Cyanite Waste Treatment Technology-The Old, the New, And
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tl.ridation Oxidatioii most accepll past 30 yeii ’THE OLD, THE NEW, AND THE PRACTICAL illustrated tt By Walter Zabban and Robert Helwil CN- f CNCl- Chlorination is the most popular treatment for cyanide waste in plating plants. Other treatments such as ozonation. electroly( oxidation. and biooxidation deserve considerationfor at least some types of wastes. These and several other treatments are review1 2 CNC in this paper. .4 total 0)1 i heoreticallj) The technology of treating cyanide wastes, as is known today, recognized as the main commercially available method 6 83 Ib of CI1 was developed primarily between 1945 and 1955. An excellent treatment, the term “cyanide amenable to chlorination” w the chlorincc review of the early literature was published in 1949 by Dodge coined’’ and suitable methods of analysis7 were develop hypochlorit(( and Reams.’ That review, prepared during a project sponsored Since “cyanide amenable to chlorination” typifies those thata \aOCl or I by the American Electroplaters’ Society, presented the various easily decomposable in water and more toxic than others, SOI methods of treatment and described the toxicity of cyanide to of the regulatory agencies have adopted this terminology r The actu., aquatic life, bacteria, and other microorganisms in sewage practical way of differentiating between commercially treatat theoretical ii treatment plants. (amenable to chlorination) and total cyanide. cyanide-was; Supplemental detailed studies by a handful of researchers CN(A) may be determined by two procedures. One adap mmonia, a. during this period included those by Dobson,’ Pettet,3 and the distillation procedure for an aliquot that has k slows the 0) Dodge and Zabban.4 Since 1955 numerous commercial chlorinated and another that has not. The difference betw increased be: applications have been reported.’ these two measurements is the concentration of CN(1 ion Although this type of procedure has been accepted by[! Proper methods of analysis are of primary importance for the 1he oxidai control of pollution in industrial waste. This statement is regulatory agencies, it also has several failings, one of which that it is not reliable for concentrations less than 1 mg/l.. the carbon especially applicable to the determination of cyanides and other sith uncor inorganic cyanogen compounds because of the complexity of reported by the ASTM task group for ~yanide.~Anoh complexes. 11 the analytical problem. The analytical procedures in use are problem is that inaccurate evaluations of the Ch‘O ink olve a 10s; described in the manuals published by the American Public concentration will result in the presence of ammonia if I’ chlorination step is not conducted properly. rhloride is Health Association: ASTM,7 and the U.S. EPA.’ ioncentratior - To alleviate some of these difficulties, especially 1’ increacing PI measurement of low concentrations of CN(A), a colorimelr c!rnate ion method without the distillation step has been proposh ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES FOR TOTAL CYANIDE Unfortunately, the method suffers from numerous interferenil A reliable analytical method for total cyanide is necessary to not encountered with the distillation step. Both thiocyanatf determine (1) the degree of removal achieved with each and aldehydes cause interference,’ for example. Efforts 1 treatment process and (2) compliance with regulatory agencies’ resolve these interferences have resulted in the development of effluent limitations. Yet many of the methods may not yield cumbersome method and in unsatisfactory results. desired precise data because of interferences or inherent errors Studies made with a third type of analytical procedurewhg associated with each type of analytical procedure. measures weak, aciddissociable cyanide indicate that it ma! 0 meaningpG!iiiethob. TL- ..-I..-.. -L*?:--LI- -L-..lA ..-..*AM The EPA approved method of analysis for total cyanide is 1 IIC VOIUGb UlJLdIlldUlC bllUUlU ‘ip‘ylv”’ based on distillation followed by either a colorimetric (pyridine- those of CN(A). This procedure is the Wood River modificallc barbituric acid) or silver nitrate titrimetric procedure. This of the Jackson and Roberts method. With this method. method is intended to recover the cyanide from all cyanide sample is distilled in the presence of zinc acetate at a pH: compounds including that from iron cyanide compounds, and about 4.5 and the cyanide in the distillate is measured either) to eliminate or reduce the interferences associated with either colorimetric, electrometric or titrimetric procedures. the colorimetric or titrimetric procedures. procedure is expected to be incorporated in the ASS‘ methods. The newer ASTM distillation procedure has reintroduced the use of magnesium chloride in lieu of cuprous chloride to accelerate the decomposition of certain complex cyanide ions. Magnesium chloride had been proposed in 1952 in the distillation procedure developed during two research projects TREATMENT METHODS sponsored by the AES at Yale University and Lehigh Methods of treatment that have been in use for years. a‘ University.’ Cuprous chloride was introduced later in an effort some that have been applied more recently, are descrlN to increase the recovery of total cyanide in the distillation below. procedure. However, because cuprous chloride did not remove Acidi3cation And Stripping Hydrogen Cyanide the interference caused by thiocyanate, magnesium chloride Stripping of hydrogen cyanide is practiced In ’ was readopted. Cyanide recovery with this distillation recirculation of clarified and cooled wastewater to the fluss$ procedure is comparable to that obtained with cuprous scrubbers in iron blast furnaces. This reduces the amou”: chloride. -.cyanide that has to be treated in effluent from the scrubtx’ 1 ne hydrogen cyanide remaining in the flue gas is burn1 la” combustion process in the stoves. This is a normal processin“ steel industry. CYANIDE AMENABLE TO CHLORINATION Stripping by acidification and volatilization at eletr” There are analytical methods that distinguish cyanide temperature in an open system is no longer practical in 0” amenable to alkaline chlorination, CN(A), from total cyanide. reuse or non-recycle systems because of high enerZ Because alkaline chlorination of cyanide has been and is still requirements and restrictions by laws regulating air pOlluti’ 56 PLATING AND SURFACE FINISHI: O,ridation With Chlorine and Hypochlorites Formation of Complex Metallo- Cyan ides Oxidation with chlorine and hypochlorites has become the As indicated previously, certain complex metal cyanide ions nost acceptable conventional method of treatment during the are either not affected by chlorination or react slowly. Iron 30 years. The reactions in this oxidation process are cyanogen complexes, although prone to photodecomposition, ,lustrated by the following equations4: are not readily decomposed by chlorine or hypochlorite reagents at ambient temperature. It is believed that complexation of cyanide treatment with iron salts at an alkaline pH will not be desirable in the future because all of the cyanide CN- t HOCL - CNCl + OH- (1) removed would be converted to insoluble iron ferrocyanide. In CNCl+ 20H- - CNO- + C1- H20 (2) many instances, this product would have to be stored in a secure 2 CNCl+ 3 HOC1 + Hz0 - 5 HCI + 2 COz + N2 (3) landfill, unless it somehow would become immediately reusable. A total of 2.5 moles of available chlorine per mole of CN is !heoretically required for the overall reaction, equivalent to : method 83 Ib of Clz per Ib of CN. Available chlorine may be defined as Electrolytic Oxidation ination" ha, ,he chlorine equivalent of the OC1 radical present in the Electrolytic oxidation has been used to oxidize relatively high e dweloped j,pochlorite salt. One mole of CI2 is equivalent to 1 mole of concentrations (>IO0 mg/ L) of cyanide using a process that is those that art <aOCI or 112 mole of Ca(OC1)2. familiar to electroplaters and less expensive than chlorination others, some in the high-concentration range. Temperatures in the range of iinology as a The actual c12 requirement is always greater than the 60 to 82" C (140 to 180" F) have been used, and carbon, copper, ally treatable theoretical amount due to the presence of other oxidizable stainless, and even steel electrodes have been employed. The fianide-waste constituents such as cuprous ion, nickelous ion, reaction produces cyanate, carbonate, and may result in the One adapt, I"onia, and organic chemicals. The presence of nickel ion recovery of valuable metals. The treated effluent containing it has been I]OWS the oxidation reaction. The Ch requirement is also normally less than 100 mg/L of CN can be further treated by :nce between ,"creased because some of the nitrogen is converted to nitrate chlorination. of CN(A) ;on. In the recent past, an attempt has been made to apply :pted by tht electrolysis to dilute solutions using semiconductive beds of ie of which IS The oxidation reaction (I) involves a loss of two electrons in the carbon radical. This is an almost instantaneous reaction carbon particles and/ or closely spaced electrodes. These I I mg/L, as developments increase the efficiency of electrolysis; however, it le.' Another with uncomplexed cyanides and some metallo-cyanide "plexes. Reaction (2) is a hydrolysis reaction and does not is doubtful that cyanide concentrations in all cases could be the CN(A) reduced to the limits set by all regulatory agencies for effluent monia if the involve a loss or gain of electrons. The rate at which cyanogen chloride is converted to cyanate ion is a function of the discharge to streams. ancentration of the hydroxyl ion" and is increased with ,pecially thc pH. Reaction (3) requires only a few min if the colorimetrl, panate ion is treated at pH 6.5, and about I hr at pH 8.5. n proposed Reaction with Aldehydes and Peroxygen Compounds interference\ The reaction of formaldehyde with free cyanide to form thiocyanate, Two steps are recommended for completing the oxidation glycolonitrile (HOCHXN), as reported in the early literature,' reaction: the first at pH 11 to oxidize cyanide to cyanate, and :.