Press Release

Bionomic Industries Receives Large Order for Scrubber/Wet Electrostatic Precipitator System for Peru Copper Mining Facility

Bionomic Industries, Inc., an industry leading manufacturer of proven air pollution abatement, product, and heat recovery technologies, has announced receipt of a large order for a complete air pollution control system from Southern Peru Copper Corporation.

Secured in conjunction with Hatch Engineering, the project involves use of Bionomic's proprietary Scrubber/Wet Electrostatic Precipitator System to improve capture efficiency of particulate emissions. Located in Ilo Peru, the plant operates a small gas fired rotary "cupola" furnace with an exhaust gas volume of 19,200 Nm3h, and gases from this furnace are partially cleaned in two packed tower/quenchers and then exhausted to atmosphere. This "cupola" furnace processes in batches that consist of three processing steps: Charging/Melting — calcinated lime, sodium carbonate, borage, anthracite, and crushed shells are slowly fed into the furnace and then melted within a diesel furnace; Copolation — air and oxygen lancing are used to reduce Iron and Cadmium; and Nitrogen/Casting — sodium carbonate and nitrate are added to further oxidize the doré and remove selenium and copper.

After nitration, doré is cast into molds and process gas from the "cupola" furnace is mixed with some secondary emission exhaust, and then saturated with recirculating water sprays in the quench tower. Scrubber water is then bled to the saturation tower sump which continually bleeds to a sludge collection sump.

While partially effective, the cupola gas is still highly corrosive due to the presence of selenium and weak sulfuric acid. In order to achieve higher percentage removal of these pollutants along with lead and arsenic Southern Peru Copper elected to further improve capture efficiency through use of a Bionomic High Energy Series 7000 Venturi/Cyclonic Separator followed by Bionomic's HEITM Wet Electrostatic Precipitator. In operation, this system now economically achieves high percentage removals of 99% of these pollutants to further reduce stack emissions.

For more information, call 201-529-1094, e-mail: sales@bionomicind.com, or visit www.bionomicind.com.