Abstract
The recovery of copper and other valuable metals had become increasingly strategic for the future of the global economy's, particularly in regions lacking abundant mineral resources, such as most European countries. In this study, we investigated the viability of utilizing environmentally friendly, cost-effective, abundant and bio-based ligands, specifically carboxylic acids and their derivatives, for copper leaching in a low-temperature hydrometallurgical process. Our investigation focused on elucidating the impact of substituents in the α position of hydroxy-carboxylic acids on copper solubilization efficacy. Notably, hydroxy-carboxylic acids, like malic acid and lactic acid, were evidenced as particularly promising ligands for leaching copper from a custom-made multimetallic powder. By thoroughly characterizing the obtained complexes (Raman, UV-Vis) and by supporting the experimental efforts by a Design of Experiment (DoE) approach, we optimized the leaching process. The influence of experimental parameters such as pH, temperature, leaching time, and Cu/ligand molar ratio on process yield (determined through Inductively Coupled Plasma - Optical Emission Spectroscopy, ICP-OES, analysis) was thoroughly investigated. Additionally, we developed a subsequent copper recovery step by precipitating copper (II) hydroxide in an alkaline environment, guided by speciation diagrams tailored for each copper-ligand system.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.