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Recycling of used catalysts – reactivation of active carbon Mercury – Problem or Challenge? The recyling of used materials is today a recognized basic environmental element of a modern business philosophy. In most countries Companies are obliged today to take legal responsibility for their products, materials and wastes. Mercury is a shining silver metal which is liquid at ambient temperature. Mercury and its compounds are extremely volatile and poisonous. It attacks the body by attacking the nerve and immune system by settling in organs and brain. Today mercury is classified as toxic to reproduction. The Environmental Program of the United Nations (UNEP) is concerned with the elimination or reduction of mis-use and abuse of mercury. The overall goal is to bring forward concrete measures to stop mercury emissions into air, water and soil, that are results of human activities. The European Union issued a regulation for the prohibition of the export of mercury and including legal safe storage. (Regulation (EEC) No. 1102/2008). Therefore the trade and employment of mercury is limited to encourage that surplus mercury is placed into longterm storage. Mercury-contaiminated materials from industrial processes represent a major environmental problem for disposal. Often spent catalysts and Active Carbons habe been used in cleaning exhaust gases or waste water. Spent material contains only traces of mercury. Safe storage of these is only possible when mercury has been previously separated by distillation. It is often possible there after the material can be profitably recycled rather than using land-fill. Catalysts from the natural gas cleaning Active carbon from industrial processes Batrec provide a Recycling Solution world-wide uniquely The Batrec plant for the recycling of used catalysts and saturated active carbon is the only one of it’s type world-wide. It is used by customers from Petrochemical, chemical, waste water treatment and Waste Management Companies from Europe and overseas. We have obtained a technological breakthrough with a procedure that releases mercury and sulphur at the same time in the same process. Both pollutants are carried away from the catalyst or active carbon by a gas stream. This happens in a high temperature treatment at temperatures up to 800° Celsius. The distilled pollutants are separated afterwards in a waste gas treatment system. With the ultramodern and safe plant for the recycling of catalysts and active carbon Batrec covers the needs of a rapidly changing market. Customers can improve their environmental targets, close material cycles and lower their raw material consumption. The high temperature furnace is the heart of the Batrec plant. From Battery Recycler to the Environmental Business Leader Batrec was created in 1989 for the recycling of household batteries in Switzerland. At that time the batteries contained considerable quantities mercury. The acquired Knowhow was continually developed further and extended to recycle new mercury or heavy metal-containing wastes. Today the Company belongs to the Veolia Environment Service Switzerland AG and is specialising in technologically complex recycling of waste processes. From Waste to Resource: Reactivation of Active Carbon Active carbon consists mainly of carbon with a porous structure. The pores are like a sponge connected with each other and creating a huge inner surface. This is used for the adsorption of pollutants from gas, air or liquids. The active carbon differs in two types – extruded and granulated forms. Extruded carbon is used in the gas or air processes. In the water or liquid processes the granulated carbon is used. Used carbon can be reactivated even when saturated, usually for several times and still be re-used. During reactivation the pollutants will be removed and the pores cleaned. The active carbon regains its activity and can be used again. This process runs at temperatures of up to 800° Celsius in a specially designed furnace. The activated carbon is heated gently and reactivated with water vapour. The pollutants will be selectively removed in the waste gas treatment system. The plant is suitable in particular for the deposition of heavy metals, such as Mercury. By reactivation we are contributing to the conservation of resources and reduction of CO2 emissions world-wide, as well as the sustainable solution of disposal issues. Batrec recovers pure mercury from the recycling process. Closing the Loop: Recycling of used catalysts Catalysts consist of a porous ceramic with a large inner surface, similar to active carbon. It is used in chemical or petrochemical processes for the cleaning or refinement of gases. Catalysts used for the removal of mercury from natural gas can’t be recycled without pre-treatment. Used catalysts contain up to 40% sulphur and up to 15% mercury. The Batrec recycling plant closes the material cycle with this process. Mercury and sulphur contained in the catalysts are distilled, separated and recovered in the following waste gas treatment system. Mercury is condensed and recovered as metal. The sulphur is converted to gypsum. The base metals of the catalysts when cleaned from mercury are recovered in Metal Refineries. The metal from the catalysts can then be supplied to the material cycle once more. By the care of the catalysts we carry the good of resources and sustainability of disposal problems. Waste gas treatment Mercury removal from natural gas Production of Catalysts Closed loop of Catalysts Recovery of metals from catalysts Removal of mercury from catalysts An innovative and safe process 1 Delivery and receipt control Used catalysts and active carbon arrive via rail or road to Batrec at Wimmis. The transport documents are controlled and retained. The delivered wastes are weighed, analyzed in the Batrec laboratory and stored within a partitioned area. 2 Active carbon The active carbon is charged to the process by means of a silo to the high temperature furnace. Here it is cleaned and re-activated at temperatures up to 800° Celsius. The pollutants go with the exhaust gas into the waste gas treatment system. The re-activated carbon is cooled down, analyzed, sieved, packed and weighed. 3 Catalysts The catalysts are charged by means of a silo to the high temperature furnace. Here they are treated at temperatures up to 800° Celsius. Mercury, sulphur and other pollutants are removed by distillation. The exhaust gases go into the waste gas treatment system. The treated catalysts are cooled down, analyzed, packed and weighed. 4 Waste gas treatment The pollutants contained in the exhaust gases are washed and separated from the exhaust-gas in the waste gas treatment system. Mercury together with the mud is passed on into the mercury distillation plant. The sulphur is converted to gypsum. 5 Waste water cleaning The plant has its own waste water cleaning system. The water used in the waste gas treatment system is cleaned there with physicochemical processes. The pollutants are precipitated and concentrated by removal as filter cake. 6 Quality control and distribution The recycled catalysts and the re-activated carbon arrive after a last quality control by rail and road traffic back to the customer. Quality control Exit Cleaned Catalysts and reactivated carbon Delivery road/railway Gas treatment 4 Water treatment Heat treatment 6 5 ACTIVE CARBON Distillation Control Import transport documents STO RA GE 1 2 CATALYSTS 3 Analysis receipt control Laboratory STO RA GE BA TR EC Plant visit Address BATREC INDUSTRIE AG Postfach 20, CH-3752 Wimmis Tel.: +41 (0)33 657 85 00 Fax: +41 (0)33 657 85 01 [email protected] www.batrec.ch