Abstract: An apparatus and method for treating streams containing cyanide, heavy metal and precious metal values to recover those values where the method includes the following steps:a) providing a membrane filtration means having an inlet, a product outlet and an discharge outlet,b) contacting the waste stream to be treated with an effective amount of carbon dioxide to adjust the pH to about 8.0 to about 10.0,c) further contacting the waste stream with an effective amount of a soluble metal compound to react with the cyanide in the waste stream to form membrane rejectable cyanide compounds, andd) passing the treated stream through the membrane filtration means to thereby separate recoverable cyanide and precious metal values from the treated stream and produce an effluent stream for further processing or discharge to the environment.

Abstract: A method is provide for deoxygenating water that is at substantially ambient temperature and contains dissolved oxygen. A selected reducing agent is injected into a stream of the water, and the water that contains the organic reducing agent is then passed over a packed catalyst bed. This causes the reducing agent, with the catalyst at the ambient temperature, to reduce the oxygen in the liquid.

Abstract: Ozonated water may desirably have the concentration of oxygen present reduced by agitating the water at less than atmospheric pressure to remove dissolved gases. Substantially more oxygen may be removed from the water than ozone by this technique, to provide a product water which has advantages of use in electronic manufacturing operations.

Abstract: A process is disclosed for manufacturing an integrated circuit in which multiple patterned layers of thin film materials are provided on a silicon wafer. The wafer is conditioned between the providing of layers, after each etching step, by rinsing the item with a purified water solution containing at least 0.01 ppm ozone, preferably between 0.02 and 0.09 ppm ozone.

Abstract: A chemically enhanced reverse osmosis water purification system and process is provided in which the inlet of a second reverse osmosis unit is coupled in series to the product water outlet of a first reverse osmosis unit. Water to be purified is conditioned by an ion exchange resin type water softener and pumped to the inlet of the first reverse osmosis unit. The product from the first reverse osmosis unit is treated with a chemical treatment agent, such as a sodium hydroxide solution, upstream of the inlet to the second reverse osmosis unit. The brine from the brine outlet of the second reverse osmosis unit is recirculated to the water flow line upstream of the first reverse osmosis unit.