Electrolytic Recovery of Copper and Regeneration of Nitric Acid from a Copper Strip Solution

摘要

The fabrication of nuclear fuels involves stripping of a copper jacket with nitric acid. The waste acid, which contains 3.0 to 4.5 N nitric acid and 100 to 180 g/L copper, is currently discharged, neutralized, and disposed of in solar evaporation ponds. Alternative waste disposal and treatment methods including electrowinning are being investigated. Laboratory-scale electrowinning tests have been conducted in an air-sparged cell at current densities from 0.027 to 0.22 A/cm exp 2 . The efficiency of copper recovery was improved by adding sulfamic acid or by cooling the electrolyte. Copper current efficiency ranged from 55% to 95%; energy consumption ranged from 1.8 to 6.6 kWh/kg Cu. Results of the laboratory-scale electrowinning tests are summarized. A brief economic comparison of an alternative waste disposal and acid recycle technique is presented. (ERA citation 10:015748)