The present invention relates to a method for the serial surface treatment of metal components that have zinc surfaces, wherein the method comprises an alkaline pretreatment, and a method for the selective removal of zinc ions from an alkaline bath solution for the serial surface treatment of metal surfaces that have zinc surfaces. According to the invention, in order to perform each method, part of the alkaline aqueous bath solution is brought in contact with an ion exchange resin that bears functional groups selected from —OPO.sub.3X.sub.2/n and/or —PO.sub.3X.sub.2/n, wherein X is either a hydrogen atom or an alkali metal and/or alkaline-earth metal atom to be exchanged having the particular valency n.

Elemental fluorine is often manufactured electrochemically from a solution of KF in hydrogen fluoride and contains varying amounts of HF as impurity. The present invention provides a method for chamber cleaning using F.sub.2 which contains more than 0.1% by weight and equal to or less than 10% by weight of HF. Surprisingly, such an F.sub.2 is very well suited for the purpose of chamber cleaning. In a preferred embodiment, the F.sub.2 which contains more than 0.1% by weight and less than 2.5% by weight of HF is electrolytically produced, cleaned, delivered and used on site, without any pressurizing treatment. Omitting cleaning steps and process and using process conditions leaving a relatively high HF content in the F.sub.2 allows at the same time to omit pressurizing steps. The advantage is that less cleaning steps.

An acid solution preparation device is an acid solution preparation device for preparing an acid solution used for pickling of a steel plate, the device including a sealed tank for storing the acid solution, a gas supply part for supplying an oxygen-containing gas from outside of the sealed tank to the sealed tank, and a purge part for discharging a gas in the sealed tank to the outside.

An acidic treatment liquid processing apparatus includes: a tank having an interior space; a diaphragm permeable to a metal cation and separating the interior space of the tank into a first chamber and a second chamber; a first electrode disposed in the first chamber; a second electrode disposed in the second chamber; a power supply configured to apply a voltage while using the first electrode as an anode and the second electrode as a cathode; a first liquid passing part configured to pass an acidic treatment liquid containing a dichromate ion and a metal cation into the first chamber; and a second liquid passing part configured to pass an acid aqueous solution into the second chamber.

An acidic treatment liquid processing apparatus includes: a tank having an interior space; a diaphragm permeable to a metal cation and separating the interior space of the tank into a first chamber and a second chamber; a first electrode disposed in the first chamber; a second electrode disposed in the second chamber; a power supply configured to apply a voltage while using the first electrode as an anode and the second electrode as a cathode; a first liquid passing part configured to pass an acidic treatment liquid containing a dichromate ion and a metal cation into the first chamber; and a second liquid passing part configured to pass an acid aqueous solution into the second chamber.

Systems and methods are described in which spent pickle liquor from metal cleaning processes is utilized to regenerate a lixiviant used to recover valuable metals from industrial waste and other sources. The spent pickle liquor is neutralized and solvated metals in the spent pickle liquor are precipitated in this process. When the industrial waste is slag from a metal refining process a partially closed metal production process can be implemented, where spent pickle liquor from cleaning of the refined metal is used to regenerate a lixiviant used to recover a different, valuable metal from a waste slag of the process, with precipitated salts from the lixiviant regeneration being returned as a raw material in the metal refining process. As a result waste streams from these processes are dramatically reduced or eliminated.

In an acidic treatment liquid processing apparatus, a space between a first electrode and a second electrode spaced from each other is separated by a first diaphragm permeable and a second diaphragm into a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber. While the first chamber is fed with an acidic treatment liquid containing a dichromate ion and a metal cation, the second chamber is fed with a first acid aqueous solution, and the third chamber is fed with a second acid aqueous solution, a voltage is applied using the first electrode as an anode and the second electrode as a cathode.

In an acidic treatment liquid processing apparatus, a space between a first electrode and a second electrode spaced from each other is separated by a first diaphragm permeable and a second diaphragm into a first chamber, a second chamber, and a third chamber. While the first chamber is fed with an acidic treatment liquid containing a dichromate ion and a metal cation, the second chamber is fed with a first acid aqueous solution, and the third chamber is fed with a second acid aqueous solution, a voltage is applied using the first electrode as an anode and the second electrode as a cathode.

A method for pickling a steel plate having a first steel plate portion and a second steel plate portion which is connected to a tail end of the first steel plate portion and which requires a longer time for pickling than the first steel plate portion when pickled under the same condition includes: a step of pickling the steel plate by immersing the steel plate in an acid solution in at least one pickling tank while conveying the steel plate; a step of circulating the acid solution, through a circulation line connected to any of the at least one pickling tank, between the pickling tank and an oxidizing device disposed in the circulation line; a step of oxidizing Fe.sup.2+ in the acid solution to Fe.sup.3+ by the oxidizing device using a gaseous oxidant; and a feeding start step of, upon switching from pickling of the first steel plate portion to pickling of the second steel plate portion, starting feeding of a liquid oxidant for oxidizing Fe.sup.2+ in the acid solution to Fe.sup.3+ to any of the at least one pickling tank or to the circulation line.

A novel process for treating pickling acid residue and recovering sulfates and nickel therefrom has been developed. By lowering the pH of a magnesium compound slurry to 4-5.5 with sulfuric acid containing pickling acid residue in the presence of ammonium sulfate, both magnesium sulfate and nickel sulfate are solubilized. Magnesium sulfate and nickel sulfate solution is separated from the solids by filtration and an iron hydroxide and chromium hydroxide residue is obtained as a precipitate. Magnesium sulfate and nickel sulfate are then separated from the solution.