Macrosorb ®

Effluent Treatment Systems

RTW Development
 What is Macrosorb® ?

• Macrosorb® is a water treatment agent

• Synthetic inorganic clay
• Manufactured by RTW Development Ltd.
under license from Ineos Silicas Ltd.
• Anion exchanger with inter layer carbonate ions
• Designed specifically for colour removal
• Also significantly reduces COD and BOD
• Basis of the Macrosorb® Effluent Treatment System

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 How does Macrosorb® work?

• Anion exchanger
g
• Dye anions are attracted to the Macrosorb® surface
• Precipitation stage removes organics
• A floc is formed which settles rapidly
• After separation the treated water can be reused

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 Key Features

• Developed to remove virtually all dyes and pigments from

dyehouse effluent
• Absorption takes place rapidly reducing contaminants to
very low levels
• Additional benefit of much reduced BOD and COD
• Th
The treated
t t d watert can be
b re-used
d thus
th allowing
ll i f a
for
payback on the equipment
• Uses robust,
rob st simple to operate and maintain equipment,
eq ipment
having a small foot print and requiring minimal civil
engineering
g g on site

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 Macrosorb® Treatment Plant

Dyehouse Balancing
Tank Fixed
Biological
Growth
Clarifier
Macrosorb Reactor
Reaction
pH Controller Tank 1
(Sulphuric Acid)

Reaction pH Tank pH Controller

pH Controller Chlorine
Tank 2 ((Caustic Soda))
(C
(Caustic
ti Soda)
S d ) C t t
Contact
Tank

Coagulant Reaction
Solids Separator
Tank 3
Treated Effluent Discharge

Filter Cake Filter Press

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 Dyes removed

• Acid dyes - generally easily removed

• Metal Complex dyes - 2:1 and 1:1 dyes are readily absorbed
• Reactive dyes - The Macrosorb® System was designed to
remove all types of reactive dyes, the cause of the biggest
colour problem in dyehouse effluent
• Disperse dyes - Macrosorb® works well with a range of
disperse dyes
• Direct dyes - easily removed
• Azoic, vat and sulphur dyes - not truly in solution, they are
removedd in
i the
th precipitation
i it ti stage
t
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 Colour Removal

absorbance

1.8 Treated Consent Untreated

1.5

1.2

0.9

0.6

0.3

0
400 450 500 550 600 650 700
Wavelength (nm)

Effluent from reactive dyeing of cotton

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 COD Removal

Effluent Untreated After Macrosorb Removal %

Cotton 1100 275 75

Cotton/poly 1000 300 70

Cotton/nylon 950 300 68

Cotton/wool 1400 500 65

Nylon 600 200 66

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 Water Re-use

• The treated water is colour free and has a much reduced COD
• The residual COD is made of non-ionic surfactants and formic /
acetic acid
• 2-4gpl sodium chloride typically remains in solution
(reactive dyeing)
• 60% water re-use is possible with minimal changes in the
dyehouse
y

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 Payback Potential

• If the treated water is re-used in the dyehouse:

– The heat in the water is re-used and saved
– Reduction in incoming water cost
– Reduction in effluent charge
• In certain cases the above can provide sufficient savings to
payback the initial investment in 2-3 years
• Our custom designed spread sheet can calculate costs and
savings and predict the payback period

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 Key Features

• Developed to remove virtually all dyes and pigments from

dyehouse effluent
• Absorption takes place rapidly reducing contaminants to
very low levels
• Additional benefit of much reduced BOD and COD
• Th
The treated
t t d water
t can be
b re-used
d th
thus allowing
ll i ffor a
payback on the equipment
• Uses rob
robust,
st simple to operate and maintain
equipment, having a small foot print and requiring
minimal civil engineering
g g on site

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 The Equipment

• The plant required consists of simple fibreglass reaction

tanks stirrers and dosing pumps
tanks,
• As the process is carried out in a number of tanks, if lack
of space is a problem the plant can be split up
• The system is designed to require only basic
maintenance - easily carried out by in house engineers
• The plant can be installed with minimal disruption to the
dyehouse
• As supplied the plant can be highly automated and PLC
controlled, requiring little operator input

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 Our Experience

• Dyehouses using Macrosorb® with a wide range of dyed fibres

– Cotton, cotton blends, polyester, nylon, wool & rayon

• Macrosorb ® Effluent treatment plants operating in many countries

– UK (1995)
(1995), Netherlands (1996)
(1996), China (1996)
(1996), Philippines
(1997), Thailand (2002), Cambodia (2003), Pakistan (2004),
France (2004)
(2004), Vietnam (2005)
(2005), Sri Lanka (2006)
(2006), Bangladesh
Bangladesh,
Dhaka (2007) & Bangladesh, Chittagong (2009)

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 Coats Manila Bay

• Originally used aluminium sulphate

• Converted to Macrosorb in March 1999
g equipment
• Used the existing q p
• RTW Development added
– control and dosing module (containerised)
– solids separator
– plate and frame filter press

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Macrosorb Effluent Treatment Plant Existing Balancing Tank - 600m3 in-ground concrete
Coats Manila Bay

Tanks 1 and 2 - In-ground concrete Solids Separator - High rate crossflow clarifier
Dosing and control container - Fully automatic, Plate and frame filter press
computer controlled, pre-commissioned

Filter cake - Non hazardous, 30% dry solids Treated water before discharge to river
 Chung Lap

• Hong
g Kong
g JV dyehouse
y in Dongguan
gg
• Originally used aluminium sulphate
• Converted to Macrosorb in December 1999
• Used the existing equipment
• 3200m3 per day effluent
• RTW Development added
– control and dosing module (Cube)

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Dosing and control cube, semi-automatic, pre-commissioned
 Chung Lap Results

COD BOD SS Colour pH

(
(mg/L)
/L) (
(mg/L)
/L) (
(mg/L)
/L) (ABS 550
550nm))

Untreated 464 24.6 191 0.759 9.89

(dilution ~ 90-100)
90 100)
After 40 3.3 1 0.041 7.81
Macrosorb (dilution < 10)

Allowed limit 100 40 70 dilution 40 6-9

Typical data 230 50 120 dilution 70 8

prior to use
of Macrosorb

Tested at HK Polytechnic University

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 Filter Cake

Wool dyeing & Cotton dyeing &

scouring ( ) scouring
g effluent (%) g effluent (%)
( )
Water 77 77
Inorganics 11 12
Organics 12 11
Chromium 0.001 0.001
Copper 0.001 0.001
Mothproofer 0.001 Nil

Filter cake is non hazardous and disposed to landfill

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 Macrosorb® vs.
vs Metal Salts

• Better colour removal - can remove so much dye that the solution appears
colourless, other systems leave residual dye
• Better COD and BOD removal - subsequent treatment may not be needed
• Produces less sludge - because Macrosorb is more effective, less can be
used to achieve the required colour consent
• Rapid Settlement - the floc formed is very dense, allowing for separation in a
much lower surface area and hence smaller plant
• Less dye selective - conventional systems are very dye-specific
• Less pH sensitive - Al and Fe systems require that pH of treatment is
accurately
t l adjusted,
dj t d Macrosorb
M b is
i much
h less
l sensitive.
iti
• Water re-use - with the correct Macrosorb system water can be recycled to
the dyehouse,
y other systems
y can onlyy give
g recycled
y water when several
systems are used together in series.

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 About Ineos Silicas

• Part of the Ineos group - UK second biggest chemical company

• Formerly Crosfield Limited
j supplier
• Major pp of inorganics
g based on silica and alumina
• Manufacturing sites on 5 continents
• Has produced textile auxiliaries for over 25 years
• Proven ability to advise on dyehouse practice
• RTW Development Limited has the exclusive license to
manufacture and distribute Macrosorb ® world wide.

RTW Development
 Further Information

RTW Development Limited www.rtw.biz

704, Blissful Building
243-247 Des Voeux Road
www macrosorb net
www.macrosorb.net
Central,
Hong Kong

Contact: Rod Whalley

T l
Tel: (852) 27812246
Fax: (852) 27812247
Email: rod.whalley@rtw.biz
y@

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 Important Information

All information contained in this publication is believed to be accurate and is

given
i i good
in d faith.
f i h RTW Development
D l L d would
Ltd. ld be
b very pleased
l d to cooperate
with organizations who wish to explore further any resulting possibilities.
However, readers must satisfy themselves as to the suitability of such
information for their own particular purpose.purpose This applies equally to
recommendations or suggestions made by RTW Development Ltd. relating to
the use of information from this publication or offered in response to specific
inquiries or otherwise. No warranty is given as to the fitness of the information
for any particular purpose and any implied warranty or condition (statutory or
otherwise) is excluded except insofar as such exclusion is prevented by law.
RTW Development Ltd. accepts no liability for loss or damage (including
liability for negligence or other tortious act or omission) other than that causing
death or personal injury arising from reliance on the information provided.
Freedom from patent, copyright or design protection must not be assumed.

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