Selective Dismantlement Within an Active Industrial Facility
Industrial facilities rarely become obsolete all at once. More often, changing markets leave individual process units without a future while the rest of the site continues operating. Removing those assets without disrupting the plant that remains requires careful planning long before dismantlement begins.
That was the situation at Dyno Nobel's facility in Donora, Pennsylvania. Market conditions made the site's nitric acid plant and ammonium nitrate neutralizer no longer necessary, while other portions of the facility continued operating. Dyno Nobel needed the obsolete process units removed while preserving the infrastructure that still supported active production. Phoenix Equipment purchased the nitric acid plant and ammonium nitrate neutralizer, creating an opportunity to recover value from reusable equipment, precious metals, and recyclable materials while preparing the site for its next phase.
Project Overview
The project involved dismantling a fully integrated nitric acid plant and ammonium nitrate neutralizer. Major components included an absorber tower, compressor house, heat train, storage tanks, extensive pipe racks, and supporting utilities.
Only selected portions of the facility were scheduled for removal. Pipe racks, utilities, and other infrastructure supporting ongoing operations had to remain in place throughout the project, making selective dismantlement the defining challenge.
Planning Around an Operating Facility
Successful selective dismantlement begins with understanding what stays.
Before work started, the team documented equipment layouts, structural conditions, and process systems to develop a detailed removal plan. Infrastructure supporting active operations was identified early, allowing obsolete piping and equipment to be removed while preserving the pipe racks and utility systems that remained in service. That planning established the sequence for every phase of the project and allowed dismantlement to proceed without affecting adjacent operations.
Precision Dismantlement
With the removal plan in place, crews systematically dismantled the nitric acid plant and ammonium nitrate neutralizer using specialized lifting methods and heavy equipment. Major towers, process vessels, structural steel, piping, and associated equipment were removed in a controlled sequence while protecting nearby infrastructure that remained part of Dyno Nobel's operating facility. The project was completed without a safety incident.
Recovering Value Throughout the Project
Dismantlement was only one part of the project. Recovering value from the facility was equally important.
Reusable process equipment was evaluated for resale before being designated for recycling. Phoenix also partnered with PGM Technologies, led by David Kelley, to identify and recover precious metals from selected process equipment, increasing the value recovered from the project. Remaining metals were responsibly recycled, while construction debris was segregated, placed into site-provided containers, and removed throughout the project to maintain a clean and organized work area.
Preparing the Site for Future Use
As dismantlement progressed, the site was prepared for its next phase without affecting ongoing operations. The obsolete process units were removed while designated infrastructure supporting the active facility remained in service. Concrete foundations and selected infrastructure were left in place for future redevelopment, while operations elsewhere on the site continued uninterrupted.
Project Outcome
The project combined selective dismantlement, equipment recovery, precious metal recovery, and responsible recycling within an active industrial facility. Dyno Nobel removed process units that no longer supported its business while preserving the infrastructure needed for ongoing operations. Equipment remarketing, precious metal recovery, and responsible recycling helped improve the project's overall economics while reducing material sent for disposal.
Industrial facilities continue to evolve as markets, products, and production priorities change. Those changes often affect only part of a facility rather than the entire operation. Projects like this demonstrate that selective dismantlement can safely remove obsolete process units, recover additional value from industrial assets, and prepare a site for its next use without disrupting the operations that remain.