Clariant launches unique high-performance sediment dewatering system

• INVOQUE™ boosts the dewatering process, reduces energy consumption, improves quality of filtered water & creates optimally conditioned sediments
• First-of-its-kind: only commercially-available high performance mineral-based technology on the market
• EMEA roll-out of cost-effective INVOQUE system to mining, civil engineering and riverine, reservoir & coastal dredging sectors at IFAT 2016

Munich, May 30, 2016 – Clariant, a world leader in specialty chemicals, presents INVOQUE™, a unique single sediment dewatering package with substantial ecological benefits and designed to improve user productivity and profitability.

INVOQUE addresses the need in the mining, civil engineering and coastal, reservoir and riverine dredging sectors for higher performance, sustainable products which reduce or eliminate the environmental impact of sediments and reduce process costs. It is the only commercially-available high performance mineral-based technology on the market. In addition, INVOQUE stands out for its capability to make the dewatering process more efficient and cost-effective compared to other technologies at the same time as providing environmental benefits.

Unlike conventional conditioning / flocculating agents, INVOQUE's modified mineral-based additives provide multiple modes of action in a single process. It destabilizes, flocculates, precipitates and releases water at the same time as naturally mopping up a number of trace contaminants from the water phase. The high-performing, sustainable and innovative process helps customers to reduce the total cost of ownership of their dewatering system and gain value from their sediments. Compared to other dewatering systems, INVOQUE delivers:

• Higher levels of dewatering performance in the liquid-solid separation process with a corresponding reduction in input costs in terms of energy and water consumption. Up to 50% less fresh water is required for treatment preparation and up to 50% less electricity.
• A much clearer filtrate is achieved that can be returned to nature or more easily reused by the customer, substantially reducing the need for and cost associated with downstream water treatment.
• Drier, more compact and transportable solids make disposal logistics more cost efficient and economically viable. It is possible to achieve up to 20% improvement in dryness and 10% improvement in bulk volume, generating to up to 30% improvement in logistics.
• Possibility for re-use of sediments as raw materials to eliminate up to 100% of disposal costs.
• INVOQUE offers the potential to achieve up to >90% reduction in contaminant loading.
• The use of minerals rather than conventional organic chemicals means a lower risk of permit/compliance hurdles, fewer restrictions on disposal, and lower disposal classifications and costs.

Gerry Southwood, Head of Business Line Sediment Management at Clariant Business Unit Functional Minerals, comments: "Worldwide close to 800 million tons of sediments require costly dewatering and decontamination. Clariant is therefore proud to present the market with this new solution for more sustainable sediment dewatering. With INVOQUE we are already seeing that customers achieve a high level of technical performance in the dewatering step, with operational, ecological and cost benefits on top. INVOQUE therefore presents a true step forward that will have exciting appeal globally."

INVOQUE carries Clariant's EcoTain® label in recognition of its sustainability excellence and product performance.