Turbo separation

摘要

Nibco Inc., a cold-forming copper fittings manufacturer located in South Glens Falls, N.Y., had an ongoing problem with consistently meeting local wastewater discharge regulations. The company, which manufactures approximately 1.3 million lbs. of copper fittings annually for the residential plumbing, air conditioning and refrigeration industries, had been using a floe-precipitation wastewater treatment operation for its discharged cleaning and finishing solutions since 1996. Nibco was looking for a way to eliminate the wastewater treatment operation and benefit from pollution-prevention techniques. Wastewater from the cleaning and de-burring operation was being generated at a rate of 2,000 to 3,000 gal. per day. Finishing the copper fittings was accomplished with two 20-cu.-ft. Rotofinish vibratory tumblers, with carbon steel media and a citric acid-based burnishing compound. The cleaning and debuning operation accounted for the entire problem-laden wastewater stream. Discharge of copper into the public sewer was the main issue. Because of the nature of Nibco's wastewater treatment operation, high levels of iron were also present in the waste stream.