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Dear Sir or Madam, At a time when production processes are becoming ever more complex, and energy and resource requirements are increasing at the same time, we at KEBO, as a supplier of specialty chemicals, are faced with two key tasks: Making processes more efficient and, at the same time, dealing responsibly with raw materials and the environment. These two goals do not have to be contradictory: We see them as a joined path. A particularly practical example can be seen in evaporator systems that are used in many areas of food processing and the process industry. Wherever concentration and evaporation take place, mineral or organic coatings can form. These deposits impair heat transfer, increase energy requirements, shorten cleaning cycles, and often lead to unplanned downtimes. Whether in sugar factories, starch and potato processing, fermentation, or in salt works for salt production: When crystallization and scale formation get out of control, this has a direct impact on profitability and resource efficiency. Solutions that stabilize such processes not only create technical advantages, but they also make an important contribution to a more sustainable use of energy and resources. This comprehensive view of processes also led us to certification by ÖKOPROFIT, a demanding one-year program that we successfully completed in 2023. It demonstrated to us how closely technological efficiency and sustainable management are linked. This enabled us to identify valuable potential for improvement in sustainability, environmental protection, and resource conservation, and to start implementing them straight away. However, the saying “the journey is the reward” applies here in particular: Sustainability is not a finalized state but rather an ongoing process. In this newsletter, you can find out what the “ÖKOPROFIT-CheckN” is all about and why this next step is important for us and our customers. Best wishes and have a wonderful Christmas season! Your KEBO Team |
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Antiscalants: for stable processes, high efficiency, and reduced costs Antiscalants are a key component for reliable industrial water and process systems. They prevent the formation of limescale, silicate, and salt deposits, keep particles in suspension, and protect metallic surfaces from corrosion – and, above all, from energy losses, reduced heat transfer, and needless downtime. During the changeover from brass to steel, our founders Alfred Keller and Albin Bohacek recognized the need for chemical products for scale prevention in the metalworking industry at an early stage. Since then, antiscalants have been an integral part of KEBO’s portfolio. We develop highly effective formulations tailored to individual industries for evaporators, cooling and boiler water, RO membranes, recooling circuits, and applications in food processing. KEBO DSP II is a good example, specifically developed for deposit prevention in evaporation plants in saline operation or with high salt content. It stabilizes problematic ions, works reliably against stubborn mineral deposits, and supports longer running times with consistent performance. |
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When salt crystallizes, things get tricky: Salt is an everyday occurrence in evaporation plants, but it also represents a major challenge. As soon as dissolved salts crystallize, they change the behavior of the entire process. Evaporators depend on stable heat transfer. As soon as crystal layers cover the surface, the system shifts and, with it, the entire thermal balance. Evaporation plants operate under conditions in which concentration, temperature, and turbulence vary constantly. This is precisely the crux of the matter: As soon as the saturation point is exceeded, crystals prefer to grow on rough surfaces, and they form deposits that settle layer by layer. A thin crystal film of just one millimeter, for example, can reduce heat transfer many times over: an effect that has a direct impact on energy consumption and product quality. When deposits form, it gets expensive. We start earlier: with KEBO DSP II. |
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