MechChem Africa January 2018

⎪ Products and industry news ⎪

Omron expertise improves lives and society

Pilot plant for mine wastewater treatment Researchers at the CSIR are building on their early successes in the development of technologies for the treatment of mine wastewater by developing a pilot plant to treat acid mine drainage and recover met- als. CSIR senior researcher, Vhahangwele Masindi, is a young trailblazer and inventor of aspects of the technology used. “I am ecstatic to see some of my ideas and inven- tions coming to fruition,” he says. “My primary goal is todevelop technologies that canaddresswater-related challenges faced by South Africans in rural, peri-urban and urban areas.” Masindi says South Africa is well endowed with vastmineral resources and thewealth created through mining, particularly gold mining, which has funded the development of the country. However, the mining ac- tivity leaves in itswake serious environmental damage linked to acid mine drainage. “For example, goldmines on theWitwatersrand ba- sinhaveclosedoveranumberofyears,andaseachmine closedandceasedpumping, water began toaccumulate in the void and was then discharged into neighbouring mines because of the high degree of connectivity of the mine workings. Active and abandoned mines in South Africa dis- chargemillionsofmegalitresofmetalliferousandacidic drainage ladenwith toxic andhazardous chemicals that can pose serious health problems to living organisms,” he says. While numerous wastewater treatment technolo- gies havebeendevelopedand implemented, their appli- cation is limitedby ineffectiveness, selective treatment capabilities, costs and generation of secondary sludge that is toxic and expensive to dispose of. The search for cheaper, effective and efficient mine water treatment technology has thus continued. The CSIR-developed and patented technology – which, when integrated with commercially available reverse osmosis and eutectic freeze technologies – can cleanminewastewater to a standard that is suitable for domestic, agricultural and industrial purposes. The technology can produce water that meets the SANS241drinkingwaterspecificationsandcanrecover valuable minerals such as gypsum – a mineral used in the process of cement manufacturing – and limestone, which has numerous metallurgical applications. At the heart of the innovation lies the MASROE process (magnesite, softeners, reverse osmosis and eutectic freeze) – a recovery process for drinkingwater and valuable minerals from acid mine drainage. The brine – a highly concentrated water solution of com- mon salt – from this treatment process can be used to recoveradditionalsaltsthathavecommercialvalue,such as sodium-based salts. Masindi, the inventor, workedwithCSIR researcher Muhammad Osman, a chemical engineer. Masindi maintains that the technology can help solve a mul- titude of mine water challenges that the country is currently facing. www.csir.co.za

Last year, Omron employees selected as their community service project, the UnitedCerebralPalsyAssociation(UCPA), based in Townsview, Johannesburg, a shelter andhousing facility for peoplewith Cerebral Palsy. “Founders Day is a yearly social re- sponsibility initiative by the Omron Corporation globally. Starting in 1991, employees around theworldhavemarked theanniversaryofOmron’sestablishment, known within the company as ‘Founder’s Day’ by engaging in a wide variety of volunteer activities. Beautification proj- ects, visits to schools, orphanages and retirement homes, blood donation and computer training are just a few diverse activities through which Omron chooses to express its appreciation to the commu- nities in which it does business. These ac- tivities are performed during work hours; thus, Omron provides opportunities for employees to give back to the community while on company time. “ForOmronSouthAfrica, the focus has been to identify projects where specific products and the expert skill sets of em- ployees can make a difference,” Jennifer Steven, HRmanager, Omron South Africa explains. The home is situated on a hill and is Mgijimu Chemicals and Toilet Paper Manufacturing Co-operative in Kwa­ Mbotho, south of Durban, manufactures and supplies an array of cleaning products to schools in Harding and surrounding areas. The marketing manager, Ncane Noshwana, was complimentary about all the women involved in the business who contributed towards its swift operation. The co-operative scooped second position with a cash prize of R20 000 in the ‘Imbokodo Iyazenzela Women in Business Awards’, which recognises and rewards exceptional businesswomen on a public platform. Imbokodo Iyazenzela or ‘Women doing it for themselves’ is a flag- ship programme of Ithala Development FinanceCorporation, whichaims to create anenablingenvironment for femaleentre- preneurs who require access to finance and the resources to grow. NoshwanawasbornandbredinHarding and has four children, three of which are

negatively affected by water stoppages, which in the area where they are located, is a regular occurrence. Omron identified that they could install anautomatic5000 ℓ water storage system that will supply emergencywaterwhena stoppageoccurs. Omron partnered with one of its distribution partners, System Integrator, Zipcord, who provided the expertise to create and install the system. “We believe that this projectwill support the organisa- tion in their quest to provide quality care,” Steven explained. www.industrial.omron.co.za Omron staff next to the 5 000 ℓ automatic water storage system, which will supply emergency water to the UCPA buildings when municipal water is shut off.

Not afraid to get their hands dirty, a suc- cessful co-operative runby 18womenhas made its presence felt in the competitive manufacturing industry. Savvy women capitalise on opportunities still in school while the other is currently pursuing a degree in Marketing at the University of South Africa. Prior to joining the co-operative, Noshwana earned her living as a seamstress in Pietermaritzburg. Her small business supplied school uni- forms to local schools in the city.

“Networking and marketing have al- ways been my strengths and I knew I had tocapitaliseonthesetogrowmybusiness,” saidNoshwana. “Fortunately, when Ithala contactedme to presentmy business pro- posal, I had beenworking on one for quite some time and I sawthis as anopportunity to fine-tune it. I was later informed that I was selected as a finalist.” The KZN provincial development agency has shown serious commitment in the empowerment and development of SMMEs and co-operatives in line with their mandate to promote development in the province. Ithala’s Business Finance portfolio caters for small and medium industrial and commercial businesses as well as agricultural enterprises, tourism ventures, co-operatives and building con- tractors. www.myithalastory.com

January 2018 • MechChem Africa ¦ 41