Case Study: Wisconsin Ethanol Producer achieves phosphorus compliance and improved corrosion protection with Kurita America’s PhosZero

Wisconsin Ethanol Producer cuts corrosion to 0.702 MPY with Kurita America

The customer, a Wisconsin ethanol producer, faced a challenge when new state regulations drastically reduced their allowable phosphorus discharge levels to 0.075 ppm, which their traditional cooling water treatment could not meet. With metal-based alternatives also being restricted, they risked severe corrosion and scale in their cooling system, leading to potential operational failures and product loss. They turned to vendor Kurita America for a solution, which involved implementing its PhosZero program with E-FeX™ Technology.

Kurita America's solution was a non-phosphorus, "green" technology that created a protective iron oxide layer to control corrosion and scale. The results were excellent, with corrosion rates measured at just 0.702 MPY for mild steel and 0.434 MPY for copper after 51 days, providing better protection than the previous program. Crucially, the plant successfully met the stringent phosphorus discharge limit with no scale formation, even under high scaling conditions.