necessary to exit the area and follow
emergency protocols in case of an accidental splash with a dangerous chemical.

Clothing made from this outstanding fabric allows the body
to breathe, sweat can evaporate through the GORE membrane,
providing relief from heat stress. Heat stress can be a serious problem. In some cases, heat stress may be even more dangerous that
the chemical itself. To release heat, your body sweats, and when the
sweat evaporates your body is cooled. Protective garments made
with GORE Chemical Splash Fabric are breathable, allowing the
continual evaporation of sweat, providing relief from heat stress.
Because these protective garments are lightweight and comfortable,
they can be worn for an entire shift without excessive overheating.
The key to the superior performance found in protective garments
made with GORE Chemical Splash Fabric is their ability to be both
breathable and provide liquid chemical penetration resistance.

When selecting chemical splash protective clothing look for
garments that are certified to the NFPA 1992 standard. Durability, tear resistance, water and stain repellency are attributes of high
quality manufactured garments. These can be important elements
when working with dangerous and life threatening chemicals. Also,
choose product made by an experienced manufacturer who has an
understanding of the complexity involved in manufacturing protective garments with a commitment to achieving the highest level
of quality. For example, special attention is given to areas such as
PAGE 50
seams which are vulnerable to chemical penetration. Garments made

with GORE Chemical Splash Fabric are sewn using GORE TENARA Sewing Thread, a specially designed thread which is thermally stable and chemically resistant, preventing seams from failing
during a chemical splash incident. Additionally, look for garments
featuring seams which are sealed using GORE-SEAM tape, which
provides a robust system against liquid penetration.

Its important that you select a certified NFPA 1992 garment
for liquid splash protection. The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standard sets minimum levels of performance requirements for the garment material, seams, closures and the full garment
design. Safety features, such as flame resistance and high-visibility
(ANSI 107 and CSA Z-96) are additional options beyond the NFPA
standard that can be incorporated where necessary. Before deciding
on any protective garment for use in a chemical protection application, it is best to consult a trained safety or industrial hygiene professional. Its necessary to understand the limitations of garments
used for liquid splash protection. For instance, garments made with
GORE Chemical Splash Fabric are not appropriate for use where
vapor protection is required.

Lac-Mac protective garments made with GORE Chemical
Splash Fabric provide a barrier to several inorganic and organic liquid challenges. If your objective is to reduce potential injuries related to liquid chemical splash, then Lac-Mac garments, along with
professional safety training and practices are an excellent choice.
Lac-Macs extensive experience and knowledge can help guide the
selection of the most appropriate protective garment for your specific
application. For more than 25 years, Lac-Mac has been manufacturing durable, breathable, chemical splash protective garments that
have been used throughout the chemical industry.

For information, please contact Lac-Mac at (888) 452-2622 or
visit www.lac-mac.com. q
Continued from page 36
categorized as either general purpose epoxy polymer

concrete or as a novolac epoxy. The novolac epoxy
resin possesses a greater degree of cross-linking than
the standard bisphenol-A epoxy. Consequently, the
novolac resin system offers an upgrade in properties.
Among epoxies, novolac systems will tolerate greater
chemical concentrations while exhibiting compressive
strength of 16,000 psi.

Further up the line of organic polymer concretes is
the vinylester family. Novolac vinylesters are specified
where certain chemicals such as bleaches or oxidizing
solutions are present. Like epoxy-resin based polymer
concrete, vinylester polymer concretes can be general
purpose grade or a novolac vinylester formulation.
Often the temperature environment is a
determining factor in selecting one of the organic
polymer concretes. Sauereisens epoxy, novolac epoxy,
vinylester and novolac vinylester polymer concretes
resist maximum service temperatures of 200 degrees
F, 250 degrees F, 220 degrees F and 350 degrees F,
respectively.

The materials industry continues to develop new
varieties of polymer concrete. Sauereisen reports
recent advances in working with calcium aluminate
formulations for substrates where thermal shock
is a concern and with polyurethane where a higher
level of flexibility is desired. In either case, material
formulators working in conjunction with installation
contractors are able to deliver a material that is easy
to apply and durable enough to last a generation.
For more information, please visit www.
sauereisen.com. q
Feature
HRS in a brownfield plant

By: Senada Dunjic, Chief Piping Engineer and Nirvan Nuckchedee, Business Development
Manager, Sulphur & Emissions Management, Mining & Metallurgy, SNC-Lavalin Inc.
Acid plant performance declines from

the day of start-upunless the plant is properly maintained. It is interesting to see the balance that various operators manage in order
to deal with the cash and business objectives
they face at any given moment. Nevertheless,
a well-maintained plant, with planned upgrades and revamps that align with the plants
operating lifecycle, will result in the ideal cost
per metric ton of acid produced. These major
plant upgrades or revamps can make or break
the future operating costs of a plant depending on whether they are planned and executed
properly. This article outlines some of the
challenges and solutions weve encountered
throughout our revamp and upgrade experiences in various projects. Specifically, we will
explore one of the most complex types of projectsthe Brownfieldadding new technology to an existing installation.

While an experienced team provides the
best risk management, some of the other lessons we have learned include:
Ensure a plan for the commissioning of any
new additions is developed.
Establish reliable procedures with optimal
safety in mind.
Assess retention of existing components
and equipment.
Obtain adequate high quality as-built details (drawings, data sheets, makes and models, inspection records, calculation sheets).
Confirm accuracy of information collected.
Investigate, with plant operators and maintenance personnel, any issues encountered
both as an input prior to any upgrade as well
as during implementation.
Invest in a team that understands well the
unique aspects of the site.
Ensure clear understanding of the material
supply source and standards the project will
use.
Understand all stakeholder capabilities.
Establish tie points as early as possible, and
prevent constructability issues from the get-go
by engaging the right contractor.
Verify the infrastructure can support both
project execution and future state operation.
Assess potential bottlenecks during the installation of the new equipment.
By no means is this a comprehensive
list, but we believe it provides a good starting
point for the management of any upgrade implementation risks.

SNC-Lavalin has performed many successful projects in brownfield locations. One
of the more challenging examples involves the
installation of a Heat Recovery System (HRS)
on existing plants. The objective of the HRS
is to absorb SO3 from the gas stream and recover the heat from the absorption process as
low pressure steam. As many people know,
designing and installing a functional HRS
system is an interesting technical challenge.

Our experiences upgrading with DuPont
HRS technology have resulted in a fundamental technological and operational change.
The HRS technology requires consistency in
PAGE 52
plant operation in terms of gas flow and SO2

concentration and the scope and requirements
of such an upgrade are in excess of typical
revamp and maintenance work. The system
prevents overcooling of gas to avoid acid condensation and corrosion problems, improves
steam and energy balance of the plant, and
provides a significant return on investment.

With challenging global economies and
the need to spend money prudently, owners
are reluctant to venture into building brand
new plants. Revamping their old, but still functioning, plants is frequently the preferred option. HRS provides an opportunity to improve
the performance of an existing plant, including its overall thermal efficiency and reduce
operating costs. Therefore, it is worthwhile
considering adding an HRS to the equation.
Furthermore, the option to potentially fund
the installation using an off-balance -sheet
commercial model makes the investment even
more appealing (this opportunity can be covered in a separate discussion).
Brown is the new green

Upgraded engineering adds a breath of
fresh air to an aging facility. It is very natural
to incur additional repairs, upgrades, replacements and add-ons to the hot work of a facility
in production. It is typical that investments in
upgrade projects instead of in new greenfields
have proven to be advantageous for an asset
operator, unless a transformational change is
required. Dollar for dollar, investing in an existing facility will lead to the best utilization
of existing infrastructure and reduce the per
unit cost to produce acid in comparison to a
complex greenfield. Weve helped our clients
deploy capital to leverage existing areas and
develop an upgraded plant that has a lower total installed cost than a new plant. However,
the objective of minimizing disruption to the
ongoing plant operation requires an increased
focus on safety.
Every project, no matter how routine,
presents new and different challenges. A few
of the challenges weve managed in upgrades
such as the HRS installation include:
Managing form/fit/function of new boltons to the existing process.
Reviewing new code requirements to ensure design/process/construction compliance.
Ensuring an efficient construction (removal
and installation) approachsome areas are
complex, have a tortuous path and require
expertise to avoid damage and unnecessary
delays.
Logistics of getting equipment to site.
Staff and resource safety.
Managing the cost of having material on
site in time.
Assessing the ability for existing infrastructure to accommodate new equipment/
construction activities.
The most common problem weve encountered in upgrading bolt-ons has been
obtaining accurate process data from a plant
that has been in operation for many years. The
inability to access current as-built drawings,

data sheets and inspection records adds to the
already long list of difficulties that challenge
the most confident of engineers. Actions that
asset managers could consider implementing
include:
Investing in as-built drawings and document production.
Collecting operating experience findings to
ensure that any implementation is a success
but also that the final plant eliminates wasted
resources.
Working in partnership with a project and
process execution team to ensure that the best
solution is implemented.

To provide the reader with an appreciation for the complexity of HRS installations, a
technical introduction is necessary. In a functioning SAP, acid coolers are replaced by the
HRS boiler. Instead of rejecting heat in the
acid cooler, the boiler removes the heat of absorption as steam (10 barg). Hot gases leaving
the first stage of the HRS tower (which replaces the standard IPAT) are cooled in the second
stage where the remaining SO3 is absorbed.
The gas leaving the HRS tower is the same as
it would have been leaving the interpass tower.
The new equipment that requires strategic locating consists of a two-stage packed HR tower, horizontal steam boiler, HRS diluter, HRS
preheater/heater and pumps (acid circulating,
acid drains, and boiler feedwater).

Here are a few select examples of HRS
implementations, their challenges and how we
mitigated them:
Project example #1
On one of our brownfield sulfur burning acid plant projects, where HRS was being
introduced for the purpose of reducing plant
emissions, the typical layout was impossible to
fit in a conventional manner. The HRS boiler
had to be rotated to enable tube bundle removal. This simple modification caused unusual
routing of related piping systems that, in turn,
further complicated the structural solutions
for the supports. This made it quite challenging to install and required careful construction
planning. Given the scenario, the design was
still sound and functional. The steam injection that had to be connected to the gas duct
at the highest point was particularly difficult
to install with the space limitations at the locations where the ducts connected to the tower.
This required shortening the platform that was
meant to service the injection nozzle. We extended it to the maximum limit and ended up
having adequate and unobstructed access that
the operators sincerely appreciated.
Project example #2
Another HRS example is a plant that
needed an increase in steam output for a new
TG blower system and existing steam production equipment. This time the HRS required
a deaerator with a lot of extra piping in a very
small space. This resulted in the boiler having
to be elevated much higher than the usual 10m
to accommodate the BFW pumps. The heaters were also higher than usual, and all this
added to the complexity of the structures, as
they needed to be made stronger to handle the
heavier loads and seismic component. Piping
that collected acid from the diluter, the bot-
MECS HRS system installed by SNC-Lavalin.
tom of the pump boot and the heaters, had to

be sloped toward the pumps. In addition, all
drains had to be heat traced and insulated,
reducing already tight operating space. With
careful planning and implementation of special space saving supports we had come up
with an optimal design that satisfied all functional and operating requirements.
Project example #3

The most challenging brownfield project
to date was the plant with an HRS-ready interpass tower, because the existing platforms
were attached to the tower, rather than being
independently supported from the ground.
Adding loads to the aging structures required
careful considerations, proper assessments
and precise calculations, in order to proceed
with engineering. Frequent communication
with the owner was a main prerequisite for a
successful conclusion. The original as-built
drawings did not resemble the actual installation and, thanks to the site visits, we were able
to collect accurate data necessary for the detailed engineering. Tie-ins to existing equipment (i.e. a tower) is a matter that often gives
headaches to the stress engineers due to the
difficulty of staying within allowable nozzle
loads. This is even more of a challenge when
the strength of the nozzle is not the same as
originally welded due to a reduction in thickness. Our stress engineers have done wonders
in this regard, carefully selecting and positioning supports, as well as coordinating closely
with the owners structural engineering team.
Due again to space constraints, a flow meters
straight length requirements had to be solved
in a non-standard way by introducing a spacesaving elbow mounted annubar.
No shortcuts
For the successful execution of HRS
brownfield projects, effective strategic planning cannot be overlooked. The consequences
and cost of such omissions are avoidable. On
the other hand, careful planning, in-depth research and designed-in safety measures bring
higher energy efficiency, increased capacity,
power generating capability, reduction of environmental impact and fast payback for the
investment.

With proper planning and engineering, a
brownfield project that includes HRS can lead
to a highly efficient plant, in less time and at
lower cost than building new.
Senada Dunjic at 416-252-5315 ext 55593, or
visit www.snclavalin.com. q
Fe
D
ea
pta
urrte
ment
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
38th Annual AIChE International

Phosphate Fertilizer & Sulfuric
Acid Technology Conference slated
for June
CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla.Each year for the last 37
years, members of the AIChE Central Florida Section
and colleagues from all over the world have gathered in
Clearwater Beach, Fla., at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort to
share their ideas concerning chemical process technology,
specifically the production of phosphoric acid, phosphate
fertilizers and sulfuric acid.
The two-day conference will be held June 6-7 and
will include a sulfuric acid technology workshop on Friday
and two concurrent sessions on Saturday pertaining to
phosphoric acid and sulfuric acid.
This years sulfuric acid workshop on June 6 will
focus on issues concerning hydrogen gas incidents that have
occurred in the sulfuric industry worldwide. The session
will highlight topics such as underlying causes, suggestions
for mitigation and prevention.
Many of these incidents have a common thread.
Knowing the potential causes will assist plant operators,
maintenance personnel, engineers, and designers to
minimize the risks of these incidents. During this workshop,
presenters will discuss the events leading to an incident,
the effect and the action taken. There will be four to six
different incidents that will be presented.
The session will include presentations that will be
geared toward practicing engineers with various degrees of
exposure to the sulfuric acid process, plant operation and
plant maintenance. The workshops objective is to assist

engineers in evaluating the operation and the maintenance
of their plants. It is necessary for engineers involved in
plant operations to fully understand the variety of issues
that surround these incidents. Following the presentations,
there will be a panel discussion providing participants
an opportunity to have their questions answered by a
distinguished panel of experts in the industry.

For more information, please visit the events website
at www.aiche-cf.org.
Keystone Publishing to host first

Equipment Integrity & Reliability
Conference & Exhibition 2014
COVINGTON, La.Keystone Publishing, the publisher
of Sulfuric Acid Today magazine, is pleased to announce
the companys newest conference, Equipment Integrity &
Reliability Conference & Exhibition 2014, which will take
place Oct. 7-8 in New Orleans, La.
The Equipment Integrity & Reliability Conference
will bring together engineers and inspectors from the oil
and gas community including the downstream (chemical,
petrochemical and petroleum refining plants), upstream,
and midstream sectors.
Professionals with responsibility for engineering,
maintenance, inspection and reliability should attend the
two-day event.

The program will consist of informative presentations
on topics including HTHA, brittle fracture, fired heater
tube life management, fixed equipment vibration,
high temperature and creep issues and a range of other
mechanical integrity and reliability issues.

In addition to presentations, participants will have
the opportunity to visit exhibitions from worldwide
vendors displaying the latest technology for integrity and
reliability.
If you are interested in presenting a paper or
exhibiting, please contact Kathy Hayward at (985) 8073868 or send an email to kathy@kathyhayward.com.
10th Chilean Sulfuric Acid Plants

Roundtable to be held in November
SAN FELIPE, ChileThe organizers are pleased to
announce the Tenth Round Table for Sulfuric Acid Plants
to be held in Chile from Nov. 16-20. The conference will
take place at the Hotel Dreams in Punta Arenas.
Operators and maintenance experts, technology
providers, plant owners, consultants and engineering
firms specializing in sulfuric acid technology will discuss
the latest developments in technology, projects, operations
and sulfuric acid markets.
As usual, delegates from almost all sulfuric acid
plants of the Spanish speaking countries in South America
will attend and present their projects and operational and
maintenance topics during the three days of the sessions.
At the same time the technology providers will have a
chance to network with their customers and present their
new developments and products. Simultaneous English/
Spanish translation will be provided.

For information on the hotels, deadlines of presentations
and papers, travel details and other relevant topics, please
visit www.mesaredondachile.com or email info@holtec.cl. q
Faces & Places
Enjoying MECS DuPonts dinner cruise held in conjunction with

the 2013 Sulphur conference in Miami, Fla., are, from left, David
Bailey of Central Maintenance & Welding, Randy Charlot of CF
Industries, Josh Every of Mosaic and Joe Dimase of Central
Maintenance & Welding.
Egan Godfredsen, left and Dennis Smerchanski of Border Chemical

Co., visit with Lene Hansen of Haldor Topsoe A/S at the 2013 Sulphur
conference in Miami, Fla.
PAGE 54
Michael Fenton of Chemetics visits with attendees of the 2013

Sulphur Conference in Miami in the companys exhibition.
Visiting the Kimre exhibition at the 2013 Sulphur conference in

Miami, Fla., are, from left, Dr. Amar Shah of Silver Microshield,
Stephanie Gornail, Mary Keenan, Daniel Buehring, Chris
Pederson, Fred Mueller, Ed Fowler, Marilia Da Silva, Janet Matos
and Mukesh Khagram of Evergreen Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
MECS Dupont hosted a dinner cruise aboard the luxury yacht,

The Venetian Lady, for their customers attending the 2013 Sulphur
conference in Miami, Fla. Enjoying the evening are, from left, Jeannie
Branzaru, Chris Winkler, Steve Puricelli, Ken Kershaw and Kirk Schall
of MECS DuPont.
Catching up during a hospitality function associated with

the 2013 Sulphur conference in Miami, Fla., are, from left,
Tom de Groot of Teck Metals Ltd., Orlando Perez of OP &
Associates H2SO4 Consultants, and Ed and Tina Knoll of
Acid Piping Technology.

Sulfuric Acid Today Spring/Summer 2014

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Covering Maintenance Solutions for the Industry

www.H 2S0 4Today.com

IN THIS ISSUE > > > >

Sulfuric Acid Today revisits 20 years of

Global sulfuric acid market a twenty year

Covering Maintenance Solutions for the Industry

FROM THE PUBLISHER

NORAMThe best of the past 20 years (page 40).

Acid Today magazine. Where does the time go? It seems

Acid Today advertisers, including Acid Piping Technology

Welcome to the 20th Anniversary issue of Sulfuric

and believed in the vision of producing a sulfuric acid industry

that today reaches sulfuric acid professionals globally. Im

extremely proud and grateful to be part of an industry that

is willing and open to the exchange of information. Im

Sulfuric Acid Today magazine as well as sponsoring

sulfuric acid roundtables and workshops in the U.S.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3502

Inc., Beltran Technologies, Central Maintenance & Welding,

MECS Inc., Lac-Mac, Mercad Equipment Inc., NORAM

LLC, Sauereisen, Southwest Refractory of Texas, Spraying

Systems Co., SNC-Lavalin, Southern Environmental Inc.,

As this issue goes to press, we are finalizing the last

details of the 2014 Australasia Sulfruic Acid Workshop,

which will take place March 24-27, 2014, in Adelaide, South

from our Co-Sponsors as well as delving into some perti-

nent plant discussion topics. Im looking forward to another

In this issue, you will find several articles that

take a look back over the last 20 years. Be sure to

of safety (page 21), Global sulfuric acid marketa

I would like to thank our new and returning Sulfuric

and Australia. I hope you find this issue both helpful

twenty year retrospective (page 22), The Roberts

We are currently compiling information for our Fall/Win-

I look forward to hearing from you.

Remembering Lou Doerr

He actively supported St. Louis FIRST Robotics,

In Memory of Bob Borges

while also raising pump quality for customers.

Codelco taps Foster

as copper, rhenium and sulfuric acid as

General Chemical also moves Chemtrade

Solvay taps Credit Suisse

Kansanshi Mine targets

Dundee Precious Metals

Sulfuric acid plant planned

Sulfuric acid industry evolves over 20 years

The past 20 years have been a time

For many years, the old adage if it

The exchange of best practices between

there are more pieces to juggle at each

One of the most significant changes

an adversarial role into one of mutual

Another major change over the past

Relationships between contractors and plant

power plants, thereby reducing the need for

become a coveted source of energy. For

The past two decades have brought

Economy of scale has resulted in larger

New products and

Along with larger plants and more

exchanger tube cleaning and sleeving;

VIP International has long served

A major advancement in catalyst handling is