Wilsonart International, Inc.

Year Submitted: 2003

Process: Plastics Manufacturing

Industry: Plastics

Wastes Reduced: Solid Waste

Substance: Laminate Wastes

Equipment: Pheno Seal

Location: Temple TX

No. of employees: 3100

Contact: Coleman Kavanagh,

Phone: (254) 207-7000 Ext. 2949

Description:

Wilsonart has entered into a five year venture with a worldwide distributor of oilfield-related products and chemicals to produce a product designed to stop circulation losses of expensive drilling muds into the environment. The product, known as Pheno Seal, is made entirely from rejected, ground plastic laminate materials once destined to be decorative countertop surfaces. This project was developed in an effort to reduce the weight and bulk of waste.

P2 Application:

Drilling muds are essential to cool and lubricate the cutting bit of the bore shaft. Many strata that overlay oil bearing zones are extremely porous. Pheno Seal chips are added to the drilling mud in a borehole at the surface and forced into the bore shaft under pressure, along with the drilling mud. In porous areas, the chips prevent the loss of expensive oil-based and water-based drilling muds by blocking the porous openings.

Environmental Benefits:

A substantial amount of costly waste is diverted from the solid waste stream flow into a marketable, profitable product (Pheno Seal). Another benefit is the untold amount of pollution prevented by the cessation of drilling mud seepage into otherwise virgin soil matter. It is also conceivable that over time the cumulative effect of such pollution prevention will serve to guard both groundwater and surface waters against contamination by drilling mud seepage.

Details of Reductions

Additional Information :

The initial capital cost was approximately $55,000. The payback period is approximately one year due to the contractually guaranteed annual sales.

Source: TCEQ