ECA technologies

• Technology of treatment and disinfection of drinking water and for giving it antioxidant properties EMERALD devices. There are developed and widely used various technological schemes of drinking water treatment in EMERALD devices. Differences of technological schemes are due to variety of chemistry of initial water as well as differences of requirements for quality and chemistry of treated water. The thing all water cleaning technologies in EMERALD devices have in common is that initial water goes to electrochemical system represented by flow-through reactors – electrochemical (till 2009 – FEM elements, after 2009 – MB elements), flotation, electrokinetic, catalytic – connected in different order where it undergoes successive stages of transformation providing removal of heavy metal ions, oxidation of organic compounds, and elimination of any kinds and forms of microorganisms (bacteria, mycobacteria, viruses, fungi, spores) and microbial toxins.
• Technology of synthesis of electrochemically activated solutions in STEL devices. STEL devices are technical electrochemical systems for manufacture of electrochemically activated washing and antimicrobial solutions – anolyte and catholyte notable for their very high functional activity and ecological sustainability. Each STEL device contains a flow-through electrochemical diaphragm reactor based on MB elements (till 2009 – FEM elements), a hydraulic system for feeding initial solution into the reactor and getting of electrochemical synthesis products, and a power supply. Besides, STEL devices may have an automatic working parameter control system, an automated regular acid rinse system, and a number of other appliances and devices determining the degree of technical performance of a STEL device. There have been developed and are serially produced STEL devices with productivity from 10 to 1000 liters per hour for all types of activated solutions (acid and neutral anolyte, alkaline and neutral catholyte). Degree of their technical performance is determined by possibility of producing activated solutions of minimal possible mineralization (with admissible range of variation of sodium chloride content in initial aqueous solution equal to 0.2-1.5 g/l) with a possibly higher concentration of anolyte oxidants and a possibly higher value of catholyte reduction potential (- 700 ч - 800 mV relative to silver-chloride reference electrode) and its possibly lower mineralization (preferably no more than 1.5 g/l).
• Technology of oxidants solution production in AQUACHLOR devices. AQUACHLOR devices are designed for production of an oxidants mixture solution from sodium chloride aqueous solution. Devices are produced as modules with productivity from 30 to 500 grams per hour of oxidants mixture. AQUACHLOR devices use a new technological process of sodium chloride solution electrolysis – ion-selective diaphragm electrolysis (ISDE), which makes it possible for a single device to combine high cost-efficiency with absolute operational safety. For production 1 kg of oxidants mixture in terms of molecular chlorine, AQUACHLOR devices consume no more than 2.0 kg of sodium chloride and 1.8 to 3.5 kW•h of electric power. In anode chambers of compact flow-through module elements under the pressure of 0.08 to 0,12 MPa, sodium chloride solution supplied in doses into the reactor of AQUACHLOR devices is used to synthesize a humid gaseous oxidant mixture represented by chlorine (95%), chlorine dioxide (3%), ozone (2%), which is combined with water right after formation in the ejector mixer of AQUACHLOR devices and forms an oxidants solution, which doesn’t create any chlorination by-products (trihalomethanes) after interaction with organic compounds in the processed water, unlike ordinary chlorine water or sodium hypochlorite solution. AQUACHLOR devices are an alternative compact and high-efficient source of oxidants mixture and may be used to replace liquid chlorine cylinders and containers and, in fact, chlorinators in household watersupply water treatment plants, local water purification plants, domestic and waste sewage treatment facilities, swimming pool water cleaning systems as either single modules or a group of modules united into a single hydraulic system with specified productivity for oxidants of 30 grams to hundreds of kilograms per hour.
• Technology of field water disinfection in AQUADEZ devices. AQUADEZ devices realize electrochemical technologies of water disinfection with the use of an auxiliary electrolyte in cathode chamber of MB element, which allows to reach maximum productivity (up to 20 liters per hour through one MB element) for disinfection of sweet water produced from surface water sources including swamp water, with minimum energy consumption and even under the most unfavorable working conditions. There have been developed AQUADEZ devices with reactors from 1 to 12 MB-11 elements, of capacity of 10 to 250 liters per hour for disinfected water, with power from 40 to 500 Wt.
• Technology of disinfection and conditioning of swimming pool water in ALLIGATOR devices. Technology is in synthesis of antimicrobial substances in electrochemical reactor from the water of swimming pool without usage of any initial reagents. Another common feature of water treatment in ALLIGATOR devices is a possibility of gradual removal of hardness salts from swimming pool water during operation of the device to make the water soft and pleasant.

Electrochemical systems and technologies at stages of exploratory and test development, which efficacy is confirmed in industrial or laboratory conditions and every of which is an investment medium.

• Technology of manufacture of nitrogen and phosphoric fertilizers in irrigation water. It is realized by way of cathode processing of irrigation water and putting in it very small dosed quantities of nitric and phosphoric acids mix in anolyte up to рН ≈ 7. There is no more need in mass production of nitrogen and phosphoric fertilizers and thus in their transportation and soil application, there is an increase in plants crop capacity and a decrease in nitrite and nitrate content in fruits down to normal natural level characteristic of plants growing in ecological environment.
• Technology of reduction of used lead-acid accumulators. Very diluted cathodic activated solution of sulfuric acid is poured into accumulator and then brought up to desired density by introduced sulfuric acid. New and used accumulators have their lifetime prolonged by 15 – 45%, “charge – discharge” capacity is increased by 20 – 30%.
• Technology of leaching of uranium and transuranium elements from formations. Formation water undergoes anodic processing and is then combined with sulfuric acid and injected into the formation. Sulfuric acid is saved tenfold more, yield of useful leaching increases by 10%.
• Technology of deep electrochemical processing of sea water with production of marketable chemical products: sodium chloride solution, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid. Sea water undergoes electrochemical treatment by method of ion-selective membrane electrolysis and, as a result, is divided into sulfuric acid and sodium chloride solutions (concentrations depend on mineralization of source water) and gases: chlorine and hydrogen that are supplied into the reactor to produce hydrochloric acid. The technology ensures production of chemical reagents right at places of their application, for example, in offshore oil fields and separate drilling platforms) using only electrical power and sea water. Power consumption is taken as 5 kW•h per 1 kg chlorine at the most.
• Technology of extraction of precious metals from dead catalysts of exhaust gas afterburning. Activated anolyte and catholyte of tap potable water or very weak acid or alkaline solutions are used to prepare solutions of reagents during the process of chemical extraction of precious metals (platinum, rhodium, palladium) from dead catalysts. A tenfold higher saving of acids and alkalis is provided, metal extraction approximates 100% as against 50 – 60% under the existing technologies.
• Technology of straight-run gasoline pyrolysis. Pyrolysis process involves cathodic activated distilled water under the pressure of 1.5 MPa and the temperature of 120°С. As a result, yield of basic products of organic synthesis – ethylene, propylene, bivinyl, benzene – is almost doubled, which is equivalent to commissioning another works “Ethylene” for “Hizhnekamskheftekhim” enterprise where the technology was tested in field environment.
• Technology of oil electrical desalting. Before crude oil is delivered to petroleum refinery, it is freed of excessive dissolved salts by way of adding water and subsequent division in electrostatic field (ELDI installations). Replacement of common water with cathodic activated one allows for speeding up the process of salt extraction, for a three times increase in refinery yield and from 2 to 4 times reduction of water amounts necessary to add.
• Technology of steady water-oil emulsion getting for killing of well and for stabilization of process of water displacement of oil. The applied technology allows to save discharge of producing oil well after repair.
• Technology of inversion of sugar syrup into glucose-fructose syrup. Sugar syrup of 60-75% concentration undergoes the following subsequent stages: heating, anode processing in reactor RFE, time lag under constant temperature, cathode processing in the same reactor. This results in achieving a controlled degree of inversion in the range of 5 – 99%. It is used to save 20 to 30 %% of sugar in confectionary and soft drink industries and to help diabetic people keep healthy.
• Technology of producing printed circuit boards and microassemblies. Solutions of chemical reagents for etching of metals, chemical polishing of silicon, chemical and galvanic metallization are produced using electrochemically activated anolyte and catholyte prepared from very diluted solutions of inorganic electrolytic salts in deionized water. This allows to provide with a substantial increase in quality of products and a significant saving of chemical agents (from10 to 50%), time, and power.
• Technology of production of alumina-chromia-potassia catalysts for dehydration of paraffin hydrocarbons (butane and isopentane) using electrochemically activated potable water provides a 10% increase in catalyst activity and durability. The technology was developed by specialists of Syzran catalyst plant with participation of the electrochemical activation technology authors.
• Technology of emulsion polymerization of bivinyl with styrene using electrochemically activated potable water allows to increase bivinyl-styrene rubber production efficiency by means of reducing consumption of reagents: resin soap (emulsifier), potassium chloride and pyrophosphate, to increase copolymerization speed by 40%, to enhance quality of rubber. The technology was developed by scientists and specialists of Kazan Chemicotechnological Institute and Production Association 'NIZHNEKAMSKSHINA' in 1985 with participation of the electrochemical activation technology authors.
• Technology of nonchemical regulation of redox potential and рН of dialyzing solution realized in BAZEX apparatus. Water cleaned for hemodialysis and containing about 50 mg/l of dissolved salts undergoes cathodic treatment in BAZEX apparatus, as a result, its redox and рН take on values allowing to provide biocompatibility of dialysis solution produced by supplying into a concentrate of dialyzing solution into water cleaned for hemodialysis. The technology realized in BAZEX devices allows to increase speed of hemodialysis, to normalize patient’s blood pressure, to prevent appearance and development of dermatoses, to improve the general tolerance of the procedure.
• Technology of treatment of natural gas of hydrogen sulfide. The essence of the technological process is in absorption of hydrogen sulfide from gas by alkali got in diaphragm electrochemical reactor from water solution of sodium sulfate and following regeneration of rich hydrogen sulfide absorbent by acid produced in the same reactor. Compactness of technological device, high reliability of electrochemical equipment, possibility to direct of process selectivity and intensity of treatment from hydrogen sulfide and mercaptan allow to effectively treat oil-well gas of oil field, fuel gases came to heat-and power engineering objects, technological outbursts (bursting and regular) at objects of chemical, petrochemical industries and in producing of special technics and ammunition.
• Technology of oxidation of toxic organic substances. Destruction of toxic substances in water is attained by technological scheme using MB elements. It helps to decrease concentration of such substances as trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, phenols on an average from 100-150 mg/l to 0,05-0,1 mg/l. Productivity of one MB element of new generation varies from 20 to 30 l/h during treatment, that allows to develop compact and highly productive devices for use at places of toxic sewage formation with power supply either from ac network or movable generator or solar semiconductor battery.
• Technology of production of caustic solutions and chlorine in module devices ECOCHLOR-3000 is compact, highly productive system for creation of industrial production of chlorine and hydrate of sodium at place of its use. ECOCHLOR device is developed on basis of earlier developed AQUACHLOR devices and has about the same overall dimensions (50 Ч 50 Ч 200 sm) at increased six times (to 3 kg/h) productivity of chlorine. Power consumption of the device is no more than 7 kWt-h. Conversion level of initial solution of sodium chloride is 99,5%, it is not required complex technology of initial brine solution treatment, reagents for removing of scale off electrode chambers (hydrochloric acid solution) are produced at places. Chlorine yield from 1 square meter of area occupied by ALL the equipment of module work is 6,0 kilograms per hour of chlorine or 144 kilograms per day of chlorine. Specific energy consumption for synthesis of 1 kg of chlorine is 2,0 – 2,5 kWt-h. It is not required license of GOSGORTECHNADZOR organization, it is not required making of new special buildings. All the equipment is placed in dry airing manufacturing facilities with electric power lines, water supply, initial brine solution supply lines and sewerage system. Every module at factory (ECOCHLOR device) is completely autonomous and can be replaced in case of need in at any moment without stopping of the whole manufacture. Proposals: production, installing, adjustment, exploitation under control of specialists of Vitold Bakhir Institute and production company LET ltd. of any quantity of modules during any agreed time to determine contract specification for production, delivery, installing of equipment for module plant of chlorine and hydrate of sodium production consisting of ECOCHLOR-3000 devices. Perspectives: total replacement of chlorine plants to ecologically clean manufactures at places of use of chlorine and hydrate of sodium, that allows to exclude system and appropriate equipment for chlorine dehydration, transportation and storage as well as special safety systems under chlorine usage.

All above technologies are realized with the help of electrochemical devices that have specific features due to their different functional purposes (different technological schemes of electrochemical effect on water or a diluted solution of electrolytes, different chemistry and different concentrations of dissolved substances, different modes of operation optimized to meet the specific challenge). Each technology has alternate solutions and thus can be realized using electrochemical devices customized for a certain task and certain operating conditions.

Current research and development

• Development of technology and technics for milk deacidification and creation of new milk products.
• Development of technology of fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides and pharmaceutical substances activity increase.
• Development of electrochemical technology and the appropriate technics for water desalination.
• evelopment of technology of deep electrochemical processing of sea water for production of sulfuric acid solution, hydrochloric acid solution, sodium chloride solution and residue of precious metals.
• Development of technology of electrochemical synthesis of reagents from sea water for deep treatment of testa of crustaceans for production of chitin and chitozan.
• Development of technology of outbursts treatment at ferroalloy plants using catholyte of fresh water.
• Development of electrochemical technology and technics of oil-well gas treatment from hydrogen sulfide in oil field.

Finished research and development

• Technology of invert glucose-fructose syrup production from sugar syrup with concentrationfrom 1 % to 75 % is developed.
• Technology of beet treatment and disinfection at sugar mill is developed.
• Technology and devices for synthesis of peroxocarbonate detergent, disinfecting and sterilizing solution – Anolyte PEROX – are developed. The solution is ecologically clean and has no corrosion effect.
• Technology and devices for production of Anolyte ANK with low mineralization (less than 1,5 g/l) and high oxidants concentration (to 700 mg/l) are developed. The solution is ecologically clean, has low corrosion activity.
• Technology of increase in 1000 - 10000 times of antimicrobial activity of Anolyte ANK with high oxidants concentration is developed. Te solution is ecologically clean, has no corrosion effect, under work with high organic load medium antimicrobial activity does not reduce.
• Technology of treatment of rubber products for medical purposes (bottlenecks and bungs for pharmaceutical bottles) from mechanical smudge and water soluble organic substances removing is developed.
• Technology of ammonia removing from industrial water of nuclear power plants including liquid radioactive waste is developed.
• Technology of extraction of precious metals from dead car catalysts is developed.