PARTNERS
SICIT 2000 S.p.A. (SICIT 2000) - Project beneficiary
Address: Via Arzignano, 80 — 36072 Chiampo (VI) — Italy
Tel. +39 0444 450946 — Fax +39 0444 453812 — Mail: [email protected] — Web: www.sicit2000.it
LIFE RIWAC
Project LIFE05 ENV/IT/000812
SICIT CHEMITECH S.p.A. (SICIT CHEMITECH).
Address: Via Arzignano, 80 — 36072 Chiampo (VI) — Italy
Tel. +39 0444 450946 — Fax +39 0444 420727 — Mail: [email protected] — Web: www.sicitchemitech.it
Stazione Sperimentale per l’Industria delle Pelle e delle Materie Concianti (SSIP).
Address: Via Nuova Poggioreale, 39 — 80143 Napoli — Italy
Tel. +39 081 5979100 — Fax +39 081 265574 — Mail: [email protected] — Web: www.ssip.it
Asociación de Investigación de las Industrias del Curtido y Anexas (AIICA).
Address: Avda. Pla de la Massa, s/n — 08700 Igualada (Barcelona) — España
Tel. +34 93 8055388 — Fax +34 93 8050618 — Mail: [email protected] — Web: www.aiica.com
Centro Tecnológico das Indústrias do Couro (CTIC).
Address: Apartado 128 — São Pedro — 2384-909 Alcanena — Portugal
Tel. +351 249 889190 — Fax +351 249 889199 — Mail: [email protected] — Web: www.ctic.pt
Antonio Tort Tosal (TORT).
Address: Sant Antoni de Baix, 100 — 08700 Igualada (Barcelona) — España
Tel. +34 93 8030494 — Fax +34 93 8046825
Marsipel – INDÚSTRIA DE CURTUMES, S.A. (MARSIPEL).
Address: Apartado 10 — 2380 Alcanena — Portugal
Tel. +351 24 9891437 — Fax +351 24 9887128 — Web: www.marsipel.pt
Sveco S.r.l. (SVECO).
Address: Via del Commercio, 13 — 36100 Vicenza — Italy
Tel. +39 0444 1821520 — Fax +39 0444 348469 — Web: www.sveco.com
Rino Mastrotto Group S.p.A. – Divisione Calbe (CALBE).
Address: Via Quinta Strada, 55 - Z.I. - 36071 Arzignano — Italy
Tel. +39 0445 969696 - Fax +39 0445 969697 - Mail: [email protected] - Web: www.rinomastrottogroup.com
SICIT 2000 S.p.A.- Via Arzignano 80 - 36072 Chiampo (VI) - Italy
Tel. +39 0444 450946 - Fax +39 0444 453812 - web: riwac.sicit2000.it
Recovery of
Industrial
Water And
Chromium
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Project for Recovery and Reuse of Industrial Waters and
Trivalent Chromium generated by Tannery Waste Processing
It is almost 50 years SICIT 2000 (S.I.C.IT. S.p.A. until 2001) has been
extracting collagen from tannery industry by-products as protein
hydrolysates. More specifically, in Chiampo factory the extraction is
performed by chromium (III)-tanned shavings generated in the Vicenza
Tannery District (one out of the most important Tannery Districts in the
world).
Shavings processing originates a sludge containing chromium (III),
disposed into landfills.
Also wastewater containing ammonia is produced in significant
amounts from the evaporation steps and discharged to the municipal
wastewater treatment plant, together with exhaust solution of ammonia
absorption.
TARGETS
RIWAC Project targets are the Recovery and Reuse of:
◊
process water containing ammonia,
◊
chromium (III) contained in the residual sludge,
◊
calcium sulphate contained in the residual sludge.
RIWAC Project aimed to implement the existing production process with a
demonstration plant for ammonia water recovery by removing
ammonia and with a demonstration plant for chromium (III)
recovery from the sludge, through a complex chemical process
necessary for its purification.
H2O
Cr
Products obtained by these recovery processes are:
¨
¨
¨
¨
Water, usable again in the shavings processing, thus saving ground
water pumping,
Ammonium sulphate concentrated solution (35-40%), usable as
fertiliser in agriculture or in different industrial sectors,
Basic chromium (III) sulphate liquor (12% Cr2O3), suitable for
utilization in the tannery industry as a reagent for tanning and
retanning operations,
Calcium sulphate, usable in agriculture as soil improver.
RIWAC Project activities were divided between the two main targets: industrial
water recovery and chromium (III) recovery.
For each one, the following steps were performed: basic and detail design,
purchase of equipment and infrastructures, demonstration plant erection, start-up
of the plants and their final validation.
Other activities included reporting to European Commission and the Dissemination,
i.e. divulgation of the RIWAC Project contents and achievements.
Nine qualified Partners participated to RIWAC Project with SICIT 2000 being the
beneficiary: SICIT CHEMITECH, the R&D and engineering company of SICIT Group,
was involved in research activity coordination and elaboration of design
documentation. Three research centres expert in tannery process, the Italian
SSIP, the Spanish AIICA and the Portuguese CTIC, together with three tanneries,
the Italian Rino Mastrotto Group, the Spanish Antoni Tort and the Portuguese
Marsipel, and the Italian chemicals distribution company Sveco performed
experimental testing and evaluation of recovered chromium (III) product, in order
to assess its value as a tanning agent in tanning and retanning operations.
The Project, started on 01.10.2005 and finished on 30.09.2008, reached all its
goals for industrial water recovery, while was not completed the demonstration
plant for chromium (III) recovery due to some technical and organisational
problems. Demonstration plant erection for chromium (III) recovery is still going
on.
TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS
Industrial water recovery:
Industrial water rich in ammonia produced by shavings
treatment evaporators undergoes heat recovery from
other process steps and then is fed to the first reactor of
shavings treatment process, where, thanks to alkaline
pH (>11), high temperature (>95°C) and stirring,
ammonia develops to gaseous phase. Developed
ammonia is recovered in proper packed towers, where
sulphuric
acid
is
recirculated,
thus
producing
ammonium sulphate 35-40%, which can be used
either in agriculture or industrial sectors. In this way
about 550 ton/day of industrial water are recovered and reused, saving ground
water pumping for the same amount.
Chromium (III) recovery:
The recovery process starting from a sludge containing
protein, chromium (III) hydroxide, calcium hydroxide,
includes thermal treatment, filtration, evaporation and
refining steps, that yield at the end the basic
chromium (III) sulphate (12% Cr2O3) liquor
(about 12 ton/day) and the calcium sulphate bihydrate (70% dry matter). Only first two steps of the
recovery process have been implemented at
30.09.2008, the remaining ones being still under
erection. The final result will be the dismissal of the landfill disposal of process
sludge containing chromium (III).