De-Metallization of Copper-Containing Industrial Wastewaters via Different Electrolysis Systems

摘要

It is the aim of this research to recover metallic values electrolytically from the solutions, generated in metal plating industries and containing heavy metal ions in dilute concentrations. Two different electrolysis systems were utilized for this purpose: rolling packed bed and rotating cylinder cathode. Applied current and electrolyte temperature were among the parameters investigated in the experiments conducted with rolling packed bed cell, while the cell rotation and the amount and diameters of the cathode spheres were kept constant. Series of experiments were performed under the optimum conditions of metal recovery, using electrolytes with different acid concentrations. A copper recovery of 99.95% was reached in this cell with 65-68% current efficiency. Cathodic current density, electrolyte temperature, and rotational speed of the cathode cylinder were the parameters examined by the experiments carried out with the rotating cylinder cathode cell. A copper recovery of 99.97% is reached under the optimum conditions with 80% current efficiency.