Tetra Technologies, Inc.

E Stuart Savage

Surendra Kumar Mishra

Roger N Kust

Thomas H Wentzler

An improved process for removing dissolved metals from waste water using a recycle high density sludge is described. Specifically, the process comprises the steps of: (1) treating waste water containing dissolved metals with a recycle stream containing alkaline surface active recycle particles to precipitate the dissolved metals on the surface of the recycle particles; (2) treating a portion of the treated waste water containing metal precipitate solids with an alkaline reagent to form alkaline surface active recycle particles; (3) recycling the alkaline treated stream containing the alkaline surface active particles; and (4) separating the portion of the stream from step (1) not treated with alkaline reagent into a water component which is free of dissolved metals and solids and a sludge component which contains solids. The improved process is further enhanced by using a solids classification step to preferentially separate finer metal precipitate particles, which are treated with an alkaline reagent and recycled, from larger metal precipitate particles, which are discarded.

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Wexford, PA, United States of America

E Stuart Savage