Recovery of copper and nickel from polymetallic sulphate leach solution of printed circuit boards using Dowex M 4195

Sulphuric acid leach solution of waste printed circuit boards (PCBs) contains predominantly copper and iron with later remain problematic during electrowinning of the formal. In this study, performance of Dowex M 4195 resin for recovery of copper and nickel from polymetallic sulphate leach solution of waste PCBs was investigated by batch experiments. It was observed that at pH 0.5, about 45.2 and 3.6 % Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ was selectively recovered respectively. Recovery efficiency of Ni²⁺ increased with increase in pH from 0.5 -5.0 while pH2 was optimum for the recovery of Cu²⁺. Sharp increase in co-recovery of Fe³⁺/Fe²⁺ was observed at pH above 2 with that of Zn²⁺ and Co²⁺ became low due to hindrance from binding site by high concentration of Cu²⁺. Adsorption data obtained for Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ were tested with adsorption isotherms as well as kinetics. It is shown that adsorption of Cu²⁺2+ was well fitted to both Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm. Kinetics of Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ fitted into Pseudo-first and well fitted to second order. Reuse studies shows that the resin strong affinities for Cu²⁺ and Ni²⁺ remain unchanged.