- Project assessment and comparison of process variants
- Evaluation of raw materials and production technologies
- Estimation of investment and operating costs in accordance with AACE standards
- Studies (Scoping, Prefeasibility and Bankable Feasibility Studies) according to internationally accepted standards, such as NI 43/101, CRIRSCO or JORC
- Drafting and compilation of tendering documents
CHEMICal-PHYSIcAL process engineering
Achieving the best for our customers...
…has always been our objective. To this end, we design plants in a way that enables us to produce all possible valuable products at the required quality, in highest possible quantities and at the lowest possible production cost. Of course, we keep the environmental impact in mind and minimise it as far as feasible and practicable.
The combination of an innovative team and enormous experience and knowledge collected in the course of more than 65 years supporting the industry gives us the ideal prerequisites for qualified process development, optimization of processes and engineering of complete processing plants for various inorganic salts, oxides, and hydroxides. Our professional team includes two "Qualified Persons" in accordance with the internationally accepted standards (CRIRSCO, NI 43 101, JORC), who monitor, review, and release our feasibility studies and make them official documents accepted by banks and the stock exchange.
Our in-house pilot plant facilities which span over 1500 square meters enables us furthermore to test and demonstrate complete manufacturing processes at an industrial scale. Our customers and their financing partners can thus be assured that the planned processes not only work in theory, but also in practice.
Our services at a glance
Feasibility Studies
Show lessMore Process Design / Process Development
Show lessMore- Preliminary mass and energy balances for complete processes
- Pilot-scale testing to support modelling of all basic process-engineering operations
- Development of basic and flow diagrams in accordance with DIN 28004
- Basic and process flow diagrams according to DIN EN ISO 10628
- Compilation of preliminary equipment and consumption lists
- Calculation of solar evaporation surfaces and pond designs
Basic Engineering
Show lessMore• Compilation of material, quantity, and energy balances
• Detailed process description of complete process plants
• Compilation of process and piping and instrumentation diagrams in accordance with DIN 28004
• Dimensioning, specification of suitable processing equipment and machines
• Compilation of equipment and consumer lists
• 3D models and arrangement planning for complete plants/ plant sections
• Multi-discipline planning for pipeline, buildings, construction, MSR and PLS
• Concepts for operation and maintenance of the plant, HSE included
• Concepts for procurement, including possible suppliers, reference prices, and pre-selection
• Authority engineering and support of approval procedures
Process-Relevant Detail Engineering
Show lessMore• Pipe planning, including specifications (pipe classes), 3D pipe model, isometric drawings, installation planning as well as fitting and valve lists
• Master and manufacturing drawings for vessels and reactors
• Specifications for insulation and corrosion protection
• Compilation of circuit diagrams and equipment, cable and consumer lists (motors, lighting, switchgear, trace heating, etc.)
• Measuring points list, as well as list and specification of the measuring instruments
• Compilation of operating manuals and operating instructions
• Compilation of HAZOP studies
Delivery of Key Equipment
Show lessMore- Delivery of special, patented loop reactors in various sizes
- Create a selection of suitable suppliers with industry-specific knowledge
- Preparation of tender documents, including a definition of delivery and service limits, general requirements for the bidder and conditions for participation in the tender.
- Techno-economic bid evaluation including bid comparison
- Technical and commercial processing of the purchasing department
- Expediting, monitoring quality, deadlines and logistics
Commissioning, Performance Tests and Trainings
Show lessMore- Monitoring of process-relevant construction and installation work
- Planning and monitoring of creating readiness for operation and successful start up
- Planning and monitoring of commissioning and performance tests
- Theoretical and practical instructions/trainings in the technical centre of K UTEC, in running plants of our industry partners or after commissioning on site.
Our technical centre
Our technical centre has a size of more than of 1,500 sqm and is equipped with process technology equipment and systems that can be flexibly combined to replicate complete production processes. In our industrial scale demonstration plant, we are able to process several tons of raw materials into the desired end products.
The demonstration of complete processes in a continuous operation provides the necessary investment security to our customers and their financing partners, supplies test samples for early marketing of the planned products, and makes it possible to train and qualify our customers' employees professionally before a plant is taken into operation. Unexpected complications during commissioning can be mostly avoided in this manner.
The process technologies that can be tested in the technical centre span the range from raw materials comminution and classification processes, via mechanical separating procedures, to solar- or technical-based evaporation or crystallization procedures for complex salt brines. They also include drying and compacting of end products.
In addition to hardware in the form of equipment and systems, the technical centre also offers experienced operating and maintenance staff with comprehensive know-how and many years of experience in addition to a modern laboratory for accompanying chemical and physical evaluations.
our plants
Process development & plant planning
The plants developed, planned, and implemented by us are able to turn many raw materials into valuable products for the chemical, raw-material-processing, and fertilizer industries using state-of-the-art process technology.
Raw materials
- Inorganic mineral raw materials with a special focus on raw salts of oceanic origin
- Saline solutions of natural or industrial origin and solution mining
- Sea water, brines and bitterns from sea water evaporation or sea salt production
- Saline solutions of anthropogenic origin, in particular industrial process waters and sewage
- Raw materials containing strategic energy metals, in particular lithium, copper, and cobalt compounds as well as rare earth elements and germanium
- Solid wastes and industrial residual materials with significant portions of inorganic materials, e.g. from recycling of batteries or hydroxide sludges, electrolyte recycling
- Metal-containing wastes and residual materials of magnesium, aluminium, and copper recycling
Process steps
- Mechanical processing by grinding, crushing, screening.
- Flotation
- Membrane separation processes
- Fractional crystallization of simple and complex salts through solar and/or industrial evaporation processes
- Hot leaching processes with subsequent cooling crystallization
- Decomposition of double and triple salts
- Controlled precipitation (in particular grain growth, shape and size) of products and for brine cleaning as a continuous process
- Brine cleaning with ion exchangers
- Electrolysis
- Solid/liquid separation by filtering, centrifuging, thickening, purification and sedimentation.
- Drying and compaction of end products
Products
- Potassium chloride (KCl) and potassium sulphate (K2SO4) as fertilizers or industrial salts (sylvite, MOP, KCl98/99, SOP).
- Sulphate-containing double salts (picromerite, leonite, langbeinite, kainite), Kali Magnesia.
- Magnesium compounds such as magnesium carbonate (MgCO3), magnesium chloride (MgCl2), Magnesium sulphates (MgSO4), magnesium hydroxide (MgOH2, MDH),
- Magnesium oxide (MgO, CCM, DBM).
- Sodium chloride (NaCl) in food and industrial salt quality
- Sodium sulphate as Glauber salt or anhydrous, sodium-carbonate.
- Calcium carbonate (CaCO3), calcium chloride (CaCl2), calcium sulphate as plaster, anhydrite or hemihydrate.
- Aluminium hydroxide, aluminium oxide, alum, aluminate.
- Boric acid, pentaborate, borax (e.g. from ulexite).
- Salts of energy metals, in particular lithium compounds (Li2CO3, LiOH, Li2SO4, LiCl, LiF, etc.), copper- and cobalt-, as well as nickel-containing salts, germanium, and salts of rare earths.
References & project examples
| PROJECT | PARTNER | COUNTRY |
|---|---|---|
| Beyondie SOP Project - 100 kt/a K2SO4 (SOP) | Kalium Lakes | Australia |
| Improvement Project Salar de Atacama, Chile - 100 kt/a LCE 30 % Increase of yield | Albemarle | USA |
| Li2CO3 Plant Salar de Uyuni | Yacimientos de Litio Boliviano | Bolivia |
| MOP Production / South-East Sakhon-Nakhon Basin | Vietnam National Chemical Group | Vietnam |
| Danakil SOP Project | Circum Minerals Ltd | Brititsh Virgin Islands |
| Thacker Pass Lithium Project / Formerly Kings Valley Lithium Project | Western Lithium Corp. | Canada |
| York Potash Polyhalite Project | York Potash Ltd. | UK |
| Marine Chemicals Project | ARCHEAN Chemicals Private Limited | India |
Contact us for a complete list of industry- and product-specific references or take a look at our list of selected customers.
contact
Head of department
GRAD.-CHEM. STEPHAN KAPS
Engineering
Additional qualification:
FIMMM (Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining)
stephan.kaps(at)k-utec.de
Deputy Head of department
DR. BERND SCHULTHEIS
Process development
Additional qualification:
FIMMM (Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining)
bernd.schultheis(at)k-utec.de
Secretary
Sina Udala
Tel: +49 (0)3632 610 111
sina.udala(at)k-utec.de
