Wastewater treatment of a pharmaceutical company
Customer
The client is a world leader in the pharmaceutical industry, producing chemicals for the pharmaceutical sector in Spain.
Objectives
To verify that vacuum evaporation with heat pump technology can treat this type of effluent, especially for one of the possible products, raloxifene hydrochloride, whose discharge limit to the environment is 250 mg/day. The customer needed to ensure the quality of the distillate discharged to the environment and reduce overall energy costs.
01.
Opportunity
The customer was using an atmospheric evaporator that had excessive energy costs and limited volume for treatment capacity. There was no guarantee on the quality of the distillate discharged into the environment.
02.
Project
Sample analysis and vacuum evaporation tests in C&G laboratories, experimenting both with and without initial sample neutralization.
Feasibility study of a project including the C&G V-NT 12000 vacuum evaporator with the base and the lower heating coil made of a special SAF stainless steel alloy.
Introduction of additional safety controls with 2 carbon filters, which take into account the possible presence of raloxifene hydrochloride, and a conductivity meter installed on the distillate.
Automatic return of the distillate to the inlet storage tank if the conductivity read exceeds a preset value.
03.
Solution
To address the issues of high costs, low treatment efficiency and uncertain distillate quality, a C&G V-NT 12000 vacuum evaporator was installed. This system was designed with special materials, including a base and heating coil in SAF stainless steel, to ensure high chemical resistance.
The plant has also been equipped with double carbon filters to remove impurities and a conductivity meter, which constantly monitors the quality of the distillate. An automatic recirculation system ensures that the distillate is reused or reintroduced into the process only if it complies with the pre-established parameters, ensuring maximum efficiency and environmental safety.
Characteristics of incoming wastewater
Color: yellowish
PH: 2.6
COD: 2880 mg/L
Conductivity: 1597 μs/cm
Characteristics of the distillate produced
Color: colorless
PH: 8.3
COD: 7 mg/L (after carbon filter 0 mg/L)
Conductivity: 45 μs/cm
Analysis of the results
The installation of the V-NT 12000 vacuum evaporator has allowed us to obtain significant results in terms of treatment efficiency, distillate quality and reduction of operating costs.
High concentration capacity, thanks to the heat pump technology, the wastewater has been concentrated over 20 times, drastically reducing the volume of waste to be disposed of and optimizing the management of pharmaceutical wastewater.
High quality distillate, compliant with environmental regulations, The system ensured effective transformation of the incoming liquid:
The pH of the distillate was stabilized at 8.3, from an initial value of 2.6, making it suitable for discharge.
The COD (Chemical Oxygen Demand) went from 2880 mg/L to 7 mg/L and, thanks to the use of the carbon filter, it was reduced to 0 mg/L, reducing the polluting load to a minimum.
The electrical conductivity dropped from 1597 μs/cm to 45 μs/cm, confirming the high purity of the final distillate.
Cost optimisation and process simplification, the new system eliminated the need for neutralisation pre-treatment, reducing chemical and operating costs.
The resulting distillate was made suitable for reuse or disposal, reducing disposal costs and increasing the sustainability of the process.
Savings
Reduction of management costs
Circularity
Reuse of production water
Sustainability
Reducing environmental impact