Novel Application of Polyethyleneimine Dithiocarbamate to Remove Heavily Complexed Zinc from Electrocoat Waste Water

A novel method of removing heavily chelated zinc was developed by using Polyethyleneimine Dithiocarbamate from industrial waste water. After the review of several techniques to remove the chelated metal, it was found that the use of Polyethyleneimine Dithiocarbamate at a low pH would precipitate the zinc. Other methods trialed were the use of inorganic coagulant salts (replacement), oxidation, activated carbon sorption, low pH, and metal precipitants. It was found that using Polyethyleneimine Dithiocarbamate at a low pH precipitated the zinc with a minimal amount of sludge generation. The industrial site showed an improvement in compliance with a decrease in sludge and overall chemical dosage.