Monday, May 11, 2009

Uhde and Solvay agree to collaborate in the field of brine preparation for electrolysis plants



Uhde and the internationally active Brussels-based Solvay group have agreed to collaborate in the field of brine preparation for chlor-alkali electrolysis plants.

"The aim of our partnership is to offer our customers all-round more efficient production processes for chlorine and caustic soda solution which at the same time protect the environment by reducing emissions," explained Dr. Benno Lüke, Head of Uhde's Electrolysis division.

"The partnership with Uhde creates a win-win situation", says Jean-François Serrier, Head of Solvay's Intellectual Assets Management. "Granting a non-exclusive license to use our more energy-efficient and environment friendly Solvay-patented technologies is good for both companies and Uhde can now implement our technology on a wide scale and so help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the chlor-alkali industry."

The two field-tested Solvay-patented technologies which Uhde will in future offer its customers concern the respective removal of iodine and chlorate from the brine (NaCl or KCl salt solution), the main feedstock for chlor-alkali electrolysis. If the original brine has a gram-per-litre chlorate concentration in a single-figure range, the chlorate removal process reduces this by means of a catalytic process to a level of less than 20 milligrams per litre.

Salt deposits which contain large amounts of iodine, such as those found in China, India and the USA, also hinder the achievement of optimum production results. "It was therefore important for us to be in a position to offer our customers available technologies to counter this problem," said Dr. Lüke.

Uhde is one of the leading suppliers of membrane electrolysis plants for the chlor-alkali industry and has built plants of this kind with a cumulative caustic soda production capacity of 13 million tonnes per year worldwide.

Uhde is a company in the Technologies segment of the ThyssenKrupp Group and has a workforce of more than 4,900 employees worldwide. The company's activities focus on the engineering and construction of chemical and other industrial plants in the following fields: fertilisers; electrolysis; gas technologies; oil, coal and residue gasification; refining technologies; organic intermediates, polymers and synthetic fibres; and also coke plant and high-pressure technologies. We also provide our customers with professional services and comprehensive solutions in all areas of industrial plant operation. Details are available at www.uhde.eu

SOLVAY GROUP is an international chemical and pharmaceutical Group with headquarters in Brussels. It employs more than 29,000 people in 50 countries. In 2008, its consolidated sales amounted to EUR 9.5 billion, generated by its three sectors of activity: Chemicals, Plastics and Pharmaceuticals. Solvay is listed on the NYSE Euronext stock exchange in Brussels

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