Electrodialysis performance when recycling dilute nickel solutions directly into a plating bath

This work was performed to determine membrane performance characteristics when using low current electrodialysis to recover and recycle nickel (salts) from dilute waste waters. Results showed that nickel at typical plating rinse concentrations (3000 p.p.m.) can be transferred electrically across commercially available membranes, and directly into a concentrated Watt's nickel plating bath (72,000 p.p.m.). Recovery at approximately 90% current efficiency was possible at current densities as low as 3.0 mA/cm². Nickel and co-transported water were routinely recycled as a relatively concentrated solution which would not cause dilution, since it was well above plating bath strength at all but the lowest current densities.