WMRC Services

Pollution Prevention
WMRC staff work closely with customers to help them identify opportunities to improve efficiency by reducing raw material utilization and waste, and to implement process modifications and new technologies that improve competitiveness. On-site demonstrations and pilot trials of innovative technologies are frequently used to resolve compatibility and complexity issues.

Energy Efficiency
WMRC engineers possess training and instrumentation necessary to identify opportunities for improving energy efficiency in many industrial sectors. WMRC can provide cost-effective recommendations and assistance with the implementation of more efficient components. In facilities that have massive energy requirements, WMRC partners with energy utilities and consultants to identify efficiency opportunities.

Water purification and use reduction
WMRC research engineers are skilled at developing and applying the latest technologies to purify water and water-based chemistry in a wide variety of industrial and domestic applications. In addition, WMRC engineers have a great deal of experience with the implementation of incremental practices (conductivity controls, counter current rinsing, flow restrictors, etc.) for reducing water utilization.

Environmental Management Systems
WMRC offers a full service ISO14001/EMS implementation program structured to meet customer needs. The EMS services range from decision enhancing information, presentations to staff, and complete on-site assistance that is designed to lead companies to ISO 14001 certification. WMRC will also provide the necessary documentation examples to facilitate program initiation and implementation.

Green Chemistry
Green chemistry is the utilization of a set of principles that reduces or eliminates the use or generation of hazardous substances in the design, manufacture and application of chemical products. WMRC staff members have experience helping companies develop and implement processes that are more environmentally friendly and less wasteful.

Pilot Technology Laboratories
WMRC evaluates materials and material substitutes used in a specific process and analyze how they affect waste generation. WMRC also evaluates equipment or techniques for removal of hazards from processes or waste streams. Projects can be conducted in WMRC’s pilot laboratories or in some cases, for a modest project cost, on-site utilization of the equipment described below:

• Alternative Cleaners Lab-Used to help companies evaluate more environmentally-friendly cleaning solutions and processes
• Pilot Scale Technology Lab-Used to demonstrate methods that physically separate soils such as oil and grease from processes or waste streams.
  
  Available equipment includes:
  • Basket centrifuge-Used to remove solids from liquid and sludge waste streams (i.e., paint booth wastewater)
  • Disc centrifuge-Effective at separating liquids with different densities for waste stream reduction (i.e., machine coolant)
  • Ultrafiltration and Microfiltration Units-Extremely useful for separating emulsified oils and greases from wastewaters and process solutions (i.e., metal cleaning)
  • Reverse Osmosis Unit-Effective at removing dissolved solutes and salts such as heavy metals from industrial process streams, especially electroplating rinsewaters
  • Vacuum Evaporation Unit-Designed for concentrating solutions and solvent mixes that are beyond the capabilities of ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis systems (i.e., electroplating)