Treating Acidic Sand Wash Water

Is Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) draining your budget and complicating site safety? New research from the Carmeuse Innovation Center has identified a more efficient, mineral-based alternative for neutralizing acidic effluent (pH ~3.6).

The Winner: Hydrated Lime Slurry

In a head-to-head comparison of a 3,200 gallons per minute (gpm) wash stream, hydrated lime outperformed traditional methods across the board:

• Hydrated Lime Slurry: ~5.5 gpm (The Top Performer)
• Sodium Hydroxide: ~8.0 gpm (The Baseline)
• Soda Ash: ~25.0 gpm (Inefficient)

1. 31% Lower Chemical Volume: Achieve the same pH (7-9) with significantly less product.
2. Enhanced Site Safety: Reduce the risks of chemical burns and equipment corrosion associated with highly caustic Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH).
3. Process Stability: Reliable neutralization ensures that downstream coagulants, which often fail below pH 4.5, work as intended.

"Hydrated lime slurry offers the best balance of efficiency and water clarity for sand washing operations." — Eric Schons, R&D Laboratory Supervisor.

Ready to optimize?

We recommend pilot-scale testing to see how these savings translate to your specific flow conditions.

Click on the button below to access the white paper by Eric Schons to see the data.