for Pickling is Changing the
Way We Look at Steel
Preparation in Galvanizing
Mario Ubiali
AGA Tech Forum,
Omaha, NE ‐ 7‐9 Oct 2009
PICKLING….WHO CARES?
• IT WORKS OK RIGHT NOW….
• I CAN ALWAYS INCREASE THE
TEMPERATURE…
• THERE IS NOT A LOT THAT CAN BE
IMPROVED…
• IT’S NOT THE MOST COMPLEX STEP….
• WE’LL CARE ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT
WHEN WE’LL BE FORCED TO…
PICKLING…WHAT IF?
• IT COULD SAVE TIME IN THE PRODUCTION
CYCLE?
• THREE TANKS COULD DO THE JOB OF 12?
• IT COULD HELP SAVING ZINC?
• IT COULD BECOME A STANDARDIZED PHASE
WITH VERY PREDICTABLE RESULTS?
• IT WOULD BE ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY?
WHAT ARE WE TALKING
ABOUT?
A BRIEF HISTORY
The pilot unit:
Summer 2007
The first prototype:
Intergalva 2003
THE INDUSTRIAL APPROACH
THE INSTALLATION
THE PRINCIPLE OF WORK
CHEMICAL ENERGY
Fluid Dynamics
Acid Temperature
Thickness is on average 5% less than on static pickling
and coating is more compact and regular.
THE INDUSTRIAL EXPERIENCE
PICKLING TIME : From the start‐up of the first TURBOTANK (September
2007), the start‐time and the end‐time of pickling have been noted for all the jigs
passed in it
TYPE OF MATERIAL PICKLED : the items attached on every jig, are classified
(only hot rolled steel, only cold rolled steel or mix of the two)
TURBOTANK PRODUCTIVITY : data collection both general (total production)
and specific (Turbotank) and insertion in database and processing of data
ACID CONCENTRATION AND CONSUMPTION : monthly analysis of all the
pickling baths and registration of the quantity disposed (waste acid) or
added to the baths (fresh acid and water)
ZINC CONSUMPTION : Zinc layer measurements on identical couples of items
pickled in static and agitated system and collection of data relative to zinc
consumption, ashes and mattes production
CONSTRUCTIVE RELIABILITY : maintenance requirements
INDUSTRIAL RESULTS
Pickling Time Results: Most Materials take less than 90
minutes to pickle.
INDUSTRIAL RESULTS
SYSTEM NUMBER OF ACID VOLUME (m3) ton pickled in each
POSITIONS system compared to
the total production
(% compared to (% compared to the (%)
the total) total)
1 200
TURBOTANK 24,6%
(9,1%) (16,7)
10 1000 75,4%
STATIC SYSTEM
(90,9%) (83,3%)
Productivity of Turbo Tank system expressed as
percentage of total work passed through plant
(Sept 2007‐ January 2009).
INDUSTRIAL RESULTS
SYSTEM NUMBER OF ACID VOLUME (m3) ton pickled in each
POSITIONS system compared to
the total production
(% compared to (% compared to the (%)
the total) total)
3 600
TURBOTANK 85,4%
(37,5%) (54,5%)
5 500 14,6%
STATIC SYSTEM
(62,5%) (45,5%)
Productivity of Turbo Tank system expressed as
percentage of total work passed through plant ‐ Phase II
(August 2009‐ October 2009).
INDUSTRIAL RESULTS
Management of Baths and Disposals.
INDUSTRIAL RESULTS
Examples of Zinc Consumption: a reduction up to 10%,
according to material quality.
THE POSITIVE OUTLOOK
• PICKLING TIME IS CUT DOWN TO A THIRD,
CONSISTENTLY: TURNAROUND IS BENEFITED
• QUALITY OF SURFACE PREPARATION IS
STANDARDIZED AND DOESN’T DEPEND ON VISUAL
EVALUATION
• QUALITY OF FINAL GALVANIZED PRODUCT IS BETTER
• ZINC CONSUMPTION DROPS BOTH IN PICK‐UP AND IN
BY‐PRODUCTS (BY APPROX 7%)
• ACID CONSUMPTION IS DOWN BY 30% AND WASTE
DISPOSAL IS ALSO REDUCED
• REDUCED CONCENTRATIONS AND TEMPERATURES
MAKE THE PROCESS ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY
(AND EASY ON YOUR BUILDING STRUCTURE!)
• PLANT SPACE REQUIRED BY PICKLING IS REDUCED
THANK YOU!