| Summary: | Thesis (M.Eng.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2008. Engineering and Applied Science Includes bibliographical references (leaves 154-161) There have been a number of advancements in the area of waste treatment over the past decade, especially in mining industrial applications. Improvements have been made to conventional technologies to adapt to the tightening of waste disposal regulations. Trace metals in industrial effluents, once regarded as waste, now have the potential to be recovered as a valuable by-product. -- Three separation technologies shown to be successful in mining industrial applications include: ion-exchangers, membrane separation processes, and bio-processing systems. -- The primary objective of this research is to provide a single source of information for separation technologies that apply to the recovery or removal of metals from waste streams and by-product streams from industrial processes similar to Inco's hydrometallurgical process and to indicate where more research is required to determine the best separation technology. It also provides a framework for comparing technologies based on technical feasibility, compatibility with other operations, environment and safety concerns and cost. -- Due to limited information available on the specifics of the INCO effluent stream, this thesis focuses on technologies available to metal processing facilities in general.
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