Water Requirements for Depolymerization Plant
Daily water quantity requirements and quality specifications for a depolymerisation plant — cooling makeup, process water (demineralised), boiler feed (softened), and domestic/safety water — the planning inputs for water connection sizing and treatment.
Type of Water | Daily Quantity (KLD*) | Quality / Connection Type |
Cooling Makeup | 80 – 120 KLD | Industrial Grade. Low hardness to prevent scaling in the cooling towers and heat exchangers. |
Process Water | 20 – 40 KLD | Demineralized (DM) Water. For Hydrolysis, water must be ultra-pure (low conductivity) to avoid contaminating the monomer. |
Boiler Feed | 30 – 50 KLD | Softened Water. To prevent corrosion and "pitting" in the high-pressure steam boilers. |
Domestic/Safety | 10 – 15 KLD | Potable water for staff and mandatory safety showers/eyewash stations. |
*KLD = Kiloliters Per Day | ||
Beyond definitions
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How to read this table
- KLD = Kilolitres per Day (1 KLD = 1,000 litres per day = 1 m³ per day).
- Daily quantities are planning ranges — actual consumption depends on plant scale, ambient temperature, and process configuration.
- Quality specifications must be met independently for each stream — do not use process water for cooling or vice versa, as quality mismatches cause equipment or product problems.
About this table
Water is a critical utility for a depolymerisation (chemical plastic recycling) plant — but unlike a conventional factory, not all water uses are the same. Different process sections require different water quality, and using the wrong quality water in the wrong section causes equipment scaling, corrosion, or product contamination. This table specifies the four water use categories, their daily consumption ranges, and the quality standard required for each.
Cooling makeup water is the highest-volume use at 80–120 kilolitres per day (KLD). Cooling towers and heat exchangers maintain reactor temperature control and condense process vapours — they require industrial-grade water with low hardness to prevent calcium carbonate scaling on heat exchanger surfaces. Scaling reduces heat transfer efficiency and eventually causes blockages that require expensive descaling or tube replacement. Process water is the most quality-critical category: for hydrolysis-based depolymerisation, the water that directly enters the chemical reaction must be demineralised (DM water) to ultra-low conductivity levels. Minerals in ordinary water contaminate the monomer product, reducing its purity grade and potentially disqualifying it from food-contact or pharma applications.
Boiler feed water (30–50 KLD) must be softened to remove calcium and magnesium ions that cause pitting corrosion and scaling inside high-pressure steam boilers. Unsoftened water in a boiler leads to accelerated tube corrosion, boiler failures, and safety incidents. Domestic and safety water is the smallest use (10–15 KLD) but the only category that must be potable — it supplies staff welfare facilities and the mandatory safety showers and eyewash stations required by the Factories Act near chemical handling areas.
Key insights
- Cooling makeup water is the highest-volume use (80–120 KLD) but the least quality-critical — industrial-grade supply from the industrial estate is typically adequate.
- Process water for hydrolysis must be demineralised to ultra-low conductivity — a dedicated DM water plant is a mandatory capital investment, not an optional upgrade.
- Boiler feed water must be softened to prevent corrosion pitting in high-pressure steam boilers — unsoftened water is the leading cause of unplanned boiler maintenance in Indian chemical plants.
- Total daily water demand of 140–225 KLD requires confirmation of adequate industrial water supply connection at site selection stage — many small industrial estates cannot supply this volume reliably.
Methodology & sources
Water consumption ranges are indicative for a depolymerisation plant processing 10–20 tonnes per day of plastic feedstock. Actual quantities depend on plant scale, cooling system design (open vs closed-loop cooling), and process configuration. Quality specifications reflect industry standards for each application. DM water specification should be confirmed with the technology vendor for the specific depolymerisation reaction being used.
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