A study on Nickel Hydroxide Crystallization for Plating waste Treatment

A Study on the precipitation characteristics of nickel hydroxide as well as carbonate and sulfide is carried out to determine the proper treatment condition of the wastewater induced from nickel-plating industry. The nickel concentrations in the effluent could be kept lower than 5ppm when the value of pH was maintained higher than 10. The precipitation of nickel salts by alkaline addition to the nickel containing model wastewater was conducted by using proper amount of sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and sodium sulfide. In case of the sulfide treatment, the residual nickel concentration in the clear water after precipitates removed showed the lowest value. The influences of the precipitation condition upon the particle size of the crystals precipitated were also investigated. In spite of the various precipitation conditions were adopted, the particle size of the precipitated crystals showed no great differences. The sedimentation rates of the precipitated particle bed were observed and the free sedimentation period was terminated within 20 minutes. Although the hindered sedimentation as well as bed compaction progressed subsequently, the bed heights were maintained almost the same level after two hours of sedimentation.