Nalco to make detergent grade zeolite

By N. N. Sachitanand

BANGALORE, AUG. 21. Nalco, the public sector aluminium manufacturer based in Orissa, has set up a 10,000 tonnes per annum detergent grade zeolite (Zeolite A) by-product plant in the premises of its alumina refinery at Damanjodi. According to a report in the company's in-house magazine, Parichay, the plant is now in production.

Built at a capital cost of Rs. 24.10 crores, the plant uses sodium aluminate liquor as the main feedstock. The process technology has been developed by the Central Salt & Marine Chemical Research Institute, Bhavnagar. At present there are two other zeolite A plants in India, one of 10,000 tpa with Henkel Spic and the other of about 5,000 tpa with Zinco Lab, Nashik.

Zeolite A is used as a builder material in detergents. Its main function is to soften the wash water by reducing calcium and magnesium concentrations. It is 40 per cent cheaper and does not lead to the environmental problems more caused by sodium tripoly phosphate (STPP) which is now used as builder material by most of the detergent manufacturers in India. STPP is known to cause eutrophication (reduction in dissolved oxygen) in water bodies. STPP is banned in many of the developed countries but India has yet to enact such legislation. Nalco is looking to marketing its zeolite A in Japan, China, Korea, the U.S. and some European countries.

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