A metallurgical approach for separation and recovery of Cu, Cr, and Ni from electroplating sludge

Electroplating sludge is extensively produced in chemical precipitation-based treatment of electroplating wastewater. It poses a huge threat to environmental safety if not properly disposed, ascribed to its high contents of heavy metals. An innovative metallurgical approach was proposed a to recycle Cu, Cr, and Ni from it. Ammonia leaching was firstly performed to selectively leach Cu from Cr, in which the Cu oxide and sulfide were leached into the leachate while the Cr oxide and Ni carbide (NiCx) retained in the residue. (NH4)2SO4 increased the Cu leaching rate via increasing the dissolved oxygen amount in the ammonia leachate and converting CuS to Cu2+. Under the optimal conditions, the leaching efficiency of Cu achieved 96.5 % while that of Cr was only 0.1 %. In the followed aluminothermic reduction, C in the leaching residue could be effectively removed via a thermal oxidation, which in turn decreased the formation of a C-containing compound of high melting point and benefited the Cr and Ni recovery. Cr and Ni from the residue were reduced and recovered in a Cr-Ni alloy, and the reductant of Al first changed to a refractory Al2O3 and then transformed to a low melting point 12CaO·7Al2O3 with the additive of CaO. This transformation increased the molten slag fluidity and promoted the separation of Cr-Ni alloy from slag. Moreover, the excessive Al increased the Cr and Ni yields and concentrated all of them to be together. Partial Al was used as reductant, and the other Al transferred into Cr-Ni alloy to decrease its melting point. Cr and Ni contents in the smelting slag could be decreased to 0.11 wt% and 0.12 wt% respectively, showing an efficient recovery. This work provided a high efficiency method to recover Cu, Cr, and Ni from waste electroplating sludge.