Metals Smelting

Metals smelting plants and mills are dependent on water for many areas of the plant operation. Water is used to cool external surfaces of furnaces, quench and cool surfaces of product metal throughout many stages of the refining and fabrication process, through to rolling and forming. Steam is also used for the addition of heat to various parts of the refining process and for power utility applications.

Some of the critical areas that must be focused on in order to ensure the reliable and efficient operation of the plant include:

• Corrosion and fouling caused by suspended metal oxide particles
• Rapid corrosion caused by oil and grease from metals handling equipment
• Scale deposition on very high temperature surfaces (over 1,000°C)
• Scale and suspended solids blocking cooling water spray nozzles
• Scale deposition in smelter flue gas quench water circuits
• Suspended solids control in low velocity heat exchangers
• Response to contamination of steam condensate
• Management of boiler feed water purity
• Separation of waste oil from waste water
• Removal of COD and BOD from waste water before discharge

The water management programs developed by ZI-CHEM are based on global technologies that have been applied in the field for many years and refined to optimize and enhance results. These are delivered by dedicated and experienced field service teams that are based close to or inside the plant site to ensure attentive support and rapid responses are provided, so that the objectives of the programs are achieved.