Copper recovery from waste printed circuit boards by the flotation-leaching process optimized using response surface
Chongqing Wang1, Ruirui Sun1, Baolin Xing1,2
1School of Chemical Engineering, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, People's Republic of China.
Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association (1995)
|January 12, 2021
Summary
This study presents an effective froth flotation and oxidation leaching process for recovering copper from waste printed circuit boards (PCBs). The combined method significantly enhances copper recovery and grade, offering a sustainable solution for electronic waste recycling.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) pose environmental risks but contain valuable metallic resources.
- Efficient recycling of PCBs is crucial for resource recovery and environmental protection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and optimize a novel process for copper recovery from waste PCBs.
- To investigate the effectiveness of froth flotation and oxidation leaching for copper extraction.
- To establish a mathematical model for optimizing oxidation leaching parameters.
Main Methods:
- Copper recovery from PCBs using a two-stage process: froth flotation followed by oxidation leaching.
- Optimization of oxidation leaching variables using Response Surface Methodology (RSM).
- Analysis of process parameters including sulfuric acid concentration, hydrogen peroxide concentration, temperature, and time.
Main Results:
- Froth flotation improved copper grade from 38.70% to 68.34% with 88.76% recovery.
- Oxidation leaching achieved a maximum copper leaching ratio of 99.94% under optimal conditions.
- A reliable mathematical model was developed to predict leaching efficiency based on experimental variables and their interactions.
Conclusions:
- The combined froth flotation and oxidation leaching process is a practicable and effective method for copper recovery from waste PCBs.
- Optimization using RSM identified key variables and their interactions, leading to high copper recovery.
- This study contributes significantly to the sustainable recycling of metal resources from electronic waste.
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