Wastewater infrastructure
Outstanding solutions for wastewater infrastructure exposed to H2S biogenic corrosion
The durability of wastewater infrastructure - both network and sewage treatment plants - is a key economic factor for sewage system owners and operators, including public authorities, cities, municipalities, regional clusters, governments and the military. Protecting or repairing these assets using materials that are resistant to H2S biogenic corrosion and abrasion prevents premature damage and the associated costly repairs. Calcium aluminate solutions give wastewater infrastructure a considerably longer lifespan and significantly reduce total operating costs.
Calcium aluminates are generally considered the best solution for rehabilitation work, offering several advantages over usual polymer systems which are showing a long history of premature failure. For more than fifty years, our calcium aluminate solutions have been used for a wide range of applications from pipes to sewage systems.
Our Calcoat® RG cement is designed to line the inside of Ductile Iron Pipes (DIP) and steel pipes utilized to carry wastewater. Our calcium aluminate solutions have been utilized since the 1950s - around the world - with different manufacturing processes including centrifugation, spinning head and also the Rocla Process, either for mass concrete or surface coating. The European EN 598 quality standard specifies aluminous cement mortar as the material best suited to line the inside of ductile iron pipes in wastewater treatment systems. The application of Calcoat® RG results in a smooth and compact layer which is resistant to abrasion and most importantly to severe H2S biogenic corrosion.
Our Sewper® range of calcium aluminate based solutions provides protection for concrete elements of new wastewater infrastructure assets with Sewper® Liner, or rehabilitation of existing wastewater infrastructure assets (manholes, collectors, lifting stations, tanks, & grit chambers) with SewperCoat®.
Beyond their intrinsic properties of H2S biogenic corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance, products within the Sewper range offer a simple and uncomplicated application procedure with a whole range of possible applications. SewperCoat offers good bonding to moist concrete which permits in-service assets to be rehabilitated; this means significant savings for the municipality which does not have to empty and dry the units. SewperCoat can also be applied by dry or wet spraying or with the use of spinning heads. Sewper Liner is three to five times thinner than SewperCoat, making it ideal for larger surfaces so it can be spray coated quicker and in a thinner layer, speeding up the construction process which in turn keeps the costs down. Sewper Liner also exhibits a much better environmental footprint than a typical epoxy application when the whole service life is considered, offering a better sustainability profile to the asset owner.
The Sewper range may also be used in the manufacture of prefabricated concrete elements such as inspection manholes or for lining pipes.
Meet Thiobacillus, a common bacteria found in marine and terrestrial habitats that oxidizes sulfur to generate sulfuric acid, in turn dissolving and corroding concrete and steel. Enter Sewper® Liner, Imerys’ most recent innovation designed especially for the protection of concrete elements of new wastewater infrastructure assets.
Imerys has just completed the acquisition of Société de Traitement Industriel des Minéraux (STIM), a French family business based in Monteux, near Avignon. STIM is a historic partner of about 20 years.
A project to test calcined clay as an ingredient in low-carbon concrete has proven its sustainable potential to reduce the cement sector's environmental impact from its current level of 8% of global CO₂ emissions.
As urbanization in India accelerates, so does the country’s construction sector and demand for locally-produced, sustainable construction practices suited to the subcontinent. Inaugurated one year ago, Imerys’ state-of-the-art calcium aluminate plant in Vizag, Andhra Pradesh, in India’s southeastern coastal region, produces new products that answer this precise need. It recently showcased its products and initiatives during a construction workshop for customers on October 16 in Mumbai.
