Golden Field Office; Notice of Federal Assistance Award to Black Clawson Company, Inc.

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY

Golden Field Office; Notice of Federal Assistance Award to Black

Clawson Company, Inc.

AGENCY: Department of Energy.

ACTION: Notice of financial assistance award in response to an

unsolicited financial assistance application.

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SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), pursuant to the DOE

Financial Assistance Rules, 10 CFR 600.14, is announcing its intention

to enter into a cooperative agreement with Black Clawson Company, Inc.

(BCC), to develop new equipment and processes to better liberate

contaminants from waste paper fibers for more efficient separation. The

BCC project represents an innovative, commercially viable technology

that will result in waste reduction and decreased energy usage.

ADDRESSES: Questions regarding this announcement may be addressed to

the U.S. Department of Energy, Golden Field Office, 1617 Cole Blvd.,

Golden, Colorado 80401, Attention: John Lewis, Contract Specialist. The

telephone number is 303-275-4739.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DOE has evaluated the unsolicited

application according to paragraph 600.14 of the DOE Assistance

Regulations, 10 CFR part 600, and the criteria for selection in

paragraph 600.14(e)(1). Based on this evaluation, it is recommended

that the unsolicited application for Federal Assistance entitled,

``Improved Removal of Light and Sticky Contaminants From Waste Paper,''

submitted by BCC, be accepted for support. This award will not be made

for at least 14 days, to allow for public comment.

Under this cooperative agreement, BCC will develop new equipment

and processes to better liberate contaminants from waste paper fibers

for more efficient separation. The project will be conducted through

four simultaneous development efforts over a period of two years. The

four developments, which are interdependent to various extents,

include: An Improved Contaminant Liberation Unit (Development A),

Vortex Separation Unit (Development [[Page 31148]] B), Develop High Air

Rate Flotation to Separate Stickies and Light Contaminants (Development

C), and Wax Removal by Washing (Development D).

The objective of Development A is to demonstrate the feasibility of

a virtually dry initial dispersion step for the waste paper. Existing

systems do not use dry dispersion and process waste paper in three

steps. With this innovation, sticky contaminants will be peeled off

from the paper, by paper-to-paper/fiber-to-fiber rubbing. Also, fines

and ash particles from the paper are expected to cover the sticky

particles effectively making them less sticky and, therefore, enhancing

the effectiveness of the one-step process. Development B involves

production and testing of three approaches. These are: (1) Small

diameter cyclones, extra long, for multiple unit installations (CSL),

(2) Large diameter cyclone, long unit, for single unit installation

(CLL), and (3) Forced vortex unit, with external drive (FVE). The goals

of this development are higher consistency operation and longer

treatment times. The main focus of this development is the large

cyclone separator that industry has not yet achieved. BCC's exploratory

tests suggest this development can be undertaken and a highly efficient

innovative CLL design is expected. Thirdly, Development C proposes a

completely new separation approach similar to deinking flotation. The

idea is high air rate flotation that provides much shorter retention

time, 20 seconds as opposed to 10 minutes using existing technology,

and smaller operation units. Lastly, Development D involves an

efficiency improvement over current systems that remove 2-5% of wax

contaminants. BCC proposes to wash wax out of the pulp by displacement

hot water washing or intensity turbulence washing.

The proposal has been found to be meritorious, and it is

recommended that the unsolicited application be accepted for support.

The BCC program represents an innovative, commercially viable

technology that will result in waste reduction and decreased energy

usage. BCC has demonstrated capabilities in the technologies directly

related to the proposed project and personnel that should provide a

basis for a successful project. The proposed project is not eligible

for financial assistance under a recent, current, or planned

solicitation.

The project cost over two years is estimated to be $2,170,000

total, with the DOE share being $1,200,000.

Issued in Golden, Colorado, on May 31, 1995.

John W. Meeker,

Chief, Procurement, GO.

[FR Doc. 95-14453 Filed 6-12-95; 8:45 am]

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