LouwersHanique, a unit of IDEX, is committed to sustainable business practices. This year, they took an important step in their environmental efforts with the installation of a new hydrofluoric acid (HF) neutralization system. HF is highly toxic and must be handled carefully. It is primarily used in specialized industries such as semiconductor manufacturing for etching silicon wafers, glass processing, and metal cleaning/pickling.
Previously, their processes generated about 12,000 liters of HF waste per year, all treated as hazardous chemical waste. With the new neutralization system, this HF waste is converted into clean water and just a few kilograms of non-dangerous sludge. The water is safely discharged into the municipal sewer system in accordance with environmental regulations, and the remaining solids are responsibly disposed of.
The new system reduces our chemical waste and requires fewer transport trips of hazardous materials, which lowers our environmental impact and enhances safety for our employees and waste handlers.