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Antifouling
Inspection of heavily fouled water inlets and condenser tubes at a power plant .
Unique antifouling compound better for people , planet & profit
Termanox is a Dutch start-up founded on years of experience in water treatment . With funding from the NOM and FOM Regional Investment
Funds from the North of the Netherlands , its team is looking for partners to run a pilot project to prove the effectiveness of a unique compound that prevents biological fouling in ( open ) cooling water systems . As a new player in an industry dominated by giant chemical companies , the Termanox team are rising to this ‘ David vs Goliath ’ challenge to bring their environmentally and economically friendlier product to the global market .
Stefan Spaas : “ We are looking for a partner to embark on this exciting journey with us .”
By Joanne McIntyre , Heat Exchanger World
Stefan Spaas was a co-researcher with the Dutch KEMA Research Institute when he first encountered an aminebased antifouling product that would eventually change his career . At the time , he was part of a research team carrying out projects for the power generation industry , focusing on environmental issues such as emissions and CO2 reduction . A French chemical manufacturer had developed a product to treat cooling water in heat transfer systems based on amines to mitigate biological organisms . “ This was a radically new approach to prevent biofouling , and we were asked to research its effectiveness ,” explains Stefan . “ Traditionally , biological load in water is treated by adding toxic chemicals at a high enough concentration to kill organisms , thereby preventing fouling of heat exchangers , pumps , piping systems , etc . This new product had a totally different approach , based on the premise of : why treat all the water when fouling only occurs where the water touches a surface , such as the inside of a pipe or heat exchanger ? The product migrated to the pipe wall , creating a film that prevented fouling . The idea intrigued me because while a power plant operates with huge volumes of water flow , very few organisms actually come into contact with these surfaces … so why fill it with chemicals ?” Eventually , the French company pursued other areas of interest and agreed to sell the newest developed patent . Stefan and a group of colleagues formed Termanox and started their journey to perfect the product , defend the patent and then launch the product onto the market under the name Blueterm ® . The Termanox team ’ s research and intensive testing resulted in an updated recipe that was equally effective , cheaper , and easier to produce and handle . In the new-and-improved version , some of the film-forming compounds were replaced with an exopolysaccharide . Termanox is now seeking industry partners to undertake pilot projects to prove the unique product concept .
44 Heat Exchanger World February 2024 www . heat-exchanger-world . com