Retrieval of Precious Metal from Waste Effluent at Precious Plate Inc. in Niagara Falls , NY

Precious Plate, Inc. is a local electroplating company that uses a variety of metals during its processes. Post-deposition, the aqueous phase used is designated for disposal, which poses problems regarding the metal content of the waste stream. First, EPA regulations mandate that metals be kept below specific levels. Even at levels capable of meeting EPA limits, the loss of metals within their waste streams can readily exceed thousands of dollars. Precious Plate, Inc. investigated the use of commercially available metal scavengers for lower metal concentrations. They found that despite loss of precious metals valued in excess of $400,000 per year, recovery was not profitable due to technical and economic limitations. During this project we compared the performance of a commercially available scavenger with our XAD-Ybt developed resin. We have demonstrated the improved metal reduction capabilities of our XAD-Ybt resin in comparison to a commercial metal scavenger when applied to Precious Plate wastewater samples. The constructed prototype demonstrates that our developed XAD-Ybt resin offer elevated absorption kinetics compared to commercial scavengers with the ability to remove 95% of copper from wastewater. Furthermore, a thorough economic analysis was conducted, as well as a life cycle analysis, which provides further support for industries like Precious Plate to incorporate such a system into their wastewater treatment processes.