One essential condition for the treatment of metal surfaces is their cleanliness. For dec-ades, the finishing (descaling) has been perfomed using a complex chemical process in-volving considerable environmental pollution. The scales left after first welding the steel strips together were pre-crushed and then dissolved using hot hydrochloric acid. Handling of hot mineral acids resulted in noxious contamination indoors. The process also used large amounts of water for rinsing and cooling.

A physical alternative to this heavy-polluting chemical process has been developed by the Airmatic Gesellschaft für Umwelt und Tech-nik mbH of Hemer in cooperation with the institute of energy technology at the University of Siegen. The new hydromechanical descaling process is based on a high-pressure vac-uum technology and uses scale as abrasive blast medium (HVD).

During the process, high pressure water jets propel pieces of scale onto the material to be blasted. The scale itself acts as an abrasive. The resulting water-scale suspension is then sucked off. After descaling, the particles and water are being separated and can be re-used.

By implementing this new technology in the steel sector considerable reduction of envi-ronmental pollution can be achieved. Savings in electricity consumption of approximately 30 % and in water consumption of up to 93 % can be realised.
The use of gas, hydrochloric or sulphuric acids in the descaling process will become re-dundant altogether.


Project Operation
Airmatic Gesellschaft für Umwelt und Technik mbH
Ostenschlahstraße 60
58675 Hemer
Telefon 02372|5005-0
Telefax 02372|5005-25
info@airmatic-systeme.de
www.airmatic-systeme.de

Cooperation Partner
Universität Siegen
Institut für Energie- und Umweltverfahrenstechnik
Paul-Bonatz-Straße 9–11
57068 Siegen
Telefon 0271|740–2633
Lehrstuhl@et.mb.uni-siegen.de
www.et.mb.uni-siegen.de

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