INDUSTRIAL VISIT TO KMML

INTRODUCTIONTitanium dioxide (TiO2), also referred to as

Titania, is a substance as old as the earth itself.Titanium dioxide is readily mined in its purest

form from beach sand. Dr. Schomberg, a German Scientist, discovered

in 1909 traces of monazite in the sand flakes on the imported coir from Sankaramangalam..

KMML is the world’s first fully integrated Titanium dioxide plant.

It was Established in 1932 as F. X. Perira and Sons (Travancore) Pvt. Ltd.

It was taken over by the State Government in 1956, and became a public limited company in 1972 in the name ‘The Kerala Minerals and Metals Ltd. (KMML)’.

Eco-friendly and socially committed, it is the only integrated titanium dioxide facility having mining ,mineral seperation,synthetic rutile and pigment production plants

PROCESS CHART

MINERAL SEPERATION UNITTitanium Dioxide is essentially harvested

from sea. The Mineral Separation Unit (MS Unit) of

KMML is engaged in the separation of Ilmenite, Rutile, Leucoxone, Monazite etc from the beach sand.

The MS Unit employs Gravitational, Magnetic & High Tension Electrostatic Techniques for separation of minerals from the sand.

PROCESSRaw Ilmenite is chemically processed to

remove impurities such as iron, leaving the pure, white pigment available for use.

The chloride process produces TiO2 products by reacting titanium ores with chlorine gas.

PROCESS STEPS Process contains 2 unitsMineral seperation unitTitanium dioxide pigment unit The four process steps areIlmenite benification plantChlorination plantOxidation plantPigment surface treatment and finishing

plant

The chlorides of impurity metals are removed from Titanium Tetra Chloride (TiCl4) through various processes to complete the recovery of TiCl4.

It is further purified by distillation to obtain pure Titanium Tetra Chloride in the liquid form which is stored in storage vessels.

Titanium Tetra Chloride is vaporized, pre heated and oxidized with oxygen in the Oxidation Plant to produce raw Titanium Dioxide at a high temperature.

Beneficiated Ilmenite (BI) is the raw material for the Pigment Production Plant.

BI from Ilmenite Beneficiation Plant is chlorinated in the Chlorination Plant to produce Titanium Tetra Chloride (Tickle).

Chlorine reacts with Titanium Dioxide and other metallic oxide impurities in BI in the presence of petroleum coke at a temperature of 9000C in a fluidised bed chlorinator to produce chlorides of Titanium and other impurity metals.

The raw Titanium Dioxide is then classified and surface treated with various chemicals.

filtered and washed to remove the salts, sent to the dryer and then to the microniser, in the Pigment Surface Treatment & Finishing Plant.

The Titanium Dioxide pigment (in powder form) is subsequently packed.

RAW MATERIALS REQUIRED  Silica SandSodium Silicate Beneficiated IlmeniteHydrated LimeAluminium ChlorideSulphuric AcidPotassium ChloridePetrolium Coke-Npf GradeHydrochloric Acid

Liquid chlorine In containersCaustic Soda LyeRaw IlmeniteFoculantCabosilTrimethylol ethaneTri Iso proponol AmineSuccinic acidFurnace oilCalcinated petrolium coke

SAFETYMock Drill to handle onsite emergencies

A mock drill was held on 24 Jan 2008 on behalf of KMML on site emergency-contingencies, which was focused on rescue / evacuation in case of chlorine leak.

National Safety WeekThe safety week was observed from March

4th 2008 onwards. Various safety procedures like stopping

leakage of Chlorine tanner, wearing of Oxygen masks, use of Fire extinguishing equipments were enacted as drills

Mine Safety Week The week had two objectives To increase safety awareness levels among

the workers and public and to develop healthy standard operating procedures.

To achieve it various programmes were conducted like mines visits, inspecting safety values, and interesting competitions.

QUALITYIntegrated Management System Policy Committed to continually improve the

effectiveness and efficiency of the  Integrated Management System   

Committed to comply with all applicable Legal & other requirements

 Committed  to  prevention of pollution,  waste reduction and resource conservation

 Committed  to  prevention  of  Occupational

illness  &  incidents  by managing  risks in workplace.   

 Committed  to  continual  improvement  of 

processes  by setting and reviewing  integrated objectives, targets  and programmes

AIR POLLUTION CONTROLThe waste gases from the plant are scrubbed

in three stages. In the first two stages, the gases are

scrubbed in dilute Hydrochloric Acid (acid scrubbing).

In the third stage, gases are scrubbed with Lime Scrubber (lime scrubbing).

These gases are let out to the atmosphere with an additional air supply of about 22,000 M3/hr.

WATER POLLUTION CONTROLThe present system of wastewater treatment

adopted by KMML is neutralisation of the wastewater with lime in the Centralised Effluent Neutralisation plant.

The treated wastewater is then pumped to the settling ponds for solid settling.

The supernatant overflowing to the polishing pond is pumped to the sea. 

PRODUCTS & APPLICATIONS KMML offers a wide range of products for

quality conscious customers. KMML products go into the manufacture of a

variety of products used in every day life.

 Dress materials, facial creams, tablets, newsprints, wood paints, emulsions, enamels, plastics, tooth paste, rubber products, cosmetics, and printing ink

All contain titanium dioxide

CONCLUSIONKMML is India’s first and only

manufacturer of Rutile Grade Titanium dioxide by chloride process.

An input of 2 tonne ilmenite which worths Rs 8000 will give an output of one tone titanium dioxide costs Rs 150000

Nerolac,Asian paints are main customers Produces 120 tonne titanium dioxide per day

THANK YOU