Washwater neutralization system for reducing acid corrosion in a glass fiber forming line

摘要

A neutralization system for controlling the pH of the washwater used to clean and maintain polyacrylic bound glass forming equipment is disclosed, wherein the neutralization system (62) introduces a base solution (64) to a washwater solution (26) when the pH of the washwater solution contained in a closed loop washwater recovery system (12) falls below the range of about 8.0 to 8.5, so that the pH of the washwater is raised to at least 8.0, thereby substantially reducing the corrosion rate of the components of the equipment associated with acidic polyacrylic acid binder (18), with the addition of an optional maleic acid cobinder or maleic anhydride cobinder and washwater solution. A closed-loop hoodwall washwater recovery system (100) may also be introduced in addition to the neutralization system that allows for the recovery and reuse of polyacrylic acid binder and optional maleic acid cobinder or maleic anhydride cobinder with a minimal amount of base solution, thereby minimizing degradation of insulation properties of polyacylic acid bound glass fiber products. Particularly disclosed is a method for reducing acid corrosion of the surfaces of equipment used to form polyacrylic acid bound fibers having a polyacrylic acid binder and a maleic acid cobinder or maleic anhydride co-binder (18) bound to a glass fiber surface, wherein the method comprises: coupling a neutralization system (62) to a washwater tank (32) of a closed-loop washwater system (12) having a quantity of washwater solution (26), wherein said quantity of washwater solution is used to remove an excess of the polyacrylic acid binder from the surfaces of the equipment; determining the pH of said quantity of washwater solution using said neutralization system; and introducing a quantity of base solution (64) from a holding tank (66) of said neutralization system sufficient to raise the pH of said washwater solution to at least about 8.5 when the pH of said quantity of washwater system as determined by said neutralization system is below about 8.5.