Recycling Facilities

Monomer Recycling

In the transformation of acrylonitrile (ACN) to polyacrylonitrile (PACN), part of the raw material is not chemically converted. Through the operation of a distillation plant, large quantities of this raw material can be recycled. The distillate runoff is fed into our waste water purification plant. Thus, only traces of ACN reach the receiving watercourses.



DMF Recycling

PACN is a powder and must first be dissolved for its further processing to fibres. DMF, an organic substance, serves as the solvent. Water that has been contaminated with DMF is also fed into a distillation plant. Thus, with a recovery rate of > 99% after performed biological purification, only traces reach the receiving watercourses.



Zinc Recycling

To provide the fibres with the desired characteristics, soluble zinc compounds are used in the production of viscose fibres. Residual zinc, which is dissolved in the process water flows, is then fed into a zinc recycling plant; the outflow reaches the biological waste water treatment plant. There, the remaining zinc is adsorptively bound to the sludge. The biological treatment outflow contains only concentrations that are far below those specified in the Drinking Water Ordinance.


Recovery Plant — Exhaust Air

In a manner similar to that used in the water sector, we also operate recovery plants in the exhaust air area. Carbon disulphide is an organic solvent used in viscose fibre manufacturing. Highly polluted exhaust air currents are either fed into the carbon disulphide recycling facility or led to our neighbour company, PVS. In total, more than 90% of the carbon disulphide are recovered in the two processes and again used in the manufacturing process. This is a recovery level that is unique in the fibre sector.