NAPERVILLE, Ill., June 24, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Nalco Company (NYSE:NLC) has won a 2008 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award for its 3D TRASAR(r) Technology for Cooling Water. The Company will accept the award in the area of "greener reaction conditions" during a ceremony at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C., this evening.
Since 1996, the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award has been given by the United States Environmental Protection Agency for outstanding chemical technologies that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture and use. An independent panel of experts convened by the American Chemical Society selected the winners from nearly 100 nominations.
Cooling water touches many facets of human life, including cooling for comfort in commercial buildings and cooling industrial processes. Cooling systems require treatment programs to control microbial growth, mineral deposits and corrosion. Nalco developed 3D TRASAR technology for on-line monitoring of the condition of cooling water and to respond continuously for ensuring its suitability through treatment programs for maximum utilization. The technique saves water and energy, optimizes the use of water-treatment chemicals, reduces air and wastewater emissions, and extends equipment life. Further, a 3D TRASAR equipped cooling system operates closer to its capabilities by virtue of having eliminated the system variability and thereby offering savings in energy costs to the user.
In 2007, more than 5,000 customer locations in the United States, Canada and Europe used 3D TRASAR technology for their cooling systems, saving an estimated 40.2 billion gallons of water. That's equal to the annual domestic water use for the combined populations of Atlanta, Boston and Denver.
Besides cooling water applications, the 3D TRASAR platform has been expanded to control and optimize conditions in reverse osmosis systems and process applications for a broad range of industrial and institutional customers. Successful extended trials are also underway for boiler operations. More information about 3D TRASAR technology is available at www.nalco.com/3DTRASAR.
This marks the second time Nalco has been honored with the Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. In 1999 Nalco was selected in the greener reaction conditions category for Ultimer(r) polymers. Ultimer polymers are manufactured in water-based salt solutions, eliminating the release of five million pounds of oil into the environment annually. In addition, the manufacturing process utilizes a waste by-product (ammonium sulfate) from another industrial process.
About Nalco
Nalco is the world's leading water treatment and process improvement company, delivering significant environmental, social and economic performance benefits to our customers. We help our customers reduce energy, water and other natural resource consumption, enhance air quality, minimize environmental releases and improve productivity and end products while boosting the bottom line. Together our comprehensive solutions contribute to the sustainable development of customer operations. More than 11,500 Nalco employees operate in 130 countries supported by a comprehensive network of manufacturing facilities, sales offices and research centers to serve a broad range of end markets. In 2007, Nalco achieved sales of more than $3.9 billion. For more information visit www.nalco.com.