Three important refinements of the IPEX SMB IX technology were recently commissioned at our piloting facility in South Africa. These include demineralisation of process and eluent make-up water, expanded resin rinse facilities and process tweaks to further enhance eluate quality.
These further improvements promise ultra-pure pregnant solutions suitable for direct conversion to premium grade products such as VRB electrolyte. Early indications during ramp-up already confirms a major shift towards the ultra-pure objective which the IPEX team will soon be able to confirm in eluate composition after week or two of steady state operation.
IPEX SMB IX pilot plant
The three-stage demineralisation plant shown below is producing low conductivity make-up water of less than 10ppm TDS
Three-stage IX demineralisation pilot plant
The expanded IX rinse system allows multiple counter current rinsing of resin beds effectively removing any entrained salinity which is essential to ultra-pure eluates.
New rinse system
This novel capability promises VRB electrolyte produced at compelling cost from a range of secondary resources.