Process Development for Precious Metal Recovery from Copper Waste

Abstract

Copper is one of the most used metals in recent developments and demand of this red metal is increasing with passing of each day. Demand for electroplating of copper has increased signi cantly. Low e ciency or improper process handling causes re- markably high copper content in waste discharge, which is over the range of discharge criteria of heavy metals. So to control the increasing price of metals and to limit the use of fresh copper, recycling must be done so the recovery from waste also gives the advantage of being in range of the allowable government legislative criteria. Recovery of copper from metallurgical waste is a trend that is being followed from beginning of industrial age and has many developments over a large time frame. Utilization of recycled copper scrap is directly proportional to the copper prices. For example, during the period of higher pricing of copper, recovery of copper from scrap also sig- ni cantly increased. In 2007-2012 roughly 15%-18% of re ned copper is generated from copper scrap. Middle East and Asia accounted for 64% of copper recovered from world copper scrap in 2011. We can say that copper has a large amount at our reserves but excavation is not as simple as it seems. Copper content in the raw mines is ranging from 0.5 to 1 percent. Even after recovery of copper there is large waste generated at the end of the process. Copper content in the waste is up to 0.3 percent at the discharge. Ultimately around hundred times of waste is generated for recovery of one part of copper. That pushes forward the need of recycling copper from metallurgical waste to cater the need of increasing copper demand. The deliberate research over the selected topic will be discussed and analytical comparison is analyzed to cater the increasing need of copper and suggestion for the best possible method for copper recovery from the waste material is provided.