A study of the current best practice in the Scottish electroplating industry and improved metal recovery technique for waste water streams.

Small specialist engineering companies, whose access to new technologies is very limited, often perform metal finishing operations. Metals and chemicals are the basis of the finishing industry. Compared to most of the other manufacturing and industrial production processes, metal finishing can typically be characterised as chemically intensive, and it can be a major source of toxic effluents and hazardous wastes. Though waste treatment will greatly reduce the quantities of pollutants reaching the immediate environment, it should be realised that such treatment has its limitations. The end-of-pipe treatment systems will only help to transfer waste from one form to another, requiring a disposal option for the later. Reduction of secondary sources of pollution can be achieved when a comprehensive approach to waste management, preferably based on waste avoidance principle is adopted. This formed the basis of this research work. It established current practice in Scotland, compared it with international good practice, and evaluated the potential for small and medium scale finishers. A structured waste minimisation programme, which could be applied in practice, is proposed. This thesis presents in detail the importance of waste minimization in any process, highlighting the economical, social and legislative issues, followed by an overview of the metal finishing industry and the plating process in particular. A case for source reduction is presented by discussing various available techniques and recycling, resource recovery alternatives are discussed. An analysis of a two-stage questionnaire survey of the industry in Scotland, and a case study of two plating companies in Scotland is presented. An experimental case for electrochemical metal recovery from dilute waste streams is presented and a way forward in general for the metal finishing industry in Scotland is discussed.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Robert Gordon University

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Marappan, Saravanan

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• P. Robertson, M. Adams and K. Christidis

• Metal finishing industry
• Waste minimisation
• Source reduction
• Hazardous waste
• Electrochemical metal recovery
• Plating processes
• Scotland

Language dc:language

en

Identifier

oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807473
https://doi.org/10.48526/rgu-wt-2807473

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:rgu-repository.worktribe.com:2807473