Recovery of Copper and Nickel from Polymetallic Sulphate Leach Solution of Printed Circuit Boards using Dowex M 4195

Abstract

Sulphuric acid leach solution of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) contains predominantly copper and iron with later remain problematic during electrowinning of the formal. In this study, performance of Dowex M 4195 resin for recovery of copper and nickel from polymetallic sulphate leach solution of waste PCBs was investigated by batch experiments. It was observed that at pH 0.5, about 45.2 and 3.6 % Cu2+ and Ni2+ was selectively recovered respectively. Recovery efficiency of Ni2+ increased with increase in pH from 0.5-5.0 while pH2 was optimum for the recovery of Cu2+. Sharp increase in co-recovery of Fe3+/Fe2+ was observed at pH above 2 with that of Zn2+ and Co2+ became low due to hindrance from binding site by high concentration of Cu2+. Adsorption data obtained for Cu2+ and Ni2+ were tested with adsorption isotherms as well as kinetics. It is shown that adsorption of Cu2+ and Ni2+ was well fitted to both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm. Kinetics of Cu2+ and Ni2+ fitted into Pseudo-first and well fitted to second order. Reuse studies shows that the resin strong affinities for Cu2+ and Ni2+ remain unchanged.