Apparatus and method for recovery of material generated during electrochemical material removal in acidic electrolytes

A method for recycling metallic material produced by an electrochemical material removal process, the method comprising the steps of:

• flowing an electrolyte solution between an anode workpiece and a cathode tool in a first electrolytic process, the first electrolytic process comprising applying a first electrolytic current and voltage between the anode workpiece and the cathode tool and thereby causing metal ions to be removed from the anode workpiece and dissolved and substantially retained in the electrolyte solution;
• flowing the electrolyte solution with the metal ions therein between an electrowinning cathode and an electrowinning anode in a second electrolytic process, the second electrolytic process comprising applying a second electrolytic current and voltage comprising a pulsed current and voltage between the electrowinning cathode and the electrowinning anode and thereby causing the metal ions to be removed from the electrolyte solution and deposited onto the electrowinning cathode;
• and
• adjusting the second pulsed voltage waveform of the second electrolytic process to cause the rate at which the dissolved metal ions are deposited onto the electrowinning cathode to be approximately equal to the rate at which metal ions are removed from the anode workpiece during the first electrolytic process.