Effect on Copper Recovery by Ultrasonic Energy during Cementation Reaction from Copper-contained Waste Etching Solution

In this study, effects of ultrasonic energy on the cementation reaction and copper recovery rate were investigated for different types of iron samples, such as plate, chip, and powder, for recovering copper from waste etchant, which contained ~3.5% copper. The cementation reaction using the ultrasonic energy was more effective than the simple stirring reaction, with the former exhibiting a high copper recovery rate than the latter for the same time interval. When cementation was performed for 25 min with ultrasonic treatment, rather than simple stirring, the copper recovery rate of the plate, chip, and powder improved from 7.0% to 12.0%, 14.0% to 46.1%, and 41.9% to 77.2%, respectively. Therefore, the use of ultrasonic energy could detach the copper recovered by the cementation reaction from the surface of the iron samples, thereby increasing the copper recovery rate. Owing to the use of ultrasonic energy, the copper recovery rate increased by 2–6 times, and the recovered copper exhibited a decreased particle size compared to that obtained via simple stirring.