Achieving >99% Nickel and Copper Removal in Electroplating Wastewater

Client Background:

An electroplating facility was facing regulatory pressure due to high concentrations of nickel and copper in their wastewater discharge. They needed a reliable solution to meet strict environmental standards while aiming to recover these valuable metals.

The Challenge:

Traditional chemical precipitation methods were ineffective at consistently reducing heavy metal levels below 1 ppm and generated large volumes of hazardous sludge requiring expensive disposal.

Our Solution:

We supplied our high-capacity Chelating Resin with Iminodiacetic Acid Groups (YZ-LSC, equivalent to Purolite S930plus). This specialized resin is engineered to selectively bind target heavy metal ions even in the presence of competing ions like calcium or sodium.

How It Works (See Diagram):

As illustrated in the attached diagram, our YZ-LSC resin acts like a molecular magnet. It selectively adsorbs the Nickel (Ni²⁺) and Copper (Cu²⁺) ions from the complex solution, allowing purified water molecules to pass through freely.

Results:

• Superior Compliance: Effluent concentrations for both Nickel and Copper were reduced to below 0.05 ppm, effortlessly meeting strict discharge limits.

• Resource Recovery: The high selectivity of the resin enabled a simplified regeneration process, allowing the client to consider recovering the concentrated metal salts.

• Significant Cost Savings: Drastic reduction in sludge disposal costs and chemical consumption led to a rapid return on investment.

Ready to optimize your wastewater treatment process? Contact the Yingzhou team for a custom resin selection proposal.