CRM COMPLEX

Electrolytic Cleaning Line

Your JIGYASA about ECL

Prepared by – Amol Yeolekar

IMPORTANCE OF ELECTROLYTIC CLEANING LINE

The Purpose of electrolytic cleaning Line is to remove the residual oil

and iron fines present on cold rolled strip. This is required to avoid
carbon soots and hydrocarbon formation on the strip after annealing.
It’s a mandatory requirement for Auto / White goods products.
Residual Oil on strip
Input - 250 mg/m2/side
Output – 50 mg/m2/side
Residual iron fines on strip
Input- 50 mg/m2/side
Output – 25 mg/m2/side
LINE SPECIFICATION :

MATERIAL TO BE PROCESSED: COLD ROLLED LOW CARBON STEEL

Production:
Yearly Production – 0.3 MTPA
Coil Data: Inside Diameter (Entry) - 508/610 mm
Inside Diameter (Exit) - 610 mm
Strip Data:
Maximum Thickness - 3.0 mm
Minimum Thickness - 0.3 mm
Maximum Width - 1625 mm
Minimum Width - 600 mm
Sheet contamination after rolling

Adsorbed molecules dirt, dust

Contaminated zone (oils, greases, iron fines ….)
PROCESS Electrolytic Cleaning Line
Ž Electrolytic cleaning ŒPrimary Dip
Chemical action of hot alkaline solution
Mechanical and Chemical actions :
Soften the oils Beginning of saponification &
Finishing action, Gas generation on
emulsification of coils
surface
Brush Electrolytic Brush Primary
Dryer Rinse Scrubber 2 Cleaning Scrubber 1 Cleaning

Laser
Welder
• Rinsing • Brush
scrubber
Brush scrubber 2
n 3 rinse cascade Mechanical action of brush
Adherent particales elimination
Rinsing Low pressure (Oil and iron fines)
n 2 rinse cascade
Recoiler
Rinsing High pressure Uncoiler
n 1 rinse cascade (Demineralized water)
Understanding PROCESS……
Demineralized water

Hot alkaline Brush Electrolytic Brush Rinsing Rinsing

dunk tank + Scrubber 1 + Cleaner + Scrubber 2 LP HP

NaOH

Recirculation Recirculation Recirculation tank

tank tank

Hot alkaline dunk tank & Brush Electrolytic Rinsing recirculation

Scrubber recirculation circuit Cleaner circuit
V Vert Recirculation recirculation
circuit
Cleaning Efficiency is depends upon ….

Alkali Temp -80-90 Deg cen

Temperature

Nylon brushes and electrolysis

action Contact time – 4 to 5 seconds

Mechanical Time
CLEANING
Stirring, Cleaning section
Spraying, EFFICIENCY
geometry
Brushing, Line speed
Electrolysis

Concentration
Chemical
Alkali concentration - 5-9%
Cleaning agent composition
Alkali (mixture of NaOH and kOH
with 10% surfactant
Process Parameters

•Primary Tank-
•Concentration-3-6 %
•Temp – 70-90 Deg Cen.

•EC tank-
•Concentration-5-9 %
•Temp – 70-90 Deg Cen.

•Rinse section-
•Fresh DM water with <20 micro Siemens conductivity
•Temp – 70-90 Deg Cen.
Saponification
More particularly concerns fatty matters such as fatty acid
esters on the strip.
Soda or potash saponifies the esters to form soaps that will be
soluble in the alkaline solution at working temperatures.

Emulsification

Detergent
Téta
Oil Téta
Metal Metal Metal

Penetration - Wetting Mechanical effect

DIRT LOOSENING (this detergence stage also deals with saponifiable substances)
Emulsification Role of surfactants …

Surfact oil
Oil droplet ant Dirt
oil

Hydrophilic head
Strip
Hydrophilic tail

The surfactants are both hydrophobic (water hating) and hydrophilic (water loving).
Each surfactant molecule has a hydrophilic (water-loving) head that is attracted to
water molecules AND a hydrophobic (water-hating) tail that repels water and
simultaneously attaches itself to oil and grease in dirt. These opposing forces loosen
the dirt and suspend it in the water. The mechanical agitation of the brushes helps
pull the dirt free. This then makes the oil disperse in the water and hence avoid re-
deposition on the strip surface.
Deflocculation
Exactly the same principle as emulsification, only meant
to keep solid particles in suspension (e.g. iron fines).
Electrolysis Reaction in PROCESS…..

Electrode is anode Electrode is cathode

Strip is cathode Strip is anode

H+ + H+ OH- OH-

OH- H+ +
OH-
+ H+

H+
+ H+ OH- OH-

Anodic reaction: Cathodic reaction:

a) 4 OH- -> 2 H2O + 2 O + 4 e- a) 4 H+ + 4 e- -> 4 H
b) b) 2 O -> O2 b) b) 4 H -> 2 H2
Oxygen development Hydrogen development
pH-value decreases into the acidic
range
pH-value remains in the alkaline range
(less OH-, excess of H+) (excess of OH-)
precipitation of metal layers
Mechanical cleaning –brushing and spraying ….

Header Spray on
sheet :

Material :
 Commonly Billion
 Special applications Abrasive (Tungsten Carbide)
Diameter : 0.55 mm
Water cooled

Strip
Measurement of cleanliness ……

Methods of checking cleaning-

1. Adhesive tape(Scotch Magic Tape) to be 2. Mopping with
pasted on cleaned or un cleaned strip and Tissue paper dipped in diluted Chloroform
peel off mopped inside 30 cm X 30 cm frame

Input sheet blackness Output sheet blackness Output sheet blackness

Tissue paper then dissolved in HCL and

The adhesive tape carry the dirt and compare
separated chemically and measured by
with cleaned tape reflectivity by Reflectivity
volumetric analysis
meter . It should be greater than 80%
 Laser Fundamentals

Light Amplification Stimulated Emission of Radiation

 The light emitted from a laser is monochromatic, that is, it is of one

color/wavelength. In contrast, ordinary white light is a combination of many
colors (or wavelengths) of light.
 Lasers emit light that is highly directional, that is, laser light is emitted as
a relatively narrow beam in a specific direction. Ordinary light, such as
from a light bulb, is emitted in many directions away from the source.
 The light from a laser is said to be coherent, which means that the
wavelengths of the laser light are in phase in space and time. Ordinary
light can be a mixture of many wavelengths.

These three properties of laser light are what can make it more
hazardous than ordinary light. Laser light can deposit a lot of energy
within a small area.
Laser Fundamentals

Ordinary light vs. Laser Light

1. Many wavelengths 1. Monochromatic

2. Multidirectional 2. Directional
3. Incoherent 3. Coherent
Laser Fundamentals

Laser Components

Gas lasers consist of a gas filled tube placed in the laser cavity. A voltage (the
external pump source) is applied to the tube to excite the atoms in the gas to
a population inversion. The light emitted from this type of laser is normally
continuous wave (CW).
Laser Fundamentals
How LASER generates
Basic:
1. Atoms initially at the Ground State
2. The atoms go to Excited State when
a high energy is applied (called
‘pumping’)
3. When atoms moves back to the
ground state, photons (particle of
light) are released
Laser Fundamentals

Excitement of CO2 atoms

When an atom in an excited state falls to a lower energy level, it emits a photon of light.
Laser Fundamentals

LASER Generation
Laser Fundamentals

Common Components of all Lasers

1. Active Medium
The active medium may be solid crystals such as ruby, gases like CO2 or Helium/Neon, or
semiconductors such as Gas. Active mediums contain atoms whose electrons may be excited to
an energy level by an energy source.
2. Excitation Mechanism
Excitation mechanisms pump energy into the active medium by one or more of three basic
methods; optical, electrical or chemical.
3. High Reflectance Mirror
A mirror which reflects essentially 100% of the laser light.
 Laser welder Operation…….
Phase
Plane Mirror
Plane Mirror
Mirror

Dry air is continuously added to

keep positive (0.5 bar) dry
atmosphere inside the beam path

14
Bar Plane Mirror
N2 (Beam switch) Plane
N Mirror

Cutting Parabolic
Head Mirror
Plane
Mirror

Welding Chiller
Argon Head (+25 deg cent.)

Mirror Cooling system

Laser weld….

Weld joint before Project Weld joint After Project

Thank you