McClellan Air Force Base plating shop rinse water recycle system

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory performed an assessment on the technical and economic viability of a total recycle of the rinse water generated by the Sacramento Air Logistics Center Plating Shop, located in Building 243-G of McClellan Air Force Base. A proposed conceptual design using ion exchange beds for the recycle of plating shop rinse water is presented and evaluated. Laboratory studies indicated that the proposed recycle system meets all functional and operational requirements that were identified. But concern over the amount of waste generated during the process of regenerating the ion exchange columns prompted an evaluation of a reverse osmosis unit, which would function as pretreatment before the ion exchange process. Further studies indicated that the addition of this pretreatment process would improve the performance of the recycle system, but that the cost of construction and operation would be significantly higher. Based on technical and economic evaluations, the ion exchange system is the recommended recycle system for the plating shop. 9 figs.