Open AccessREMOVAL OF COPPER ELECTROLYTE CONTAMINANTS BY ADSORPTION
Author(s) -
B Gabai,
Nathalia Abe Santos,
Diana Cristina Silva de Azevedo,
Stefano Brandani,
Candice Torres de Melo Bezerra Cavalcante
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
brazilian journal of chemical engineering/brazilian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.313
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 1678-4383
pISSN - 0104-6632
DOI - 10.1590/s0104-66321997000300002
Subject(s) - adsorption , copper , electrolyte , cathode , chemistry , anode , impurity , atomic absorption spectroscopy , inorganic chemistry , refinery , electrode , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , physics , quantum mechanics , engineering
- Selective adsorbents have become frequently used in industrial processes. Recent studies have shown the possibility of using adsorption to separate copper refinery electrolyte contaminants, with better results than those obtained with conventional techniques. During copper electrorefinning, many impurities may be found as dissolved metals present in the anode slime which forms on the electrode surface, accumulated in the electrolyte or incorporated into the refined copper on the cathode by deposition. In this study, synthetic zeolites, chelating resins and activated carbons were tested as adsorbents to select the best adsorbent performance, as well as the best operating temperature for the process. The experimental method applied was the finite bath, which consists in bringing the adsorbent into contact with a finite volume of electrolyte while controlling the temperature. The concentration of metals in the liquid phase was continuously monitored by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS