• Resources Recycling
• /
• v.17 no.4
• /
• pp.37-46
• /
• 2008

In view of the increasing importance of the waste recycling to meet the strict environmental regulations, the present investigation reports an adsorption process using cationic exchanger DOWEX G-26 for the recovery of copper from the synthetic sulphate solutions containing copper 0.3 to 0.5 mg/ml, similar to the CMP waste effluent of electronic industry. Various process parameters viz. contact time, solution pH, resin dose, and A/R ratio for elution were investigated to recover copper from the effluents. Complete adsorption of copper from the solution was achieved at equilibrium pH 2.5 and aqueous I resin (A/R) ratio of 100 ml/g in 14 minutes contact time. The adsorption of copper on DOWEX G-26 resin was found to follow the Langmuir isotherm and second order reaction. The copper was eluted from loaded resin with dilute sulphuric acid to produce copper-enriched solution.