Original Date: 09/14/1998
Revision Date: 01/18/2007

Raytheon Missile Systems Company (RMSC) has formed a promising partnership with the U.S. Air Force and Russia’s Mendeleyev University of Chemical Technology. The partnership’s objective is to develop a full-scale working model of a Russian-developed and Eastern European-utilized technology for treating complex organic and other synthetic compounds in wastewater. Known as electroflotation, this technology fosters the full reuse of rinsewater; contains less components in the apparatus; and does not generate a secondary wastestream.

As electronic manufacturing operations continue to employ more complex organic and synthetic compounds in their wet processes, more advanced methods are needed to treat wastewater prior to sewer discharge. Electroflotation is a potential next-generation method for treating wastewater from these operations. This method is expected to reduce operational costs, and provide a technological advantage over current procedures.

Electroflotation is the process of generating, via electrolysis, a controlled cloud of charged hydrogen and oxygen gas bubbles, which rise through the wastewater solution and attach themselves to insoluble contaminant particles (e.g., hard-to-treat metals, organic substances). The foamy layer (flotosludge) that gathers at the surface is then skimmed off by mechanical or other means. The concentration of the bubbles can be more than five million per liter, allowing for a high rate of contaminant removal. Electroflotation is cost effective, and ten to 100 times faster than traditional gravitational precipitation methods used for separation.

Electroflotation technology could be a viable solution for treating wastewater containing complex compounds, which can potentially close down production operations. RMSC is currently working with Concurrent Technologies Corporation to promote the use of electroflotation technology in broader applications.

For more information see the Point of Contact for this survey.