Abstract
The extraction of Cu from mixed-metal acidic solutions by the thiourea-functionalized resin Puromet MTS9140 was studied. Despite being originally manufactured for precious metal recovery, a high selectivity towards Cu was observed over other first-row transition metals (>90% removal), highlighting a potential for this resin in base metal recovery circuits. Resin behaviour was characterised in batch-mode under a range of pH and sulphate concentrations and as a function of flow rate in a fixed-bed setup. In each instance, a high selectivity and capacity (max. 32.04 mg/g) towards Cu was observed and was unaffected by changes in solution chemistry. The mechanism of extraction was determined by XPS to be through reduction of Cu(II) to Cu(I) rather than chelation. Elution of Cu was achieved by the use of 0.5 M–1 M NaClO3. Despite effective Cu elution (82%), degradation of resin functionality was observed, and further detailed through the application of IC analysis to identify degradation by-products. This work is the first detailed study of a thiourea-functionalized resin being used to selectively target Cu from a complex multi-metal solution.
Highlights
Copper is a globally indispensable metal used in a wide range of industries, especially in electronics, and the demand for copper resources have driven production rates exponentially over the past century [1]
This paper describes the results of a previously unexpected interaction exhibited by the thiourea-functionalized resin Puromet MTS9140
When contacted with the pregnant liquor solutions (PLS) under batch conditions, Puromet MTS9140 exhibited great selectivity towards Cu across all studied pH conditions (Figure 1), with extraction remaining above 92% irrespective of increased proton concentration
Summary
Copper is a globally indispensable metal used in a wide range of industries, especially in electronics, and the demand for copper resources have driven production rates exponentially over the past century [1]. In addition to mineralogical sources of copper, recent efforts have been made in recovering copper from novel sources, including industrial residues [5], legacy waste deposits [6], sewage sludge [7], and e-waste [8]. Of these sources, e-wastes ( printed circuit boards (PCBs)) have received significant attention for their resource recovery potential [9,10,11,12]. Performed as part of a mixed-metal screening experiment to assess resin metal extraction behaviour, a high selectivity towards copper was observed and further investigated, the results of which are presented here in detail for the first time
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