Abstract
This article briefly introduces the general situation of copper-nickel alloy to promote platinoid metal and corresponding processing technology. Copper-nickel alloy, a kind of alloy, is a useful material to produce platinoid metal such as platinum, palladium and so on. The recovery of platinum group metals from copper-nickel alloy could be done through several stages, such as grinding, leaching, purifying and then smelting. In the leaching process, sulfuric acid, chloride and nitric acid are usually applied and the recovery rate of platinoid metal can reach to 95%. In addition, ammonium chloride has been studied as a potential alternative reagent.
Introduction
Copper-nickel alloy is a type of alloy that can produce platinum group metals (PGM) such as platinum, palladium and so on through several stages. The use of copper-nickel alloy is a convenient and effective way to recycle the precious materials in the scrap industry. Generally, the process includes grinding, leaching, purifying, smelting and other steps, which can make the recovery rate of platinoid metal reach as high as 95% and the by-product rate < 5%. Now that are getting more serious about the environment, recovering and recycling is becoming an important way to save resources and protect the environment. Therefore, bringing out a full introduction of the copper-nickel alloy to promote platinoid metal is of great significance.
General Situation of Copper-Nickel Alloy
Copper-nickel alloys are usually made up of 55-70% copper and 10-30% nickel, and the rest components are iron, cobalt, chromium, manganese and other trace elements. Its application as scrap alloy is due to the fact that copper-nickel alloys contain a large amount of PGM. It is dense, resistant to corrosion and relatively cheap to buy, making it an attractive resource for obtaining platinoid metal. Copper-nickel alloys are used in many industries such as electronics, chemical and construction, which increases the use of the alloys.
Processing Technology
The recovery of PGM from copper-nickel alloy can be divided into several steps. First of all, the metal alloy of the scrap should be crushed and grinded into small flakes, which are usually 100-150μm or smaller. Secondly, chemical leaching should be conducted by using chemical agents such as sulfuric acid, chloride, nitric acid and other chemical solutions. Thirdly, purification of the liquids should be done to separate the metal elements from the liquid. Lastly, smelting is needed to collect the metal components from the liquid and separate them from the impurities.
Copper-Nickel Alloy as an Effective Scrap
As more and more products contain copper-nickel alloys, the amount of such alloys scrapped is increasing rapidly. As a result, copper-nickel alloy has become an important raw material for the recovery of platinoid metal. The copper-nickel alloy is an economical choice for recovering the precious metals and transforming them into a more valuable form. In addition, compared with other methods, The use of copper-nickel alloy can also reduce the energy consumption, reduce the cost and improve the PGM recovery rate.
The Leaching Agent of Copper-Nickel Alloy
Various kinds of leaching agents are used to leach the metal elements from copper-nickel alloys, such as sulfuric acid, nitric acid and chloride. In recent years, ammonium chloride has been studied as a potential alternative leaching agent. This leaching agent has good leaching rate, no environmental pollution, low operating cost and other advantages. In addition, research has shown that in certain conditions, this leaching agent can reach higher leaching rate than other traditional agents.
Conclusion
To sum up, copper-nickel alloy is a great material for the extraction of platinoid metals and is widely used in the recycling industry. The traditional processing technology includes crushing, leaching, purifying and smelting. The leaching agent for copper-nickel alloy includes sulfuric acid, chloride, nitric acid and ammonium chloride. In addition, the use of copper-nickel alloy can reduce energy consumption, cost and improve recovery rate. In the near future, more studies will be carried out to better understand this material and improve its applications.
