Accelerated copper leaching from electronic waste via galvanic coupling with industrial pyrite concentrate

Lawan Ibrahim B. Y., Deveci H., Yazıcı E. Y., Celep O., Erdemir F., Baş A. D.

MINERALS ENGINEERING, cilt.246, ss.1-13, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 246
  • Basım Tarihi: 2026
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.mineng.2026.110396
  • Dergi Adı: MINERALS ENGINEERING
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Scopus, Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Chemical Abstracts Core, Compendex, INSPEC
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.1-13
  • Karadeniz Teknik Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

In this work, the selective recovery of copper from WPCBs was investigated via a galvanic leaching approach that

exploits the spontaneous electrochemical coupling between metallic copper (Cu0) and a pyrite concentrate (PyC).

Preliminary leaching tests and electrochemical measurements confirmed the formation of a stable Cu0–PyC

galvanic couple, in which Cu0 acts as the anode phase and PyC as the cathode phase, thereby promoting anodic

copper dissolution. A Central Composite Design (CCD) methodology was employed to systematically assess the

individual and interactive effects of temperature, O2 flow rate, and PyC:WPCBs mass ratio on copper leaching

efficiency. Statistical data analysis revealed that temperature and the PyC:WPCBs ratio are statistically signifi-

cant variables, with the latter being the dominant factor controlling copper extraction. Increasing the PyC:WPCBs

ratio from 0 to 14:1 significantly improved copper extraction from 23.8 % to 88.8 % within 120 min at 80 ◦C. In a

sulphate-based leaching medium, the addition of chloride ions (5–10 g/L Cl ) and activated carbon (3.3–10 g/L)

further enhanced copper extraction by 23–30 %. The dissolution behaviours of other metals present in WPCBs

(Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Ag, Au and Pd) exhibited distinct trends, consistent with their standard reduction potentials.

Kinetic evaluations confirmed that copper dissolution is both chemical and diffusion-controlled, with an acti-

vation energy of 32.9 kJ/mol. Electrochemical characterisation (potentiometry, linear polarisation resistance,

and Tafel analysis) showed that direct pyrite–copper contact increased the steady-state current density by up to

one order of magnitude, confirming the cathodic catalytic function of pyrite in the galvanic leaching system