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Treatment of electroless nickel waste

June 2, 2008

Hello, I'm in the process of starting an electroless nickel plant. The last plant I worked in had very dubious quality standards, and little or no waste treatment, so I have no idea what waste treatment involves.
I have been reading up on the net and have found that most methods of effluent treatment are only for heavy metals.There is no mentions of how to treat phosphates and other such no metallic biproducts. I would be most grateful to any one who can suggest a method or atleast point me in the right direction.
Thank you for your time.
Ravi Patel

Ravi Patel
to be plating shop owner - Gujarat, India

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Try plating out as much of the nickel as possible, electrolytically. Then, adjust the pH to 8.5 - 9, and drop the rest of the Ni with sodium sulfide, DTC, or a similar precipitant. Plain hydroxide precipitation is quite incapable of removing the metal from EN solutions or rinses, because of the complexants used in formulating them.

Dave Wichern
Consultant - The Bronx, New York
June 5, 2008

Would it be possible to reuse some of the nickel present in the effluent? how effective are methods like electrowinning and electrodialysis.

Ravi Patel
- Anand, Gujarat, India
June 7, 2008