Miratech Expands In Europe

Air-Sonic, a Miratech company, has opened its first catalyst washing facility in Europe. The catalyst chemical washing facility opened Oct. 1 at Air-Sonic’s Sinntal, Germany location, providing service to the company’s European and Middle Eastern customers. Along with the catalyst washing system, Air-Sonic will also offer catalyst testing services at the start of 2021.

“Expanding our chemical washing and testing systems into the European market is a huge benefit for our Air-Sonic and Miratech customers from all over the world,” said Stephen Halkett, managing director of Air-Sonic. “Catalysts become covered with sulfated ash, zinc, phosphorus and many other contaminants that impact performance. This process allows our customers to continue to use their current catalysts instead of having to buy a new replacement.”

Miratech currently has six catalyst washing and testing facilities in the United States with a large-scale system processing 40 to 1000 catalyst elements from combustion turbines and small-scale systems processing one to 40 reciprocating engine catalysts. The Catalyst Service Centers are located at the headquarters in Tulsa, Oklahoma; the catalyst manufacturing plant in Knoxville, Tennessee; and at authorized partners’ locations in Texas, Wyoming, Pennsylvania and Michigan.

Rather than replacing a catalyst prematurely, a chemical wash to remove contaminants regenerates the catalyst surface and restores catalytic performance. After the catalyst wash, performance will be tested on Miratech’s Multi-Lambda Catalyst Test System. The process is normally complete with a two-day turnaround. Miratech said it can service any make or model of catalyst, with any substrate, used in any brand of stationary reciprocating engine catalytic converter.

Miratech said a key advantage to its catalyst washing process is the use of fresh chemical solutions for each catalyst wash. This process prevents cross-contamination. Miratech uses chemical recirculation pumps to continuously flush the solutions through the cells of the element for deep cleaning. Circulating the wash solution is an effective way to release contaminants from the catalyst and it yields higher gains in catalyst performance, the company said.