Downstream Petrochemical, Chemical & Plastic Processing Sector

Wealth from Waste:

There are many companies who now think the activities of pollution control to divert and like to see the waste as valuable resources. This approach was taken in mid-seventies when there was hardly any hue and cry about environment and only EOP treatment was the order of the day. A systemic characterization of wastes led to the detection of valuable resorcinol in the liquid effluent stream of meta amino phenol plant. A process to recover this valuable product was developed and a plant designed, constructed and operated for the recovery of resorcinol. There have been many such examples in the Indian chemical industry of recovery and recycle to reduce the quantity and quality of effluents needing further treatment.

Waste Minimization and Clean Technologies :

‘Sustainable Development’ which means to pursue development fulfilling the needs of the present without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It demands the movement toward ‘Clean Technologies’ which has been taken up in right earnest by many companies to reduce waste.

With the explosive population growth and industrialization, pollutants and wastes are released faster than the environment can absorb them. The natural resources are consumed at a faster rate than they can be regenerated. If sustainable development is to be achieved, production processes, products and services have to be reoriented towards a new pattern to alleviate environmental stress and bring in better industrial production. This means use of ‘environmentally friendly’ technologies is the need of the hour to prevent pollution and make efficient use of raw materials.

Improving Raw Material Productivity:

There would be no problem of waste nor its treatment if we can develop an ideal process which converts raw materials completely to desired product. In reality it never comes true and raw material productivity is generally expressed as ‘environment factor’ or ‘E-factor’, which is waste generated per unit weight of product.

Most often cited example of E-factor in the chemical industry segment is reproduced below: