From STEEL GRIPS online Europe Thyssenkrupp Nirosta equips cold rolling mill with new acid recovery system Jun 25, 2009 Thyssenkrupp Nirosta upgraded their Krefeld cold mill with a regeneration system  to recycle the spent mixed acid from the annealing and pickling lines. "This process delivers numerous benefits to the environment and our production operations and is also more cost-efficient," says Michael Fitzek, environmental officer at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta. The acid recovery system started operation in April and will reach full optimization in the summer. In the production process at Thyssenkrupp Nirosta, the scale on the surface of the annealed stainless steel is removed in a pickling process using a mixture of hydrofluoric and nitric acid. Over time, the pickling liquor becomes less effective and the spent acid has to be regularly replaced by fresh acid. Previously, the spent acid was neutralized using lime milk, the resultant sludge compacted and sent to landfill, and the waste water fed to the sewer system. The new regeneration system now allows valuable substances, such as  metals and regenerated mixed acid to be recovered in a thermally driven process and to be fed back into the pickling process. "That turns the line into a closed circuit," says Gunther Hartmann, responsible project manager at ThyssenKrupp Nirosta. "The new recycling system allows us to make substantial savings, which are urgently needed in the current situation." This method of acid recovery delivers advantages in many areas: Lower volumes of waste water with reduced nitrogen content mean lower pollution. Less acid and sludge needs to be transported, and the spent acid regeneration system contributes to reduce lime consumption. © Copyright 2007 by GRIPS media