Clear Edge Helps A Major Pigment Manufacturer To Efficient Growth
CLEAR EDGE AZURTEX™ ROTARY VACUUM DRUM FILTER CLOTHS BOOST IRON OXIDE PRODUCER’S OUTPUT AND REDUCES OPERATING COST.
In a highly competitive pigment market, all producers are seeking opportunities to improve margins and increase their output. Clear Edge were invited to work with a major European inorganic pigments company to debottleneck their process, boosting the factory’s production capacity.
THE CHALLENGE
The customer’s goal was to improve the efficiency of the filtration of his iron oxide pigment slurry.
With pigment filtration being an important process step, Clear Edge was invited to help solve the inefficiency of the process and three route causes were identified;
- Pigment being lost in filtrate due to poorer retention properties of the filter cloths.
- To high cake moistures causing cake release problems and the necessity to slow down drum speed to hit moisture targets.
- Filter cloths blinding prematurely requiring early cloth replacement, hence production downtime and increased cloth consumption.
THE SOLUTION
Clear Edge introduced proprietary filtration technology to address the challenges faced by this site. Azurtex™ is a microporous coated filtration media designed to capture fine particles beyond the capabilities of most conventional fabrics, whilst inhibiting solids ingress, avoiding blinding.
THE RESULTS
The inorganic pigment producer increased production capacity and reduced cost per tonne. Azurtex™ filter media prevented cloth blinding resulting in the target moisture being achieved consistently increasing productivity, a reduction of wash water quantity and avoiding elevated energy costs.
Avoidance of blinding also allowed the filter cloth to be used for an average of three times longer. This extended lifetime, reduced the quantity of cloths purchased, stock and the labour cost associated with cloth replacement.
The customer reported an increase of the production output, and a significant decrease in the operational cost per tonne when switching to Azurtex™ Drum Filter Cloths from Clear Edge. Fewer filter cloth replacements, lowered the exposure of workers to the safety risks associated with reclothing drum filters.
