Recovery of tungsten from WC–Co hard metal scraps using molten salts electrolysis

The recycling of WC–Co hard metal scraps has been taken into consideration in the literature, due to the release of toxic substances and long recovery process. In this study, the recovery of tungsten process, based on the molten salt electrolysis treatment of WC–Co hard metal scraps, was developed. The anode polarization curves were applied to investigate the dissolution of the WC–Co hard metal scrap. Then, the electrochemical behavior of tungsten and cobalt ions dissolved from WC–Co scrap anode, was studied by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV). The results demonstrated that the reduction of tungsten and cobalt ions occurred through a one-step process involving the transfer of two electrons. This process was achieved by the diffusion of tungsten and cobalt ions in the melts. Finally, the parameters, such as the electrolysis current, the electrolysis duration and temperatures, were applied to analyze the effect of different electrolysis conditions on the composition of recycled products. The results demonstrated that the electrolysis current and the electrolysis temperature, compared to electrolysis duration, have significant effects on the selectivity of tungsten recycling. Furthermore, the analysis of cathode products demonstrated that a tungsten powder of approximately 500 nm could be selectively recovered from WC–Co hard metal scrap with the electrolysis condition of 60 mA for 4 h at 1073 K in NaF–KF molten salt.