Emerald Performance Materials
Henry, Illinois
Intern: Debalina Dasgupta
Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
The Emerald Performance Materials plant in Henry is a specialty chemical
manufacturer. They produce s a broad range of products ranging from accelerators
for the rubber industry to chemicals for personal care products such
as hair shampoos and conditioners. This facility was originally built
in 1958 by BF Goodrich.
The intern worked on several projects at the facility.
Results:
The student recommended that a portable air compressor be purchased
to keep the air pressure at 95 psig in the sludge dewatering system at
the facility’s wastewater treatment plant. This would increase
solids content by 10 percent and result in a potential savings of $20,000
a year in reduced waste shipped off-site.
A lighting survey was conducted in the warehouse. The intern recommended
that the 100 watt high-pressure sodium lamps be replaced with dual T-8
lighting fixtures. This has the potential to save $3,500 a year in lower
energy costs. The project would have a payback period of 1.5 years, which
would include federal tax credits.
The student revised the procedure for calculating VOC fugitive emissions
from 13 organic liquid storage tanks. Monthly emissions can be calculated
on the monthly average temperatures based upon a software package known
as TANKS.
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