Abstract
This work deals with the cementation of copper from sulfate solution on moving zinc beads as sacrificial metal using magnetic stirring. The efficiency of zinc beads in copper recovery has been estimated in terms of kinetic and apparent mass transfer coefficients according to operating parameters such as initial copper ion concentration, rotational speed, zinc beads diameter as well as temperature. Kinetic investigation showed that the copper cementation reaction follows a first order reaction and the activation energy was calculated. The rate of diffusion controlled cementation of copper ions was expressed in terms of the mass transfer coefficient; the data were correlated with the following dimensionless correlation: Sh = 0.7485 Sc0.33Re0.53.
The resulting samples of zinc beads surface and copper precipitate were characterized by two analysis methods, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-Ray (EDX) which confirmed that about 99% of copper can be recovered from the sulfate solution.
