Nickel recovery: Secure nickel instead of flushing it away

Nickel costs money. A lot of money. And in daily production, more of it is often lost than most companies realize. Rinse baths, process waters, or cleaning fluids transport valuable nickel ions directly to the drain. Those who don’t counteract this pay twice. First, when purchasing new nickel and then in wastewater treatment. The solution: Targeted nickel recovery with electrodialysis.

Where nickel losses occur and why you should act

Whether in electroplating operations or metal processing: everywhere nickel is used for coatings or alloys, nickel ions enter the water. Rinsing processes, where nickel dissolves and goes unused, are particularly affected. Each liter of contaminated wastewater increases disposal costs. At the same time, raw material prices are rising. The good news: This is exactly where nickel recovery comes in. With the right technology, you can specifically recover nickel and reduce both your purchasing costs and your environmental fees.

Electrodialysis: The smart solution for your nickel recovery

For the recovery of nickel from process and rinse waters, we rely on modern electrodialysis technology. The systems operate with a controlled electric field and special ion exchange membranes. This allows nickel ions to be selectively separated from the water stream and recovered in concentrated form.

Functionality

At the heart of the process is an electrical field that specifically separates nickel ions from the liquid. The process fluid passes through special membrane modules. These allow only certain ions to pass. In this way, the nickel ions move in a controlled manner into a separate concentration stream, while the purified water is ready for further use or discharge into the wastewater system.

Typical applications of the system

Electrodialysis is ideally suited for:

Recovering nickel from rinse baths
Pre-concentrating before thermal processing
Desalting process fluids for water reuse

In addition to nickel, other metals such as copper, silver, or gold can also be recovered with this process.

Technical features of the electrodialysis system

Our electrodialysis systems are compactly designed and can be flexibly integrated into existing production processes. The robust construction with chemical-resistant materials such as polypropylene or PVDF ensures a long service life, even under demanding process conditions.

The systems operate energy-efficiently and require no additional chemicals. An automatic control monitors all important process parameters such as voltage, current, and flow rate. This keeps the operation stable, low-maintenance, and economical.

Depending on requirements, we can design the system in different sizes and performance levels. This way, you get exactly the solution that fits your throughput and space conditions.

Advantages of nickel recovery with electrodialysis

Noticeable savings in raw material costs

Every recovered quantity of nickel reduces your need for expensive new material. Thus, your purchasing costs decrease measurably.

Energy efficiency and low operating costs

Electrodialysis operates power-saving and does not require the use of chemicals. The ideal solution for large throughput quantities.

Reusing water in the process

The purified water can be directly used for further rinsing or process steps. This reduces the need for fresh water and saves additional operating costs.

Improved process reliability

A stable nickel concentration in your baths ensures consistent coating results. This avoids quality problems and reduces waste.

Lower wastewater costs, reduced environmental impact

Nickel-containing wastewaters are subject to strict limits. By recovering, you avoid expensive additional treatments or environmental charges.

Typical areas of application for nickel recovery

Nickel losses affect many industries, but in certain areas, recovery is particularly economical:

Electroplating operations: Large amounts of nickel-containing rinse water accumulate daily. Recovery reduces material losses and significantly lowers wastewater costs.
Electronics manufacturing: Nickel coatings on circuit boards or plug contacts lead to nickel residues in process and rinse baths. Recovery stabilizes bath quality and saves raw material costs.
Metal processing: When processing nickel-coated components, nickel ions are lost with each cleaning step. Recovery reduces raw material consumption and eases wastewater treatment.
Recycling companies: In processing scrap materials, nickel recovery increases valuable material yield and reduces waste volume.

Contact

Would you like to know how much nickel you are currently losing unnoticed? Or directly request a quote for your nickel recovery?

Then speak with our experts now. We analyze your processes, determine your savings potential, and develop a customized solution for your company.