• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.31 no.1
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• pp.29-34
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• 2009

This study was performed under four operational conditions for nitrogen removal in metal finishing wastewater. The conditions include electrode gap, reducing agent, the recycling of treated wastewater in 1st step and the simultaneous treatment of nitrate and other materials. Result showed that the removal efficiency of $NO_3{^-}-N$ was highest at the electrode gap of 10 mm. As the electrode gap was shorter than 10 mm, the removal efficiency of $NO_3{^-}-N$ decreased due to increasing in concentration polarization on electrode. And, in case that the electrode gap was longer than 10 mm, the removal efficiency of $NO_3{^-}-N$ increased with an increase in energy consumption. Because hydrogen ions are consumed when nitrate is reduced, reducing reaction of nitrate was effected more in acid solution. As 1.2 excess amount of zinc was injected, the removal efficiency of $NO_3{^-}-N$ increased due to increasing in amount of reaction with nitrate. As the effluent from 1st step in the reactor was recycled into the 1st step, the removal efficiency of $NO_3{^-}-N$ increased. Because the zinc were detached from the cathode and concentration-polarization was decreased due to formation of turbulence in the reactor. The presence of $NH_4{^+}-N$ did not affect the removal efficiency of $NO_3{^-}-N$ but the addition of heavy metal decreased the removal efficiency of $NO_3{^-}-N$. As chlorine is enough in wastewater, the simultaneous treatment of nitrate and ammonia nitrogen may be possible. The problem that heavy metal decrease the removal efficiency of $NO_3{^-}-N$ may be solved by increasing current density or using front step of electrochemical process for heavy metal removal.

• Membrane Journal
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.252-259
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• 2018

An acidic, real metal-plating wastewater was treated by a fluidized bed membrane reactor introduced with granular activated carbon (GAC) as fluidized media. With GAC fluidization, there was no increase in suction pressure with time at each flux set-point applied. At neutral solution pH, much less fouling rate was observed than acidic pH under GAC fluidization. Higher solution pH resulted in the increase in particle size in metal-finishing wastewater, thus producing a less dense cake structure on membrane. More than 95% of chemical oxygen demand was observed from the fluidized bed membrane reactor under GAC fluidization. Total suspended solid concentration in membrane permeate was near zero. At the raw wastewater pH, no removal of copper and chromium by the fluidized bed membrane reactor was observed. As the pH was increased to 7.0, removal efficiency of copper and chromium was increased considerably to 99 and 94%, respectively. Regardless of solution pH tested, more than 95% of cyanide was removed possibly due to the strong adsorption of organic-cyanide complex on GAC in fluidized bed membrane reactor.

• Korean Chemical Engineering Research
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• v.45 no.2
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• pp.190-196
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• 2007

This study examined the nitrate removal efficiency which uses an electrowinning, and also analyzed the nitrate removal efficiency under a variety of operating conditions such as nitrate concentrations, pH, current densities, electrodes, reducing agents in order to determine optimal conditions. In addition, the multi-step electro-chemical process test has been also analyzed. During the electrowinning, the identical Zn-Zn and Pt-Ti electrodes in the insoluble oxidation electrode(Pt) has shown the highest nitrate removal efficiency in the 100 mg $NO_3^{-}$ -N/L concentration. In the concentration of 150 mg $NO_3^{-}$ -N/L, the efficiency of the Zn-Zn electrode were 70~85%, and that of Pt-Ti electrode were 40~50% without any change of pH. In the high concentration of 500 and 1,000 mg $NO_3^{-}$ -N/L, the higher the concentration, the more decrease of its nitrate removal efficiency decreased. However, the energy consumed for nitrogen removal increased when the nitrate concentration was high. As a result of the multi-step electro-chemical process test, We chose the Test 4. Because the first, most of the zinc consumed from 1 step was recovered from over the 2 step. The second, amount of consumption anode decreased with insoluble anode Pt from over the 2 step. And the third, Zn cathode increased the possibility of reusing Zn deposited. In view of the results so far achieved, the multi-step electro-chemical process would be applied to treat nitrogen involved in metal finishing wastewater.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.524-533
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• 2008

Industrial wastewater generated in the electroplating and metal finishing industries typically contain toxic free and complex metal cyanide with various heavy metals. Alkaline chlorination, the normal treatment method destroys only free cyanide, not complex metal cyanide. A novel treatment method has been developed which destroys both free and complex metal cyanide as compared with Practical Plant(I). Prior to the removal of complex metal cyanide by Fe/Zn coprecipitation and removal of others(Cu, Ni), Chromium is reduced from the hexavalent to the trivalent form by Sodium bisulfite(NaHSO$_3$), followed by alkaline-chlorination for the cyanide destruction. The maximum removal efficiency of chromium by reduction was found to be 99.92% under pH 2.0, ORP 250 mV for 0.5 hours. The removal efficiency of complex metal cyanide was max. 98.24%(residual CN: 4.50 mg/L) in pH 9.5, 240 rpm with 3.0 $\times$ 10$^{-4}$ mol of FeSO$_4$/ZnCl$_2$ for 0.5 hours. The removal efficiency of Cu, Ni using both hydroxide and sulfide precipitation was found to be max. 99.9% as Cu in 3.0 mol of Na$_2$S and 93.86% as Ni in 4.0 mol of Na$_2$S under pH 9.0$\sim$10.0, 240 rpm for 0.5 hours. The concentration of residual CN by alkaline-chlorination was 0.21 mg/L(removal efficiencies: 95.33%) under the following conditions; 1st Oxidation : pH 10.0, ORP 350 mV, reaction time 0.5 hours, 2nd Oxidation : pH 8.0, ORP 650 mV, reaction time 0.5 hours. It is important to note that the removal of free and complex metal cyanide from the electroplating wastewater should be employed by chromium reduction, Fe/Zn coprecipitation and, sulfide precipitation, followed by alkaline-chlorination for the Korean permissible limit of wastewater discharge, where the better results could be found as compared to the preceding paper as indicated in practical treatment(I).

• Clean Technology
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.63-69
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• 2003

The metal finishing industry generates a variety of pollutants such as acidic or alkaline wastewater, chromic compounds, cyanide, heavy metals, and toxic materials. Especially, zinc plating process is one of the processes which cause serious environmental problems. In this study, we applied the proven optimum technology to important unit processes in terms of implement effects through the process diagnosis and analysis. This study aimed to improve the working environment and the environmental pollutions in zinc plating process.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.29 no.12
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• pp.1381-1389
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• 2007

Wastewater discharged by industrial activities of metal finishing and electroplating units is often contaminated by a variety of toxic or otherwise harmful substances which have a negative effects on the water environment. The treatment method of heavy metal-cyanide complexes wastewater by alkaline chlorination have already well-known($1^{st}$ Oxidation: pH 10, reaction time 30 min, ORP 350 mV, $2^{nd}$ Oxidation: ORP 650 mV). In this case, the efficiency for the removal of ferro/ferri cyanide by this general alkaline chlorination is very high as 99%. But the permissible limit of Korean waste-water discharge couldn't be satisfied. The initial concentration of cyanide was 374 mg/L(the Korean permissible limit of cyanide is 1.0 mg/L max.). So a particular focus was given to the treatment of heavy metal-cyanide complexes wastewater by $Zn^{+2}/Fe^{+2}$ ion and coprecipitation after alkaline chlorination. And we could meet the Korean permissible limit of cyanide(the final concentration of cyanide: 0.30 mg/L) by $Zn^{+2}/Fe^{+2}$ ion and coprecipitation(reaction time: 30 min, pH: 8.0, rpm: 240). The removal of Chromium ion by reduction(pH: 2.0 max, ORP: 250 mV) and the precipitation of metal hydroxide(pH: 9.5) is treated as 99% of removal efficiency. The removal of Copper and Nickel ion has been treated by $Na_2S$ coagulation-flocculation as 99% min of the efficiency(pH: $9.09\sim10.0$, dosage of $Na_2S:0.5\sim3.0$ mol). It is important to note that the removal of ferro/ferri cyanide of heavy metal-cyanide complexes wastewater should be employed by $Zn^{+2}/Fe^{+2}$ ion and coprecipitation as well as the alkaline chlorination for the Korean permissible limit of waste-water discharge.

• Journal of Korean Society of Environmental Engineers
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2008

In this study, the nitrate removal efficiency was examined under a variety of operating conditions, such as different doses of the reducing agent, different electrode types, different HRTs(hydraulic retention times), and different current densities, using the multistep electrochemical process. The nitrate removal efficiency increased and the input energy decreased when the reducing agent was used, and almost no difference was found between the electrode types in terms of their nitrate removal efficiency and current efficiency. So that the Zn reducing agent could be recovered, though, the B-type electrode was chosen(step 1: Pt-Zn; step 2: Pt-Zn; step 3: Pt-Zn; step 4: Pt-Zn). HRT experiments were carried out on constant electric current density unrelated HRTs and various electric current density related HRTs: the constant amount of electric current per unit volume. As a result, HRT and the electric current density caused concentration polarization and the lack of an applied current. That is to say,the lower the HRT, the greater the decrease in concentration polarization and in the amount of applied current per unit volume. Therefore, optimal conditions were found through the experiments that were conducted on HRT and electric current density. When a spacer was installed in the process, the nitrate removal efficiency and energy efficiency increased even more because the diffusion likewise increased.