October 2007SERFILCO® Europe Ltd FILTRATION AND PURIFICATION SYSTEMS TO MINIMISE OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO NICKEL SALTS IMF/NIDI CONFERENCE OCTOBER 4 TH

October 2007 SERFILCO® Europe Ltd

FILTRATION AND PURIFICATION SYSTEMS TO MINIMISE

OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO NICKEL SALTS

IMF/NIDI CONFERENCE OCTOBER 4TH 2007

Huw Williams – SERFILCO® Europe Ltd


• Prevents roughness• Extends life of solutions• As a pre-treatment to reverse osmosis,

coalescing and carbon

FILTRATION


PURIFICATION

• Removes organic impurities

• Provides for uniform ductility


FACTORS WHICH EFFECT THE CHOICE OF A FILTRATION SYSTEM

• Size of tanks• Type of solution• Degree of clarity

required• Initial cost• Cost to operate• Flow rate

• Compatibility to temperature and concentrations

• In-tank vs. Out-of-tank• Type and amount of solids to

be removed between servicing• Versatility to meet changing

requirements


TYPE OF SOLIDS

Gritty• Sand-like usually

found in an acid solution will build up a cake or thickness which can remain porous to allow for additional flow through.

Slimey• Usually found in an

alkaline bath. String-like gels tend to blind a surface media prematurely.


WHERE DO TROUBLESOME SOLIDS COME FROM?

• Drag in

• Anodes

• Water

• Airborne Sources

• Chemical Break-down


FILTER SYSTEMS

• Pressurised Filtration

• Suction Filtration

• Gravity Filtration


FILTER SYSTEMS FOR NICKEL

• Cartridge – Wound, Spun, Pleated

• Paper Disc

• Bag

• Permanent Media


TYPICAL CARTRIDGE SYTEMS


AUTOMATIC BACKWASH PERMANENT MEDIAFILTRATION SYSTEMS


11 - 16m3/hr




34 - 72m3/hr


FILTER VESSEL


FILTER VESSEL


SEQUENCE OF OPERATION

• FILTRATION

• Blowdown #1 - air purge solution back to tank

• Backwash

• Blowdown #2 - air purge water to effluent

• FILTRATION


NORMAL OPERATIONNORMAL OPERATION


PRE-BACKWASH BLOWDOWNPRE-BACKWASH BLOWDOWN


BACKWASH TO WASTE TREATMENT

BACKWASH TO WASTE TREATMENT


POST BACKWASH BLOWDOWNPOST BACKWASH BLOWDOWN


FLOW RATE PERFORMANCE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FILTER

SYSTEMS


AUTOMATIC BACKWASH PERMANENT MEDIA

AUTOMATIC BACKWASH PERMANENT MEDIA

Possible Disadvantages• Higher Initial Cost than Most

Advantages• Zero Media costs - Buying/Disposal• Zero Labour Cost for Servicing• Low Sludge Formation• No Separate Drummed Waste• Zero solution loss• Application Specific Media• Optional Carbon Chamber


COST JUSTIFICATION FOR AUTOMATIC PERMANENT MEDIA FILTER SYSTEM VS CARTRIDGES

Application - Filtration of 10000 litre Barrel Acid Zinc solution @ 25-35ºC. Plant has 6 x 48 inch barrels. Plant operating 8 hours per day x 5 days per week Cartridges - 24 x 30 inch 10 micron Cartridges are changed every 2 weeks

Cartridges used per year……………………………………………624 Average Cost of buying and disposing of 1 cartridge……………£15.00 Annual cost of filter media and disposal……………………………………£9360

Labour per change…………………………………………………..2 hours Labour per year………………………………………………………52hours Hourly rate……………………………………………………………£10.00

Annual Labour costs to maintain Filter…………………………………….£520

Solution loss per change………………………………………...28 litres Solution loss per year…………………………………………….728 litres Solution cost per litre……………………………………………...£3.90

Annual cost of solution loss…………………………………………………£2839.20

TOTAL COST INVOLVED WITH CARTRIDGE FILTRATION……………£12719.20 Cost of Automatic Permanent Filter system …………………………..£22500

THEREFORE PAYBACK PERIOD IS……………………………1.76 YEARS


COST JUSTIFICATION FOR AUTOMATIC PERMANENT MEDIA FILTER SYSTEM VS

USING A PAPER DISC FILTRATION SYSTEM Application: - Typical Barrel Acid Zinc Plating Plant Note: - Filter Media is changed twice per week

Labour per week ……………………………………………2.5 hours Labour per year……………………………………………..130 hours Hourly rate ………………………………………………….. £10.00

Annual Labour costs to maintain Filter……………………………………£1300

Filter Media per week ………………………………………10kG Filter Media per year…………………………………………520kG Cost per kG…………………………………………………...£2.92

Annual cost of Filter Media…………………………………………………. £1518

Filter Papers per week………………………………………..30 Filter Papers per year…………………………………………1560 Cost per paper………………………………………………….£0.54

Annual cost of Filter Paper…………………………………………………..£842.40

Solution loss per week………………………………………...28 litres Solution loss per year………………………………………….1456 Solution cost per litre…………………………………………..£3.90

Annual cost of solution loss…………………………………………………£5678.40

Disposal per year……………………………………………….3.05m3 Disposal Cost per cubic metre………………………………..£348.80

Annual cost of disposal……………………………………………………….£1063.84

TOTAL COST INVOLVED WITH PAPER/DISC FILTRATION……………………£10402.64 COST OF NEW AUTOMATIC PERMANENT MEDIA FILTER SYSTEM………...£17534 THEREFORE PAYBACK PERIOD IS……………………………1.68 YEARS


MEDIA

• The chemical and physical properties are important.

• The media must be hard, not smooth, and free of soluble particles.

• Chemical content is less than 0.0001% of the following:- Arsenic, Cadmium, Chromium, Cyanide, Copper, Nickel, Lead, Zinc and Mercury.


MEDIA

DESCRIPTION U.S. MESH APPROVALS

Sand – 45 - .55 mm

40-30 AWWA 100-89 SPECS

Gravel – 1/4" x 1/8" (#3)

6-3 medium

AWWA 100-89 SPECS


MEDIA

• Acid Solubility (AWWA B100-89) - 5% max• Specific Gravity (AWWA B100-89)- 2.62% min• Porosity (ASTM C30/37)- 38.35%• Loss of Ignition (AFC Handbook) 0.69%• Hour Absorption 0.48%• Dry Unit Weight (PFC) 100.00 lbs/of


BY-PASS CARBON PURIFICATION

• More adsorptive surface area than powdered carbon.

• Chambers are separate to the filter system and permit intermittent or continuous, controllable carbon purification.

• Only Filtered solution is treated.


BY-PASS CARBON PURIFICATION

• Reduces brightener and solution costs when compared to continuous or batch powdered carbon slurry treatments.

• Large savings compared to Carbon cartridges.


• CARBON CHAMBER

• 1, 3 OR 7 CANISTERS

• 3 MICRON TRAP FILTER

• CLEAN AND EASY

• UP TO 21 Kg IN 1 CHAMBER


Schematic of Automatic Filter with Mobile By-pass Carbon chamber installed


IN CONCLUSION

USING AN AUTOMATIC, PERMANENT MEDIA FILTRATION SYSTEM COUPLED WITH A MOBILE CARBON CHAMBER ON NICKEL PLATING SOLUTIONS:-

• Reduces operator exposure to nickel salts• Reduces down time and filtration costs• Produces crystal clear electrolytes by maintaining a high average

flow rate• Reduces roughness and improves quality• Provides for uniform Ductility• Provides for the most cost effective and user friendly organic

removal

Documents

October 2007SERFILCO® Europe Ltd FILTRATION AND PURIFICATION SYSTEMS TO MINIMISE OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO NICKEL SALTS IMF/NIDI CONFERENCE OCTOBER 4 TH