Removal of Heavy Metals from Industrial Effluent by Crossflow Microfiltration
The performance of Exxflow, a patented form of crossflow microfiltration, treating industrial wastewaters containing mixed heavy metals discharged by two types of industry is quantified and compared with the traditional technologies used for such treatment. Pilot trial results using Exxflow are shown and compared to the performance of the full scale plants now operating on these effluents. The operating costs of the Exxflow process are estimated for the two plants. One of which has been operating for 18 months and the other about 4 months. The Exxflow process is described and improvements which are being developed to lower the operating costs are presented. It is shown that industrial effluents containing mixed heavy metals are very effectively treated by the Exxflow process and since the installation of the plants the treated effluent has been of a quality suitable for discharge to the River Thames in one case and to a sewage treatment plant in the other. Unlike other processes, Exxflow has shown that it can successfully treat effluent containing mixed metals and that removal of antimony from mixed metal waste waters is affected by the concentration of sodium sulphate in the wastewater.