Effluent Treatment and Water Conservation in the Printed Circuit Industry

The pretreatment, electroplating and etching processes used by the PCB industry are unique in comparison with the plating industry generally. This paper deals with the treatment of the various sources of effluent, bearing in mind the stringent and strictly controlled quality standards. This paper also examines the various sources of effluent and the problems they present. The extent to which high purity water is required is discussed, as are the considerations to be made with regard to water recirculation and conservation in general.