Off-Site Recovery of Metals

Recovery of metals from treatment sludges by off-site commercial plants is an option that is employed at the present time to some extent in California, and that will likely see rapid growth in the near future. Types of off-site recovery services that presently exist in California or elsewhe. in the United States include those offered by smelters, hydrometallurgical plants, and ion exchange/electrolytic recovery plants. 

World Resources Company of Phoenix, Arizona is a recycling company that receives non-organic metal-bearing sludges from California and other states, dries the sludges, and sends them for metal recovery to various smelters, depending on the types of metals they contain. 

Treatment methods for wastewater and spent process baths include neutralization of acids, as well as flocculation and precipitation techniques that remove metals and other contaminants and render the effluent fit to be disposed of in the sewer. Chemicals are also added to destroy cyanides. 

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