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Metal Finishing (Electroplating) P2 Workshop Part 1

Metal Finishing (Electroplating) P2 Workshop Part 1. Ohio EPA Division of Hazardous Waste Management Office of Pollution Prevention. What’s in it for Me?. Understanding of Metal Finishing Unit Processes Skills for Identifying Process Optimization (P2!) Opportunities

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Metal Finishing (Electroplating) P2 Workshop Part 1

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  1. Metal Finishing (Electroplating) P2 Workshop Part 1 Ohio EPA Division of Hazardous Waste Management Office of Pollution Prevention

  2. What’s in it for Me? • Understanding of Metal Finishing Unit Processes • Skills for Identifying Process Optimization (P2!) Opportunities • Knowledge of Tools and Resources for Providing Technical Assistance

  3. Evaporation Evaporation Loss Loss Parts to Additional Production Steps Parts Parts and Dragout Process Chemicals PROCESS BATH RINSE TANK Dragout Wastewater Fresh Water Spent Baths Fresh Water Metal Finishing “Process Unit”

  4. Metal Finishing Processes • Surface Preparation and Cleaning: • alkaline cleaning • electropolishing • oxide removal • Metal Plating: • electroplating • electroless plating • Protection and Finishing Treatments: • anodizing • chromate conversion • phosphating

  5. Soak Clean Electro- Clean Plate Acid Rinse Rinse Work Flow Rinse Chrome- ate Hot Rinse Bright Dip Dry Rinse Rinse Typical Plating Line

  6. Common Metal Finishing Wastes • Rinse water effluent • Spent plating baths • Spent alkaline and acidic etchants and cleaners • Spent strippers • Solvent degreasers • Waste and process bath treatment sludges • Miscellaneous wastes (filters, empty containers, floor grates, off-spec chemicals) * Some of these may be Persistent Bio-accumulative Toxic substances such as Cadmium, Chromium, Copper, Lead, Nickel, Zinc & Cyanide

  7. P2 Principles for Metal Finishing • Use the least toxic/easiest to manage chemicals • Extract the most life (use) out of process chemistries • Keep process chemistry solutions where they belong: in the tanks • Return as much escaping solution (dragout) as possible to the tanks • Use the least amount of rinse water required for good rinsing

  8. Rack Plating • Workpieces hung or mounted to frames (racks) • Most common and versatile processing method • Dragout rates and rinse water use easier to control

  9. Barrel Plating • Parts processed in containment “barrel” • Typically small parts with low level of plating or processing tolerance requirements • Dragout rates and water use relatively high

  10. Manual Plating • Process steps performed by hand • Smaller size parts, lower production

  11. Automated Plating • Fully Automated • only requires manual racking and unracking • high production quantities and rates • Semi automated • requires manual control of hoists and rails • larger parts, lower production rates, and varied parts

  12. Keys to Identifying P2 Opportunities at Metal Finishing Facilities • Basics of Metal Finishing • does the facility monitor and measure their plating or coating solutions, how are additions made • does the facility have specifications for each part they finish, mil thickness, quality standards? • does the facility have procedures and training in place for coating time, withdrawal rate, drain time, rinsing, part orientation? • does the facility know addition and flow rates for water in their cleaning and plating solutions and rinses?

  13. Measuring and Understanding Dragout

  14. Dragout Impacts • Increased plating chemical use • Increased rinse water use or decreased rinse quality • Increased dragin into next bath • Increased wastewater generation

  15. Dragout Impacts (continued) • Increased WWTS treatment chemicals • Increased WWTS filter cake • Increased WWTS effluent metal concentration

  16. Dragout Measurement • Direct volume measurement (dragout volume drained from parts) • Metal concentration/conductivity in rinse tanks • Wastewater contaminant concentration

  17. Calculating Dragout Vd = (DC)(Vr)/Cp where: Vd = dragout volume (L/rack) DC = increase in rinse water metal concentration per rack or barrel (mg/L/rack) Vr = rinse tank volume (L) Cp = process bath metal concentration (mg/L)

  18. Good News: conductivity versus concentration is linear. More Good News: conductivity is easy to measure! 7 6 Conc = [0.0021 x (conductivity)] + 0.423 5 4 Zn Concentration (ppm) 3 2 1 0 0 500 1,000 1,500 2,000 2,500 3,000 Conductivity ( m S)

  19. Using Dragout Measurements • Estimate costs of dragout for particular parts • Make cost/benefit decisions • Lower dragout vs. slower withdrawal rates • Lower dragout vs. longer hang time • Worker training • Incentive programs • WWTS • Recovery technologies • Benchmarking

  20. Dragout Reduction Techniques

  21. Dragout Reduction:Parts Racking and Handling • Rack maintenance • Part geometry • Part overlap and angle • Barrel rotation and hang time

  22. Impact of Barrel Rotation

  23. Dragout Volume vs. Drain Time

  24. Dragout Reduction: Worker Practices • Withdrawal rate • Drainage time • Tilting • Use hang bars and other devices

  25. Slow withdrawal rate creates thin film (surface tension “pulls” solution into bath) Fast withdrawal rate causes thick film Part Chemical solution *Other conditions that impact thickness of solution are temperature and bath concentration. Impacts of Withdrawal Rate

  26. Dragout Reduction:Process Layout, Maintenance • Tank spacing and drain boards • Tank sequence • Dragout tanks (with or without sprays) • Spray rinses

  27. Single stage rinse Rinse water flow rate = 2 gpm Dragout rate = 0.25 gph Cadmium discharge = 0.23 lb/day Dragout tank followed by rinse tank Rinse water flow rate = 0.6 gpm Dragout rate = 0.20 gph Cadmium discharge = 0.07 lb/day Dragout Tanks

  28. Parts moved directly to rinse tank from plating bath Dragout rate = 0.25 gph Rinse water flow rate = 2 gpm Chromium discharge = 2.2 lb/day Parts rinsed with mist spray above plating tank Dragout rate = 0.13 gph Rinse water flow rate = 1 gpm Chromium discharge = 1.1 lb/day Sprays: More than a Rinse!

  29. 600 Sprays Off: 500 50.3 gallons/month S) $500/month 400 Sprays On: 300 Conductivity ( 20.5 gallons/month $200/month 200 100 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Racks Dragout Reduction with Spray Rinse

  30. Conductivity Control Systems

  31. Keys to Identifying P2 Opportunities at Metal Finishing Facilities • Conductivity Control • does the facility use conductivity measurement to manage their rinse system(s)? • if they have a system, what type is it, how do they operate it, what are their results? • if they do not have system do they know the relative costs and benefits of installing one?

  32. Analyzer • The system “brain” • Receives input from sensor • Displays conductivity reading • Digital, analog, or none • Sends output signal to solenoid valve • Key features: • Programmable set point • Programmable deadband

  33. Conventional Sensor • The sensor has an anode and cathode which is placed in a solution • Electrical potential is measured between these electrodes • Prone to fouling • $150-250

  34. Electrodeless Sensor • Uses two parallel torroids • Non-conductive casing (polypropylene or PVDF) • No electrodes; no fouling • Can measure full range of conductivity • $435-635

  35. Sensor Installation • Sensor placement • Halfway down from top of water level • Away from stagnant areas • Away from clean water inlet • In final stage of multistage counterflow rinse • Good circulation of rinse water • Mechanical mixing • Double dipping parts

  36. Determining the Initial Set Point

  37. Rinse Water Use 160,000 120,000 Weekly Rinse Water Use (gal.) 80,000 Installation 40,000 5/6 5/28 6/17 7/15 8/5 8/26 9/16 10/7 10/28 11/18 Week Note: No change in production occurred during the evaluation period.

  38. Spray Rinse Systems and Design

  39. Benefits of Reducing Rinse Water • Lower water bills and sewer fees • Wastewater treatment impacts • Lower treatment chemical costs • Higher retention time • Less O&M requirements • Decreased sludge generation

  40. Techniques that Improve Rinse Efficiency • Agitation • Rack motion • Forced air and/or forced water • Sprays • Double dipping • Flow Controls and Water Quality • Flow restrictors • Conductivity control systems • Tap water vs. deionized water

  41. Techniques that Improve Rinse Efficiency • Tank Design • Size (not bigger than necessary) • Eliminate short-circuiting • Tank Layout • Multiple tanks • Countercurrent rinses are extremely efficient • 90% reduction compared to a single rinse • Most old shops can not accommodate the larger “footprint”

  42. Parts (and Drag-In) Parts and Dragout Rinse Rinse Process Tank Tank Tank Rinse Water Effluent Rinse Water Influent Counter Current Rinse System

  43. Single-stage zincate rinse Rinse water flow rate = 2 gpm Dragin rate into bath = 0.50 gph Zn buildup in EN bath = 6 ppm/day Two-stage counterflow zincate rinse Rinse water flow rate = 1 gpm Dragin rate into bath = 0.40 gph Zn buildup in EN bath = 0.02 ppm/day Counterflow also Reduces Dragin

  44. Parts to Parts Additional Parts and Dragout Process Steps Acid Rinse Alkaline Rinse Etch Tank Cleaning Tank Clean Water Rinse Water Effluent Reactive Rinsing

  45. Reactive Rinsing Example • 172 Acid Bath Dumps/Year • 200 gallon bath • $23k/year for bath makeup • In-Shop Measurements: • Alkaline Rinse pH: 12.15 • Acid Rinse pH: 1.32 • Combination: 1.77 • Estimated 50% Reduction in Acid Use/Dumps • Capital: $1,250 • Payback: <1 month

  46. Spray Rinse Systems and Design

  47. Keys to Identifying P2 Opportunities at Metal Finishing Facilities • Rinse Tank Optimization & Spray Rinsing • are any measures in place to extend the life of the rinse baths, skimmers, agitation, sludge removal, water treatment? • are spray rinses utilized, if so, where are they located, how are they operated and why? • are rinse tanks utilizing counter current flow, are there flow restrictors or controls? • is the quality of the rinse water monitored or measured? • has the facility experimented with different rinse configurations, flows, or sprays?

  48. Sprays Reduce Dragout by 58% 250 Spray Rinses Off 50.0 gallons of Spray Rinses On 200 dragout/month 150 Conductivity (µS/cm) 58% Reduction 100 20.8 gallons of 50 dragout/month 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Number of Racks

  49. Air-Atomized Spray Guns

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