Optimization and Recovery of Caustic Soda from the Mercerization Process: Almeda Textile Factory
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2018-06
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Addis Ababa University
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the operational parameters of an evaporation unit
which concentrate dilute caustic soda from the mercerizing operation wastewater unit of a
textile mill. The concentration of caustic soda for the mercerizing operation was optimized
before recovery and optimum concentration of 20-23% was attained. In this process, the
concentration of caustic soda in the wastewater was raised to the optimized range 20-23 w/w
% by evaporating the water from the dilute solution collected from the mercerizing effluents
which contain 5 w/w% caustic soda. The process unit used for this purpose consists of an
evaporator, separator, steam generator, condenser, feed vessel, storage tank and vacuum
pump. Parameters including the amount of mass condensate, the amount of mass
concentrated, temperatures, evaporator pressure, heating steam supply pressure and
concentration change of caustic soda solution were measured. From these, the rate of
evaporation, and concentrating capacity of the evaporation were determined. From the
experiments, it was found that the rate of evaporation ranged from 2.24 kg/hr to 6.41 kg/hr
with an average of 5.71 kg/hr.
Description
Keywords
Caustic Soda, Optimization, Mercerization Process, Almeda Textile Factory