JP2008045188A - Apparatus for regenerating plating solution and method for regenerating plating solution - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an apparatus for regenerating a plating solution which recycles the plating solution that has been used for electroplating a steel strip by removing sludge and an iron content from the plating solution, and simultaneously improves the productivity of an electroplated steel strip, and to provide a method for regenerating the plating solution. <P>SOLUTION: This method for regenerating the plating solution comprises steps of: removing sludge from the plating solution which has been stored in a circulation tank; then, concentrating the plating solution; subsequently precipitating an iron compound; separating the precipitate; dissolving the separated precipitate in water, removing iron ions, and simultaneously delivering a plating solution from which the iron compound has been removed and a redissolving solution from which the iron ions have been removed to a circulation tank; and delivering the plating solution from a device for precipitating the iron content or a device for separating the iron content to the circulation tank, when the operation of a device associated with the removal of an iron oxide is stopped. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a regenerating apparatus and a regenerating method for reusing a plating solution used in a plating tank for electroplating a steel strip.

  A plating tank that applies electroplating (for example, electrotin plating (so-called tinplate), electrochrome plating, electrogalvanization, electrocopper plating, etc.) to a steel strip stores an electrolyte liquid in the tank. The steel strip is electroplated using the traveling steel strip as a cathode and a plated metal (for example, tin, chromium, zinc, copper, etc.) disposed opposite the steel strip as an anode. Below, the steel strip which electroplated is described as an electroplated steel strip.

In the electroplating operation, sludge is mixed into an electrolyte liquid (hereinafter referred to as a plating solution) stored in a plating tank. Here, sludge refers to an agglomeration of oxides of plating metal suspended or precipitated in the plating solution (such as Sn (OH) _{4 in} the case of tin). When the sludge in the plating solution increases, problems related to quality such as a thread will occur.
Therefore, various techniques for removing sludge in the plating solution have been studied.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for separating and removing sludge using a centrifuge. However, since the viscosity of the sludge is high, not only a powerful centrifuge is required to enable the separation of the sludge, but also the sludge separation takes a long time.
Patent Document 2 describes a technique for removing sludge by precipitation using a precipitation tank. However, since sludge sedimentation takes a long time, it is necessary to install a large number of sedimentation tanks.

  Moreover, the plating solution contains not only sludge but also plating metal ions and iron ions. Of these ions, plating metal ions (for example, tin ions, chromium ions, zinc ions, copper ions, etc.) that form a plating layer on the surface of the steel strip need not be removed. However, iron ions are eluted when the steel strip reacts with the components of the plating solution and impairs the electrolytic properties of the plating solution, leading to deterioration in the quality of the plating layer covering the surface of the steel strip. In Patent Documents 1 and 2, this removal of iron ions is not considered.

  In order to recycle and reuse the plating solution while performing electroplating on the steel strip, not only sludge in the plating solution but also iron ions must be removed. Since it is difficult to simultaneously remove sludge and iron ions with a single device, it is necessary to divide the process into a process for removing sludge and a process for removing iron ions, and to perform these series of steps continuously. For this purpose, dedicated apparatuses must be arranged in series and operated simultaneously, and the plating solution must be continuously supplied to each apparatus.

When the sludge removing device and the iron ion removing device are arranged in series in this way to regenerate the plating solution, if any of the devices fail, the entire regenerating process of the plating solution is stopped. Therefore, the productivity of the electroplated steel strip is reduced.
JP-A-62-74486 JP 2004-59940 A

  The present invention eliminates sludge and iron from a plating solution used for electroplating a steel strip, makes the plating solution reusable, and improves the productivity of the electroplating steel strip. And a reproduction method.

  The present invention relates to a plating solution regenerating apparatus that makes it possible to reuse a plating solution used for electroplating a steel strip, in a circulation tank that stores the plating solution, and a plating solution that is supplied from the circulation tank. Sludge removing device for removing sludge, plating solution concentrating device for concentrating the plating solution supplied from the sludge removing device, and iron analyzer for cooling the plating solution supplied from the plating solution concentrating device to precipitate iron compounds And an iron separator that separates the iron compound from the plating solution supplied from the iron analyzer and re-dissolves it in water, and an iron component that removes iron ions in the redissolved solution supplied from the iron separator by an ion exchange resin. And a plating solution flow path changing device that feeds the plating solution from the iron analyzer to the circulation tank and / or re-feeding the redissolved solution from the iron separation device to the circulation tank. A plating solution reproducing apparatus having a solution liquid flow path changing device.

  Further, the present invention provides a plating solution recycling method for reusing a plating solution used for electroplating a steel strip, supplying a plating solution stored in a circulation tank to a sludge removing device, After removing the sludge, the plating solution is supplied to the plating solution concentrating device to concentrate the plating solution, and then the plating solution is supplied to the iron analyzing device to precipitate iron in the plating solution as an iron compound. Is supplied to the iron separator to separate the iron compound, and the separated iron compound is redissolved in water to form a redissolved solution, and the redissolved solution is supplied to the iron removing device to remove iron ions with an ion exchange resin. However, while the plating solution from which the iron compound has been removed by the iron separator and the re-dissolved solution from which iron ions have been removed by the iron remover are fed to the circulation tank, the operation of the iron separator or iron remover is stopped. The can feeds feeding the plating solution in the circulating tank from iron deposition apparatus, or when stopping the operation of the iron removal device is a plating solution regeneration method for feeding redissolved solution in the circulation tank from iron separator.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, while removing sludge and iron content from the plating solution used in order to electroplate a steel strip, a plating solution can be reproduced | regenerated and the productivity of an electroplating steel strip can be improved.

  A plating solution used when electroplating a steel strip contains plating metal ions and has electrical conductivity. Sludge and iron ions are inevitably mixed into the plating solution during the electroplating operation. If sludge or iron ions are mixed in the plating solution, it will adversely affect the properties of the steel strip surface and the electrolytic properties of the plating solution, and will hinder the operation of electroplating, so it is necessary to remove sludge and iron ions from the plating solution. .

  The present invention is applied to electroplating such as tin plating, chromium plating, zinc plating, copper plating, etc., but is particularly preferably applied to tin plating in which problems of sludge and iron ions are likely to occur. Moreover, as tin plating, it is preferable to apply to plating solutions, such as a methanesulfonic acid bath, a halogen bath, and a phenolsulfonic acid bath. In particular, since the methanesulfonic acid bath has a low pH and iron is easily dissolved, the present invention is preferably applied to the methanesulfonic acid bath. Hereinafter, a case where the present invention is applied to a tin methanesulfonate plating solution will be described.

  In the present invention, the plating solution stored in the plating tank is temporarily stored in a circulation tank, and the plating solution is supplied to an apparatus for removing sludge and iron ions. Further, the plating solution regenerated by removing sludge and iron ions is returned to the circulation tank and then circulated in the plating tank. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a procedure for removing sludge and iron ions by applying the present invention. Although FIG. 1 shows an example in which the pump 9 is disposed on the outlet side of the circulation tank 1, the position and number of the pumps 9 are appropriately set according to the flow rate of the plating solution 10 or the specifications of each apparatus described later. It ’s fine. The plating tank is not shown.

The plating solution 10 is supplied from the circulation tank 1 to the sludge removing device 2. The sludge removing device 2 removes sludge in the plating solution 10 and uses conventionally known devices such as a filter, a filter press, and a centrifuge. However, it is preferable to use a filter press in consideration of the viscosity and particle size of the sludge.
The plating solution 10 from which the sludge has been removed by the sludge removing device 2 is supplied to the plating solution concentrating device 3. The plating solution concentrating device 3 concentrates the plating solution 10 and is preferably a device capable of vaporizing water by heating or distillation under reduced pressure. If the concentration of the plating solution 10 is insufficient, the iron compound cannot be precipitated by an iron analyzing apparatus described later. On the other hand, if it is excessively concentrated, the amount of heat energy consumed increases, leading to an increase in cost. The ratio for concentrating the plating solution 10 in the plating solution concentrating device 3 may be appropriately set according to the flow rate of the plating solution 10 or the specifications of each device described later. However, in the case of tin methane sulfonate plating solution, it is a standard that the concentration is about 4 times the methane sulfonic acid concentration of the plating solution 10 supplied from the sludge removing device 2.

In the present invention, after removing sludge in the plating solution 10, the plating solution 10 is concentrated. The reason is that if the plating solution 10 in which sludge is mixed is supplied to the plating solution concentrating device 3, it is difficult to remove the iron content thereafter.
The plating solution 10 concentrated by the plating solution concentrating device 3 is supplied to the iron analyzing and extracting device 4. In the iron analyzer 4, the plating solution 10 is cooled to deposit an iron compound (in the case of a tin methanesulfonate plating solution, a compound of iron ions and methanesulfonate ions (that is, iron methanesulfonate)). At this time, the plating metal ions (namely, tin ions) precipitate only the iron compound while maintaining the state dissolved in the plating solution 10. Therefore, the cooling condition of the plating solution 10 in the iron analysis / output device 4 is set between the temperature at which the iron compound is deposited and the temperature at which the plating metal (ie) compound is deposited. For example, in the case of a tin methanesulfonate plating solution, it is set to an intermediate (about −4 ° C.) between the precipitation temperature of iron methanesulfonate and the precipitation temperature of tin methanesulfonate.

  Valves 13 a and 13 b are disposed as a plating solution flow path conversion device 13 on the outlet side of the iron analyzing and extracting device 4. When a series of devices described later operate, the valve 13b is closed and the valve 13a is opened. Therefore, the plating solution 10 is supplied from the iron analysis / output device 4 to the iron content separation device 5. FIG. 1 shows an example in which valves 13a and 13b are provided as the plating solution flow path conversion device 13. However, the plating liquid flow path conversion device 13 used in the present invention is not limited to a valve, and a conventional fluid flow conversion device 13 is used. A device (for example, a valve opening / closing device) used for changing the flow path can be used.

  The iron separator 5 separates the precipitated iron compound (iron methanesulfonate in the case of tin methanesulfonate plating solution) from the plating solution 10 and re-dissolves it in water. It consists of the device 7. As the iron compound separation device 6, conventionally known devices such as a filter and a centrifugal separator are used. However, considering that the sludge has already been removed, the viscosity of the plating solution 10 is low, and the specific gravity of the iron compound (that is, iron methanesulfonate) is relatively large, it is preferable to use a centrifuge.

The plating solution 10 from which the iron compound 11 has been separated by the iron compound separation device 6 is fed to the circulation tank 1.
On the other hand, the iron compound 11 is supplied to the remelting device 7. The re-dissolution apparatus 7 dissolves an iron compound (that is, iron methanesulfonate) 11 in water, and uses a water tank or the like in which water is stored. Here, water refers to water that does not contain methanesulfonic acid, such as distilled water, ion exchange water, tap water, and industrial water. Hereinafter, an aqueous solution in which an iron compound (that is, iron methanesulfonate) 11 is dissolved is referred to as a redissolved solution.

  On the exit side of the re-dissolution apparatus 7, valves 14 a and 14 b are disposed as the re-dissolution liquid flow path conversion device 14. When an iron removing device described later operates, the valve 14b is closed and the valve 14a is opened. Therefore, the redissolved liquid 12 is supplied from the remelting device 7 to the iron removing device 8. FIG. 1 shows an example in which valves 14a and 14b are disposed as the re-dissolved liquid flow path conversion device 14. However, the re-dissolved liquid flow path conversion device 14 used in the present invention is not limited to a valve, and has been conventionally used. A device used for changing the fluid flow path (for example, a valve opening / closing device) can be used.

Further, either one of the plating solution flow channel conversion device 13 and the re-dissolution liquid flow channel conversion device 14 may be used, or both may be used in combination.
The iron content removing device 8 removes iron ions from the re-dissolved solution 12 by adsorbing iron ions in the re-dissolved solution 12 to the ion exchange resin. Methanesulfonic acid ions are present in the re-dissolved liquid 12 from which iron ions have been removed, and the re-dissolved liquid 12 is fed to the circulation tank 1.

In this way, sludge and iron ions are removed from the plating solution 10 stored in the circulation tank 1 and returned to the circulation tank 1 and further circulated from the circulation tank 1 to the plating tank for use.
However, when the operation is stopped due to equipment failure or periodic inspection of the iron separator 5 and the iron remover 8, the valve 13b disposed as the plating solution flow path converter 13 is opened and the valve 13a is closed. . As a result, the plating solution 10 is fed from the iron analysis / output device 4 to the circulation tank 1. That is, when a series of apparatuses (or a part thereof) related to the removal of iron compounds stop operating, the sludge is removed from the plating solution 10 by the sludge removing device 2 and the plating solution is concentrated by the plating solution concentrating device 3. The electroplating operation is prevented from stopping by feeding the plating solution 10 on which the iron compound is deposited to the circulation tank 1. In this case, iron compound precipitates are mixed in the plating solution in the circulation tank 1, but are dissolved in the circulation tank 1, so that there is no problem in the electroplating operation.

  Alternatively, when the operation of the iron removal device 8 is stopped due to equipment failure or periodic inspection, the valve 14b disposed as the re-dissolved liquid flow path conversion device 14 is opened and the valve 14a is closed. As a result, the redissolved liquid 12 is fed from the remelting device 7 to the circulation tank 1. In other words, when the iron removal device 8 stops operating, the sludge removal device 2 removes the sludge from the plating solution 10, precipitates the iron compound, and then uses the re-dissolution solution 12 in which the iron compound is dissolved in water as a circulation tank. By feeding to 1, the operation stop of electroplating is prevented.

  As described above, according to the present invention, sludge and iron are removed from the plating solution used in electroplating and stored in a circulation tank to enable reuse, and the apparatus related to iron removal stops operating. When this is done, the operating rate of the sludge removing device can be increased by storing the plating solution from which the sludge has been removed in the circulation tank. Therefore, the operation stop of electroplating can be suppressed and the productivity improvement of the electroplated steel strip can be achieved.

  In addition, the above description only showed an example of embodiment of this invention regarding the case of a methanesulfonic acid tin plating solution, and various changes can be added according to the kind of plating metal and the component of a plating solution.

The plating solution used in the plating tank installed in the production line for the tin steel strip was temporarily stored in a circulation tank. The plating solution is a tin methane sulfonate plating solution, and sludge, iron ions, and tin ions are inevitably mixed in the plating solution as the tin steel strip is manufactured. The plating solution was regenerated by the procedure shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 1, the plating solution 10 was supplied from the circulation tank 1 to the sludge removing device 2 to remove the sludge. The sludge removal apparatus 2 used a filter press. In a normal operation, the valve 13b disposed on the outlet side of the iron analyzing / discharging device 4 was closed, the valve 13a was opened, and the plating solution 10 was supplied from the iron analyzing / discharging device 4 to the iron separation device 5. In the plating solution concentrating device 3, the plating solution 10 was distilled under reduced pressure to vaporize water, and concentrated so as to be 4 times the methanesulfonic acid concentration of the plating solution 10 supplied from the sludge removing device 2. The plating solution 10 concentrated in the plating solution concentrating device 3 was supplied to the iron analyzing and extracting device 4 and cooled to −4 ° C. to precipitate iron methanesulfonate. Next, the plating solution 10 was supplied to the iron content separator 5. The iron compound separator 6 in the iron separator 5 was used to separate iron methanesulfonate from the plating solution 10. The iron separator 6 was a centrifuge or the like. The plating solution 10 separated from the iron methanesulfonate 11 by the iron separator 6 is fed to the circulation tank 1, while the iron methanesulfonate 11 is supplied to the remelting device 7 to convert the iron methanesulfonate 11 into industrial water. Dissolved. In normal operation, the valve 14b disposed on the outlet side of the iron separator 5 was closed, the valve 14a was opened, and the re-dissolved liquid 12 was supplied from the iron separator 5 to the iron remover 8. In the iron removing device 8, iron ions were adsorbed on the ion exchange resin. The redissolved liquid 12 from which iron ions were removed was fed to the circulation tank 1.

When the operation of the iron separator 5 was stopped, the valve 13b was opened, the valve 13a was closed, and the plating solution 10 was fed from the iron analyzer 4 to the circulation tank 1. When the operation of the iron removing device 8 was stopped, the valve 14b was opened, the valve 14a was closed, and the redissolved liquid 12 was fed from the iron separating device 5 to the circulation tank 1. This is an invention example.
On the other hand, as a comparative example, the plating solution was regenerated by the procedure shown in FIG. Since this procedure is the same as the normal operation of the invention example, the description is omitted. However, when the operation of the iron analyzing and extracting device 4, the iron content separating device 5, and the iron content removing device 8 was stopped, the entire regeneration process of the plating solution 10 was stopped.

  About the invention example and the comparative example, the production line of the tin steel strip was operated for 12 months, respectively, and the operation rate of the sludge removal apparatus 2 and the iron analysis output apparatus 4 was investigated. As a result, the operating rate of the sludge removal apparatus 2 was 100% in the inventive example, whereas it was 50% in the comparative example. Further, the availability factor of the iron analyzer 4 was 90% in the invention example and 40% in the comparative example. Therefore, in the inventive example, the productivity of the tin steel strip was improved as compared with the comparative example.

It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which removes sludge and iron ion by applying this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure performed for the comparison.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Circulation tank 2 Sludge removal apparatus 3 Plating solution concentration apparatus 4 Iron analysis output apparatus 5 Iron content separation apparatus 6 Iron compound separation apparatus 7 Remelting apparatus 8 Iron content removal apparatus 9 Pump
10 Plating solution
11 Iron compounds
12 Redissolved solution
13 Plating solution flow path changing device
13a valve
13b valve
14 Redissolve flow path change device
14a valve
14b valve

Claims (2)

  A plating solution regenerating apparatus for reusing a plating solution used for electroplating a steel strip, a circulation tank for storing the plating solution, and a sludge in the plating solution supplied from the circulation tank A sludge removing device that removes iron, a plating solution concentrating device that concentrates the plating solution supplied from the sludge removing device, and iron that precipitates an iron compound by cooling the plating solution supplied from the plating solution concentrating device An analysis device, an iron separation device for separating the iron compound from the plating solution supplied from the iron analysis device and re-dissolving it in water, and iron ions in the re-dissolution solution supplied from the iron separation device. A plating solution flow path changing device that has an iron removal device that removes with an ion exchange resin, and that feeds the plating solution from the iron analysis and output device to the circulation tank, and / or Plating solution regeneration apparatus characterized by having a re-dissolution liquid flow path changing device from iron separator feeds the re-dissolution liquid to the circulation tank.   In a plating solution regeneration method that enables the reuse of the plating solution used for electroplating the steel strip, the plating solution stored in the circulation tank is supplied to a sludge removal device to remove sludge in the plating solution. Then, the plating solution is supplied to a plating solution concentrating device to concentrate the plating solution, and then the plating solution is supplied to an iron analyzing and extracting device to precipitate iron in the plating solution as an iron compound. A plating solution is supplied to an iron separation device to separate the iron compound, the separated iron compound is redissolved in water to form a re-dissolution solution, and the re-dissolution solution is supplied to the iron content removal device to remove iron ions. The plating solution from which the iron compound has been removed by the iron separation device and the re-dissolution solution from which the iron ions have been removed by the iron removal device are fed to the circulation tank while being removed by an ion exchange resin. On the other hand, when stopping the operation of the iron separation device or the iron removal device, the plating solution is fed from the iron analysis device to the circulation tank, or when the operation of the iron removal device is stopped, the iron separation device. The plating solution regeneration method, wherein the re-dissolved solution is fed to the circulation tank.

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