Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) Industrial Wastewater Treatment Systems as Sustainable Development Basic Ecological Components

Abstract

The problems in processing the acid ferrous-containing rinsing water and spent pickling solutions are considered. The first-ever in metallurgy zero liquid discharge (ZLD) industrial wastewater treatment systems of a transformer cold rolling plant at the Verkh-Isetsky steelworks in Sverdlovsk (now — LLC VIZ Steel is a part of Novolipetsk Steel Group of Companies) is described. The experience of the VIZ Steel, particularly in relation to industrial wastewater treatment and sludge processing, is useful for designing ZLD industrial wastewater treatment systems of metallurgical, machine-building and metalworking enterprises. The recommendations for organizing the ZLD industrial wastewater treatment systems in the pickling plants with the repeated use of the treated rinsing water and processing the spent pickling solutions and the sludges are presented. For practical calculations of clarifiers the empirical formulas are offered. Process flow diagram of acid ferrous-containing rinsing water treatment is suggested. Acid ferrous-containing rinsing water treatment includes the following processes: rinsing water neutralization to pH 9-10,5 by 5 % calcium hydroxide and partial ferrous oxidation by air; addition of anionic flocculant and active gypsum priming to the neutralized rinsing water; settling of rinsing water conditioned by reagents in clarifiers; treatment of clarified water on deep bed sand filters; reclaimed water treatment.