Hot dip galvanizing and the environment

in the 21st Century

Technical seminar
Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Industry history

The process of hot dip galvanizing was developed in 1840

The basic operational principles have not changed
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century

The process today -

Hot caustic Acid pickle Water rinse Hot preflux Zinc bath Chromate
degrease 75oC 455oC quench
90oC passivation

Chemicals used:

- 20% sodium hydroxide solution including surfactants and sequesterants

- Hydrochloric acid (10%)
- 20% zinc ammonium chloride solution
- 0.025% sodium dichromate solution
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century

The process today -

Hot caustic Acid pickle Water rinse Hot preflux Zinc bath Chromate
degrease 75oC 455oC quench
90oC passivation

Removes Removes Removes Conditions Molten zinc Galvanizing

paint, oil, rust and acid steel reacts with passivated
grease mill scale residues surface for steel and cooled
galvanizing
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century

Residues produced -

Caustic Waste acid Low pH rinse Preflux Zinc ash Quench sludge
sludge containing water sludge Zinc dross containing
CO2 iron and zinc containing CO2 Fumes zinc residues
Vapour Vapour iron and zinc Vapour CO2 Vapour
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Residues produced - Mass balance
Caustic – 50% solution added – losses through drag-out and evaporation.
Operating strength 20%.

Hydrochloric acid – 33% conc. acid added to make 10% operating

solution. 1 gallon of conc. Acid generates 3 gallons of waste acid.

Rinse water – Overflow rinse - 100% to waste

Static rise – 0% to waste (used for make-up water)

Zinc ammonium chloride preflux – 20% operating solution – ZAC, water and
ammonia added to maintain chemical balance – losses through drag-out
and evaporation.

Zinc – 99+% high grade zinc – Zinc and master alloys added – usage through
coating, oxidation (ash formation) and metallurgical reaction (dross formation)

Quench – Sodium dichromate solution – 0.025% - losses though drag-out and

evaporation.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Environmental issues for the hot dip galvanizing industry
• Occupational health and safety/risk assessment
• Waste management on site
• Control of particulate emissions
• Disposal of commercial residues
• Disposal of hazardous residues
• Storm water management
• Greenhouse(CO2) emission management
• Elimination of ‘wet galvanizing’ process from the industry
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Recommended model for a Galvanizing Industry Code of
Environmental Practice (GICOP)
The basic principles of a GICOP are:
• to provide a tool for facility owners, operators and employees
to understand and manage the environmental aspects and
impacts of their businesses.
• to apply the principles of Best Practical Option (BPO)
• to apply the principles of Best Available Technology
Not Entailing Excessive Cost (BATNEEC)
• to ensure that new facilities incorporate Best Practice Activities
• to ensure that Best Practice Activities
are applied in existing facilities if
practical.
• to ensure that where the installation of
pollution control devices can be retro-fitted
in existing plants, then best practice process
controls should be put in place to minimise
environmental impacts at their source.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
The elements of a Galvanizing Industry Code of
Environmental Practice (GICOEP)
• Defining the scope of the GICOEP

• Understanding community expectations

• Developing and Environmental Management Plan

• Developing an energy management plan

• Accommodating the existing environmental legal

framework with respect to state and federal laws,
regulations, standards and policies with respect to EPA
responsibilities related to environmental protection and
control discharges of wastes to air, surface and
groundwater, and land.
• Accommodating the role of water and sewerage authorities
• Accommodating the role Occupational Health and Safety ( OH&S)authorities
• Accommodating the environmental due diligence responsibilities of facility
owners, directors or managers.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Summary of Best Practice Activities
Air emissions
• “Wet’ galvanizing using a molten flux blanket should not be permitted.
• Within the general constraints of plant design and work mix, the surface area of
the process baths should be minimised.
• All process baths should be located within a building allowing internal air to be
discharged to atmosphere through elevated roof vents, stacks or fans.
• Stacks used for discharge of wastes from fan forced ventilation systems should:
- terminate not less than 5 metres above the roof line
- be vertical and allow unimpeded gas flow.
- have a gas discharge velocity of not less than 10 metres per second.
• External air ventilation should be optimised to prevent condensation on building
members.
Degreasing
• All articles to be galvanized that may be
contaminated with oils, grease or paint should be
degreased and have paint removed to minimise fume
emissions during galvanizing.
• The use of surfactants and sequesterants in the
degreasing solution will reduce carry-over of oil and
paint residues into subsequent pre-treatment
processes.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Summary of Best Practice Activities

Pickling
• Hydrochloric acid pickling does not require heating as does sulfuric acid,
making greenhouse contributions from hydrochloric acid much lower.
• Acid tanks should operate at optimum acid concentration so as to minimise acid
vapour emissions to the atmosphere.
• Proprietary vapour suppressants should be used where proven to be beneficial.
• Where practicable, foam blankets may be used to minimise vapour emissions.
• The zinc sulfate crystals produced from sulfuric acid regeneration must be
monitored for lead content prior to prevent lead contamination in soils.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Summary of Best Practice Activities

Fluxing
• Zinc ammonium chloride (ZAC) flux solutions should be used rather than
ammonium chloride solution to minimise fume emissions at the kettle.
• Flux concentrations should be maintained at 200-300 g/litre to optimise fluxing
action and minimise fume emissions at the kettle.
• Oily residues carried forward from the pickling process should be removed from
the flux bath by skimming or filtering to reduce kettle fume emissions.
• Appropriate venting and draining of the process steelwork will minimise fluid
carryover to the kettle and minimise fume emissions.
• Flux composition, temperature and workflow should be balanced to ensure
adequate drying and minimise surface moisture being carried into the kettle.
• Alternatively, a heated drying area may be provided for the fluxed work to
ensure optimum dryness of the article at the kettle.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Summary of Best Practice Activities
Galvanizing
• The ‘dry’ galvanizing process using a ZAC preflux
should be used. `Wet’ galvanizing using a molten flux
blanket on the kettle surface is not environmentally
acceptable.
• Flux `dusting’ should not be permitted at any time due to
excessive fume emissions and the visual air pollution
created.
• Fully enclose the galvanizing bath to ensure maximum
capture of fumes, where practical.
• Use pollution control equipment (fabric filters, wet
scrubbers or electrostatic precipitators) to capture fume
above the galvanizing bath.
• Remove zinc ash from the zinc bath regularly, taking
care to maximise zinc retention in the bath.
• Do not use the galvanizing bath to burn off paint or other
organic materials from the work.
• High Grade (99.9%) zinc should be used to prevent lead
as used in some galvanizing zinc reporting to the waste
stream.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Summary of Best Practice Activities
Finishing
• The need for grinding should be minimised by using fettling equipment or shaking
mechanisms to remove drainage spikes where possible.
• Grinding or filing should be carried out within the process buildings to minimise
airborne dispersal of grinding dust to the external environment.
• Grinding dust should be vacuumed or swept up regularly and returned to the zinc
kettle.
Fuel combustion
• Natural gas should be used for heating purposes where available.
• All combustion devices should be tuned and maintained on a regular basis in
accordance with manufacturers instructions..

Liquid waste - spent chemical solutions and rinses.

• Maximise drainage time over baths to minimise drag-out and rinse contamination.
• Bath chemical concentrations should be maintained at nominated levels
• Use on-site treatment of waste chemicals where possible.
• Provide adequate on-site temporary storage to accommodate maintenance.
• Used licensed/approved contractors to remove liquid waste from site.
• Where practical, spent acid solutions should be regenerated or disposed of to
appropriate commercial end-uses. e.g. Fertiliser manufacturing or water treatment.
• Running rinses should receive on-site treatment prior to discharge into sewers or
drains.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Summary of Best Practice Activities

Sludges
• Remove accumulated iron from the ZAC preflux tank by hydrogen peroxide
precipitation or continuous precipitation, to minimise dross formation.
• Remove accumulated sludge from the other process tanks to maintain operating
standards.
• Dispose of sludges through authorised contractors.

Solid wastes - galvanizing

• Minimise production of dross and ash by using effective pre-treatment methods
and ensuring adequate drying of work prior to galvanizing.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Summary of Best Practice Activities

Storm water management

• Adopt effective housekeeping practices to minimise risk
of storm water contamination by oils or process
chemicals.
• Provide adequate bunding on chemical process tanks to
contain spills in the event of overflow or tank failure.
• Storm water run-off should be managed to retain silt,
fugitive process dusts, chemical or fuel spillage within
the site boundaries.

Soil
• Engineering and housekeeping controls should be established to prevent process
chemicals entering the soil.
• The site should be sealed in plant process areas to minimise risk of soil
contamination through plant wash-down and chemical run-off.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century

Summary of Best Practice Activities

Energy

• Maintain combustion systems at optimum fuel/air

levels.
• Operate baths at minimum effective temperatures.
• Insulate heated tanks where possible.
• Insulate the top of galvanizing bath when not in use.
• Utilise waste heat from the zinc kettle for heating
process baths.
• Use natural gas for primary and supplementary “Megajoules”
lost
heating where available.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Summary of Best Practice Activities
Monitoring
Air emissions from stacks
(Particulates, zinc chloride, ammonium chloride) Every 2 years
Ground level air quality (boundaries)
(Particulates, zinc chloride, ammonium chloride) Every 2 years
Storm water drains (visual) Monthly
Storm water drains (water analysis)
(Suspended solids, zinc, chromium, iron, pH) Annually
Sewer discharge
(Iron, zinc, chromium, pH, chloride, sulphate, suspended solids) Annually
Solid waste: Tonnes or cubic metres Monthly
Noise (boundaries) Every 2 years
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Industrial Galvanizers Corporation’s Environmental Initiatives
• Development of continuous preflux filtering to eliminate overflow rinsing
• Development of a Galvanizing Code of Environmental Practice (with GAA)
which has been endorsed by Australian state and federal EPA’s.
• Implementation of Environmental Best Practice in IGC galvanizing plant design
• Participation in the Australia Government’s Greenhouse Challenge program
• Participation in Australian Government National Pollution Inventory program.

• Development of fume suppressants for acid pickling tanks

• Development of ISO 14001

Environmental management Systems
(with GAA) for implementation
throughout the IGC Group.
• Presentation to the Malaysian Dept.
of the Environment (DOE) has led to
the acceptance of IGC/GAA Code of
Environmental Practice principles for
the Malaysian galvanizing industry.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Industrial Galvanizers Corporation’s Environmental Initiatives

ISO 14001 requirements...

Top management shall define the organisation’s
environmental policies and ensure that it…
(a) is appropriate to the nature, scale and
environmental impacts of its activities, products and
services;
(b) includes a commitment to continual improvement
and prevention of pollution;
(c) includes a commitment to comply with relevant
environmental legislation and regulations, and with
other requirements to which the organisation
subscribes;
(d) provides a framework for setting and reviewing
environmental objectives;
(e) is documented, implemented and maintained, and
communicated to all employees;
(f) is available to the public.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Industrial Galvanizers Corporation’s Environmental Initiatives
Operational Excellence Program
IGC has embarked on an `Operational Excellence’ program using the statutory
EPA requirements as a starting point.
The ‘Operational Excellence’ program is aimed at staged operational and
environmental improvement in all aspects of IGC galvanizing operations and
exceed statutory requirements through the continual improvement process.
The ‘Operational Excellence’ program involves the development of process
technology and operational processes to address the environmental, energy
and waste management issues specific to this industry.
The current focus of these developments that are producing positive outcomes
includes;
- Development of fluxing systems to progressively reduce and ultimately
eliminate fume arising from the fluxing process.
- Development of acid management systems to reduce the amount of waste
acid arising.
- Development of regeneration systems to recover commercial value from
waste and residues.
- Development of combustion management systems to reduce fuel usage/CO2.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Industrial Galvanizers Corporation’s Environmental Achievements

Significant (50%) reduction in waste acid volumes

Significant reduction in fume levels through the use of low fume flux
technology

Elimination of overflow rinse water through the use of continuous preflux

filtering.

Establishment of Ground Level Concentration (GLC) benchmarks for airborne

emissions for IGC facilities.
Major contributor to the Australian Galvanizing Industry Environmental Code of
Practice.
Signatory to the Australian Government’s Greenhouse Challenge program

Currently acquiring ISO 14002 - Environmental Management Systems accreditation

Set galvanizing industry environmental standards and Codes of Practice that
have been adopted by Malaysian DOE authorities as the industry standards for
Malaysia.
 Hot dip galvanizing and the environment
in the 21st Century
Industrial Galvanizers Corporation believes that the future of
this industry will be based on the acceptance of the principles
that:

- hot dip galvanized steel is an environmentally sustainable product

compared to other construction products.

- the hot dip galvanizing process is environmentally sustainable in terms of

the management and minimisation of waste products and residues from the
process.

- the hot dip galvanizing process meets the criteria set internationally for
minimisation of greenhouse gas emissions.