Kaselco

The principle of electrocoagulation was first patented in 1906 by A. E. Dietrich and was used to treat bilge water from ships. Why the process fell into disuse is not known, but the lack of environmental regulation was probably a contributing cause. Over time, a number of attempts were made to commercialize the technology with varying degrees of success. With the relatively recent concerns about pollution, industries came under great pressure to find innovative ways to comply with environmental regulations. Electrocoagulation has re-emerged as a viable technology.

Kaspar Electroplating Corporation bought a 100-gpm system from EC Systems in 1995. The system was to treat the wastewater from the plant's nickel, chromium and zinc plating lines. Unfortunately the system never performed to the standards promised. Kaspar engineers were convinced that the technology was sound and that the problem was in the electrolytic cell or reactor. The Kaspar engineers designed and tested a series of reactors to determine optimum flow and plate characteristics, resulting in U.S. Patent No. 5,928,493, granted in February of 1999. The Kaspar reactor is unique in its design and employment. Typical reactor problems of leaking, burned contacts, and fouling were successfully addressed in the design. The periodic "acid wash" that plagued earlier designs was eliminated.