Chlorine Safety Concerns Put Sodium Hypochlorite on Spot

In its most recent study, Intratec Solutions LLC (www.intratec.us), a Houston publisher and chemical process consulting firm, scrutinizes industrial sodium hypochlorite production through the chlorination of caustic soda by chlorine gas.  A plant integrated upstream with a chlor-alkali facility and capable of producing 250 kta of bleach would present an internal rate of return of 25%.

Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) is the active constituent in chlorine bleach, a strong oxidizer and bleaching agent.  It has been widely used since the 1930s because of its excellent disinfecting characteristic.  Nowadays, bleach is used mainly in water treatment and laundry bleaching.

The report explains that transport and handling safety concerns are leading to the substitution of chlorine-based water treatment, which represents a significant market expansion potential. Additionally, increased consumption and shortage of fresh water resources will help to increase bleach importance.

According to an AWWA (American Water Works Association) survey, from 1978 to 2008, a reduction of near 30% in chlorine usage in water treatment plants occurred.  From those, about 80% started buying sodium hypochlorite.

In this report, both the capital investment and the operating costs for plants erected on the US Gulf Coast, in Germany and in Brazil are presented.  Included in the analysis is an overview of the technology and economics of a widely used process, similar to the employed by Solvay Chemicals, for example.  The CAPEX for a plant on the US Gulf Coast reaches USD 33 million.

Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/10/16/4916717/chlorine-safety-concerns-put-sodium.html