Selective recovery of copper and nickel from electronic and galvanic industrial wastes

A technical feasibility study to perform a treatment for valuable metal recovery from electronic industrial sludge, has been carried out. Firstly the sludge has been characterised. The analysis showed high metal content in the sludge (mainly copper and nickel). A sulphuric acid leaching process, coupled by electrowinning, has been proposed in order to reduce the waste material and to recover valuable metals such as Cu and Ni. The leaching process was carried out by H2SO4 at different acid, pulp concentrations and temperatures. The recovery after leaching was always of 95-100%. The acid consumption was approximately 0.5 kg/kg of dry sludge. The copper deposition to the cathode was performed in acid condition whereas the nickel deposition in basic condition with a Faraday yield approximately of 100% for both elements. The energetic consumption were of 2.13 and 4.43 kWh / kg of copper and nickel recovered respectively.