5N Plus Lübeck GmbH is a subsidiary of the Canadian 5N Plus Inc., a leading manufacturer of metal and chemical special products used in a wide range of pharmaceutical, electronic and industrial applications. The core business of 5N Plus Lübeck GmbH is the production of and trade in various bismuth chemicals.
5N Plus Lübeck GmbH
Due to the nature of 5N Plus Lübeck GmbH’s core business - the production of bismuth chemicals - the firm’s wastewater contains bismuth residuals. Bismuth has similar properties as lead however it is not as toxic. Still, the municipal sewerage utilities required the company to reduce bismuth concentrations in the wastewater discharged into the sewerage system. The following tasks had to be realized:
- develop a suitable gravity sedimentation procedure
- develop a flocculation concept; introduce a procedure to filtrate suspended solids
- develop a solution to recover bismuth after separating it from the wastewater
Due to its high density bismuth is usually easy to filtrate from water, so we chose the gravity sedimentation method. Due to the very varied morphology of 5N Plus’s products, we also put a well thought-through flocculation concept and suspended solids filtration system in place as waiting for the suspended solids to settle would have taken too long. On top, our aim was to recover the bismuth from the wastewater and recycle it for reuse.
In order to fulfil the tasks assigned to us, P.C.S. Consult first developed the procedures and processes indicated. Subsequently, we carried out an almost one-year test phase on a large scale, during which the results could be optimally controlled. The construction of the plant was then carried out after preliminary planning by Stulz Planaqua GmbH under special challenge of limited space conditions.
Since the start of plant operations, the mean bismuth elimination rate has stayed at 97%, which is substantially above the target set and considerably lower than the requirements of the regulatory authority.
As a result of the successfully implemented project, P.C.S. GmbH will continue to support 5N Plus as a waste water consultant with the optimisation of plant operation as well as on various other topics in terms of optimised waste water treatment at the Lübeck site.
The plant was built in:
- 2011 / 2012
Wastewater treatment capacity:
- 500 m³/d
Bismuth separation rate:
- down to a residual concentration of < 30 ppm
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