Wastewater treatment, inorganic chemicals process

Miscellaneous. Hydrochloric acid is used for the recovery of semiprecious metals from used catalysts, as a catalyst in synthesis, for catalyst regeneration (see Catalysts, regeneration), and for pH control (see Hydrogen-ION activity), regeneration of ion-exchange (qv) resins used in wastewater treatment, electric utiUties, and for neutralization of alkaline products or waste materials. In addition, hydrochloric acid is also utilized in many production processes for organic and inorganic chemicals. 

The biological treatment process involves the use of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi to convert finely divided colloidal and dissolved carbonaceous organic matter in wastewater into various gases and into cell tissues that are then removed from sedimentation tanks as flocculent settle-able organic and inorganic solids. This process often complements both physical and chemical processes and it is classified as follows. 

This section describes the major industrial processes of individual inorganic chemicals under the 11 subcategories and the related wastewater generated. It contains the sources of wastewater and typical treatment processes. 

Oxidation of organic and inorganic species in aqueous solutions can find applications in fine chemical processes and wastewater treatment. Here, the oxidant, often either air or pure oxygen, must undergo all the mass transfer steps mentioned above in order for the reaction to proceed. During the last decade, increased environmental constraints have resulted in the application of novel processes to the treatment of waste streams. An example of such a process is wet air oxidation. Here, the simplest reactor design is the cocurrent bubble column. However, the presence of suspended organic and inert solids makes the use of monolith reactors favorable. 

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