Our REGMAX®
Solution Portfolio
The REGMAX® solution portfolio was developed to address the stainless steel industry's toughest acid recovery challenges. With processes designed for total recovery of all acid components, REGMAX® solutions eliminate the need for waste disposal, creating a circular system that transforms waste acids into valuable, reusable resources.
Challenges in Stainless Steel Pickling
In stainless steel pickling, acids react with the steel surface, forming metal salts such as chromium, nickel, and iron salts. Each hour, over 425,000 liters of these acid mixtures are used globally, leaving behind both spent and unreacted acids that can no longer be used. Disposal of this waste acid mixture presents substantial environmental challenges and threatens regulatory compliance for stainless steel pickling facilities.
Our REGMAX®
Solution Portfolio
The REGMAX® solution portfolio was developed to address the stainless steel industry's toughest acid recovery challenges. With processes designed for total recovery of all acid components, REGMAX® solutions eliminate the need for waste disposal, creating a circular system that transforms waste acids into valuable, reusable resources.
Challenges in Stainless Steel Pickling
In stainless steel pickling, acids react with the steel surface, forming metal salts such as chromium, nickel, and iron salts. Each hour, over 425,000 liters of these acid mixtures are used globally, leaving behind both spent and unreacted acids that can no longer be used. Disposal of this waste acid mixture presents substantial environmental challenges and threatens regulatory compliance for stainless steel pickling facilities.
Traditional Pickling Process
Pickling is a crucial step in steel production, using acid mixtures to treat the steel surface.
Stainless steel pickling typically relies on hydrofluoric, nitric, or sulfuric acids, resulting in substantial waste. Hydrofluoric/nitric acid mixtures are commonly used for their high performance.
As a consequence of the pickling process, HF/HNO₃ mixtures produce nitrate wastewater, while HF/H₂SO₄ mixtures create sulfate wastewater. This also results in toxic sludge containing heavy metals along with bound nitrates, fluorides, and sulfates, which must be landfilled.
Traditional pickling setups are inflexible, straining the environment, raising operational costs, and risking production licenses. Valuable resources are lost instead of being recovered.
Achieving Efficient, Waste-Free Pickling with REGMAX®
The REGMAX® process tackles the key issues in today’s mixed acid pickling by enabling complete recovery of all waste acid components. This breakthrough empowers operators to set ideal pickling conditions without waste limitations, maximizing efficiency and eliminating waste concerns. With our ongoing advancements, REGMAX® holds potential for diverse industries seeking sustainable acid management solutions.
Environmental impact eliminated and your production license secured.
First, we dry off the liquid waste acid to avoid generation of nitrogen oxides (in the next step).
Your OPEX reduced by
more than 90%.
Then, we roast the dryed metal salts, where the pickling process is inversed.
Waste Water eliminated and millions of liters of fresh water saved.
We turn the waste into fresh resources. Acids are reused one-to-one for pickling again and again. Metal oxides are reused as raw material for steel production.
Environmental impact eliminated and your production license secured.
First, we dry off the liquid waste acid to avoid generation of nitrogen oxides (in the next step).
Your OPEX reduced by
more than 90%.
Then, we roast the dryed metal salts, where the pickling process is inversed.
Waste Water eliminated and millions of liters of fresh water saved.
We turn the waste into fresh resources. Acids are reused one-to-one for pickling again and again. Metal oxides are reused as raw material for steel production.
Our proof of concept
Proven Success Across Three REGMAX® Plants
SUSTEC's REGMAX® technology is now successfully implemented in three commercial facilities, showcasing its sustainable acid regeneration capabilities for the stainless steel industry.
First REGMAX® Plant: Germany
Our first REGMAX® plant was established at a mid-sized German stainless steel manufacturer. Installed turnkey next to the existing pickling line, this facility recovers over 1 million liters of toxic waste acid annually, preventing environmental harm by eliminating waste acid disposal and contaminated wastewater. With approximately 48,000 hours of operation, it has demonstrated reliable and sustainable acid regeneration performance.
Second REGMAX® Plant: Belgium
The second installation, located in Belgium at a leading European stainless steel producer, is a scaled-up model with an increase of approximately eight times the capacity of the first plant. It recovers over 9.5 million liters of waste acid each year, protecting the local ecosystem by eliminating waste acid disposal and contaminated wastewater. With over 37,000 hours of operational validation, this plant continues to achieve exceptional performance.
Third REGMAX® Plant: Belgium
Our third REGMAX® plant, also located in Belgium, commenced commercial operation as another scale-up toward an already full-scale plant, achieving an increased treatment capacity by a factor of approximately 1.8 compared to the second plant, with an annual capacity of 16.8 million liters. It has accumulated approximately 10,000 hours of operation to date.
REGMAX®: Proven, Reliable, and Sustainable
The combined annual treatment capacity of all three REGMAX® plants now exceeds 27.3 million liters per year. Since their respective start dates, these plants have collectively treated over 79.7 million liters of toxic waste acid, accumulating a total of 97,000 operational hours. This demonstrates SUSTEC's commitment to providing large-scale, sustainable acid regeneration solutions, significantly reducing environmental impact and operational costs within the stainless steel industry.