WATER LOSS REDUCTION IN PLASTERBOARD MANUFACTURING – ENERGY COST REDUCTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS
The Lafarge manufacturing team takes the challenge to use less water
In plasterboard production, water serves two important functions. While some water is required to set the plaster, the majority is to give enough fluidity to the plaster slurry as it is being formed.
This excess water must be removed in the drying process, hence the term water loss. The challenge is to use less water in the forming process. And to still maintain the favorable properties of the finished product.
Water loss reduction has been a focus in both Matraville and Altona since January 2007. A 5% reduction was achieved on the standard product. This has translated into dryer gas savings of almost 4% in Matraville.
Initiatives to reduce water loss are ongoing and are an integral part of the Matraville’s Water Savings Action Plan, which targets a water use reduction of 5% for 2009.
