Microencapsulation of zinc plating waste using silicone polymers

This paper deals with the treatment of hazardous zinc-bearing waste using hydraulic binders and silicone polymers, with the aim to allow its safe disposal into landfill. The waste was solidified using hydraulic binders in the first step and then encapsulated using silicone polymers. Samples were characterised using x-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The effectiveness of the process was evaluated by leaching tests in distilled water and in an acidic environment according to Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure. The effect of porosity and pH on the release of pollutants was also studied. Zinc and chloride were identified as the most significant pollutants in the waste. Portland cement did not stabilize them efficiently. The two-step treatment with Portland cement and silicone binders decreased, in the best case, the concentration of zinc and chloride in acidic extracts from 12,400 mg/L and 38,300 mg/L to 21.9 mg/L and 74 mg/L, respectively, and the treated waste complied with regulatory requirements for hazardous waste disposal into landfills. The two-step treatment was also found as a more effective method than microencapsulation using a silicone binder alone. The factor that most affects leachability appears to be the porosity of the encapsulated waste.