Membrion

Calculation of Cu Concentration in Industrial Waste Streams

One of Membrion's target markets is semiconductor and electrodeposition wastewaters. In-line metal concentration measurements of these streams are not straightforward due to fluctuations in the quality of customer waters. Conductivity and refractive index can be relatively straightforward measurements to determine metal concentrations, but are convoluted by changes in pH and turbidity. To address this limitation, the project investigated representative wastewater compositions relevant to Membrion’s target market and developed an experimental matrix of mixed-metal solutions containing copper salts, additional metallic salts, and acids. The solutions were characterized using conductivity, pH, turbidity, and refractive index measurements, and the resulting data supported development of a predictive model to estimate copper concentration from these more easily measured parameters. This work aimed to provide a calculator or software tool that could infer copper concentrations in complex process streams where direct measurement was difficult.