1

Challenges In Management Of Pollution

Control In Electroplating Industries In
Achieving Zero Liquid Discharge For
Sustainable Development

Presented By:
Er. Harbir Singh
Senior Environmental Engineer
Punjab Pollution Control Board
Electroplating 2

- The chemical conversion of ions in solution into a solid deposit of metal atoms with
the work of a electrical power supply

Mz+ + ze- –> M(0) Cu2+ + 2e- –> Cu(0)

Cu2+
Cu solid

Cu2+
2e-
Cu2+

Cu ions in solution
Electroplating Cell 3

I
V

cathode anode
Working CuSO4 dissolved in water
Counter
Electrode Electrode
(WE) (CE)

If using an inert Pt
electrode:
2 H2O –>
O2 + 4H+ + 4e-

"reduction" "oxidation"
Cu2+ + 2e- –> Cu(0) Cu(0) –> Cu2+ + 2e-
WHAT IS ELECTROPLATING 4

1. Surface Preparation and Cleaning:

 alkaline cleaning
 electro polishing
 oxide removal
2. Metal Plating:
 electroplating
 electro less plating
3. Protection and Finishing Treatments:
 anodizing
 chromate conversion
 Phosphating
Metal Finishing “Process Unit” 5

Evaporation Evaporation
Loss Loss
Parts to Additional
Parts Parts and Dragout Production Steps

Process
Chemicals

PROCESS BATH Dragout RINSE TANK Wastewater

Fresh Water

Spent Baths Fresh Water

 Typical Plating Line 6

Soak Electro-
Rinse Acid Rinse Plate
Clean Clean

Work Flow Rinse

Hot Chrome- Bright

Dry Rinse Rinse
Rinse ate Dip
 7
Common Metal Finishing Wastes
 Rinse water effluent
 Spent plating baths
 Spent alkaline and acidic etchants and cleaners
 Spent strippers
 Solvent degreasers
 Waste and process bath treatment sludges
 Miscellaneous wastes (filters, empty containers,
floor grates, off-spec chemicals)
* Some of these may be Persistent Bio-
accumulative Toxic substances such as
Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Nickel,
Zinc & Cyanide
 Electroplating processes and various 8

chemicals used:

S. No Plating process Major chemicals used

1 Cadmium plating Cadmium Oxide, Sodium Cyanide,

Sodium Hydroxide

2 Zinc plating Zinc Oxide, Sodium Cyanide, Sodium Hydroxide

3 Copper plating Copper Cyanide, Sodium Cyanide, Sodium

Hydroxide

4 Nickel plating Nickel Sulphate, Nickel Chloride, Boric Acid

5 Chromium plating High speed self regulating salt (Chromium sulphate,

Chromic Acid)
 9
Important Contributors in a Electroplating Effluent Generation:

Component Function Effluent Contribution/Remarks

Plating Bath Main component primarily Bath is not drained at all except for some
responsible for plating. unavoidable circumstances generally not seen.
Contains bath chemicals.
Plating Rinse Removes excess coating Major contributor of effluent. Contains primarily bath
material. chemicals with some environmental contaminants.

Acid Bath and To clean materials of rust. Bath and rinse becomes unusable after a particular
Rinse period of operation. Main contaminants include rust
material with some dust particles.
Alkali Bath To clean materials of rust Bath and rinse becomes unusable after a particular
and Rinse preventive solutions, oil and period of operation. Main contaminants include oil
grease for better plating and grease, rust preventive solution.
efficiency.
Floor Spillovers from plating, rinse, All effluents listed above in small quantities with
Washings acid and alkali tanks. water used for floor washing.
 10

Treatment processes available:

 Chemical treatment using

 Sulphuric Acid (pH reduction for chromium conversion)
 Sodium Bisulphite (used for converting hexavalent to trivalent Chromium)
 Sodium Hypo (Cyanide Oxidation)
 Lime/ Caustic (neutralization)
 Polyelectrolyte (flocculation)
 Clarification (solid- liquid separation) and
 Solid sludge separation.
 Membrane based physical/physiochemical processes.
 11
Conventional Treatment:
Electroplating Effluent

Oxidation/ Reduction/ Neutralization *

Neutralization

Precipitation

Flocculation (Polyelectrolyte)

Waste water discharge

Clarification

Sludge Storage
* : NOTE
Cyanide waste: Oxidation

Dewatering Chromium Waste: Reduction

Acid/Alkali Waste: Neutralization

Disposal
 12

Physico-chemical treatment
• a range of cool processing techniques
• aim to reduce the hazardous potential of wastes
• may also offer re-use or recycling opportunities
• often used in combination to optimise hazardous
wastes treatment

Chemical processes use chemical reactions to

transform hazardous wastes into less hazardous
substances

Physical processes enable different waste

components to be separated or isolated, for re-
use or appropriate treatment or disposal
Chemical processes 13

• change chemical properties of waste

• use a chemical to treat a chemical
• need details of waste composition and reactivity
• need qualified staff to:
• assess waste composition
• monitor chemical reaction
• check reaction results

Options include:
·Reduction and oxidation
·Neutralisation
·Precipitation
Reduction and oxidation 14

Some common oxidising and reducing reagents

Oxidising reagents Reducing reagents

• Sodium or calcium •Ferrous sulphate
hypochlorite
•Sodium sulphite
• Hydrogen peroxide
•Sulphuric acid
• Chlorine
•Iron
• Potassium permanganate
•Aluminium
• UV
•Zinc
• Ozone
•Sodium borohydride
 15

Oxidation in practice

• Needs expert design, careful operation to be safe

• Is cost effective
• Enables avoidance of harmful side reactions

Commonly used for cyanides

Easiest oxidizing reagents:
sodium or calcium hypochlorite
 16

Reduction in practice

Commonly used for chromates and chromic acids

from chromium plating and tanning industries

Cr VI reduced to Cr III then removed by

precipitation

Common reducing reagents:

•ferrous sulphate
•sodium sulphite/sulphuric acid
Neutralisation 17

• A batch process
• Used for wide variety of acidic and alkaline
wastes
• Acid wastes are neutralised by alkalis, and vice
versa
• Used to treat liquid wastes, sludges and gases
• Reactions must be laboratory tested to control
pH, identify complementary reagents
• Neutralised liquid usually sent for
sedimentation
Precipitation 18

• Causes soluble substances to become less

soluble/insoluble

• Often used in combination with other treatment

processes eg reduction, neutralisation

• Effective treatment for wastewater containing toxic

metals which arise in metal-plating and finishing
industry, and mining

• Calcium hydroxide (lime) most widely used reagent

Combined physical & chemical 19

processes

Two common examples:

·Solvent extraction
·Coagulation and flocculation

Coagulation and flocculation

 20

Reverse Osmosis:

Finest form of filtration

 21
Typical Reverse Osmosis Membranes:
 22
Separated components applications:

 Permeate flow (usable/product water flow)

 Rinse
 Bath top up
 Concentrate flow (Reject flow):-
 Bath (if the concentrate contains only salts used in the
electroplating bath with permissible contaminants)
Major contaminants and their removal:

S .No Contaminant Removal Process

1. pH Correction • Acid/ Alkali addition

• Stainless Steel Filter Strainer

• Stainless Steel Bag Filter
2. Suspended Solids
• Cartridge Filter

3. Microscopic oil particles • Activated Carbon Filter

• IONICS unit using Reverse Osmosis

4. Coating Materials
membranes

23
 24

Process Flow Diagram

Effluent from
Filtration Prep Tank
electroplating
System
process
Pump

Acid/ Alkali
addition

Permeate tank RO based

to process Unit

High pressure
Reject back pump
to bath/ treatment
 25
High flow membrane systems:
 26
RO Process in Nickel Plating

evaporation

PLATE RINSE # 1 RINSE # 2

parts parts

feed

RO permeat
concent e
rate 95%
recovery Make-
up
(Pure
water)
 27

Benefits:
 70% of rinse water can be recovered and reused for Bath Top up
and as Rinse water.
 Pollution Problem solved
 The cost of treatment is got back to by way of water which can be
reused for rinsing process.