Following penetrative thrusts into markets east of the Suez Canal, one of the Sultanate's fastest-developing industrial organisations plans to raise production to meet a growing worldwide demand for zeolites, best known for their use as a builder for detergents.

Oman Chemical Industries Company (OCI), unique in the Arab world, will select plant machinery from reputed European manufacturers to push the production capacity of detergent-grade zeolite at its Sohar Industrial Estate plant in northern Oman to 70,000 tonnes per year (tpy) from 25,000tpy now. The existing plant will undergo modifications to help it produce another 5,000tpy, while the new equipment will add 40,000 tpy to the total. The expansion is expected to take place next year.

The company sells its zeolite under the brand name of Vegobond A under licence from Sasol Augusta (formerly Condea Augusta). Since commencing operations in March 1998 through the efforts of the chairman Tawfeeq Al-Lawati who had the vision to pioneer such an industry, it has made deep inroads into some of the Gulf, Middle East, Southeast Asian, Far East, Australian and New Zealand markets and looks set to sell in the US.

"America is our next step," said senior sales manager Santhana Krishnan T. S. "The US demand for detergent-grade zeolite amounts to $500 million annually. We have contacted parties there, submitted samples and received a good response. We have been promised trial orders, which are expected any time. Transporting costs are crucial but we are negotiating for suitable freight rates."

Zeolites are hydrated crystalline sodiumaluminosilicates with a framework structure that encloses cavities and pores of precise dimension and which varies from one zeolite to the other. The framework is made up of SiO4 and AlO4 tetrahydra. The trivalent aluminium is forced into a tetravalent environment in the zeolite framework as a result of which a net negative charge is created on the framework. This negative charge together with cavity/pores of precise dimension has made a revolutionary impact as a catalyst in the petroleum refining, petrochemical production, fine chemicals and liquefied natural gas industries. The zeolite can be selected and its physical and chemical properties controllably modified to achieve selectively desired products, which is not possible with other conventional catalysts.

4A zeolite, which is used in detergents, belongs to the faujasite class of naturally occurring minerals. Although 40 naturally occurring zeolites have been recognised only nine are known to occur in deposits large enough to mine. Of these clinoptilolite is found to be most abundant. These natural zeolites are used in a variety of applications. As a lightweight aggregate, for instance, they are useful as a building material. They are also useful as paper fillers and soil conditioners and in the making of fertilisers. Other applications are in renewing toxic radioactive waste from nuclear plants and in aqua culture.

Worldwide production for detergent applications is more than 1.75 million tpy and accounts for around 80 per cent of the total synthetic zeolite production. Consumption of builders for detergent applications is estimated to be 2.75 million tpy worldwide, leaving a gap of 1 million tonnes, which is the scope for additional capacity.

OCI also produces two other chemicals - sodium silicate and sodium aluminate - that go into the making of zeolite. Sodium aluminate is also used for water treatment and sodium silicate has uses in the ceramics and paper industries.

Zeolite production at the company has expanded from 3,306 tonnes in 1998 to 6,812 tonnes in 1999 and 11,746 tonnes in 2000. This year's output is expected to be closer to the full capacity of 25,000tpy. A small proportion of the output, around 500 tonnes, is used by a sister company, Al Ahlia Detergent Company.

OCI expects to invest $6 million to $10 million in new equipment at the Sohar plant for its proposed expansion. In addition to detergent-grade zeolite, the plant will have facilities to produce other zeolite grades.

The company also plans to produce zeolite-related items, mainly molecular sieves used in petrochemical and oil and gas industries, by installing a separate unit.

Santhana said the original plant's capacity of 25,000 tonnes had been set in the knowledge that it would be used for consumption by its sister concern and other companies in the GCC. But wide acceptance overseas had prompted the company to produce more.

"It would have been still a bigger player had there been a law banning STPP (sodium tripolyphosphate) in the Middle East," said Santhana. Large quantities of phosphates are being imported in the Gulf from countries like China to feed the detergent factories.

Santhana, who has an unshakeable faith in zeolites, says: "We're selling eco-friendly products that have clear advantages over phosphates including ease during processing. In countries where phosphates are used, zeolites are cheaper than the phosphate products." He pointed out that while some multinationals preferred to use STPP, other multinationals preferred zeolite.

OCI sells zeolite to Lever in Saudi Arabia for use not as a builder in laundry detergent but as a flow aid. Zeolite makes the detergent free flowing especially if produced by the non-tower route

Detergent manufacturers who use the spray tower (drying by spraying wet detergent on a hot surface) route also cite zeolite's advantages over phosphate including a substantial reduction of slurry viscosity in the reactor. The solid content in the zeolite-based batch can be increased up to 70 per cent in slurry against 50 per cent in a phosphate-based system. This results in better utilisation of spray-tower capacity and in higher production at less cost. They also cite advantages in improved water softening, better liquid surfactant-carrying capacity, superior compatibility with sensitive ingredients, environmentally friendly properties including the ability to prevent eutrophication and increased product stability.

The anti-scaling effect is also cited. Super-concentrated detergents based on zeolite are preferred as those based on phosphates increase incrustation on fabrics at lower doses and cause deposition of scales on the heating parts of washing machines.

OCI says its Vegobond A has a higher capacity to adsorb non-ionic surfactants. It also adds that in the non-tower detergent process there is no need to use hydrated STPP (which is usually granular and very expensive) and that higher density and homogeneity of the final product are achieved with its zeolite in the non-tower process. Santhana says his company would welcome assistance from the Omani government in the form of subsidies in water, electricity and gas. As there is no control on prices of certain raw materials such as silica flour and sodium hydroxide, both of which are available in the Gulf region, government subsidies in those areas would also have helped the bottom line.

The company is particularly concerned about high water costs and would like the Omani government either to grant subsidies for water purchases or permission to drill wells in the plant area. "We need 9 cu m of water to produce 1 tonne of zeolite, and spending over water is $16 per tonne. Seven per cent of the manufacturing cost relates to water.

The cost of disposing of the effluent also works up to 6 to 7 per cent of the total manufacturing cost," says Santhana. The dump yard for the factory's effluent is a good 60km from the factory. Also the effluent treatment plant within the Industrial Estate could not serve as an effluent treatment plant as it is really a sewage treatment plant.

Exports are being assisted by the placement of distribution agents in Southeast Asian and Far East countries. Santhana has made several visits to the East, making presentations to reason why zeolite is better than the rival product and to help manufacturers formulate their detergents based on zeolite and in a manner that will trim production costs.

During the past nine months he has visited the Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia and Japan. "Sixty per cent of the companies visited have switched over to zeolite, some now buying it from us," he says. "Three companies in the Philippines switched over completely to zeolite despite there being local protection for STPP.

Ten more will start using zeolite, either partially or fully." Adds Santhana: "Zeolite selling is a concept selling and it's very different. It has worked." OCI has the strong support of a Research & Development team with Dr. Virani and Dr. Meshram in the forefront. The effort has led to the development of zeolite-based products having applications in fertilisers, drilling salts, petrochemicals and refineries, among other areas. "With our excellent marketing background and the expansion we're putting in place, we will be in a position to become a market leader in the next five years, consequently enhancing the image of Omani industry worldwide. For any local company to have its products known worldwide and to be ahead of various multinationals in the business should be a remarkable achievement," says Santhana.