2011 Grand Prize - Small Projects

Catalytic Hydrogen Peroxide Treatment System

Location: Hopewell Junction, New York
Entrant: IBM East Fishkill Environmental Engineering
Engineer in Charge: Linda N. Daubert
Media Contact: Linda N. Daubert; 845-892-0187; LNDauber@us.ibm.com

The IBM East Fishkill Facility is a world class leader in semiconductor chip and packaging development and manufacturing. The continual innovations in technology require equally rapid and innovative environmental solutions. The Facility's environmental group is responsible to support the site's multiple 24/7 manufacturingcomprehensive solutions to meet the corporation's policies.	In 2003, IBM East Fishkill (EFK) began an initiative with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to significantly reduce total dissolved solids (TDS) in the site's final effluent discharge to a small receiving stream. Over the next six years, IBM EFK investigated alternative technologies to remove sources of TDS from our manufacturing wastewaters and wastewater treatment processes.	The ammonia/peroxide wastewater was identified as having one of the largest contributors of TDS, through hydrogen peroxide treatment, which is followed by an ammonia separation step, in which the wastewater is distilled for ammonium hydroxide removal. Through the end of 2009, the peroxide removal process was the industry standard: sodium bisulfite reduction, followed by sodium hydroxide neutralization
In early 2009, a catalytic enzyme process was qualified to replace the existing sodium bisulfite process to remove peroxide from the ammonia wastewater. This process uses a small quantity of enzyme to catalyze the decomposition of peroxide waste into water and oxygen, without contributing TDS to the site final effluent discharge and at a fraction of the cost.	The selected technology, an aqueous fungal enzyme, was subjected to a long evaluation process by IBM EFK personnel before full-scale implementation. Rigorous peroxide removal optimization, pH, biodegradation, offgasing, and fouling tests were conducted before the new treatment scheme was established	The project repurposed as much equipment as possible, including these two tanks, which were sitting empty in an existing building.

Entrant Profile

International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) is committed to environmental leadership in all of its business activities. IBM has had long-standing corporate policies since the early 1970's for protecting the environment and conserving energy and natural resources. They have served the environment and our business well over the years and provide the foundation for the following corporate policy objectives:

Meet or exceed all applicable government requirements and voluntary requirements to which IBM subscribes. Set and adhere to stringent requirements of our own no matter where in the world the company does business.
Be an environmentally responsible neighbor in the communities where we operate, and act promptly and responsibly to correct incidents or conditions that endanger health, safety, or the environment. Report them to authorities promptly and inform affected parties as appropriate.
Participate in efforts to improve environmental protection and understanding around the world and share appropriate pollution prevention technology, knowledge and methods.

IBM's East Fishkill Facility is a world class leader in semiconductor chip and packaging development and manufacturing. The continual innovations in technology at the Facility require equally rapid and innovative environmental solutions. The Facility's environmental group is responsible to support its multiple 24/7 manufacturing processes while providing comprehensive solutions to meet the corporation's policies. The Facility's environmental group consists of a multidisciplinary staff of environmental and chemical engineers, scientists and treatment facilities operators.

IBM East Fishkill's environmental group is tasked with minimizing the impacts of chemicals that are discharged or exhausted into the environment. The project which is the focus of this award application is the reduction of total dissolved solids in the facility's final effluent, which effluent is discharged to a small stream. The project involved the replacement of chemicals used in the Ammonia Wastewater Treatment Facility with a catalyst. The group conducted research, designed and ran extensive bench experimentation followed by pilot scale testing, provided concept designs, started up the new process, and has subsequently operated the system. IBM was assisted by CH2MHill for detailed design, and Whiting-Turner Corporation for construction management.

Project Description

Background

In 2003, IBM East Fishkill (EFK) began an initiative with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to significantly reduce total dissolved solids (TDS) in the site's final effluent discharge to a small receiving stream. Over the next six years, IBM EFK investigated alternative technologies to remove sources of TDS from our manufacturing wastewaters and wastewater treatment processes, including the treatment of hydrogen peroxide. The largest quantity of hydrogen peroxide in site wastewater is present in the ammonia/hydrogen peroxide wastewater from semiconductor manufacturing. The former and existing treatment scheme includes the hydrogen peroxide removal process followed by an ammonia separation step, in which the wastewater is distilled for ammonium hydroxide removal. Through the end of 2009, the peroxide removal process was the industry standard: sodium bisulfite reduction, followed by sodium hydroxide neutralization. Both of these chemicals contributed high levels of TDS to our wastewaters and final effluent discharge, and were becoming increasingly expensive.

In early 2009, a catalytic enzyme process was qualified to replace the existing sodium bisulfite process to remove peroxide from the ammonia wastewater. This process uses a small quantity of enzyme to catalyze the decomposition of peroxide waste into water and oxygen, without contributing TDS to the site final effluent discharge and at a fraction of the cost. The design incorporated existing building equipment as much as possible, and was flawlessly integrated into the existing treatment system. Design and construction of the full-scale peroxide treatment system was completed in the second half of 2009, at a cost of $550,000. This new treatment process eliminates all use of sodium bisulfite and the subsequent sodium hydroxide for acid neutralization.

Complexity

This project considered several important factors through concept, design, and startup, including environmental impact in the form of dissolved solids, chemical toxicity and hazards, air pollutants, and impact on downstream treatment processes.

The chosen replacement technology needed to meet stringent requirements and be compatible with subsequent wastewater treatment processes. Not only did it need to be effective for the specific ammonia / hydrogen peroxide wastewater that is generated by semiconductor manufacturing, but it needed to provide a significant net reduction of TDS (which eliminated all conventional treatment options) without addition of other undesirable ions. There were several other constraints because the subsequent ammonia wastewater distillation process step, which generates an ammonium hydroxide product for commercial sale, was critical to the overall operation of the site wastewater treatment systems and waste minimization activities. The new process needed to operate at a low pH to prevent loss of ammonia gas, and could not introduce chemicals or change wastewater characteristics that would foul the acontaminate the ammonium hydroxide product.

The selected technology, an aqueous fungal enzyme, was subjected to a long evaluation process by IBM EFK before full-scale implementation. Rigorous peroxide removal optimization, pH, biodegradation, offgasing, and fouling tests were conducted before the new treatment scheme was established.

Integrated Solution

This replacement treatment technology challenged all major disadvantages of the previous method. By eliminating chemicals and reducing the chemical volumes, the project reduced potential hazards to employees, tanker offloading labor, and greenhouse gases associated with truck emissions. The catalytic peroxide removal process does not produce a wastewater discharge concern at the expense of other media. The only byproducts are water and oxygen. The process does not cause any increase in sludge generation, and there are no additional air emissions.

The new process was incorporated seamlessly into existing buildings and systems. Two unused tanks in the path of the wastewater transfer pipeline were repurposed as catalytic reaction tanks, with minimal piping, instrumentation, or other mechanical upgrades necessary, reducing the amount of new construction required. Existing variable frequency drives were employed for energy savings, and exhaust systems were installed to address operational and safety concerns associated with deentrainment and accumulation of oxygen within the treatment system. The previous treatment scheme was left untouched as an active backup system.

Quality & User Satisfaction

The project was completed on budget and on schedule, with design and construction completed in less than a year. Since year-end 2009, the system has been continuously operational (24/7) and has significantly reduced TDS in the final effluent by approximately 20% or 350 mg/l. The project is a significant contributor towards IBM's initiative to reduce its final effluent TDS discharge. Its success has been highlighted through internal company communications and site awards, but most significantly through a company-sponsored patent application.

Originality and Innovation

The industry standard for semiconductor manufacturing wastewater treatment is to use sodium bisulfite to remove peroxide waste. By converting IBM EFK's treatment system to the catalytic technology, this installation was first of a kind in the semiconductor industry. Although the particular enzyme has been used for peroxide waste treatment in other industries, those applications had much lower peroxide concentrations, and different waste characteristics. The enzyme was chosen from extensive research and testing on alternative processes and catalysts to match our waste characteristics and requirements. The process is currently patent-pending.

Because of the highly complex requirements for integration into the existing waste treatment processes, all bench and pilot testing was completed on site by IBM EFK personnel. This included construction and operation for four weeks of a scaled-down ammonia distillation column to assess the potential for column fouling before moving forward with full-scale construction.

Social and Economic Considerations

The former process used over 645,000 gallons/year in inorganic and hazardous treatment chemicals. Instead, this project substituted only 200 gallons/year of a biodegradable and renewable enzyme, thus eliminating hundreds of thousands of gallons/year in treatment chemicals. The significant reduction in TDS in IBM EFK's wastestream will benefit aquatic biota through improved receiving water quality. Moreover, the new process drastically decreases truck deliveries to the site by 3-4 per week, to the benefit of local traffic and air quality.

In addition, wastewater treatment spending has decreased by over $675,000 per year. The project lowered capital costs by avoiding purchase of new building materials and reusing existing building space and equipment.

Exhaust systems were installed to address operational and potential safety concerns associated with deentrainment and accumulation of oxygen within the treatment system.	The former system used over 645,000 gallons/year of inorganic and hazardous chemicals. The new enzyme treatment is biodegradable, is derived from a renewable source, and uses only 200 gallons/year.	By replacing sodium bisulfite and sodium hydroxide usage with the enzyme, over 162 chemical tanker shipments were avoided in 2010, reducing employee hazards, and tanker offloading labor, as well as avoiding 270 tons of greenhouse gases associated with truck emissions.
Since coming online in December 2009, the TDS is the final effluent was reduced by 350 mg/l, and decreased wastewater treatment chemical usage by 3550 tons per year, and spending by $675,000 per year.

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May 22, 2012

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