Media Release

PENETRON Technology Provides a Chicken and Egg Solution

Kazakhstan

When the largest poultry company in Kurma, Kazakhstan, needed a durable, industrial-grade solution for its new concrete bioreactor tanks, Penetron had the answer. After applying a range of Penetron crystalline materials, the biogas energy plant – now with impermeable concrete tanks – was certified to go online in August 2018.

Biogas, a renewable energy source, is typically produced from raw materials such as agricultural waste, manure, municipal waste sewage, plant material, or food waste. The actual “biogas” is a mixture of different gases produced, when organic matter breaks down in the absence of oxygen, in an anaerobic digester or bioreactor. This process produces methane (CH4), hydrogen, carbon monoxide (CO) and small amounts of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), moisture and siloxanes. Methane, hydrogen and carbon monoxide are combusted or oxidized with oxygen, transforming the biogases into an efficient source of energy and heat.
 

Ensuring a Leak-Proof Structure

The Kurma Agricultural Company, located just outside the city of Karaganda in the Karaganda region of central Kazakhstan, specializes in poultry breeding, producing over 220 million eggs annually and breeding poultry for other meat processing facilities. As such, Kurma is one of the largest poultry enterprises in the country – and also generates a considerable amount of organic waste. The company recently began a comprehensive modernization program to develop more sustainable, waste-free production processes. The biogas plant, a key element of this effort, generates electrical power from the company’s conventional organic waste sources.

“The reinforced concrete tanks of the Kurma facility’s bioreactor were carefully designed to prevent the escape of any gases or organic waste, which would be potentially damaging to the surrounding environment,” explains Sayat Kamzin, Project Manager for Talan, the authorized Penetron representative for the Karaganda region of Kazakhstan. “The design and performance specs demanded a very reliable and durable treatment for the concrete tanks to ensure an absolutely leak-proof structure.”
 

Self-Healing of Cracks in Concrete 

To protect the concrete structures, a range of Penetron crystalline products were topically applied to modify the structure of the concrete and make it absolutely waterproof for the entire life of the facility. Initially, PENEPLUG, a rapid-setting, cementitious compound, was applied to plug any large leaks in the concrete. The next step was cleaning out and filling in any visible cracks and construction joints, form-tie holes, honey-combed areas and any damaged concrete with PENECRETE MORTAR. In a final step, PENETRON was applied as a spray to the positive side of the concrete over the whole surface of the tanks.

Once in contact with the concrete, the Penetron crystalline materials use the presence of moisture to penetrate deeper into the matrix. The ensuing chemical reactions fill the microcracks, pores and capillaries in the concrete with an insoluble crystalline formation that prevents water and water-borne chemicals from entering. Cracks that develop during the lifetime of the concrete are resealed by the PENETRON coating, resulting in permanent concrete protection.

“The Talan team completed all the Penetron application work on time and on budget,” adds Sayat Kamzin. “Now chickens and eggs help produce energy for Kazakhstan too.”

The Kurma bioreactor’s reinforced concrete tanks were treated with Penetron crystalline materials to be absolutely leak-proof and prevent the escape of any gases or organic waste.

Penetron-enhanced: The Kurma bioreactor’s reinforced concrete tanks were treated with Penetron crystalline materials to be absolutely leak-proof and prevent the escape of any gases or organic waste.


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