Recovery (evaporation and crystallization) of calcium chloride (CaCl
2) from various resources belongs to our core business activities since 1980. Calcium chloride is mainly used as agent for gas drying, for the preparation of cooling brines, as drilling agent, as de-icing agent and as anti-frosting agent for concrete, as binding agent for de-dusting, and also for the preparation of solutions as heating media. The product is typically available in form of flakes and granules with 78% CaCl
2 and 95% CaCl
2; for food and pharmaceutical applications in form of crystallized and over calcined material with 78% CaCl
2
The main production is originated from the Solvay process as by-product to soda ash as flake material. The concentration of the calcium chloride liquor from this soda ash process is effected in evaporative crystallizers to avoid incrustations with Gypsum and sodium chloride. Minor capacities are generated from the liquid effluents of the flue-gas desulfurization plants behind power stations and waste incineration units by evaporation crystallization. The plants here are a combination of a heavy metals precipitation and an evaporative crystallization with Gypsum seeding.
A recent GEA Messo PT process innovation is the recovery of a white calcium chloride from the from the purge liquor of the epichlorohydrine process, rich in organics. This process design is an assembly of several unit operations and ending up with a fluidized-bed granulation of some 2 mm diameter white calcium chloride granules with 78 resp. 95% CaCl
2.
A development of GEA Messo PT during the late 80ties, already, was the evaporative crystallization of pharmaceutical grade calcium chloride based on calcium chloride solution prepared by dissolving of limestone in hydrochloric acid, operated since then.