Polymer Filtration
This technology uses specially designed, water-soluble chelating polymers that selectively bind process metal ions to prevent the metals from entering waste water streams and to prevent sludge formation. Thus the chelating groups are designed to selectively bind electroplating metals and reject metals such as sodium and calcium. Once the metal ions are bound to the soluble polymer — which range in molecular weight from 10,000 to 500,000 — they are filtered by membranes that do not allow the polymer-bound metals to pass through their pores. This process allows for both the removal and concentration of the metals from the rinse waters. The graphic below illustrates the basic principles involved in Polymer Filtration.
Below is a list of some potential applications of the Polymer Filtration Technology.
- The removal and recycling of toxic metal ions used in plating operations (DOE, DOD, and commercial);
- The reduction and regeneration of toxic metal sludges that do not meet current waste stabilization criteria (DOE, DOD, commercial);
- The recycling and regeneration of strategic metals (DOE, DOD, commercial), some obtained abroad;
- The removal and recycling of toxic metal ions used in the mining, photoprocessing, catalysis, textile, and pigment operations (DOE, DOD, commercial);
- The recycling and regeneration of precious metals (DOE, DOD, commercial);
- The removal and recycling of actinide/radionuclides (DOE, DOD, commercial);
- The removal and recycling of toxic metal ions used in soil remediation operations (DOE, DOD, and commercial);
- A preconcentrator for analytical instruments (DOE, DOD, commercial);
- A method to clean solid surfaces (DOE, DOD, commercial);
- A method for metal decontaminations (DOE, DOD, commercial).
Operated by the