BREF for the Production of Polymers.pdf

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

DIRECTORATE-GENERAL JRC

JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE

Institute for Prospective Technological Studies

Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control

Reference Document on

Best Available Techniques in the Production of

Polymers

Dated October 2006

Edificio EXPO, c/ Inca Garcilaso s/n, E-41092 Sevilla - Spain

Telephone: direct line (+34-95) 4488-284, switchboard 4488-318. Fax: 4488-426.

Internet: ht tp://eippcb.jrc.es ; Email: J RC-IPTS-EIPPCB@cec.eu.int

This document is one of a series of foreseen documents as below (at the time of writing, not all

documents have been finalised):

Reference Document on Best Available Techniques . . .

Code

Large Combustion Plants

LCP

Mineral Oil and Gas Refineries

REF

Production of Iron and Steel

I&S

Ferrous Metals Processing Industry

FMP

Non Ferrous Metals Industries

NFM

Smitheries and Foundries Industry

Surface Treatment of Metals and Plastics

STM

Cement and Lime Manufacturing Industries

Glass Manufacturing Industry

GLS

Ceramic Manufacturing Industry

CER

Large Volume Organic Chemical Industry

LVOC

Manufacture of Organic Fine Chemicals

OFC

Production of Polymers

POL

Chlor – Alkali Manufacturing Industry

CAK

Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals - Ammonia, Acids and Fertilisers Industries

LVIC-AAF

Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals - Solid and Others industry

LVIC-S

Production of Speciality Inorganic Chemicals

SIC

Common Waste Water and Waste Gas Treatment/Management Systems in the Chemical Sector

CWW

Waste Treatments Industries

Waste Incineration

Management of Tailings and Waste-Rock in Mining Activities

MTWR

Pulp and Paper Industry

Textiles Industry

TXT

Tanning of Hides and Skins

TAN

Slaughterhouses and Animals By-products Industries

Food, Drink and Milk Industries

FDM

Intensive Rearing of Poultry and Pigs

ILF

Surface Treatment Using Organic Solvents

STS

Industrial Cooling Systems

Emissions from Storage

ESB

Reference Document . . .

General Principles of Monitoring

MON

Economics and Cross-Media Effects

ECM

Energy Efficiency Techniques

ENE

Executive Summary

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1) Introduction

The BAT (Best Available Techniques) Reference Document (BREF) entitled “Best Available

Techniques for the Production of Polymers” (POL) reflects an information exchange carried out

under Article 16(2) of Council Directive 96/61/EC (IPPC Directive). This executive summary

describes the main findings, a summary of the principal BAT conclusions and the associated

emission and consumption levels. It should be read in conjunction with the preface, which

explains this document’s objectives; how it is intended to be used and legal terms. It can be read

and understood as a standalone document but, as a summary, it does not present all the

complexities of this full document. It is therefore not intended as a substitute for this full

document as a tool in BAT decision making.

2) Scope of this document

This document focuses on the main products of the European polymer industry both in

production figures and in environmental impact, mainly produced in dedicated installations for

the production of one specific polymer. The list of products covered is not conclusive but

includes polyolefins, polystyrene, polyvinyl chloride, unsaturated polyesters, emulsion

polymerised styrene butadiene rubbers, solution polymerised rubbers containing butadiene,

polyamides, polyethylene terephthalate fibres and viscose fibres.

For polymer production installations, no specific threshold was established in drawing a

borderline between IPPC installations and non IPPC installations as this is not foreseen in the

IPPC Directive.

3) The sector and environmental issues

Polymer companies produce a variety of basic products, which range from commodities to high

added-value materials and are produced in both batch and continuous processes covering

installations with a capacity of some 10000 tonnes per year up to some 300000 tonnes per year.

The basic polymers are sold to processing companies, serving an immense range of end-user

markets.

The chemistry of polymer production consists of three basic reaction types, polymerisation,

polycondensation and polyaddition, thus the number of operations/processes used remains

reasonably small. These include preparation, the reaction itself and the separation of products.

In many cases cooling, heating, or the application of vacuum or pressure is necessary. The

unavoidable waste streams are treated in recovery and/or abatement systems or disposed of as

waste.

The key environmental issues of the polymer sector are emissions of volatile organic

compounds, in some cases waste waters with the potential for high loads of organic compounds,

relatively large quantities of spent solvents and non-recyclable waste as well as the energy

demand. Given the diversity of the sector and the wide range of polymers produced, this

document does not provide a complete overview of the releases from the polymer sector.

However, emission and consumption data are presented from a broad range of currently

operational plants in the sector.

4) Techniques to consider in the determination of BAT

The techniques to consider in the determination of BAT are grouped in a generic section and

product specific sections for certain polymers. The former includes environmental management

tools, equipment design and maintenance, monitoring and some generic techniques related to

energy and end-of-pipe measures.

MP/EIPPCB/POL_BREF_FINAL

October 2006

Executive Summary

5) Best available techniques

The summary presented below does not include background statements and cross referencing

which is found in the full text. Additionally, the full text contains BAT on environmental

management which is not mentioned in this executive summary.

The interface with the BREF on CWW

The BREF on “Common waste gas and waste water treatment/management systems in the

chemical sector” describes techniques which are commonly applicable to the whole spectrum of

the chemical industry. Detailed descriptions of recovery or abatement techniques can be found

in the BREF on CWW.

The BAT associated emission levels of the end-of-pipe techniques described in the CWW

BREF are BAT wherever these techniques are applied in the polymer sector.

Mass flow and concentration levels

This document mostly refers to production related BAT associated emission and consumption

levels, and also refers to end-of-pipe techniques whose concentration related performance can

be found in the CWW BREF. All BAT associated emission levels relate to total emissions

including both point sources and fugitive emissions.

Understanding the application of the BAT

The BAT that are listed include generic BAT and specific BAT for the different polymers

covered in this document. The generic BAT are those that are considered to be generally

applicable to all types of polymer installations. The polymer specific BAT are those that are

considered to be specifically BAT for installations dealing mainly or wholly with certain types

of polymers.

Generic BAT is

• to reduce fugitive emissions by advanced equipment design including:

o use of valves with bellow or double packing seals or equally efficient equipment.

Bellow valves are especially recommended for highly toxic services

o magnetically driven or canned pumps, or pumps with double seals and a liquid barrier

o magnetically driven or canned compressors, or compressors using double seals and a

liquid barrier

o magnetically driven or canned agitators, or agitators with double seals and a liquid

barrier

o minimisation of the number of flanges (connectors)

o effective gaskets

o closed sampling systems

o drainage of contaminated effluents in closed systems

o collection of vents.

• to carry out a fugitive loss assessment and measurement to classify components in terms of

type, service and process conditions to identify those elements with the highest potential

for fugitive loss

• to establish and maintain an equipment monitoring and maintenance (M&M) and/or leak

detection and repair (LDAR) programme based on a component and service database in

combination with the fugitive loss assessment and measurement

October 2006

MP/EIPPCB/POL_BREF_FINAL

Executive Summary

• to reduce dust emissions with a combination of the following techniques:

o dense phase conveying is more efficient to prevent dust emissions than dilute phase

conveying

o reduction of velocities in dilute phase conveying systems to values as low as possible

o reduction of dust generation in conveying lines through surface treatment and proper

alignment of pipes

o use of cyclones and/or filters in the air exhausts of dedusting units. The use of fabric

filter systems is more effective, especially for fine dust

o use of wet scrubbers.

• to minimise plant start-ups and stops to avoid peak emissions and reduce overall

consumption (e.g. energy, monomers per tonne of product)

• to secure the reactor contents in case of emergency stops (e.g. by using containment

systems)

• to recycle the contained material or to use it as fuel

• to prevent water pollution by appropriate piping design and materials. To facilitate

inspection and repair, effluent water collection systems at new plants and retrofitted

systems are, e.g.:

o pipes and pumps placed above ground

o pipes placed in ducts accessible for inspection and repair.

• to use separate effluent collection systems for:

o contaminated process effluent water

o potentially contaminated water from leaks and other sources, including cooling water

and surface run-off from process plant areas, etc.

o uncontaminated water.

• to treat the air purge flows coming from degassing silos and reactor vents with one or more

of the following techniques:

o recycling

o thermal oxidation

o catalytic oxidation

o adsorption

o flaring (only discontinuous flows).

• to use flaring systems to treat discontinuous emissions from the reactor system. Flaring of

discontinuous emissions from reactors is only BAT if these emissions cannot be recycled

back into the process or used as fuel

• to use, where possible, power and steam from cogeneration plants. Cogeneration is

normally installed when the plant uses the steam produced, or where an outlet for the steam

produced is available. The electricity produced can either be used by the plant or exported

• to recover the reaction heat through the generation of low pressure steam in processes or

plants where internal or external consumers of the low pressure steam are available

• to re-use the potential waste from a polymer plant

• to use pigging systems in multiproduct plants with liquid raw materials and products

• to use a buffer for waste water upstream of the waste water treatment plant to achieve a

constant quality of the waste water. This applies to all processes producing waste water,

such as PVC and ESBR

• to treat waste water efficiently. Waste water treatment can be carried out in a central plant

or in a plant dedicated to a special activity. Depending on the waste water quality,

additional dedicated pretreatment is required.

MP/EIPPCB/POL_BREF_FINAL

October 2006

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