{"id":9083,"date":"2012-08-23T09:20:13","date_gmt":"2012-08-22T23:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=9083"},"modified":"2012-08-23T23:57:30","modified_gmt":"2012-08-23T13:57:30","slug":"teys-installs-unique-recycling-plant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2012\/08\/23\/teys-installs-unique-recycling-plant\/","title":{"rendered":"Teys Installs Unique Recycling Plant"},"content":{"rendered":"
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TOP: Ben Kele and Cameron Ferguson, from Midell Water, fill the concrete tanks with a zeolite mix. BELOW: The tanks are located beside the clarification pond at Teys' Murgon plant<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

August 23, 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n

A plant currently being commissioned at Teys Brothers Murgon to remove salt from waste water could have implications for the burgeoning coal seam gas industry.<\/p>\n

The briny water, a by-product of the curing process for green hides, is pumped upwards through a concrete water tank packed with a special mix of zeolite particles varying in size from 2mm to 5mm.<\/p>\n

As the water passes through the mix, an ion exchange takes place, stripping the sodium ions from the water and replacing them with more useful calcium and magnesium ions.<\/p>\n

This water can then be used to irrigate the company’s farm which grows Rhodes grass for hay.<\/p>\n

The sodium can also be recovered to be re-used in the curing process, effectively creating a closed-loop at the plant for the sodium.<\/p>\n

Mr Warren Isaac, general manager of Teys Australia Murgon (formerly known as Murgon Leather), told southburnett.com.au<\/strong> the R&D project was initiated about six months ago.<\/p>\n

Teys approached the Central Queensland University after hearing about research that was being done there by Ben Kele from Midell Water<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ben visited the Murgon facility and took away samples of their SAR water.<\/p>\n

The recycling plant that has been installed consists of two 5000 gallon water tanks and has been designed to process up to 150,000 litres of water a day.<\/p>\n

Mr Isaac said the technology could benefit other sites throughout the Teys group, and could have implications for the coal seam gas industry.<\/p>\n

The production of coal seam gas also results in the production of large volumes of brackish water.<\/p>\n

The recycling plant installed by Teys uses a mix of zeolites from different quarries which has been carefully selected to suit the conditions at this site.<\/p>\n

It was retrofitted into the existing water treatment system.<\/p>\n

“It will save us money and is good for the environment,” Mr Isaac said.<\/p>\n