With increasing productivity and water availability being the biggest challenges for sugar and ethanol plants, chemicals group AECI’s wholly owned water, energy and air solutions subsidiary ImproChem has reaffirmed its focus to provide sustainable solutions for the sugar industry.

“The growing demand for etha-nol is a worldwide trend and, for this reason, the constant maintenance of equipment and finding highly effective solutions are critical to increasing the competitive advantages of the local industry,” says ImproChem market development manager Simon Treston.

ImproChem has introduced the SENFLOC range of flocculants, designed for use in sugar juice clarification and for the treatment of potable water.

SENFLOC polyacrylamide flocculants are unique in that they are manufactured locally, enabling a shorter lead time and lower cost to the market, while being supported by a local AECI technical team.
“Our new SENFLOC range of products is suited to the market as it has the unique property of uncurling to reach maximum expansion,” Treston notes.

The new National Science Foundation- and Kosher-approved product range was launched to the local sugar industry last year. The range has undergone several field trials across industry since the launch, which has produced positive results, attracting significant interest from sugar producers.

Treston adds that the Impro-Chem sugar offering is packaged for sugar and ethanol producers that want to maintain their competitiveness in this tight market.

The Modderfontein-based company notes that SENFLOC stock is readily available and that customers are serviced by trained technical staff who work closely with their customers to add value to their operation.

ImproChem continues to address the provision of potable water specifically to the mills and villages, along with treating wastewater and the implementation of possible reuse thereof. The company is currently a supplier to most of the sugar mills in Africa, as well as sugar groups locally. ImproChem has formal distribution agreements with a number of companies in sub-Saharan Africa to support the in-country expansion of their local capabilities. ImproChem is currently operational in 29 countries across Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, providing on-site services to a large number of mills.

“ . . .[We] continue to be focused on our customer operations and we want to work with each and every customer in order to add value to their operation. Future, new product offerings include foam control, viscosity reducers and antiscalants for evaporators,” concludes Treston.