Analysis of Ball Corporation's Fairfield can manufacturing plant and the potential for industrial wastewater recycling
Date
2016
Authors
Medearis, Timothy G., author
Carlson, Kenneth, advisor
Catton, Kimberly, committee member
Paschke, Mark, committee member
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Abstract
Ball Corporation is an American manufacturing company based in Broomfield, CO, which is best known for its work in the aluminum can and packaging industry. Ball Corporation has a vision of becoming a more sustainable and environmentally responsible manufacturer around the globe. With this in mind, Ball Corporation approached Colorado State University in the spring of 2015 with a request to conduct a study on the feasibility of conserving water use in its manufacturing plants. This study is the result of that initial request. Ball Corporation’s can manufacturing plant in Fairfield, California was studied in three different phases. The first phase involved a water audit of the Fairfield plant. The can washers at the plant produce 80% of the plants wastewater and were quickly identified as the primary opportunity for recycling. City of Fairfield municipal water quality was characterized and set as the target water quality for the treatment and recycling process. By comparing the effluent industrial wastewater quality to the city’s municipal water quality, macro parameters of most concern such as suspended solids, total organic carbon (TOC), and dissolved solids were determined. Effluent water from the plant averaged a turbidity of 23 NTUs, a conductivity of 6.46 mS/µm, and a TOC of 105 mg/L, while the municipal water quality reported 0.065 NTUs, 0.346 mS/µm, and 2 mg/L of TOC. The second phase of the study involved the actual bench scale testing of treatment processes at CSU. From June 2015 to March 2016, ten different grab samples of industrial wastewater from the Fairfield plant were sent to CSU. These samples were treated through coagulation, filtration, granular activated carbon, and reverse osmosis processes. The main results suggested that chemical coagulation was effective in removing some suspended solids, but not TOC. Electrocoagulation showed more promise in removing TOC. Ultrafiltration was very effective at eliminating suspended solids, but was unable to reduce TOC. TOC concentrations remained high after 0.05 µm ultrafiltration and even after 1 kDa filtration. Granular activated carbon (GAC) was able to reduce and completely remove 100% of TOC concentration with high enough doses. This reduction of TOC, was helpful in reverse osmosis. Reduction in TOC with GAC proved to increase flux across the membranes and produce a more pure permeate. After bench testing, a full treatment train of electrocoagulation, ultrafiltration, GAC, and reverse osmosis was proposed. This treatment train produced water quality with a turbidity of 0 NTU, conductivity of 0.32 mS/µm, and a TOC of 0 mg/L. This matches the municipal water quality goal. The third phase of the project involved a cost analysis of the proposed treatment train. WaterTectonics, a water treatment company out of Everett, WA, assisted CSU in providing pilot scale treatment options for Ball to consider. A 20 GPM treatment train consisting of electrocoagulation, ultrafiltration, GAC, and reverse osmosis was compared to an identical treatment train without the electrocoagulation step. The price difference for Ball to consider between the two pilots was $30,000.
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Subject
electrocoagulation
industrial water treatment
water quality
granular activated carbon
Ball Corporation
water