Electron beam treatment of textile dyeing wastewater: operation of pilot plant and industrial plant construction

A pilot plant for treating 1000 m(3)/day of dyeing wastewater with e-beam has been constructed and operated since 1998 in Daegu, Korea together with the biological treatment facility. The wastewater from various stages of the existing purification process has been treated with an electron beam in this plant, and it gave rise to elaborating the optimal technology of the electron beam treatment of wastewater with increased reliability for instant changes in the composition of wastewater. Installation of the e-beam pilot plant resulted in decolorizing and destructive oxidation of organic impurities in wastewater, appreciable reduction of chemical reagent consumption, in reduction of the treatment time, and in increase in the flow rate limit of existing facilities by 30 - 40%. Industrial plant for treating 10,000 m(3)/day each, based upon the pilot experimental result, is under construction and will be finished by 2005. This project is supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Korean Government.