Water-intensive processes such as the pulp & paper, mining & metals and textile industries use large amounts of water, energy and chemicals and produce large amounts of waste water. Small process improvements and troubleshooting bring significant savings for process owners. For example, improving efficiency and rationalizing the use of chemicals at paper mills has resulted in savings of up to €0.5 million per paper machine per year.

Fluctuations in the quality of process waters cause changes in the production process which impact on the quality of the final product, and the changes are often noticed when it’s too late. As a result, large quantities of products such as paper, cartonboard and textiles have to be taken off the market every day, as the end products do not meet with end-customers’ quality requirements. Similar challenges are created by the quality of the raw materials and chemicals, which are not controlled well enough in real time.

Process disruptions often lead to substandard waste water quality, which increases the consumption of chemicals and energy at treatment plants, as well as causing additional discharges to downstream waters and increasing emissions. Many industrial sites are located in areas where water availability is limited and the environment is vulnerable. This requires process operators to meet very high standards in total process- and water management. 

Liquid Quality Assurance enhances process efficiency by minimizing production breaks, improving end-product quality, rationalizing the use of chemicals and reducing the amount of production waste without the need to make major investments. It helps companies to understand cause-and-effect phenomena in their process chemistry and to take immediate preventive action; it enables them to control their processes more effectively.