pulp black liquor, and solvent deasphalting. The possible energy savings were large and all appear on the verge of commercial viability.

US Department of Commerce data puts total industrial energy consumption in the USA at some 11,500 trillion Btu, with around 80% of this consumed in six industries. All employ extensive separation processes, the major ones being distillation, absorption/stripping, ion exchange, extraction, precipitation/crystallization and filtration. The most energy intensive involve phase changes.

Membranes do not require phase changes, but neither do they usually produce high purity products directly. Bulk separations, however, can be accomplishes economically using membranes.

As a general rule, the conclusion was drawn that a membrane hybrid was unlikely to be used unless it consumed one-third less energy than a non- membrane technology. In circumstances of very high energy cost, however, stand-alone membrane systems become more viable. These circumstances do not apply in the USA, where energy costs are still relatively cheap.

Turkish plant advances

Badger Catalytic Ltd, London, has announced that it has completed proprietary equipment delivery to Ak-Kim Kimya Sanayi for its grass roots chlor-alkali plant under construction at Yalova.

The project (see Membrane Technology NoS, Sept 1990) will use the ICI FM21-SP ion-exchange membrane electrolysis technology and will have an initial capacity of 20 tonnes a day of chlorine, plus associated caustic soda and hydrogen. Provision for doubling capacity is included in the facility.

Badger Catalytic, a joint venture of Badger Co Inc, Cambridge, Massachusetts, and United Engineers & Constructors International Inc, will supply process technology under licence, critical equipment items and materials, and will provide construction management and commissioning services.

And another begins Badger Catalytic, a Raytheon company, has also recently been awarded a project contract for the conversion of Associated Octel's chlor-alkali plant at Ellesmere Port, UK, to membrane technology. The project, involving major investment, will replace the existing mercury cell production with ICI FM21-SP membrane cell design. The plant will have similar capacity as exists now, namely 60,000 tonnes a year of chlorine, and is due on-stream in 1992.

James W Detert

Move at Osmonics James w Detert has been appointed vice president operations at Osmonics Inc, Minnetonka, Minnesota. Detert has a mechanical engineering degree from Tufts University, as well as an MBA, and was most recently vice president of process technology with the company.

Detert's responsibilities include all operations at Minnetonka, together with supervision of manufacturing at Osmonics' subsidiaries and divisions in California, Arizona, Massachusetts and New York. A replacement for the position of vice president technology has not been announced. The company's sales in 1990 were more than $43 million.

Air ProductsRvlaersk tie up Air Products & Chemicals Inc, Alletown, USA, and Maersk Line, Copenhagen, Denmark, signed an agreement in February for supply of membrane systems. Under the agreement, Air Products will lease seven of its membrane-based Spectrum controlled atmosphere systems to Maersk, a subsidiary of Danish shipping group A P Moiler, for use in the shipping line's refrigerated intermodal containers.

2 Membrane Technology