In semiconductor manufacturing, copper isn’t just a contaminant—it’s a cost center, a compliance risk, and a missed revenue opportunity. As fabs scale up for next-generation electronics and AI infrastructure, legacy wastewater strategies like off-site hauling no longer make sense, financially, operationally, or environmentally.
The Challenge: High-Concentration Copper and Soaring Disposal Costs
One high-volume semiconductor fab faced a costly dilemma:
🔹 ~15,400 liters/day of concentrated copper-bearing wastewater
🔹 Copper levels at ~11,200 mg/L
🔹 Annual hauling and disposal cost: >$3 million
🔹 Lost copper value: ~$500,000 per year
🔹 Environmental risk from daily truckloads of hazardous waste
The fab needed a more sustainable, cost-effective solution, one that could support growth, reduce risk, and enable circular reuse.
The ElectraMet Solution: High-Efficiency Onsite Copper Recovery
ElectraMet deployed a modular electrochemical treatment system tailored to the fab’s unique wastewater characteristics. Using three stages of cartridge filtration, the system selectively removed copper across a wide concentration range:
| Cartridge Type | Treatment Range | Daily Cu Removal | Current Efficiency |
| Bulk Recovery | >200,000 ppm → ~3,000 ppm | 8.11 kg/cartridge | 95–99% |
| Coarse Removal | 3,000 ppm → ~100 ppm | 5.86 kg/cartridge | 95–99% |
| Fine Removal | 100 ppm → <10 ppb | 0.82 kg/cartridge | 38–99% |
System Highlights
✅ Achieved <1.0 mg/L copper effluent (mean: 0.72 mg/L, ±0.17 mg/L)
✅ Installed in a constrained 59.2 m² footprint (optimized design: 36.2 m²)
✅ <0.5 kWh/m³ energy use
✅ >90% system current efficiency
Real-World Impact: Financial, Environmental, and Operational
Results Delivered
- 💰 $3.2M in hauling cost avoidance
- 🔁 ~$0.5M in copper recovery value
- 💧 6.11 million liters of water reclaimed
- 🌿 Recovered acid reused in cooling towers, offsetting chemical purchases
- 🧑🏭 Reduced labor burden for wastewater handling
More Than Compliance—A Platform for Circularity
ElectraMet’s system transforms copper removal into a strategic resource recovery platform. For fabs facing increasing scrutiny over ESG performance, water reuse, and hazardous waste hauling, we offer a proven path forward:
- Recover copper on-site at 99.9% purity
- Reuse treated acid in cooling towers or upstream processes
- Eliminate sludge, media, and unnecessary chemical dosing
- Reduce Scope 3 emissions and regulatory risk
- Support uptime, growth, and long-term operational flexibility
Copper Recovery Is the New Standard
In today’s semiconductor industry, sustainability isn’t an add-on—it’s a core design requirement. ElectraMet enables fabs to move beyond legacy hauling and toward cleaner, more cost-effective, circular operations.
You’re already sitting on copper. Stop paying to haul it away. Start recovering it.