July 14, 2010

LANXESS at Singapore International Water Week

Solving arsenic problems in water

 

 

From June 28 till July 2 the Ion Exchange Resins business unit (BU ION) of specialty chemicals group LANXESS was present at the Singapore International Water Week 2010 which attracted a record number of over 14,000 visitors from 85 countries.

 

At the event, Stefan Neumann, Technical Manager for Spezialized Water Application from BU ION, presented the latest findings on Lewatit® FO 36. Lewatit® FO 36 is a regenerable selective hybride adsorber, which is produced from combining weak-based ion exchange resins and iron oxide. This innovative product is an effective solution for removing arsenic from water source that is targeted for potable use.

 

Lewatit® FO 36 is currently being used at a total of three facilities in Italy and Germany to remove arsenic from well water. This water can then be safely used as drinking water by several thousand people.

 

Neumann said, "Lewatit® FO 36 is especially suitable for serving people communities in remote areas, which are not connected to the municipal water pipeline. Our lab test also shows that Lewatit® FO 36 can be a viable and affordable solution for use with water filters in the home. This is an interesting area which we can further explore with our customers."

 

Mark Seah, Sales Manager for Ion Exchange Resins for the ASEAN*/ANZ** region, added: "The ION business as a whole is growing well in the ASEAN region. Besides the electronics and pharmaceutical companies, we are also actively engaging with customers involved in sugar, paper, biodiesel and beverage production. Therefore, the startup of the ion exchange resins plant in Jhagadia later this year will be timely to support the greater demand from customers around the region."

 

Besides the presentation, Neumann and Mark Seah introduced the product and applications to several potential customers in the region.

 

* Association of Southeast Asian Nations
** Australia and New Zealand