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Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering >> 2017, Volume 11, Issue 5 doi: 10.1007/s11783-017-0997-4

Copper recovery from waste printed circuit boards concentrated metal scraps by electrolysis

. State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base for Nonmetal Composites and Functional Materials, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China.. Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Treatment and Resource Recycle, Ministry of Education, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang 621010, China

Available online: 2017-09-28

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Abstract

Copper recovery is the core of waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) treatment. In this study, we proposed a feasible and efficient way to recover copper from WPCBs concentrated metal scraps by direct electrolysis and factors that affect copper recovery rate and purity, mainly CuSO ·5H O concentration, NaCl concentration, H SO concentration and current density, were discussed in detail. The results indicated that copper recovery rate increased first with the increase of CuSO ·5H O NaCl, H SO and current density and then decreased with further increasing these conditions. NaCl, H SO and current density also showed a similar impact on copper purity, which also increased first and then decreased. Copper purity increased with the increase of CuSO ·5H O. When the concentration of CuSO ·5H O, NaCl and H SO was respectively 90, 40 and 118 g/L and current density was 80 mA/cm , copper recovery rate and purity was up to 97.32% and 99.86%, respectively. Thus, electrolysis proposes a feasible and prospective approach for waste printed circuit boards recycle, even for e-waste, though more researches are needed for industrial application.

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