BWT ECO-42 090, a new formulation of the solution for cleaning and clearing the climate circuits of collective and tertiary buildings from BWT France, was launched at the Interclima 2024 trade fair. Non-toxic, phosphorus-free and pH neutral , it integrates the biodegradability of its active ingredients from the design stage.
This recognition of biodegradability, unprecedented in the sludge removal sector, meets the OECD 301 F standard and is the result of the “alternative chemistry” strategy, an ambitious scientific approach by BWT France, initiated more than two years ago. After launching four initial solutions with biodegradable active ingredients for industrial applications, including a scale inhibitor, a corrosion inhibitor and a biodispersant, BWT France is also targeting the market of collective and tertiary buildings which is now entering into this approach.
BWT France evaluated its latest novelty BWT ECO-42 090 with the SGS laboratory with the OECD 301 F test. The laboratory thus tested the biodegradability of the product formulated in its entirety, i.e. in the presence of all its active ingredients simultaneously. “We wanted to confirm the reduced impact of our product by testing it according to OECD 301 F, normally intended for active ingredients alone. This approach aims to ensure that the active ingredients in the formulation do not present perverse and/or negative effects with regard to biodegradability. At the end of the tests, our product is certified biodegradable in less than 28 days and at more than 99%,” says Alexandra Sauvêtre, R&I project manager at BWT France and manager of the Alternative Chemistry project.
The calculation of biodegradability was thus based on the COD value (Chemical Oxygen Demand, in the absence of inorganic carbon), resulting in more than 99% biodegradation of the sample. Which means that almost all of the active ingredients in the formulated product biodegrade easily over 28 days, thus limiting the impact on discharge and the environment. “Traditional chemistry had not asked the question of the life cycle of products. Bioaccumulation was not a topic, only effectiveness and stability were concerns. Today, we are proud as an industrialist and manufacturer of formulated products to ask ourselves the right questions from the design stage, by limiting long-term impacts on living things and avoiding bioaccumulation, which represents a risk for the environment. natural,” declares Ludovic Lemieux, Formulated Products Technical Manager, BWT France.
During sludge removal and cleaning operations, consisting of removing impurities before draining the circuit or as a remedy in the event of a problem detected (noise, loss of exchange, circulation difficulties), water treatment is then optimized thanks to with BWT ECO-42 090. Its speed of action and efficiency allows it to achieve major water savings, particularly during rinsing operations on new networks. Likewise, when new installations are commissioned, with the evacuation of potential residues, the water quality is greatly improved, ensuring optimal start-up. Ultimately, BWT ECO-42 090 plays a role in maintaining energy performance, and helps preserve the installation for a longer lifespan. In addition to its rapid action due to its concentration, BWT ECO-42 090 is effective cold and hot, ideally with a desludge pump, compatible with all metals and other synthetic materials.
