Metal & Surface Finishing
Metal hydroxide separation
A surface finishing plant needed to separate metal hydroxide floc after chemical precipitation to meet metals discharge limits.
Sector
Surface finishing
Flow
~40 m³/h
Solution
PSC Compact
Path
New installation
Representative project profile based on typical R+F plate settler deployments. Figures illustrate typical performance ranges rather than a single named client.
The Challenge
After pH adjustment and precipitation, the wastewater contained fine metal hydroxide floc that had to be separated to bring dissolved and total metals within discharge limits.
The floc was light and slow-settling, and the available footprint was small. A conventional clarifier would have been too large for the site.
The R+F Solution
R+F installed a compact stainless steel plate settler downstream of the precipitation and flocculation stage. The large inclined settling area captured the fine hydroxide floc at a low effective rise rate.
Settled metal sludge was withdrawn to dewatering. The stainless steel construction resisted the aggressive chemistry of the treated stream.
Results
Within limits
Metals
High
Floc capture
Minimal
Footprint
SS 316L
Material
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