Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1517668
40 PCB007 MAGAZINE I MARCH 2024 ifiers, batch precipitation and micro-filtra- tion) in favor of selective ion exchange. e ion exchange systems are very similar to the deion- ized water systems that most manufacturing processes employ to provide product water of the correct technical specification. Most of these ion exchange WWT systems are built in- house by TTM utilizing off-of-the shelf indus- trial equipment and water treatment technol- ogies. is approach provides a smaller and more sustainable footprint for the same treat- ment needs. Over time, TTM has found that this means of treatment is scalable and can be altered to reflect or respond to increased manufacturing capacity utilizing the same basic WWT infra- structure. Selection of the correct ion exchange resin media is key to developing a robust and repeatable treatment process. Wastewater Segregation Key to the change from chemical precipi- tation to ion exchange is accurate wastewa- ter segregation and use. As identified above, chemical precipitation is a robust and worthy treatment technology that is particularly for- giving to unsegregated or minimally segregated wastewater streams (WWT influent). In most cases, generating compliant treated wastewa- ter is a function of treatment chemical use. Segregation reduces or eliminates this effect. While the complete elimination of all chemical precipitation reactions during treatment is not reasonable, a dramatic reduction is very achiev- able and oen increases recovered resource value. Grouping and segregating wastewater by various contaminant components (i.e. met- als, pH, organic content, chelation, buffering) is critical to both reduce consumption, reduce treatment chemical use, and to set the ground- work for alternative treatment technologies. Water Use Reduction TTM has initiated many key programs to reduce the use of water. is has been done for several reasons: e company's most critical environmental initiatives with respect to water management fall into the following categories: Wastewater Treatment and System Upgrades TTM has gradually replaced existing waste- water treatment (WWT) systems with a treat- ment technology that relies less on chemi- cal precipitation and more on ion exchange. Although chemical precipitation WWT sys- tems are robust and produce effective and compliant wastewater, and they rely heavily on chemical treatment agents to promote con- taminant removal (metals); the precipitate that is produced is typically a sludge with a high moisture content and a low metal content. In the end, the standard precipitant-based WWT systems are an inefficient use of chemical treat- ment aids and produce a reclaimable material that requires excess energy and/or handling to reclaim the metal, oentimes resulting in a poor return on the metal recovered, as well as the capital invested. TTM has undertaken the elimination of chemical precipitation WWT systems (clar- Charles Nehrig