Evaluation of potential for reuse of industrial wastewater using metal-immobilized catalysts and reverse osmosis

• Display wastewater can be achieved economically using catalyst and membrane.
• Metal-immobilized catalyst was preferential to remove low-molecular-weight organic compounds.
• Operational factors such as acid, pH, and H2O2 was optimized for practical application.
• With regard to water quality and operating costs, the proposed system was superior to existing systems.

This report describes a novel technology of reusing the wastewater discharged from the display manufacturing industry through an advanced oxidation process (AOP) with a metal-immobilized catalyst and reverse osmosis (RO) in the pilot scale. The reclaimed water generated from the etching and cleaning processes in display manufacturing facilities was low-strength organic wastewater and was required to be recycled to secure a water source. For the reuse of reclaimed water to ultrapure water (UPW), a combination of solid-phase AOP and RO was implemented. The removal efficiency of TOC by solid-phase AOP and RO was 92%. Specifically, the optimal acid, pH, and H2O2 concentrations in the solid-phase AOP were determined. With regard to water quality and operating costs, the combination of solid-phase AOP and RO was superior to activated carbon/RO and ultraviolet AOP/anion polisher/coal carbon.