# Patent

## Title
Continuous particle separation process

## Abstract

A decontamination treatment of process water is disclosed herein originating from electroplating/metal finishing and etching operations wherein the process water is loaded with heavy metal ions. The process combines predetermined quantities of alkali/acid solutions together with a quantity of Sodium Humate so as to produce a disposable sludge which is environmentally safe and poses the least risk for leeching of harmful metals from the resultant sludge. Decontaminated waste water solution is also produced via a sand filter which is further processed to remove ionic, atomic or molecular metal suspended in the waste water solution. This latter process includes a microcon filter having electronic pressure sensors and feedback controls for returning contaminated waste water back into the system via automatic back wash. An electromagnetic ionic filter removes additional ionic, atomic or the like metal contaminants.

## Background
1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a treatment for decontaminating process water, and more particularly relates to a novel process for removing metal pollution from electroplating and etching process water, such as the removal of metal ions or atomic or molecular particles commonly found in metal plating, etching and anodizing operations.

2. Brief Description of the Prior Art

As the requirement for environmental control has expanded with the increase in technological advancement and with the widening demand for improved processes and apparatus capable of handling waste products therefrom, the need for improved and safer decontamination treatments of liquids as a waste product has become of increasing importance. A concomitant of this trend is the need for effectively lowering the amounts of metal ions to acceptable standards of regulatory agencies which, while providing the requisite degree of safety, provides a convenient and manageable form of solid product rendered to a state of least environmental risk for storage or disposal. Under the thrust of this expanding requirement, it has become an economic necessity to provide an innovative process and apparatus which both minimizes the possibility of error in the decontamination procedures and reduces overall system complexity.

Therefore, there has been a long-standing need to improve the technology that effectively removes metal ions from the process water. An equally important concern is the fate or ultimate disposal of the resultant waste water dispersant as well as the final sludge product.

Accordingly, the above problems and difficulties are obviated by the present invention which provides a novel process for decontamination of heavy metal pollution from metal plating and etching process water, as an example. The process permits such a treatment to be accomplished during the routine processing of wastewaters generated in metal plating, anodizing and etching operations.

In one form of the invention, the process comprises the main steps of adjusting the pH with alkali (Sodium Hydroxide) to approximately 7 or 8 so that the quantities of alkali required to neutralize and precipitate the metal ions are minimized. Next, the novel process involves addition of chemical moiety (Sodium Humate, whose amount depends on the level of metal ions and variety of metal ions in the process water). A typical amount of Sodium Humate is between 0.5 g to 1.0 g for every liter of wastewater. This step involves thorough mechanical mixing or agitation providing a residence time of up to 30 or 60 minutes depending upon the local conditions. A finalizing step in the process consists of allowing the liquid containing metal ions, alkali and Sodium Humate to settle in a settling tank for approximately 60 to 90 minutes, followed by demoisturizing the resultant sludge into disposable cakes or product.

Liquid in the settling tank passes through a sand filter and is then introduced to a micron filter having pressure sensors so as to allow for automatic back wash return of the sand filtered liquid to the primary precipitation containers or tanks. An ionic filter having an electrode probe receives the processed liquid from the micron filter, which liquid has not required return to the system, and the electronic probe via a screen attracts and removes negatively charged metal ions contained in the liquid from the liquid.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel process that renders the resultant waste water from a processed water system to a state of least environmental risk in a manner for further industrial use.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a novel process for effecting the removal of metal ions and particles of less than 2 microns from the process water so that the ultimate disposal of the resultant water product may be used in a manner meeting regulatory agency requirements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a novel process for removal of metal ions from polluted process water wherein the process allows such a treatment to be achieved during the routine processing of wastewaters generated in metal plating, anodizing and etching operations.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an innovative process additive chemical moiety for decontamination of heavy metal pollution from electroplating, metal plating or etching process water that effectively lowers the level of metal ions in the process water from the metal plating, anodizing or etching operations to amounts that are acceptable to regulatory agencies.

The features of the present invention which are believed to be novel are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The present invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood with reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic drawing illustrating the sequence of steps taken in the performance of the inventive process for removing metal ions from process water.

Referring to the drawing, process or wastewater is produced from an etching or metal plating or anodizing source through normal operations wherein the process water is loaded with heavy metals such as copper, iron or the like. The process water is pumped into a reservoir or sump for temporary storage in an environmentally contained solution of approximately 100 to 200 gallons in volume until processing is commenced. Next, the process or wastewater is routed either by pump pressure or gravity feed from the sump or storage tank to a mixing tank in quantities of approximately 80 gallons. This latter tank will serve as a mixing tank where quantities of Sodium Humate and alkali are introduced for reaction with metal ions from the waste water. The Sodium Humate and alkali are provided in solution from a reservoir directly into the mixing tank wherein the solution represents a proportion of Sodium Humate and alkali effective to gain chemical reaction so as to control and balance the pH of the mix. The mixing tank employs a stirrer or other means of agitation to ensure complete mixing of the Sodium Humate and alkali with the resident metal ions contained within the process or wastewater. Mixing in the tank will typically take between 30 to 60 minutes.

Next, a clarifier tank is employed and serves as a reservoir for the Sodium Humate and alkali solution with the metal ions. The substances will be dissolved in water and released into the mixing tank as required by the contents of the mixing tank.

The wastewater, Sodium Humate and alkali mixture is then routed from the mixing tank and serves as an influent introduced to an 80 gallon clarifier tank, either by pump or gravity feed. As the water enters the tank, it is directed to the bottom of the tank by a plate A. As the clarifier tank fills and starts to empty through the exit opening at valve A, particulate matter (Humate-metal complexes as precipitates) are somewhat impeded from passing through the exit C by the diagonally disposed plates indicated by letter B. As the particulate matter rises, it contacts the diagonal plates and heavy materials fall to the bottom. This contact redirects some of the particulate matter away from the exit opening. This redirection allows more of the particulate matter to settle to the bottom of the clarifier tank. At the same time, clarified water (water that has had Humate-metal complexes deposited in the bottom of the clarifier tank) passes out of the clarifier tank into a sand filter. The Humate-precipitate known as sludge can be drawn out of the bottom of the clarifier tank through the valve A. Successful precipitation of sludge in this tank depends upon a minimal amount of liquid agitation.

The sludge from the bottom of the clarifier tank is drawn off via valve A and pumped by a sludge pump to a sludge press. Here the slurry-like sludge is compressed into sludge cakes by the removal of a substantial amount of the water. For example, a closure force of approximately 45,000 lbs. is sufficient to remove most of the moisture so that a relatively heavy, solid and sealed waste cake is produced. These cakes contain most of the metal ions originally found in the wastewater. The composition of the cakes is primarily that of Humate-metal complexes and the cakes can then be disposed of in a variety of appropriate manners.

The clarified liquid from exit C enters the sand filter and this filter serves as a trap for any of the precipitate that may have escaped precipitation in the clarified tank. The filter will require periodic recharging to ensure maximum filtering process. Once the water leaves the sand filter, it may be passed into a public sewer or reused in the plant as rinse water.

However, additional processing may be needed to meet certain government requirements. Therefore, the water from the sand filter is introduced to a micron filter having a screen mesh for removing molecular metal of all types smaller than 2 microns which are suspended in the wastewater solution dispersant which has not been collected during precipitation of the mixture of Sodium Humate and after balancing the PH..

Calculations are made to determine required pumping pressures needed to allow precipitated wastewater to be forced through a 2 micron filter screen to remove any final humate/metal collection as might have been carried into the outward going stream normally rejected to the drain or sewer.

The micron filter is provided with a series of electronic sensors monitoring the pressure buildup as the micron filter loads so as to allow for an automatic back wash to be returned to the primary precipitation containers.

After the micron filter, an insulated electrical probe is placed in the line so as to allow the passing wastewater solution to be negatively charged. Again the solution must pass through an additional electro-magnetic filter whose filter media contains a copper conductor in its weave which acts as a collector. When the weave is connected to a positive electrode, the negatively charged metal ions contained in the solution are attracted to the positive electrode as noted above. The number of electrodes and/or micron filters is determined by the volume of wastewater to be treated.

The purity of the wastewater dispersant after being exposed to the above filter so closely mimics the original water introduced to the rinse process as is used by the printed circuit and plating industries, that it can be returned to those same rinse chambers thereby closing the wastewater rinsing loop allowing for little or no water being rejected to the drain or sewer.

Therefore, it can be seen that the inventive process of the present invention provides a method and means for removing pollutant metal ions from process water through the use of a combined Sodium Humate and alkali solution and mixture which effectively seals and coats and otherwise breaks down the metal ions so that they are contained in a readily disposable sealed cake. The wastewater through the sand filter and the micron filter as well as the electro-magnetic filter produces a reusable wastewater.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects and, therefore, the aim in the appended claims is to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.

## Claims

1. A decontamination process for reducing heavy metal pollution in wastewater, comprising the steps of: pollution in the form of metal ions in an environmentally contained sump; ions into a mixing tank; the mixing tank, said quantities effective to form humate-metal precipitates with substantially all of said metal ions in said wastewater; with agitation to ensure complete mixing of the sodium humate and alkali solution with the wastewater; into a clarifier tank for settling particulate matter comprising humate-metal precipitates thereby forming an effluent clarified liquid and a humate-metal precipitates sludge; the humate metal precipitates not settled in the clarifier thereby producing a filtered effluent clarified liquid; sealed cake of primarily humate-metal complexes; removal of metal particles of 2 microns or less in size to produce a metal particle free liquid; removal of ions; to the clarifier tank for recycling; and pumping resultant contamination and particle free liquid for industrial use.