Seeking Methods or Partners to Value Acrylic Acid Contained in a Waste Water Stream

A SpecialChem Client is looking for a method or a partner to value acrylic acid contained in a waste water stream* (see waste water stream composition below).

• The method could consist in purifying acrylic acid from other compounds
• The partner could be a company interested in using acrylic acid for its own production
• The method could consist in reacting acrylic acid in the waste water stream with another compound with subsequent separation of the resulting product

The SpecialChem Client – a leading chemical producer – operates worldwide several manufacturing plants of a given compound. The current production process generates a waste water stream that is composed of the following compounds:

• Acrylic acid: ~ 15-18%
• Acetic acid: ~ 1%
• Formaldehyde: ~ 1-2%
• Acrolein:
• Other: ~ 1%
• Water: balance

The water stream represents roughly 90,000 tons per year (13,500 tons of acrylic acid per year).

Because of side products, the SpecialChem Client cannot:

• Re-use acrylic acid in other production units
• “Clarify” water and gain carbon credit.

The SpecialChem Client is looking for:

• Methods allowing separation of acrylic acid from other compounds by
• Distillation?
• Chemical separation?
• Others?
• Methods to use or value the acrylic acid “as it is” in the waste water by
• Polymerization in the waste water…
• Other?
• Partners willing to buy the entire waste water
• Partners willing to buy acrylic acid contained in the waste water stream.

The following companies could provide appropriate solutions:

• Water treatment specialists
• Manufacturers and application specialists for acrylic acid
• Construction chemical business (with experience in acrylic acid).

The SpecialChem Client is not interested in investigating solutions modifying the existing production process that leads to the waste water stream.

As soon as possible, but may vary according to the proposed solution.

Methods to reduce the current disposal / incineration costs of the waste water could be considered.