INTRODUCTION

Sodium Silicate (Na2SiO3) is formed by melting sand and Sodium Carbonate (Soda Ash). The industrial name of it is water glass. It is extensively used in the manufacturing of Detergents, Silica Gel, Card-board, Paper, Textiles, Paints, Adhesives, Pottery, Sanitaryware, Refractories, Foundry and Wood Processing Industries because of it’s very good binding, adhesive, bleaching and sizing properties respectively. It is also used as electrolyte in keeping fine particles in suspension (of water) without allowing them to settle down.

MARKET POTENTIAL

Due to its various industrial uses as well as uses for general purposes, the demand of Sodium Silicate is ever increasing throughout the Country and abroad.

BASIC & PRESUMPTIONS:

 Following points are considered for the unit of this item:
 i) The plant will run in three shifts per day in 25 working days per month.
 ii) Minimum applicable wages are considered for the workers.
 iii) The rate of interest would be 12% on an average.
 iv) 75% efficiency of Machinery & Manpower is considered.
 v) Full capacity utilization is expected to be achieved within 12 months of commencement of commercial production.

IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE:

TECHNICAL ASPECTS:

a. Production/Manufacturing Details: Silica Sand (SiO2) and Soda Ash (Na2CO3) are mixed in suitable proportions and changed into melting     Furnace and melted at the temperature range 1200ºc to 1300ºc. The molten mass is then allowed to pass through the discharging end of the     melting chamber to the water-quenching pit. The quenched mass is passed to digesters (constructed either over the channels of the main furnace     or independently connected with pipe line of steam boiler) for the purpose of dissolving the material with suitable proportions of water under     suitable heat & prepare. The dissolved mass is then unloaded, bleached for de-colorization, tested and sorted in either cement tanks or directly in     drums for despatch.

b. Quality Specifications:

   As per BIS publication following standards are available based on it’s use in industry:
   IS:6773-1978,
   IS:9601-1980, &
   IS:381-1995

 Grades: The material shall be of two grades, Neutral & Alkaline. The material of both grades shall be in one of the following two forms:
  i) Liquid: It shall be thick (viscous), translucent mass of water white or slightly grey colour.
  ii) Solid: It shall be in the form of glassy lumps of pale grey to green colour.

PROCESS FLOW CHART:

Raw Material Storage —> Batch Preparation —> Mixing —> Charging —> Melting —> Discharging —> Quenching —> Dissolving —> Bleaching —> Testing —>Sorting —> Packaging —> Despatching

PRODUCTION CAPACITY:

 i) Quantity (MT) : 2000
 ii) Value (Rs) : 1,04,00,000

MOTIVE POWER REQUIREMENT:       20 KWH

POLLUTION CONTROL NEEDS: In the batch house cyclonic dust collector is recommended to be used. However, exhaust and proper ventilation is required to be produced in every section, Since the product mix contains soda ash, only CO2 would be expelled out of the chemicals along-with the exhaust.

ENERGY CONSERVATION: In comparison to conventional coal fired furnaces, Furnace Oil/ LDO/ Natural Gas Fired Modern Tank Furnace with heat insulation is more energy efficient.

NAMES & ADDRESSES OF MACHINE & EQUPIMENT SUPPLIERS