The Equipment Solutions Group

Client:	Engineering Firm
Contract Amount:
Project Length:
Equisol Contact:	Dana Millitello 215.539.2818

Description: pH neutralization system to handle waste water containing high levels of hydrofluoric acid from semiconductor production line to allow discharge directly to public WWTP with cost savings of $80K annually

Engineering company in northeast was needed assistance in designing a pH neutralization system to handle waste water containing high levels of hydrofluoric acid from new semiconductor production line. This would allow the company to discharge directly to public waste water treatment plant (WWTP) instead of using a local independent company that was hauling their waste off in large tanker trucks. This would save them $80K annually in waste disposal cost.

Semiconductor pH waste water neutralization.

Equisol was referred to the engineering company as the solutions provider to assist with their pH neutralization problem. The engineering company had been doing a pilot study to develop semi-conductor manufacturing and were now ready to move into full production.

The engineering company was trying to neutralize waste water containing large amounts of Hydrofluoric Acid used in the cleaning process using proportional control with limited to no success.

Site survey reviewing the process enabled Equisol to design a three stage pH batch neutralization system using time proportional control (TPC) instead of the proportional control currently in place.

The system designed was set up with a 1,500 gallon central collection tank, 500 gallon batch neutralization tank and 6,000 gallon main collection tank, Walchem pH process controller, and flow line ultrasonic level switches.

On delivery of equipment to customer site Equisol mounted all process tanks, modified existing plumbing, installed controls and used existing customer metering pumps in one week.

On start up Equisol showed customer how to interface with controller over their LAN system, programming controller and how to adjust control. After initial start up customer has been running 4 years with no problems and has been discharging to public waste water treatment plant (WWTP) saving them $80K annually.