Sodium Hydroxide Recovery in the
Textile Industry
CARLOS S. CARRIQUE, Professor
LUIS U. JAUREGUI, Professor
School of Sanitary Engineering
University of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina
INTRODUCTION
The textile industry in Argentina within the last few years ranks third after the
metalurgical (including automotive) industry and the food processing industry.
Argentina's total tonnage of finished products including the different fibers processed (cotton, wool, silk, flax, jute, and synthetics) reached 146,000 metric
tons in 1964. This production covered total domestic consumption, with the exception of burlap, 85 to 90 per cent of which was imported. The cotton textile
industry manufactures 105,000 to 115,000 metric tons of fibers yearly with an
efficiency of 89,000 to 95,000 metric tons of finished products. Large cotton
plantations are located in the north of the country (Chaco area). These produce
85to 90 per cent of the total cotton fibers processed, the balance is imported from
Peru because of the special characteristics of the Peruvian cotton fibers.
The Castelar Textile Mill is considered as one of the most important in the
country, producing mainly fine piece goods for sheets and haberdashery (poplin,
wash and wear, etc) with an annual cotton consumption of about 2,000 metric
tons.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS OF CASTELAR TEXTILE MILL
Industrial wastes in the Castelar Textile Mill are discharged through a collecting system completely separated from the sewage and storm collector drains.
The industrial system collects the wastes of all the wetted processes of the mill,
such as desizing, kiering, bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing and floor washings.
The effluents flow by gravity to a plant that treats the industrial wastes. Here
they are treated adequately so that the plant's effluent is compatable with the
receiving stream. The latter is a small stream named "Arroyo Moron" which
has recently been culvered, thus resulting in one of the Greater Buenos Aires
storm drains.
Greater Buenos Aires includes the Federal District and the urban area surrounding it, with a total population of approximately 7,000,000 inhabitants. The
industrial wastes in the area, where the Castelar Textile Mill is located, are controlled by Obras Sanitarias de la Nacion (Government Sanitary Works), which is a
Federal Agency having general jurisdiction over the water supply, sewage and
general sanitation of the great majority of the cities and towns in Argentina. This
organization has set-up rules to be met in order to avoid indiscriminate discharges
in storm drains, sewers and watercourses. The following are the requirements for
discharge into storm drains:
Temperature -- Not over 40 C (104 F)
pH -- Between 5.5 and 10.0
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