Application of solvent extraction to the recycling process of electroless nickel plating baths

Naganawa, Hirochika  ; Tanaka, Mikiya*; Saki, Yukinori*

Electroless nickel plating is an important surface finishing technology; however, the treatment of a large amount of spent baths should be established from both the environmental and economic viewpoints. Solvent extraction is a useful separation technology which utilizes the distribution of a solute between aqueous and organic phases. The present authors have developed a nickel recycling process from the spent baths using solvent extraction. This process was applied to a plating plant initially using a conventional mixer-settler and then a new apparatus called emulsion flow extractor. In this presentation, the laboratory-scale experimental results and practical operation data will be presented.