1. Case Situation

A battery manufacturing factory has produced a significant amount of wastewater containing heavy metals during the production process, including lead, nickel, zinc, lithium, and others, which pose severe potential environmental hazards. Although the factory's existing wastewater treatment system can remove some pollutants, it is ineffective in removing heavy metals, resulting in non-compliant wastewater discharge. The factory is seeking suitable methods for treating heavy metal wastewater.

2. On-site wastewater issue

The original wastewater treatment system has limited removal capacity for heavy metals, resulting in the treated wastewater still containing heavy metal concentrations far exceeding the discharge standards.

2. The existing processing workflow was complex, with cumbersome operations and low efficiency, failing to meet the factory's production demands.

Due to poor processing effects, there is a need for frequent replacement of chemicals and filter materials, leading to a significant increase in operational costs.

In the production of lithium batteries, wastewater sources include washing water, soaking solutions, and extraction solutions during the manufacturing process. For instance, during the production of raw materials for lithium batteries, such as manganese sulfate, cobalt sulfate, lithium sulfate, nickel sulfate, zinc sulfate, lithium hydroxide, lithium carbonate, cobalt chloride, and lithium chloride, processes like evaporation, concentration, crystallization, and drying generate wastewater. In the product manufacturing phase, wastewater is also produced during the production of ternary materials (precursors), lithium iron phosphate, copper foil, and other processes, including high-salt wastewater like ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, sodium chloride, and sodium sulfate.

3. Original wastewater treatment method

Battery manufacturers have adopted the chemical precipitation method to treat heavy metal wastewater. In actual operation, the companies have reported that the pass rate of heavy metals is unstable, efficiency is low, the precipitation effect is poor, and a large amount of sludge is produced, which also contains heavy metals, thereby increasing the company's operational costs and difficulties.

4. Solutions

After the manufacturing company outlined specific issues and the company's professorial team arrived on-site for an actual investigation and proposed solutions, the existing chemical precipitation method was improved. The process was optimized by switching to the company's heavy metal treatment chemicals, and operational costs were reduced.

Our self-developed and produced NM-1 (Nano 1) reagent, with strong chelating capability, rapidly forms stable complexes with various heavy metal ions under normal temperatures and wide pH conditions. Its rapid reaction time significantly reduces treatment duration, produces less sludge, and features a simple and convenient dosing operation.

2. Optimized the process flow and reduced the dosage of the chemical, enhancing treatment efficiency and ensuring sufficient reaction between the NM-1 chemical and heavy metals in the wastewater. After numerous trials, the issue was successfully resolved, alleviating concerns for the manufacturing company. Subsequent operations have been issue-free and conducted safely.