Electro-oxidation dishes the dirt
22 Aug 2000
EA Technology's DEM (dished electrode membrane) process has solved a longstanding effluent problem at Glaxo Wellcome's plant in Montrose. Scotland.
A key feature of the site is the production of 640 Ammonium Salt but, as Glaxo Wellcome's SHE site manager Steve Davis explains, `chemical options for the treatment of the effluent were not effective and the problem was proving intractable'.
The problem was how to handle the cyanide-bearing wastewater from the process - a problem now solved after a six months' trial with the `plate and frame' type membrane cells. EA Technology spent the time perfecting the DEM Cell for duty on the highly corrosive effluent; finally opting for titanium electrodes. The tests have shown that the DEM is highly successful in destroying the cyanide content of the waste and produces substantial reductions in effluent COD.
The DEM Cell arrangement allows for a large number of electrodes to be mounted in line, with units capable of dealing with variable flow rates. The turbulence produced in the cells by the design accelerates reaction times. The process has now been demonstrated on a wide range of waste streams.
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