Process for the direct electrochemical refining of copper scrap
AssigneeEcochem Aktiengesellschaft
InventorGianni Zoppi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Copper scrap, reduced to particulate form having particle sizes not larger than 50 mm, is leached in a suitable apparatus with a solution of ferric fluoroborate in fluoroboric acid. During leaching, copper is dissolved, with ferric fluoroborate simultaneously being reduced to ferrous fluoroborate according to the following reaction: 2 Fe(BF.sub.4).sub.3 +Cu.fwdarw.Cu(BF.sub.4).sub.2 +2 Fe(BF.sub.4).sub.2(1) The resulting solution is fed to the cathodic compartment of diaphragm cell, in which copper is deposited, in compact and highly pure form, on a stainless steel cathode, from which it is periodically recovered.
Claims8
A process for direct refining of copper scrap, comprising:
- (a) leaching copper scrap using an acidic leaching solution of ferric fluoroborate in fluoroboric acid, with copper in the scrap thereby being dissolved according to the reaction:
- 2 Fe(BF.sub.4).sub.3 +Cu.fwdarw.2Fe(BF.sub.4).sub.2 +Cu(BF.sub.4).sub.2
- (b) filtering the resulting solution,
- (c) feeding the filtered solution to a diaphragm-type electrolytic cell having an anode and a cathode, in which copper is deposited from the filtered solution in pure form at the cathode and ferrous ions are oxidized to ferric ions at the anode, with said solution of ferric fluoroborate being thus regenerated,
- (d) recycling the so regenerated ferric fluoroborate solution to step (a) in order to leach further amounts of copper scrap.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.