Recycling of silver-plated brass for production of high purity copper and ultrafine silver powder for electric contacts
Abstract
The paper presents an improved process for recycling of silver-plate brass housing. Silver and copper are recovered with a purity of 99.99 % and 99.90 %, respectively, with the aim of obtaining materials of higher value using additional procedures based on the same process and equipment. The novel approach with subsequent electrorefining yields copper of 99.99 % purity with BS EN 1978:1998 (Cu-CATH-1) quality and is referred to as LME grade A. Additional processing of silver results in superfine, micro-sized Ag powder with partie size from 0.14 to 1.13 mu m and purity of 99.999 %. Copper electrorefining tests were performed using 1.50 dm(3) of synthetic electrolyte in a 2 dm(3) electrolytic cell. Effects of current density and electrolyte composition were investigated. Optimal current density for the first and second refining was 120 A/m(2) and 200 A/m(2), respectively. Additional refining of silver was performed by chemical reduction from an aqueous solution. Optimal results were obta...ined with ascorbic acid as a reduction agent in concentration of 0.1 mol/dm(3) and polyvinylpyrrolidon as a protective agent in concentration of 2 % by mass. The investigation results could be adopted into production.
Keywords:
recycling / copper / electrorefining / silver / micro-sized powderSource:
Bulgarian Chemical Communications, 2014, 46, 4, 814-824Publisher:
- Bulgarian Acad Science, Sofia
Funding / projects:
- Innovative synergy of by-products, waste minimization and clean technologies in metallurgy (RS-MESTD-Technological Development (TD or TR)-34033)
Collections
Institution/Community
Inovacioni centar / Innovation CentreTY - JOUR AU - Dimitrijevic, S. P. AU - Anđić, Zoran AU - Kamberović, Željko AU - Dimitrijevic, S. B. AU - Vuković, N. PY - 2014 UR - https://cherry.chem.bg.ac.rs/handle/123456789/1641 AB - The paper presents an improved process for recycling of silver-plate brass housing. Silver and copper are recovered with a purity of 99.99 % and 99.90 %, respectively, with the aim of obtaining materials of higher value using additional procedures based on the same process and equipment. The novel approach with subsequent electrorefining yields copper of 99.99 % purity with BS EN 1978:1998 (Cu-CATH-1) quality and is referred to as LME grade A. Additional processing of silver results in superfine, micro-sized Ag powder with partie size from 0.14 to 1.13 mu m and purity of 99.999 %. Copper electrorefining tests were performed using 1.50 dm(3) of synthetic electrolyte in a 2 dm(3) electrolytic cell. Effects of current density and electrolyte composition were investigated. Optimal current density for the first and second refining was 120 A/m(2) and 200 A/m(2), respectively. Additional refining of silver was performed by chemical reduction from an aqueous solution. Optimal results were obtained with ascorbic acid as a reduction agent in concentration of 0.1 mol/dm(3) and polyvinylpyrrolidon as a protective agent in concentration of 2 % by mass. The investigation results could be adopted into production. PB - Bulgarian Acad Science, Sofia T2 - Bulgarian Chemical Communications T1 - Recycling of silver-plated brass for production of high purity copper and ultrafine silver powder for electric contacts VL - 46 IS - 4 SP - 814 EP - 824 UR - https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_cherry_1641 ER -
@article{ author = "Dimitrijevic, S. P. and Anđić, Zoran and Kamberović, Željko and Dimitrijevic, S. B. and Vuković, N.", year = "2014", abstract = "The paper presents an improved process for recycling of silver-plate brass housing. Silver and copper are recovered with a purity of 99.99 % and 99.90 %, respectively, with the aim of obtaining materials of higher value using additional procedures based on the same process and equipment. The novel approach with subsequent electrorefining yields copper of 99.99 % purity with BS EN 1978:1998 (Cu-CATH-1) quality and is referred to as LME grade A. Additional processing of silver results in superfine, micro-sized Ag powder with partie size from 0.14 to 1.13 mu m and purity of 99.999 %. Copper electrorefining tests were performed using 1.50 dm(3) of synthetic electrolyte in a 2 dm(3) electrolytic cell. Effects of current density and electrolyte composition were investigated. Optimal current density for the first and second refining was 120 A/m(2) and 200 A/m(2), respectively. Additional refining of silver was performed by chemical reduction from an aqueous solution. Optimal results were obtained with ascorbic acid as a reduction agent in concentration of 0.1 mol/dm(3) and polyvinylpyrrolidon as a protective agent in concentration of 2 % by mass. The investigation results could be adopted into production.", publisher = "Bulgarian Acad Science, Sofia", journal = "Bulgarian Chemical Communications", title = "Recycling of silver-plated brass for production of high purity copper and ultrafine silver powder for electric contacts", volume = "46", number = "4", pages = "814-824", url = "https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_cherry_1641" }
Dimitrijevic, S. P., Anđić, Z., Kamberović, Ž., Dimitrijevic, S. B.,& Vuković, N.. (2014). Recycling of silver-plated brass for production of high purity copper and ultrafine silver powder for electric contacts. in Bulgarian Chemical Communications Bulgarian Acad Science, Sofia., 46(4), 814-824. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_cherry_1641
Dimitrijevic SP, Anđić Z, Kamberović Ž, Dimitrijevic SB, Vuković N. Recycling of silver-plated brass for production of high purity copper and ultrafine silver powder for electric contacts. in Bulgarian Chemical Communications. 2014;46(4):814-824. https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_cherry_1641 .
Dimitrijevic, S. P., Anđić, Zoran, Kamberović, Željko, Dimitrijevic, S. B., Vuković, N., "Recycling of silver-plated brass for production of high purity copper and ultrafine silver powder for electric contacts" in Bulgarian Chemical Communications, 46, no. 4 (2014):814-824, https://hdl.handle.net/21.15107/rcub_cherry_1641 .