PAGE 2| APEX MONTHLY - DECEMBER 2013
www.apexengineeringproducts.com
RYDLYME improves flow
A Canadian plastics and chemicals company, turned to RYDLYME to clean piping that has
never been cleaned in its 30 years of service. The 5,000-foot carbon steel blow-down line from
the plant’s main cooling tower system suffered from severe mineral scale that progressively
increased over the years causing significant flow issues. As shown by the chart below, the
system has not been close to its designed flow rate of 125 gpm for several years:
1
2
5
90 gpm
80 gpm
70 gpm
60 gpm
G
P
M
50 gpm
40 gpm
30 gpm
2007200820092010201120122013
AFTER CLEANING
Solution
• Given the length of the pipeline, a typical circulation was not practical. Two 5,000-gallon
vacuum pump trucks were positioned at each end of the pipeline.
• 1,980 gallons of RYDLYME were pumped back and forth for 8 hours allowing for optimal
contact time, as well as constant movement throughout the pipeline.
Results
• Personnel at the plant watched the flow rate improve to its design rate of 125 gpm!
• The team also saw improved functionality and quieter operation of the system pumps.
• The cleaning created a lot of excitement within the plant as many other departments
are looking into how they can use RYDLYME on other equipment (e.g. heat exchangers,
chillers, air compressors, cooling towers, lime slurry systems and condensers)!
Plate and frame
for methanol
recovery cleaned
A California biodiesel manufacturer wanted to test
RYDLYME on one of its fouled plate and frame heat
exchangers within the methanol recovery division of the
plant. A byproduct of the biodiesel manufacturing process,
methanol is extracted from spent cooking oil and grease,
vaporized and recovered in plate and frame heat exchangers. Scaling inside the units were inhibiting proper heat exchange, making the entire recovery process inefficient.
Solution
• 37 gallons of RYDLYME circulated for 3 hours via
RYDLYME 10PPC pneumatic pump cart.
• Unit DID NOT have to be disassembled.
• Unit drained and flushed with fresh water.
Results
• A
fter the unit was brought back online, the plate
and frame heat exchanger was returned to normal
operating parameters.
• T he customer stated, “Your product seems to have
worked wonderfully on cleaning our exchanger. We
have two more plate and frame exchangers that need
attention, not to mention our entire cooling system!”
w w w . a p e x e n g i n e e r i n g p r o d u c t s . c o m APEX MONTHLY - DECEMBER 2013 | PAGE 3
Write this downcleaning Bi-Carb
System at Pennsylvania paper plant
A major paper plant in Pennsylvania used RYDLYME to dissolve mineral deposits within its Bi-Carbonate
System (Bi-Carb), which controls alkalinity in the plant’s process water system. The Bi-Carb produces scale
buildup inside the mix and day tanks, plugging up the system’s pipes, strainers and other components.
Solution
• 125 gallons of RYDLYME.
• Circulated via pump inside mix tank for 3 hours; solution then transferred to day tank and circulated
throughout the rest of the system (closed-loop) for 6-8 hours.
Results
• After cleaning and water flush, scaling throughout the entire system was eliminated, returning it to
peak operating efficiency.
• Client plans to continue using RYDLYME in this cleaning application and is evaluating other applications in and around the plant where RYDLYME can be used.
“Unbelievable”
Descaling condensers
A 6-foot heat exchanger at a facility for a major gas supplier on the east
coast was experiencing a 35°F increase in temperature at the water outlet,
which resulted in high Delta Ts.
A 1,200-ton ammonia condenser at a turkey processing facility experienced scaling on the exterior of the tubes. This scaling caused significant
issues with proper heat transfer and in turn, not cooling the ammonia inside
the tubes for proper refrigeration temperatures.
Solution
• 10 gallons of RYDLYME circulated for 4 hours via RYDLYME 10MDC
pumping system.
Solution
• 660 gallons of RYDLYME circulated for 8 hours via inline pumps.
Results
Results
• 3 0°F drop in temperature and the Delta T was returned to normal!
• S caling throughout the tubes was dissovled restoring proper heat
• C
lient plans to use RYDLYME on two more heat exchangers and six
• Client purchased additional RYDLYME for other ammonia condensers.
• R YDLYME has also been incorporated into the preventative
• Client only had one comment, “Unbelievable.”
aftercoolers, as well as the facility’s entire cooling loop system!
transfer and refrigeration temperatures.
maintenance guidelines of these units.
PAGE 4| APEX MONTHLY - DECEMBER 2013
www.apexengineeringproducts.com
Don’t lose money on shutdowns
A petrochemical company turns to RYDLYME
H
ow much money would your company lose every hour if you had to
shutdown operations for equipment maintenance or repair? A couple
hundred dollars? A few thousand? Millions?
Many companies with large and complex equipment, such as critical heat
exchangers and other water-operated systems, ponder this question every
year. They weigh the risk-benefit of scheduling a maintenance shutdown and
the costs involved versus postponing to a later date and risking costly equipment repair or failure down the road.
What if you didn’t have to shutdown?
What if there was a way to clean out
your equipment while it continues
to operate?
These questions were
presented to a petrochemical company in Texas who wanted to avoid a
costly shutdown despite having a heat
exchanger and adjoining reactor column
on the verge of failure.
The four-pass heat exchanger, which boasts
more than 500 3/4-inch tubes (8 feet in length),
suffered from severe calcium buildup resulting in
low flow rates (100 gpm) and high cooling water outlet
temperatures (160°F). This disconcerting combination of low
flow and high cooling water temperatures put additional strain
on the reactor column, as well as increased energy and
water consumption.
for an online cleaning
a third-party service company, the client eagerly agreed to move forward with
the online cleaning.
Since the system was not conducive to recirculation, a 330-gallon tote
of RYDLYME was setup for direct injection at 4 gpm into a 6-inch water
supply pipe prior to the heat exchanger. This would allow the system to
continue operating while RYDLYME goes through the heat exchanger and
reactor column, dissolving the calcium buildup inside all the tubes.
After just 33 minutes and 132 gallons of RYDLYME,
flow rates increased by more than 50% to 200 gpm
with cooling water outlet temperatures
dropping more than 40% to 90°F!
The entire system, including the overhead pressure in
the reactor column, returned to normal operating
conditions. In fact, the staff had to recalibrate
controls and instrumentation back to factory
settings after years of compensating for the
system’s inefficiencies!
In less than one hour, a major petrochemical company went from a potentially catastrophic shutdown to returning to normal operating
efficiency without interruption to its operations.
So next time, rather than asking yourself how much money you
When told that RYDLYME could not only safely clean
the system, but also do it without shutdown or hiring
would lose for a shutdown, you should be asking yourself how much
money would you save with RYDLYME.
w w w . a p e x e n g i n e e r i n g p r o d u c t s . c o m RYDLYME improves
efficiency on cooling tower
A 35-ton cooling tower at a major college had compressors operating at more than
260psi just to maintain a 70°F water temperature due to heavy water scale. RYDLYME
was put into the system to dissolve the scaling.
Solution
• 55 gallons of RYDLYME circulated for 4 hours via inline pumps then flushed with water
• Cleaning was done while system was in operation!
Results
• C
ompressors are only operating at 165psi to maintain the 70°F water temperature!
• RYDLYME is now part of the cooling tower’s annual maintenance schedule.
• Maintenance personnel found additional uses for RYDLYME, including cleaning:
steam lines, humidifier at the fieldhouse and plate and frame heat exchangers.
Cool air and quiet, just
what the doctor ordered
A hospital was experiencing significant cooling problems with its 350-ton chiller and cooling tower due to severe scaling to the point where the lowest temperature they could
achieve was only 76°F. The chiller was constantly running and making so much noise that
the staff moved blankets onto the unit just to keep the sound from disturbing the patients.
Solution
• 220 gallons of RYDLYME circulated for 5 hours via inline pumps then flushed with water
• Cleaning was done while system was in operation!
Results
• T he chiller returned to cycling properly and no longer making noise; tower flow
returned to normal.
• S ystem was also able to provide desired temperatures without straining, or constantly running helping to decrease energy usage.
APEX MONTHLY - DECEMBER 2013 | PAGE 5
Into the boiler room
A 1,000-gallon boiler at a plant that processes feed ingredients for
animals was experiencing overheating and significantly reduced
performance due to excessive water scale.
Solution
• 440 gallons of RYDLYME circulated for 6 hours (solution was
pumped into the bottom of the boiler and out the top)
Results
• A
fter circulation and thorough water flush, the entire boiler was
free of scale and returned to peak operating efficiency.
• T he customer stated, “Outstanding! The boiler looked awesome.”
• W
hen asked about the difficulty level of doing this cleaning, the
customer stated, “RYDLYME is the easiest product I’ve ever used!”
Cleaning ketone stripper
An Oklahoma oil refinery experienced heavy fouling on the distribution plates/packing material in its ketone stripper unit. The fouling was
a result of caustic solution and water being steam heated.
Solution
• 990 gallons of RYDLYME
• Circulated via 2-inch diaphragm pump for 8 hours
Results
• Client was extremely happy with the cleaning as the unit was
able to effectively remove the ketone, improving efficiency. Also,
RYDLYME is now part of the unit’s normal maintenance procedure
• RYDLYME was also used in a prior job at the plant cleaning out a
heat exchanger. The cleaning reduced temperatures from 300o to
150o F on process side and 160o to 125o F on tube side.
PAGE 6| APEX MONTHLY - DECEMBER 2013
www.apexengineeringproducts.com
Getting RYD of grease & grime with
An industrial cleaning contractor needed a degreaser/cleaner to cut through a significant buildup of oil,
carbon black, grease and other contaminants on a
Banbury mixer from a tire manufacturing facility.
Solution
• 5 gallons of RYDALL MP (50% solution) sprayed
on entire unit, soaked for a few minutes and then
powerwashed with water.
Results
• In only one hour, and simple soaking and rinse, the
mixer was free of grease and other contaminants!
• C
lient was extremely impressed and contractor was
eager to use RYDALL MP for additional jobs!
MP’s part in recycling
A waste management company was experiencing problems thoroughly removing
contaminants from plastic containers to prepare them for recycling.
Solution
• RYDALL MP diluted (10% solution) into the parts washer, heated to approximately
120°F and sprayed continously onto the contaminated plastic followed by a water rinse.
Results
• S etup allowed good coverage on material passing through, cleaning each thoroughly for recycling.
•
RYDALL MP’s biodegradability was a big plus with safe and easy disposal.
Grease is the word
A manufacturing facility in Wisconsin used RYDALL MP Multi
Purpose Degreaser to cut through eight months worth of
grease, grime and dirt buildup on its Haas ST30 CNC Lathe
unit. The unit had never been cleaned.
Solution
• Spray bottle of RYDALL MP (50% - 50% dillution with water)
• Sprayed area, let sit for approximately 1 minute and
wiped off
Results
• After just 3 applications, the heavy buildup was gone
• The company is using RYDALL MP on other equipment
and areas throughout its facility, and RYDALL DD Definitive
Degreaser on heavier grease buildups.
w w w . a p e x e n g i n e e r i n g p r o d u c t s . c o m APEX MONTHLY - DECEMBER 2013 | PAGE 7
tackles landfill odor issues
A
Florida landfill was experiencing significant odor issues from the open face of
implemented. Approximately 65,000 gallons of leachate is collected daily and stored
the landfill and its leachate holding tank. The odors were not only a nuisance
in an 80,000-gallon tank until hauled off to the local wastewater treatment plant
for residents and businesses in the surrounding community, but also resulted in
(WWTP), adding significant costs for haul-off and WWTP fees.
costly fines on a regular basis. Essential oils, fragrances and other masking agents were
largely ineffective and proved not to be cost-effective.
In this second phase, approximately 13 gallons of RYDALL OE was added to the 65,000
gallons of leachate and retained for 24 hours. After the treatment, rather than having
After learning about the science behind RYDALL OE Odor Eliminator, as well as calcu-
the leachate hauled off, this now odor-free leachate was able to be recycled back
lating the cost-savings, the landfill decided to use RYDALL OE in two phases. The first
onto the landfill for further odor eradication without additional RYDALL OE dosing.
phase was to dilute 7 gallons of RYDALL OE into 3,500 gallons of water and apply it
over the open face of the landfill on a daily basis.
In addition to the elimination of fines and odor complaints, the landfill also saw substantial savings from reduced haul-off and WWTP fees for its leachate. The amount
After approximately one week, the repugnant odors emanating from the landfill sig-
of RYDALL OE needed on a daily basis to maintain the optimal level of odor control
nificantly decreased, putting an end to the regularly issued fines. To achieve further
was also decreased as this non-active biocatalyst continued to work on all layers and
odor eradication and cost-savings, the second phase targeting the leachate was
areas of the landfill.
Say Cheese!
A specialty cheese manufacturer in Wisconsin had an ongoing odor problem
since installing a wastewater treatment system, which includes a 4,000-gallon
wastewater sludge tank. The primary odor problem was coming from the sludge
tank, which was pumped out and taken off-site about once a week.
The odor emanating from the wastewater process was a source of complaint
from neighboring facilities and businesses, as well as from the town’s police
headquarters five miles away!
The solution to the odor included 12 ounces of RYDALL OE per day, dispensed 1
ounce per hour over a 12 hour work day. The solution was injected at 100 ppm via
a small metering pump into the waste stream prior to reaching the sludge tank.
In just two days, the strong, pungent odor from the wastewater process was
almost completely eliminated! The expedited result was due to the injection
of RYDALL OE to the wastewater stream prior to it reaching the tank, which allowed ample mixing and retention time.
The facility’s plant manager stated, “We’ve had no phone calls from the police or
fire department, and none of our neighbors have complained since using RYDALL
OE. We are very pleased with the result and will continue to use the product to
control odor.”
With such a positive result from the sludge portion of the wastewater process,
the plant is now evaluating the use of RYDALL OE to help control extremely
high BOD’s in the main waste stream.
PAGE 8| APEX MONTHLY - DECEMBER 2013
www.apexengineeringproducts.com
Down & dirty in the sewers
reduces odors and contaminants in Oconto, Wisconsin
T
he city of Oconto, Wisconsin was looking to reduce corrosion from high
levels of H2S at one of its sewer line lift stations, as well as odors that resulted
in several complaints from residents. The system was also experiencing high
and fluctuating levels of BOD, FOG, COD and TDS.
Three sanitary districts feed into this sewer line through several miles of enclosed
plastic sewer pipe with approximately 33,000 gallons of residential sewage flowing through this particular monitoring station.
In addition to monitoring daily H2S levels using an Oda-Log monitoring
system, the city was using Bioxide to control odors and corrosion. Anywhere
from 2 gallons to as much as 15 gallons of Bioxide were added to the system per
day, but was not effectively solving the issues.
RYDALL WO Solution
After understanding the science and benefits behind RYDALL WO, the city
agreed to use the non-active biocatalyst per our recommendation to reduce
the odors, corrosion and contaminants. We recommended injecting RYDALL
WO at 100 ppm (3.3 gallons per day) with a metering pump at a lift station
approximately 7 miles upstream from the problematic area. This allowed
approximately 2.5 days of retention time for RYDALL WO to work.
Along with the city’s continuous monitoring of H2S levels, samples of the wastewater were also taken weekly from each location and tested by an independant third-party for BOD, FOG, COD and TDS levels (samples of the wastewater
prior to treatment were also taken for control purposes).
Over the course of the next 90 days, our tests showed average levels of BOD,
FOG, COD and TDS decreased significantly, as shown in the next column.
On average...
•BOD levels decreased by 28%!
•FOG levels decreased by 67%!
•COD levels decreased by 30%!
•TDS levels decreased by 23%!
•H2S levels decreased by 50%!
Compared to the city’s data from a similar time frame in 2012 when Bioxide
was used, the amount of H2S released during RYDALL WO treatment decreased
by more than 50%! Within the first couple weeks, odors from the problematic lift
station were drastically reduced and there were no odor complaints from the
surrounding community. Also, the city saw a significant reduction in corrosion at
the site. Components that were normally replaced due to corrosion from H2S,
did not have to be replaced during the trial.
w w w . a p e x e n g i n e e r i n g p r o d u c t s . c o m APEX MONTHLY - DECEMBER 2013 | PAGE 9
Starch processor puts to the test
A
specialty starch processor in Maine was intrigued by the capabilities of
weeks of RYDALL WO being in the system, the bugs were still big and healthy. This
RYDALL WO in reducing the amount of produced sludge and its effluent
resulted in a cost-savings for the client as no solids needed to be dewatered,
BOD levels. Apex provided a small sample of RYDALL WO to the client for
pressed or hauled off!
testing on a sample of its wastewater obtained from the sludge tank.
Prior to the start of the test, the BOD level in the sample wast water measured
5,500 mg/l. We recommended applying 200 ppm of RYDALL WO to the sample
and measuring the BOD level after a few days. After just six days, the BOD level
dropped significantly, measuring only 75 mg/l! RYDALL WO not only reduced the
BOD level by nearly 99%, the client observed very healthy “bugs” under a microscope. The dramatic results from the test prompted the client to state, “I’ve been
in this field for 10 years now, tried lots of stuff, and this sure is different!”
As a result of this successful lab test, our client decided to take the next step…
adding RYDALL WO to its 350,000-gallon sludge tank. The client purchased a
55-gallon drum of RYDALL WO, which arrived at a time when his sludge tank was
at maximum capacity and recovering from turning anaerobic due to bad starch
the plant had processed. They had been running blowers constantly for two
“ I’ve been in this
field for 10 years
now, tried lots
of stuff, and this
sure is different! ”
weeks, but were unable to settle the tank during this period.
The client immediately added (2) gallons of RYDALL WO to the sludge tank and
Further enhancing the wastewater treatment process and cost-savings, the ex-
after two days, they were amazed at immense growth in bugs and activity. An
ceptional quality of the supernate has allowed it to be pumped back to the
additional (2) gallons were added to the tank, and after the first week, they
beginning of the whole waste system.
were able to shut off the blowers and release 22,000 gallons of supernate (releasable water)!
Additionally, RYDALL WO effectively controlled the filamentous bacteria within
the system, eliminating foaming and other adverse effects that usually occur with
At this point, the client let the system continue and during the second week, they
an overabundance of the filamentous bacteria, as well as the need for extensive
were able to pump off an additional 100,000 gallons of supernate! After four
and costly nutrient replacement to counteract those effects.
PAGE 10 | APEX MONTHLY - DECEMBER 2013
FOUL TERRITORY
www.apexengineeringproducts.com
A whimsical concotion of information in the world of scale, grease, odors and more.
Great ball of fat
LONDON (AFP) A 15-ton ball of congealed fat -- dubbed Britain’s biggest ever
“fatberg” -- was removed from a London sewer after a 10-day operation following
complaints from local residents that their toilets would not flush.
FOULEST
STORY
OF
2013!
The monstrous lump of festering food fat mixed with wet wipes -- the size of a bus
-- formed in drains under a major road in Kingston, southwest London, utility firm
Thames Water said Tuesday.
Had it not been removed, the deposit could have led to sewage flooding homes,
streets and businesses in the leafy London suburb, Thames Water said.
“While we’ve removed greater volumes of fat from under central London in the
past, we’ve never seen a single, congealed lump of lard this big clogging our sewers before,” Gordon Hailwood, waste contracts supervisor for the company, said
in a statement.
“Given we’ve got the biggest sewers and this is the biggest ‘fatberg’ we’ve encountered, we reckon it has to be the biggest such berg in British history.”
“The sewer was almost completely clogged with over 15 tonnes of fat. If we hadn’t
discovered it in time, raw sewage could have started spurting out of manholes
across the whole of Kingston.”
“It was so big it damaged the sewer and repairs will take up to six weeks.”
CCTV images from the sewer showed that the mound of fat had reduced the 27
by 19-inch drain to five per cent of its normal capacity. CountyClean Environmental Services, the waste management company that removed the deposit, said it
would go to good use.
“We recycle everything that we remove -- the water is extracted and the remaining fats and oils are turned into products like soap, biodiesel and fuel,” a CountyClean spokesman told AFP.
“We have a very specialized piece of equipment -- called a Kroll recycler -- that
we can use from the road and allows us to remove the fat without any workmen
having to descend into the sewers.”
Thames Water warned homes and businesses needed to change their ways
when it came to the disposal of fat and wet wipes, urging people to “Bin it
-- don’t block it.”
Regular dosing of RYDALL WO Water Optimizer into that sewer system could
have prevented the Cloverfield of fat and wet wipes.
DESCALER & PUMPING SYSTEMS
RYDLYME biodegradable descaler is specifically designed to dissolve the
toughest water scale, lime scale, mud and rust deposits from virtually any piece of
water-based equipment. NSF-certified.
1241 Shoreline Drive
Aurora, Illinois 60504
T: 630.820.8888 | 800.451.6291
F: 630.820.8886
For 70 years, Apex Engineering Products has been formulating and manufacturing safe and biodegradable
specialty cleaning chemicals for a diverse range of applications around the
world. From our RYDLYME biodegradable descaler to our versatile RYDALL
line of cleaners and degreasers, our
products will decrease downtime and
increase efficiency.
We are a fourth-generation, familyowned company renowned not only
for our biodegradable line of products, but also our in-depth and exceptional customer support. With decades of knowledge and experience
in a wide array of applications, our
knowledgeable technicians will work
closely with you to determine the best
solution for your facility’s unique challenges. To further minimize your downtime, virtually all orders are shipped
out within 24 hours.
Apex Engineering Products also takes
great pride in being an ISO 9001:2008
Certified Company providing the highest level of support and quality of products to our customers…another formula that hasn’t changed in 70 years!
Made in the USA
RYDLYME Pumping Systems are specifically designed to circulate RYDLYME
through a vast array of equipment and systems keeping your facility in peak
operating condition.
CLEANERS & DEGREASERS
RYDALL CC Coil Cleaner is a biodegradable coil cleaner specifically designed
to clean dirt, grease and soil residue from air-exposed surfaces of critical
cooling or heating equipment. NSF-certified.
RYDALL MP Multi Purpose Degreaser is a biodegradable, medium-duty degreaser/
cleaner that quickly and safely removes oil, grease, grime and other pollutants
from all surfaces and components. NSF-certified.
RYDALL DD Definitive Degreaser is a biodegradable, heavy-duty degreaser used specifically on all carbon-based derivatives found on the oil and/or
process side of your equipment or system.
RYDALL VP Specialized Degreaser is a biodegradable, pH neutral degreaser
specifically designed to safely and quickly clean and degas refinery process
equipment. It can be applied in circulation or vapor phase applications.
RYDALL CX Crude Deposit Cleaner is a biodegradable cleaner specifically designed to clean crude oil exchangers where pyrophoric corrosion deposits (e.g.
iron sulfides) are present without having to pull bundles or dismantle exchangers.
ODOR CONTROL & WATER TREATMENT
RYDALL OE Odor Eliminator is a unique, environmentally beneficial biocatalyst
containing a complex mixture of natural nutrients, vitamins, and trace elements
designed to eliminate industrial odors and corrosion problems.
RYDALL WO Water Optimizer is an environmentally beneficial additive that
disallows the formation of H2S, COD, BOD, FOG, TDS and TSS. This unique
biocatalyst is also effective in enhancing methane production and O2 content.
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