MERICON I, II, III
Treatment Solutions for Processing Spent Caustics
MERICON™ I, II, III and Caustic Neutralization
Developed by Merichem Technologies, MERICON™ I, II, III and Neutralization systems are on-site treatment technologies used in the processing of spent caustics for BOD/COD reduction, odor control and/or pH adjustment.
These solutions employ either wet air oxidation (WAO) or acidification—along with the option of final neutralization—to yield a treated brine effluent stream acceptable for disposal to wastewater treating facilities, evaporation ponds or waterways.
Advantages
MERICON™ I
- Best for sulfidic spent caustics treatment with less demanding COD specs
- Oxidizes sulfides to sulfate and thiosulfate; oxidizes mercaptides to disulfide oils
- Built from stainless steel, reducing capital expenses
Low Pressure Variant
- Operates at 5 barg @ 100°C
- Reduces sulfidic chemical oxygen demand (COD) by 75%
- Uses plant air—no dedicated air compressors required—reducing operating expenses
Medium Pressure Variant
- Operates at 20 barg @ 150°C
- Higher performance. Reduces sulfidic COD by 90-95% along with some organic COD destruction
- Requires dedicated air compressors
MERICON™ II
- Effective in treating all mixed refinery and ethylene caustics, including naphthenic and phenolic caustics, to low COD specifications
- Oxidizes spent caustics at high pressures (30-100 barg) and temperatures (200° – 300° C) to reduce COD by 98+%
- Oxidizes all sulfides and thiosulfates to sulfates; destroys phenolics, naphthenics and mercaptides depending on oxidation temperature
- Non-catalyst process
- Minimum contaminates in the final brine
MERICON™ III
- Lower cost alternative to WAO for treating sulfidic and naphthenic spent caustics
- Acidifies spent caustics at low pressures and temperatures, releasing most high COD impurities from caustic; reduces COD by 90-95%
- Allows recapture of organic compounds (naphthenates and phenolics) if advantageous
- Flexible operation managing varying compositions and quantities of spent caustic in a timely and responsible manner
- Proven technology for removal of sulfides, mercaptides and naphthenates from caustic streams
MERICON™ Neutralization
- Neutralizes spent caustic via acid addition to yield effluents with an adjustable pH
- Lowest cost option for treating spent caustics. Consists of a single vessel
- Best for treating regenerated caustics from REGEN® systems
- Can be added to any MERICON application or sold as a stand-alone solution where pH adjustment is the only requirement
- Operates at low pressure and temperature
- Variants of this design can rival the performance of MERICON III at a lower cost by removing sulfides, mercaptides and naphthenic acids via acidification followed by stripping using fuel gas or nitrogen and reneutralization – all in a single vessel design
Applications
- Refinery Spent Caustics
- Ethylene Spent Caustics
- Other Spent Caustic Streams
How It Works
MERICON™ I, II, III and Neutralization systems oxidize, acidify and/or neutralize sulfidic and organic spent caustics to produce a neutral brine effluent stream. Afterwards, the stream can be routed to wastewater treating facilities, evaporation ponds or waterways.
We can help with MERICON I, II, III
Talk To An ExpertMERICON™: Extracting Value from Caustic Treating Streams
Choosing the Optimal Treatment Technology for Effluent Caustics
or contact us for any questions or concerns.
History of Innovation
For over 50 years, Merichem Technologies has provided proven spent caustic processing technologies to industry leaders. Our reputation for innovation, expertise and dedication to customer service continues to be unsurpassed.
Extensive Capabilities
To every challenge, we bring a comprehensive suite of capabilities to help our customers address their treatment issues. Whether it’s licensing technology, guidance, design, engineering, fabrication, testing or implementation, Merichem Technologies can apply the right resources, when and where they’re needed.
Proven Flexibility, Global Reach
All over the world, Merichem Technologies has helped customers address some of their most challenging treating problems with extensive capabilities and a flexible array of supply‑chain options.
We have licensed more than 35 MERICON™ I, II, III & Neutralization units worldwide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is MERICON used for?
MERICON™ I, II and III as well as MERICON Neutralization are on-site treatment technologies used in the processing of spent caustics for BOD/COD reduction, odor control and/or pH adjustment. These solutions employ either oxidation or acidification—along with the option of final neutralization—to yield a neutral pH treated brine acceptable for disposal to wastewater treating facilities, evaporation ponds or waterways.
How do I pick which type of MERICON is best for my issue?
MERICON I and II are also known as “Wet Air Oxidation” or WAO systems. MERICON I is best for treating sulfidic spent caustics with less demanding COD specs.
MERICON II is effective in treating all mixed refinery and ethylene caustics, including naphthenic and phenolic caustics, to low COD specifications.
MERICON III is best for treating sulfidic and naphthenic spent caustics and can do so at a lower cost than WAO.
MERICON Neutralization is the simplest and least expensive, but it only removes free NaOH and adjusts final pH to neutral.
What quality is the outlet stream after a MERICON unit?
Typically, MERICON units can clean the spent caustic to a quality such that the stream can be fed to a plant’s standard wastewater treatment system. This means that free NaOH is neutralized; sulfide, mercaptide and naphthenic acids are low; COD is reduced; and pH is 6-8.