Source composite curve for waste reduction

Waste reduction through source reduction and on-site recycling is an important aspect of pollution prevention. Techniques of process integration may be used for pollution prevention. In this paper an algorithmic procedure is presented to reduce waste generation through maximizing on-site reuse/recyclirig. The proposed methodology is based on the pinch principles and establishes a minimum waste generation target prior to the detailed network design. A new graphical representation called source composite curve, is utilized to understand the targeting philosophy. Minimum waste targeting algorithm is applied to address different problems such as water management, hydrogen management, as well as material reuse and recycling. Appropriate changes in a process or process modification can further reduce the waste generation. In this paper a methodology is presented to reduce waste generation through process modifications and it is demonstrated through an example. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.