“The CRIA VOCs Reduction Action Plan is formally launched. CRIA will research and make the VOCs reduction route map in the industry to actually put the objective and task of VOCs reduction into effect under the support of the national policies and the joint efforts of the industries and plants.” Zhu Hong, the director of CRIA Technical & Economic Committee, told the reporter at the “Assessment Indicator System of Cleaner Production in Rubber Industry & Rubber Industry Cleaner Production Technology Seminar” held in Guilin, Guangxi from September 7 to 9.
The reporter learnt from the seminar that the implementation of the new Environmental Protection Law made rubber industry included in the key industries promoting the cleaner production indicator system and the VOCs reduction action plan, and the environmental pressure was surged accordingly. In recent years, advanced enterprises in the rubber industry have adhered to the whole-process prevention concept starting the reduction from the source, focusing on process control and giving consideration to end treatment with the realization of cleaner production and pollutant discharge under certain standard. However, there is still a big gap between some enterprises engaged in cleaner production and green development. The passive management of VOCs is to perfunctorily respond to the test or only to meet the discharge standard. Under the overall situation that green development becomes a “new normal”, new environmental protection technologies are in great need for rubber enterprises. Facing a situation that enterprises don’t know what to do with plenty of VOCs treatment technologies, this seminar made great contributions to clarifying the puzzles of the enterprises.
Environmental Protection Pressure Surged in the Rubber Industry
At present, the Chinese rubber industry is in an important stage of the industrial structure adjustment. However, at the same time, the state is making stricter requirements of environmental protection gradually.
The Environmental Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China implemented from January 1, 2015 defines the environmental protection as a basic state policy of China and makes “protection first” as the primary principle for the environmental protection. From July to August 2016, the Central Environmental Protection Inspection Team firstly “struck out” in a large scale and carried out spot supervision in 8 provinces and regions.
On April 8, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology listed 3 industries, including tires, rubber chemicals and reclaimed rubber, into the assessment indicator system plan of cleaner production.
On August 7, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Finance jointly issued the VOCs Reduction Action Plan in Key Industries, and such industries as rubber and shoemaking were included in the key industries to be reduced. It is required that green tire products with low VOCs or without VOCs will account for over 40% in 2018.
On August 29, the Environmental Protection Tax Law (Draft) was submitted to the Standing Committee of National People's Congress for the first deliberation. The taxable objects were linked up with the levying objects in the existing sewage charge system, and four categories including air pollutants, water pollutants, solid wastes and noises were identified.
It is introduced that before the end of June 2016, 31 provinces in China had respectively adjusted the sewage charge standard of air pollutants and water pollutants. The charging standard of 7 provinces (municipalities directly under the central government) was higher than the minimum standard specified in the notice, in which the charging standard of Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai was respectively 8~9 times, 5~7 times and 3~6.5 times of the minimum standard.
Hu Xuewen from Cleaner Production and Circular Economy Research Center of Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences said, “Previously, cleaner production was put forward by the National Development and Reform Commission to save energy. Now, the state makes relevant work and standards of the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ‘three-in-one’, and the only technical specification is the assessment indicator system of cleaner production, in order to serve the energy conservation and emission reduction in a wider scope of application. ”
“The assessment indicator system of cleaner production aims to lead the industry to save energy and reduce emission. It will encourage enterprises to go on the path of technical progress and innovation rather than close the enterprises. However, local government may consider it as a basis for elimination of the backward production capacity. As a ruler and an instrument, the six indicators in the system shall not be repeated or missed. There are three grades of the indicator value, and the first grade indicates the international advanced level. Not all the companies can reach the three standards. Only those making great efforts and doing their utmost can be qualified. The zero graduation of the rubber is subject to the “trial”, and it should be scientific, feasible and prospective.
Hu Xuewen said that it would probably take about one year to release the assessment indicator system of cleaner production after “three steps”, including consultation, approval and formal release.
“Rubber industry is gradually transmitting to green industry. The previous development mode at the cost of resources and environment hasn’t supported the sustainable development of the industry yet, and the implementation of the overall cleaner production becomes an important channel for the current green transformation and upgrading.” Deng Wenzhong, the deputy general manager of China Chemical Guilin Engineering Co., Ltd., said.
Cleaner Production Technology Development Emerging in Endlessly
“VOCs emission reduction is the end treatment when there is no other method else. The more direct and more effective method is to solve the problem in the whole process of engineering design, source of raw materials, manufacturing technology and production equipment.” Zhu Hong said.
“Cleaner production is only applicable to the condition before the end treatment. The pollutant discharge indicator after the end treatment is a red line, which mustn’t be trampled.” Hu Xuewen also pointed out.
Actually, it is as early as March 2015 that China Rubber Industry Association published the Raw Materials Recommendation Guideline of Green Tires, which formed the technical indicators and testing requirements of the recommended raw materials in four categories and 33 varieties to facilitate the industrialization of green tires and the green production of raw materials. The solvent-based adhesive replaced by water-based adhesive is also vigorously initiated and encouraged in the rubber shoes industry.
As an engineering design company, Guilin Engineering Co., Ltd. recommended the independently researched and developed vulcanized waste gas collection system version 2.0 -- split collection system. After being adopted by some foreign-funded enterprises, compared with the traditional enclosure method, the collected air volume is reduced to 28,000m3/hour from100,000 m3/ hour with a decrease of 60%~72%. The collection efficiency exceeds 90%, and the energy consumption is improved obviously.
In the Reduction Plan, technical transformation and softener replacement are also proposed to be used in the reclaimed rubber industry. As introduced by Shi Jinwei, the postdoctor of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, the linkage technology of double screw dynamic continuous desulphurization and screw dynamic continuous shearing with the reduction of mooney viscosity initiatively created in the industry-university-research cooperation realizes the green, energy-saving, continuous and efficient production in the whole preparation process from rubber powder to reclaimed rubber, reaching “near zero emission”. There is neither pungent smell nor white amorphous smoke discharged. Water pollution and air pollution generated in the traditional high-temperature production process of reclaimed rubber are solved from the source.
“Besides Beijing University of Chemical Technology, such companies as Jiangsu Zhonghong Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., Anhui Shijiecun New Materials Co., Ltd., Qingdao University of Science & Technology and China Rubber Resource Regeneration (Qingdao) Co., Ltd. all realized cleaner production and are developing towards automatic, intelligent and green production.” Cao Qingxin, the secretary-general of CRIA Comprehensive Utilization of Waste Rubber Branch, said, “The dynamic devulcanizer belongs to pollutional and backward equipment, which doesn’t go against the transformation and green development of the reclaimed rubber industry, let alone the emission reduction of VOCs in the industry. However, as for the above-mentioned enterprise transformation, upgrading and invention projects, whichever are more applicable? This relies on the capability of other enterprises. As long as the technical equipment is safe and without exhaust emission, the industry will energetically provide guidance and support.”
With regard to the replacement of coal tar, Cao Qingxin said that Nanjing Red Sun Co., Ltd. replaced with carbon dioxide. During the “13th Five-year Plan” period, reclaimed rubber without softener will also be developed in the industry.
Since the establishment in 2001, CRIA Rubber Chemicals Professional Committee has been engaged in the vigorous implementation of cleaner production technologies of rubber chemicals. At present, the output of green chemicals accounted for over 92%. As introduced by Du Mengcheng, the deputy chief engineer of Shandong Yanggu Huatai Chemical Co., Ltd., the NS cleaner production technology of accelerator oxidized by oxygen researched and developed by this company solves the disadvantages of large waste water volume and high salt content in the traditional process. Only one ton of non-salt waste water is generated from one ton of products, while about 8~10 tons high-salt organic waste water is generated in the traditional process. At present, this company is focusing on researching the cleaner production technology of the sulfenamide accelerators such as CBS and DZ.
During the production process of tires, such technologies as nitrogen vulcanization, one-off mixing, series-combined mixing and pre-disperse masterbatch processing of rubber chemicals have been used for advanced enterprises in the front rank and newly established tire projects.
The Key of VOCs Treatment Tech- nology Is to Be Affordable
With regard to the current situation and the existing problems in the flue-gas treatment, Li Guijun, the director of Beijing Wohua Attraction SCI-TECH Co., Ltd., said that in the middle and later 1990s, as foreign-funded tire enterprises came to China and the authorities of the industry were weakened, the flue gas problem was gradually ignored. In particular, since 2000, the domestic tire industry has achieved explosive growth, thus less and less attention was paid to flue gas. Basically, this problem is mainly avoided or evaded. In face of the conflict between the high pressure of environmental protection and the existence and development of the enterprises, it is extremely urgent to take the flue-gas treatment measures.
“After so many years of practice, the equipment and technologies used for waste gas treatment haven’t been tested practically. It is very rare to operate for more than one year. Firstly, because the supervision is not strict and always unserious, some enterprises only run the equipment at the time of inspection, leading to low application efficiency of much equipment. Secondly, the operation maintenance is under heavy burden.” Li Guijun said.
At this seminar, the treatment technology suppliers such as Guilin Engineering Co., Ltd., Shanghai Anjule Environmental Technology Co., Ltd., Beijing Dahua Inscription Technology Co., Ltd., Qingdao Xizi Research Institute Co., Ltd. and Beijing New Universal Science and Technology Co., Ltd. respectively communicated the research progress of the existing VOCs treatment technologies with the representatives present at the seminar and recommended their core technologies to them.
It is learnt by the reporter that based on different emission concentrations and compositions, there are over 10 waste gas treatment technologies such as catalytic combustion, regenerative combustion, absorption, bioanalysis, condensed collection purification, electronic ignition, ozone oxidation deodorization, plasma treatment and photocatalysis. How do we choose appropriate treatment channels? Which treatment technology should be used for waste gas with small flow and high concentration caused by rubber mixing and vulcanized fume with big flow and low concentration? What features does each treatment technology and process have? Besides, which enterprise has better environmental protection en- gineering equipment in China? For a moment, there are so many problems to deal with for rubber enterprises.
“The VOCs industry has been a hot spot in recent years, which has a big scope in a great demand. During the past two years, the national environmental protection engineering equipment enterprises have increased by more than 10 times, reaching over 40,000.” Hao Yudong, the chief technology officer of Qingdao Xizi Research Institute Co., Ltd., said.
The reporter saw that there were many people gathering in front of Wei Yu, the deputy general manager of Beijing New Universal Science and Technology Co., Ltd., to exchange business cards soon after the speech.
“In most instances, it needs to use two or more technical combinations for comprehensive treatment to achieve a good treatment effect because there are many kinds of pollutants in the flue gas simultaneously.” Li Guijun said, “In face of the economic downturn and the cost rising, we must be careful of the input in environmental protection.”
What kind of combination can realize small investment, low operation maintenance cost and stable operation? Many enterprises are eager to find an answer. For example, Fan Shouyun, the deputy general manager of the Equipment Center of Giti Tire (China) Co., Ltd., put forward a question, “On earth, which company’s general technology is the best? How much is the cost?”
As the director of the Equipment Center of Zhongce Rubber Group, Huang Xiuhua told the reporter that Zhongce made large investment in the waste gas treatment. There is little possibility to adopt a single solution. The company is simultaneously using many technologies of different companies. Selecting the best from the good ones is the only way.
“The boiler dust removal equipment bought by us with an investment of RMB 700,000 Yuan just entered the plant. We are hesitated about the VOCs treatment. We aim to know the progress of environmental treatment in the industry and pay closer attention to finding a one- size-fits-all at the seminar. Now, we have to wait for mature cases and experience in the industry.”The idea of Chen Yongzhou, the chief engineer of Henan Huanyan Tyre Limited by Share Ltd, represented the idea of some small-scale enterprises.
“Technically, in deed, whichever method we choose, the one-off investment will not be very much. The key lies in the later operation and maintenance period. However, economically, too high operation cost will be abandoned if exceeding the capability of the enterprise.” Yang Feng, an engineer of Beijing Dahua Inscription Technology Co., Ltd., told the reporter.
“Though we afford the equipment, we can’t afford the use costs; even if we afford the use costs, we can’t afford the repair costs. While affording a horse, we can’t afford a saddle” A representative summed up.
Sun Changquan, the deputy director of the Marketing Department of Anjule Company, summarized the current VOCs treatment industry. Firstly, there are many enterprises in a small scale with different technological levels, the research and development ability of the enterprises is poor, and the technical level is very backward; secondly, the varieties of VOCs are very much from complex sources, and the processing conditions are changeful, greatly testing the organic combination of the treatment technologies and the engineering experience of the personnel; and thirdly, the brand enterprises are only a few, and the high-end production capacity is insufficient while the low-end production capacity is surplus. Fan Rende, the honorary president of China Rubber Industry Association, summed up and said that green manufacturing and cleaner production were key strategic measures to establish a rubber industry power. Whether considering the current status of the industry or comparison with the same industry abroad, these mature methods and cases all reflect the progress of the industry. However, there is a great gap in many factories and working procedures, and measures are in urgent need. Enterprises should cooperate with professional research institutes to solve the environmental issues and balance the cost, efficiency and environmental protection. In addition, the investment shall also be increased. Listed companies may increase their input by raising funds. Unlisted companies may adopt multivariate investment ways to match up. In conclusion, the rubber industry aims to become a healthy industry with sustainable development benefiting our posterities and society by means of green manufacturing and cleaner production.
It is learnt that in the project with annual output of 2 million units of all-steel tires newly established by Hefei Wanli Tire Co., Ltd., Beijing New Universal Science and Technology Co., Ltd. supplied and installed 5 whole production process VOCs waste gas package solution, and adopted a new business model -- finance leasing to take charge of the 5-year operation and maintenance of the facilities. With the use of special absorption materials, the absorption rate is high to 99%, and the catalytic combustion purification of waste gas is very efficient, basically realizing near zero emission without secondary pollution. Water and carbon dioxide can be directly discharged with the win-win achievement.
To solve the difficulties of the enterprises, “the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will take safeguard measures to play the supporting role of intermediary organs such as industry associations, scientific research institutions and advisory agencies and provide technical guidance, support, services, information consultation, etc. The industry associations shall also establish the supply and demand exchange platform for the VOCs reduction technical equipment to help enterprises implement the transformation of the VOCs reduction technologies and quicken the popularization and application of the advanced and applicable technologies.” Zhang Lingpu from the Environmental Protection Section, Energy Conservation and Comprehensive Utilization Department, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said.
