News | January 12, 2005

Formosa Petrochemical Co. Relies On USFilter Again For Spent Caustic Treatment

Fifth Zimpro(R) Wet Air Oxidation System Ordered by Formosa

WARRENDALE, Penn. -- Formosa Petrochemical Company has again chosen USFilter to supply a Zimpro(R) wet air oxidation (WAO) system for ethylene spent caustic treatment. The $6 million system will be installed at Formosa Petrochemical Company's new FPCC OL-3 Ethylene Plant, in Mailiao, Yun-Lin, Taiwan, and is the fifth purchased by Formosa since 1994.

Using WAO technology will help Formosa alleviate two problems frequently associated with ethylene spent caustic: disposal and odor. The technology destroys odorous sulfides and allows acid neutralization of the spent caustic, and discharge to conventional biological treatment.

"WAO is state-of-the-art technology for treating spent caustic," says Mark Clark, WAO Applications Engineer for USFilter Zimpro Systems. "Formosa Petrochemical Company has realized the benefits of the technology over and over again at its facilities, and we're proud to help make their operations more economical and efficient."

This latest system for Formosa is the largest spent caustic wet air oxidation system provided by USFilter Zimpro Systems to date. Other Zimpro wet air oxidation ethylene spent caustic treatment systems are in use at Formosa Petrochemical plants in Texas and other areas of Taiwan.

Wet air oxidation, developed and commercialized by Zimpro Systems, is widely used to treat both refinery-spent caustic and ethylene caustic. In recent years, Zimpro Products has supplied more than 20 wet oxidation systems for spent caustic treatment.

USFilter Zimpro Products designs and builds municipal and industrial wastewater treatment systems, installed at more than 2,500 sites around the world. With over 40 years' experience, Zimpro Systems specializes in treating various wastewater problems from heavy metals removal to organics control to recovery and reuse. Its Rothschild, Wis. headquarters includes an analytical laboratory, engineering department, pilot facility and manufacturing facility.

USFilter Corporation, a Siemens company, delivers cost-effective, reliable water and wastewater treatment systems and services to municipal, industrial, commercial and institutional customers worldwide. USFilter is part of Siemens' Industrial Solutions and Services Group (I&S), which provides innovative solutions and services designed to improve competitiveness in processing and manufacturing industries and in infrastructure. In fiscal 2004 (to September 30) I&S employed a total of 30,000 people worldwide and achieved total sales of EUR 4.290 billion. Visit company websites at www.usfilter.com, and www.siemens.com.