Description

An aluminum smelting facilities producing 165,000 t/a aluminum via electrolysis, 285,000 t/a foundry products and thereby recycling 120,000 t/a aluminum scrap needs to treat 43,000 m3/a wastewater. The wastewater contains high amounts of aluminum (up to 50 mg/L), zinc and other heavy metals e.g.  chromium, copper, cadmium, cobalt and lead.

The current facility includes a multi-stage flocculation at several pH-steps via iron salt and various polymeric flocculants. Not only threshold values for metals were not reached, but relatively high concentrations of fluorides were also measured in downstream.

ColFerroX – Pilot

A pilot test was carried out to ensure the application of ColFerroX iron oxides to removal of metals and fluoride in single step and in inLine mode using a by-pass of the main wastewater stream. ColFerroX iron oxides were mixed with the wastewater. Flocs were readily formed and separated by gravitation from the wastewater within a few minutes.

 

Results:

Data showed that using both single-step and inLine mode systems the threshold values for aluminium and zinc were achieved by applying ColFerrox™ particles. The pH value was set to 7-8 with calcium hydroxide prior to application. The adsorption capacity for zinc was 30 mg Zn/g of Colferrox™ iron oxide particles and for aluminium 140 mg Al/g of Colferrox™ iron oxide particles. Next to aluminium and zinc also other heavy metals present in smaller amount were adsorbed from the wastewater by the Colferrox™ iron oxide particles.
Using ColFerroX products in single-step and inLine mode systems could reduce capital and operating costs.

  • Casestudy-WW-Alu-Zn
  • Casestudy-WW-Alu-Metals

Further Information:

Please contact us for more information regarding this case study, the long-term performance, acquiring permissions, other published results or similar case-studies.

Your contact:

Dr. Beate Krok
Beate.Krok@ColFerroX.eu
Tel: +49 (0) 177 937 8947