Case Studies

Resomation, part of the LBBC Group, have pioneered the concept of Water Cremation as an alternative to traditional burial or cremation using flame. Water Cremation offers significant environmental benefits over these traditional methods as we face overcrowded land mass and potential contamination of the water supply through burial and flame cremation consuming high levels of energy, releasing damaging gases, including CO₂ and mercury vapour into the atmosphere.

What is Water Cremation?

Water cremation is a gentle and environmentally friendly alternative to burial and flame cremation. The body of the deceased is placed in a pressurised stainless-steel horizontal chamber known as a Resomator unit. The chamber fills with a solution of water and potassium hydroxide heated to 150°C, and over a period of a few hours the soft tissue is dissolved leaving behind only bone fragments. Any implants or devices, which typically contain precious metals, can be easily reclaimed and recycled.

Unlike flame cremation, the equipment and processes used in Water Cremation ensure that the skeletal remains, resembling ashes, returned to the family of the deceased belong solely to them. The technology also allows for the recovery and recycling of mercury, implants and prosthetics.

Despite the Funeral market being well established, Water Cremation is becoming increasing popular around the world, with Resomation supplying several systems into the US, UK and Europe. New Zealand has recently approved the technology leading to increased interest across the Southern Hemisphere.

Working with Resomation

Chem Resist have a long-standing relationship with Resomation’s holding company LBBC Group. The Group includes LBBC Technologies which includes Resomation, LBBC Beechwood and LBBC Baskerville. The Group specialise in pressurised containment, autoclaves and corrosion protection.

Resomation came to Chem Resist in 2018 to support them with a system for storing the chemicals and treating the effluent generated by the Water Cremation process. Chem Resist specialise in thermoplastics which are an ideal material for the treatment system due to their broad range of chemical compatibility. As the treatment systems are to be shipped around the world, thermoplastics offer a more lightweight solution above stainless steel, reducing costs and carbon footprint.

The treatment systems need to include storage for chemicals, hot water plus a treatment tank with all connecting pipework and pumps. To make the systems space efficient for shipping and also at customer premises, the tanks need to be rectangular in shape. Chem Resist invested in a new corner butt welder to automatically create the precision corner welds for the rectangular tanks.

The original treatment system developed in 2018, included three rectangular storage tanks, one each for hot water, Potassium Hydroxide and Sulphuric Acid along with a fourth tank for treatment. The four tanks along with connecting pipework, pH probes and pumps were housed in a skid for easy transportation and installation giving a complete Plug and Play solution.

The treatment system draws the effluent from the water cremation into the treatment tank where it is treated with Sulphuric Acid and recirculated correcting the pH from 12-13 to a level so the liquid can be safely discharged to drain.

Further Product Enhancements

Since the design and manufacture of the original treatment system, several options have been created to give different storage and treatment capacities to meet the requirements of different Funeral Homes around the world.

Some regions and countries have legislation limiting the use of Sulphates, so a further treatment system has been developed to allow for the use of CO₂ for pH correction. This model has a reduced number of tanks offering a more compact solution.

Benefits for Resomation

The treatment systems by Chem Resist provides Resomation with a complete Plug and Play solution for Water Cremation which can be supplied to Funeral Homes around the world. The units are designed to be compact and space saving to reduce shipping costs and consistency of the systems allows them to be easily installed and maintained. The development of options for larger storage and treatment capacities and alternative neutralisation processes gives Resomation a full product offering to meet increasing global demand.

Comment from Simon Hewitt

“Our long-standing relationship with LBBC and more recently with Resomation have both been built on the solid foundations of a working partnership. The development of the treatment system to combine with the Resomator unit to give a Plug and Play solution has drawn on our expertise in thermoplastics, chemical storage and treatment. We’ve also been quick to adapt the original design as the market and legislation has changed the requirements and we look forward to being part of the future of this sustainable solution.”

Tony Richardson, Engineering Manager at Resomation adds

“Chem Resist were a natural partner for Resomation in developing the storage and treatment systems to work alongside the Resomator units. We have a good working relationship with Chem Resist, they have solid reputation for quality products and technical expertise. Our first commission in Seattle coincided with COVID and Chem Resist were remotely on hand supporting the project as we all adapted to a different way of working. Since then, we’ve made further adaptations, developed different models and neutralisation technologies to satisfy local demand and legislation and Chem Resist have worked hand in hand with us at every step.”