Abstract
Polarization measurements were peformed to investigate the electrochemical behavior of copper ions and limiting current density in waste rinse water from copper electroplating processes. A newly designed cyclone type electrolyzer was tested to recover the copper powder. Synthetic solutions were prepared using analytical grade $CuSO_4$ to the desired waste water concentration and pH was adjusted with $H_2$$SO_4$. Electrowinning was peformed at room temperature and the solution was cycled with a pump. Results showed that more than 99 percent of Cu was recovered and the size of the recovered Cu powder ranges from 0.1 - $0.5\mu\textrm{m}$. The chemical composition of the Cu powder mainly consists of $Cu_2$O and Cu and can be easily reduced to pure Cu powder.
