C22 4 product recovery_final-web

TRP 1
Product Recovery Techniques
IAMC Toolkit
Innovative Approaches for the Sound Management of
Chemicals and Chemical Waste

Introduction
Manufacturers of chemical products often need to clean
processing equipment between different batches of products.
To do this, they need to remove the existing product from
pipelines and vessels. Product loss and waste generation
resulting from the cleaning of processing equipment increase
production costs and have a negative impact on
sustainability. Product recovery is typically done in
combination with Clean-in-Place.
This presentation introduces the reader to two techniques for
product recovery: pigging and whirlwind systems. Design
considerations, advantages & disadvantages as well as case
studies are presented for both techniques.
UNIDO│IAMC Toolkit│Images may not be copied, transmitted or manipulated 2

Contents
1. Product Recovery: The First Step in CIP Systems
• Product recovery
• Fields of application
2. Pigging Systems
 Technology description
 Benefits and constraints
 Case studies
3. Whirlwind Systems
 Case studies

Product Recovery: The First
Step in CIP Systems
 Product recovery
 Fields of application

Motivation for Improving Cleaning Operations
 Manufacturers of chemical products often need to clean
processing equipment between different batches of
products.
 Customers place smaller orders more frequently and
demand higher product quality.
 Product loss and waste generation resulting from the
cleaning of processing equipment increase production
costs and have a negative impact on sustainability.

Product Recovery: The First Step in Clean-In-
Place (CIP) Operations (1)
Clean-in-place (CIP) is a cleaning technique for complete
items of plant or pipeline circuits without dismantling or
opening of the equipment.
CIP typically has the following characteristics:
 Cleaning of closed or open circuits
 Semi or fully-automated process with little or no operator
involvement
The recovery of valuable product is the first step of an
efficient and cost-effective CIP system.
C22_3_Clean-in-place

Product Recovery: The First Step in Clean-In-
Place (CIP) Operations (2)
The product (e.g. cosmetics, paints, polymers, etc.)
remaining in the pipelines and process equipment has
economic value and can be recovered using the
following techniques:
 Pigging systems
 Whirlwind systems
Both technologies have options to combine product
recovery and cleaning of process equipment and
pipeline circuits.

CIP System with Product Recovery: Benefits
Material productivity
 Increasing product recovery during filling/emptying of
pipeline circuits and process equipment
Environmental impacts during cleaning
 Increasing water, energy and chemicals efficiency
 Reducing process effluent and hazardous waste
Quality control and equipment uptime
 Preventing cross contamination in batch manufacturing
processes
 Removing deposits and condensate and increasing
equipment uptime

Product Recovery: The First
Step in CIP Systems
 Product recovery
 Fields of application

Fields of Application
 Diverse products, such as lubricating oils, paints, polymer
dispersions, adhesive dispersions, fragrances, cosmetics
and foodstuffs can be handled.
 CIP can be used for:
 Emptying pipes of product into product tanks
 Preventing cross-contamination
 It can be used in many continuous and batch process
plants.
 It can be used for many transfer process sections, e.g.
blending, storage, filling.

Selection of Cleaning Method
The following criteria are important when considering
product recovery and cleaning methods:
 What is the substance to be removed (or displaced)?
 Where is the substance located, radially or longitudinally (if
known)?
 What is the estimated volume to be removed?
 Does the substance present any hazards?
 How is the pipe system designed (diameters of different
parts, length, etc.)?
 What is the viscosity of the product to be removed?

Pigging Systems
 Case studies

Technology Description
Components of a pigging
system:
 Pig
 Pig loading and receiving
station
 Propellant supply
 Control system
The “pig” is circulated in a
pipe to recover the product,
clean the pipe and remove
deposits.
Source: based on Industrial Pigging Technology

System 1: Single Pig System with Flushing
Source: based on Kiesel
Mixing tank
Pump
Propellant inlet
Propellant outlet
Storage tanksPig launching station
Pig
receiving station
Rinsing solution inlet
Rinsing solution
outlet
Compressed
air

Initial Position

Step 1: Start of Product Pumping
Pump
activated

Step 2: Pumping Finished
Part of the batch is still in the pipeline
Pump
deactivated

Step 3: Propellant Pumping
Propellant pumping

Step 3: Propellant Pumping (Continued)
Propellant pumping
Pig is pushed by
the propellant and cleans the pipe

Step 3: Propellant Pumping (Product Fully
Recovered)
Propellant pumping
Pig continues
to the receiving station
where it is rinsed
Product quantities
recovered

Step 4: Pig Rinsing
Pumping of
rinsing
solution
Evacuation
of
rinsing
solution

Step 5: Evacuation of Propellant
Compressed
air
Pig is pushed back
to the launching station
Propellant evacuation

Step 5: Evacuation of Propellant (Continued)
Compressed
air
Propellant evacuation
Pig is back
to launching station

Step 6: Return to Initial Position

System 2: Dual Pig System with Intermediate
Clamping Liquid and Rinse
Mixing tank
Pump
Propellant
inlet
Propellant
outlet
Storage tanks
Pig
launching station
(contains 2 pigs)
Pig
receiving station
Rinsing solution
outlet
Rinsing solution
inlet
Rinsing solution
outlet
Compressed
air

Initial Position

Step 1: Start of Product Pumping
Pump
activated

Step 2: Pumping Finished
Pump
deactivated
Part of the batch is still in the pipeline

Step 3: Start of Rinsing Phase
Pumping of
the first rinsing
phase
First pig engaged

Step 4: Propellant Pumping
Propellant pumping
initiated

Step 4: Propellant Pumping (Continued)
Second pig engaged First pig and first rinsing phase
are pushed by the propellant phase
Propellant pumping Product
Recovery
In progress

Step 4: Propellant Pumping (Product Fully
Recovered)
Propellant pumping
Product quantities
recovered
Pigs continue
to the receiving station
where they are rinsed

Step 5: Evacuation of the Rinsing Phase
Propellant pumping
Evacuation of
the first rinsing phase

Step 5: Evacuation of the Rinsing Phase
(Continued)
Propellant pumping
Evacuation of
the first rinsing phase

Step 6: Rinse in the Receiving Station
Pumping of
rinsing solution
Evacuation of
rinsing solution

Step 7: Return to Launching Station (Placing
Pigs in Position)
Pigs are placed
in position for injection of
the second rinsing phase

Step 7: Return to Launching Station (Pumping
of the Second Rinsing Phase)
Propellant
evacuation
Start of the second
rinsing phase

Step 7: Return to Launching Station (Start of
Propellant Evacuation)
Propellant
evacuation
Compressed
air

Step 7: Return to Launching Station
(Evacuation of the Second Rinsing Phase)
Compressed
air
Evacuation of
the second rinsing phase

Step 7: Return to Launching Station
(Evacuation of the Remaining Propellant)
Compressed
air
Propellant
evacuation

Step 8: Return to Initial Position

Pigging Systems
 Case studies

Constraints and Challenges of Pigging
Systems
Aspects to consider when choosing the pipes:
 Pipe must be supplied in accordance with its specifications
 Pipeline cannot be pigged if it contains butterfly valves
 Diameters of pipe and piggable valve must be the same
Aspects to consider when choosing the valves:
 Gaskets should be resistant to the product and swell
 With sticky or polymerizable products, hardened product
residues remain
 Outward leakage through the valve possible if gasket
material with the wrong specifications is used

Constraints and Challenges of Pigging
Systems
Possible problems regarding pigs include:
 Pipes have to be examined before inserting a pig
 Pigs show their strengths and weaknesses only after a longer
period of operation. Frequent defects include:
 Running time too short
 Insufficient resistance to the product
 Destruction by an obstacle projecting into the pipeline
Possible problems regarding the control system include:
 Errors in the logic diagrams occurred during programming
 Errors in signal processing preventing the system from
proceeding to the next phase
 Wrongly adjusted response times in the sequence control
leading to malfunctions (e.g. pig does not return to its end
position)

Pigging Systems
 Case studies

Case Study 1: Infrastructure and Operational
Cost Advantages of Pigging Systems
 Cost comparison between a
conventional pipeline system
with 10 pipelines and a pigging
system with only one pipeline
 Comparison of the regular costs
referring to rinsing costs and
product losses in relation to the
wear costs for the pigs
Example from a chemical plant
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Conventional
System
Pigging System
Installation
Costs
Material
Operational
Costs

Case Study 2: Polymer Dispersions
Overview of the pigging lines in a dispersion plant
Tank
farm 1
Tank
farm 3
Tank
farm 2
Process plant
Polymer dispersions
Central
filler
station
Drum
filling

At a production plant, the following pigging lines are
installed:
 Between storage tanks and heat exchangers
 Between vessels and deodorization columns
 Between conditioning tanks and filters
The storage tanks and the loading facilities are
connected by the following pigging lines:
 To all storage tanks in three tank farms
 To the tank truck filling station
 To the drum filling station

Production
plant
After batch production, the products are stored in finished-product
tanks for the filling process.
The total production plant includes a raw-materials tank farm,
several production buildings, a large storage tank farm for the
finished products and a dispatch building.
All buildings are connected by pipelines. All products are liquid
and are filled into tank trucks, rail tanks, or containers.
Benefits
• Use of a single pipe for several products
• Pipe cleaning by removal of the product
• Pipes that were not used for product feeding had to be
constantly filled with demineralized water
• Flexibility with a large number of products, free allocation of the
products to storage tanks, flexible use of the existing production
lines
• Substantial savings in wastewater costs
• Recovery of valuable products

Case Study 3: Pigging Lines in a Urea
Formaldehyde Plant
F
G E D
Tank Group A
Tank Group B
Tank Farm I Tank Farm II : three groups of tanks Loading station for
tank trucks and rail tanks
Manifold station
Three-way switches

Case Study 3: Urea Formaldehyde
Production
plant
The total plant consists of:
i) A production plant (with production-intermediate vessels and a
distribution station)
ii) Two large tank farms, which are connected to the processing building
by pipes (connecting pipelines between the production plant and the
tank farms are up to 300 metres long)
iii) Loading stations for tank trucks and rail tanks supplied with products
from the tank farms.
The aqueous urea formaldehyde condensation products are continuously
produced and stored in the finished-product tanks in the tank farms and,
after an inspection, are held for dispatch.
Benefits
• Using one pipeline for several products of a product family
• Emptying and cleaning of the pipeline by almost complete removal of the
product
• Rapid product change by complete separation of the products
• Avoidance of product losses by cleaning
• Preventing the clogging of pipes due to product condensation
• Substantial savings in wastewater costs
• Achieving uniformly high product quality

Case Study 3: Urea Formaldehyde
At the production plant, the following pigging lines are installed:
 From Tank Group A to the manifold station (10 three-way switches)
 From Tank Group B to the manifold station
 From the manifold station to Tank Farms I and II
The storage and filling facilities are connected by the following
pigging lines:
 From Tank Farm I to Tank Farm II
 From three groups of tanks to the tank truck loading facility
 From three groups of tanks to the rail tank loading facility

Whirlwind Systems
 Case studies

Technology Description
Can be used to clean:
 Pipes (as with pigging)
 Valves, pumps, filters, heat
exchangers
Components:
 Pipe clearing unit
 Pipe cleaning unit
 Extra valves for flow path
control (if necessary)
 Gas scrubber (if necessary)
 Cyclone (if necessary)
Source: Rulandec

Whirlwind Cleaning Cycle
Cleaning with whirlwind technology includes the
following steps:
1. A laminar airstream is blown through processing pipework
(60-80% of the product will be recovered).
2. A whirlwind is generated within the airstream which clears
the remaining product (less than 5% of the product
remains on the inner surface).
3. Droplets of water or cleaning agent (2-10 l/min) are
introduced into the airflow (after this step the inner surface
is 100% clean).
4. The air is heated and the pipework is completely dried.

Whirlwind Systems
 Case studies

General Constraints
 Shut-off elements within a pipeline have to be removed
and cleaned separately.
 Whirlwind ineffective if change in diameters of a pipeline
is too great (i.e. > twice the initial diameter).
 Special bypasses have to be installed to use the
technology.

Whirlwind Systems
 Case studies

Case Study 4: Pipeline Cleaning I
Procedure
A paint production company manufactures paints in discontinuous
batch mode. Between each production process, the extensive
pipeline network for paint transport is emptied and cleaned with
water.
Whirlwind technology is installed to optimize the process. In a multi-
stage procedure, an airflow is generated that clears and cleans the
pipelines.
Benefits
• Product yield increased by approx. 16% to an overall 90-95%
• Reduction in water and cleaning agent consumption by 70% to
100 litres per cleaning procedure
• Intensification of the cleaning procedure and minimization of
product residues

Cleaning
agent
Filling
point 1
M
Air
supply
Mixing tank Cyclone
Whirlwind system
Filling
point 2
Initial state

Filling
point 1
M
Mixing tank Cyclone
Filling
point 2
Product pumping
Cleaning
agent
Air
supply
Whirlwind system

Filling
point 1
M
Mixing tank Cyclone
Filling
point 2
Product recovery using
compressed air
Cleaning
agent
Air
supply
Whirlwind system

Filling
point 1
M
Mixing tank Cyclone
Release of the cleaning
agent through the
compressed air stream
Cleaning
agent
Air
supply
Whirlwind system
Holding tank

Case Study 5: Pipeline Cleaning II
Procedure
A large national food manufacturer operates from multiple sites and produces
tomato ketchup, sauces and various well known brands. The company’s
production facility works 24/7 and has many filling lines with frequent
changes on each line involving CIP cleaning. Before installing a conventional
CIP cleaning system, the company flushed the product left in the pipe down
the drain at the end of each production run. This process used thousands of
cubic metres of valuable water every year. Therefore, in late 2007, a clearing
and cleaning system using whirlwind technology was installed.
Benefits
Within less than six months, the system generated significant savings for the
client:
• Product savings estimated at a minimum of 3,000 m3 per year
• Reduction in water consumption estimated at 65,000 m3 and £65,000 per
year
• Reduction in effluent volume estimated at 68,000 m3 and £200,000 per year
• Reduced changeover time estimated at one hour per product changeover
• Reduction in tank disposal of product waste estimated at £30,000 per year
• Reduction in chemical costs estimated at £10,000 per year
• Elimination of the risk of product cross contamination

Key Messages (I)
Manufacturers of chemical products often need to clean
processing equipment between different batches of products. To do
this, they need to remove the existing product from pipelines and
vessels. Product loss and waste generation resulting from the
cleaning of processing equipment increase production costs and
have a negative impact on sustainability.
 Product recovery is typically done in combination with Clean-in-
Place.
 The product (e.g. cosmetics, paints, polymers, etc.) remaining in
the pipelines and process equipment has economic value and
can be recovered using the following techniques:
 Pigging systems
 Whirlwind systems
 Both technologies have options to combine product recovery and
cleaning of process equipment and pipeline circuits.

Key Messages (II)
The choice of product recovery technology depends on certain criteria, e.g.:
 What is the substance to be removed and its volume?
 Where is the substance located, radially or longitudinally?
 Does the substance present any hazards?
 How is the pipe system designed (diameters of different parts, length,
etc.)?
 What is the viscosity of the product to be removed?
Aspects must be considered when choosing pigging technologies, e.g.:
 Pipeline cannot be pigged if it contains butterfly valves
 Diameters of pipe and piggable valve must be the same
 Outward leakage through the valve possible if gasket material with the
wrong specifications is used
Aspects to be considered when choosing whirlwind technology, e.g.:
 Shut-off elements within a pipeline have to be removed and cleaned
separately.
 Whirlwind ineffective if change in diameters of a pipeline is too great
(i.e. > twice the initial diameter).

Sources

Sources
 CSD Engineers, Switzerland / ISSPPRO, Germany, 2015
 Cordell J. and Vanzant H, by The Pipeline Pigging:
Handbook, (3rd edition), Clarion Technical Publishers and
Scientific Surveys Ltd, 2003
 Durkee J. B, Management of Industrial Cleaning
Technology and Cleaning Processes, Elsevier Science &
Technology Books, September 2006
 Harrington J. Industrial Cleaning Technology, Kluwer
Academic Publishers, 2001
 Hiltscher G., Mühlthaler W., Smits J. Industrial Pigging
Pechnology: Fundamentals, Components, Applications
WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co, 2003

Sources
 Scheller, Turbulenzen in der Rohrleitung: Maximale
Produktausbeute und optimale Reinigungsergebnisse mit
der Whirlwind-Technologie, 2014
 Tiratsoo J.N.H., Pipeline Pigging Technology (2nd ed.),
Butterworth-Heinemann, 1999
 Rulandec: http://rulandec.de/technologien/whirlwind-
technologie, accessed on 27 July 2014
 Envirolink Northwest: Product recovery and the
minimisation of water use for cleaning in the food industry -
Case study
 http://www.aeolustech.co.uk/index.php?pid=6, accessed
on 27 July 2014

Fusce posuere, magna sed pulvinar ultricies,
purus lectus malesuada libero, sit amet magna
eros quis (ARIAL 32).
Images
 ISSPPRO GmbH, Germany, 2015

Disclaimer
This presentation was prepared with the requested diligence
and with the generally accepted principles of the relevant
field.
If a third party uses the contents of the presentation in order
to take decisions, the authors disclaim any liability for any
kind of direct or indirect (consequential) damage.

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