Russian-Belorussian Scientists Obtain Pigments from Spent Zinc Plating Electrolytes
MOSCOW – A Russian-Belorussian research team has come up with an innovative method for obtaining white pigments from toxic metallurgical waste. The method allows the production of high-quality industrial pigment while significantly reducing the toxicity of the raw materials. The study was published in the Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology.
Despite their numerous advantages, current industrial processes involving electroplating remain among the most environmentally hazardous. Electroplating wastes are commonly managed by the recovery and recycling of plating electrolytes. However, the regeneration of electrolytes is a complex, multistage process that requires expensive equipment. In addition to the high cost, the electrolyte can withstand only a certain number of regeneration cycles due to the accumulation of various impurities in it, the removal of which becomes difficult.