ROCWAT - Removal of organic contaminants and recycling of waste water from electroless plating process streams

The treatment of organic compounds in waste water is a problem faced throughout the European Community by most printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturers and other surface treatment processors. The removal of these compounds would enable the recycle of large volumes of water within the PCB manufacturing industry in Europe. This is necessary to reduce costs and preserve human health and natural resources. In addition to direct pollution from organic compounds, many chelating agents are used which release metals into the environment. It had been important to tackle the problem on a European scale to ensure that the treatment process is compatible with the range of wastes experienced throughout Europe. The IPPC (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) legislation had came into force throughout Europe and had serious implications for surface finishing companies with a plating bath volume in excess of 30m3 total. The SAFE-EX project was expected to help many SMEs to achieve their environmental targets cost effectively. The proposed research devised two processing techniques, to be used independently or in combination. It aimed to develop robust and economic treatment systemsexpected then to be used by a great number of SMEs and larger companies. BEnefits: improved competitiveness of end users through the reduction of their costs whilst achieving increasingly stringent discharge limits; industrial implementation reducing the volume of waste water and allowing water recycling.