MIN‐CYANIDE: An expert system for cyanide waste minimization in electroplating plants

Abstract

AbstractRapid development of technologies and production systems is often accompanied by the increased generation of hazardous or toxic wastes. Among these wastes, waste solutions containing cyanide cause a particularly serious problem, threatening both public health and environment. It appears that the best way to minimize the cyanide‐containing wastes is to reduce their production in electroplating plants. Numerous techniques have been developed for this purpose, and much experience has been gained by applying such techniques. An expert system, MIN‐CYANIDE, has been constructed to assist engineers and technicians in the source reduction of cyanide‐waste solutions in an electroplating plant by resorting to these techniques and experience, and to train plant operators in the application of the techniques. MIN‐CYANIDE evaluates options, such as dragout minimization, bath‐life extension, rinse‐water reduction, replacement with a non‐cyanide solution, use of an alternative plating technique, and improvement of the operating procedure; furthermore, it identifies the most effective among them. The knowledge about the cyanide source reduction is acquired from available publications, represented by numerous fuzzy or non‐fuzzy heuristic rules, and codified into a commercial export system shell, Personal Consultant Plus, on an IBM PC/AT compatible computer. MIN‐CYANIDE provides a userfriendly interface; in operating it, the user answers various questions concerning the operational situations of the production and/or current equipment and techniques in the plant. In response, MIN‐CYANIDE will present instantaneously a series of options for cyanide minimization and eventually rank them.