Purifics® Environmental Technologies Inc.

Purifics® Environmental Technologies Inc. is Awarded a $2.8 million US Military Construction Contract for a Pollution-Free Production Facility Purifics® Environmental Technologies Inc. has been awarded a sole source contract by the US Navy for the plant design, process controls and pollution control system. The Pollution Control System will be installed at the Surface Warfare Centre based at Indian Head MD where it will remove and destroy nitroglycerin (NG) and other gaseous emissions generated at the base’s propellant annealing facility. Construction of the facility will begin in the fall and is expected to be complete within one year. The contract was awarded to Purifics® because it was the only company able to demonstrate a commercially proven process that was capable, reliable, cost-effective, and safe. The Photo-Cat® treatment system has a design flow rate of 12,000 CFM and will be capable of removing 2.2 kg/hr of NG and other gaseous emissions from 14 annealing ovens. The Photo-Cat® treatment system uses advanced System Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) management software that allows for the required remote monitoring and operations of the production facility. Purifics® has been contracted to utilize its controls expertise and incorporate both the air pollution equipment and the annealing equipment into one SCADA control system. The US Navy and other propellant manufacturers have a requirement to heat treat (anneal) propellants in order for them to function properly. In this process, nitroglycerine (NG) and other energetic materials are released to the atmosphere. Previously there was no BACT (Best Available Control Technology) to prevent these emissions from being discharged directly into the environment. The Indian Head Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center invited Purifics® and others to submit concepts for an air pollution control system. The challenge was to drastically reduce NG and other gaseous emissions in a safe manner. Purifics® was the only firm that proposed and demonstrated a successful solution. Purifics® solution maintains the process air in a closed-loop with no contaminated air or water emission. This unique feature eliminates the requirement for a continuous supply of freshly conditioned air. The only waste product generated is nitric acid that is concentrated and sent back to the production process for reuse. This added innovation provides significant reduction in energy consumption and added cost savings to the annealing process. Purifics® has ongoing and recently completed military projects that demonstrate the improved results that the Photo-Cat® treatment system can achieve when compared to other systems. In particular Purifics® has shown significant advantages with the destruction of Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA) and in particular, MEA, NDMA, Hydrolysates, TNT/TNB, NG, RDX, and Mustard Gas breakdown products. Purifics’® core product, Photo-Cat®, purifies and/or detoxifies water and air. Photo-Cat® systems are based on a patented closed-loop titanium dioxide photocatalyst slurry process which allows the TiO2 catalyst to be separated out of the purified water and reintroduced into the inlet stream. Photo-Cat® destroys chemical contaminants at the source with no generated waste. The process accepts and treats water with suspended oil, turbidity, high levels of dissolved solids, metals, and a wide range of chemical contaminants at varying concentration ratios. Photo-Cat® is a low cost alternative to treatment with carbon, reverse osmosis, thermal catalytic air treatment, UV Ozone, UV Peroxide, or air stripping with off-gas treatment. Purifics® is the largest supplier of industrial photocatalytic treatment systems with systems throughout North America and the Pacific Rim. Specific areas of expertise include the treatment of chlorinated organics, Chemical Warfare Agents (BDP), NDMA, petrochemicals such as BTEX and MTBE, pesticides/herbicides, dioxin/ferans, PCBs, leachate, and explosives. Details of this and other installations involved in the treatment of dissolved organic chemicals can be found at www.purifics.com. For additional information contact Purifics at: 519-473-5788 or info@purifics.com".