Potentiometric Study of the Copper(II) Ions Complexation Process with Thiourea in Acidic Medium

Potentiometric titration method was used to study the copper(II) ions complexation process with thiourea in medium containing 1 mol/l of hydrochloric acid at a temperature of 298 K. It was found out that mononuclear (CuTMn) and binuclear (Cu2TMn) complexes were observed in the copper(II) --- thiourea system depending on the copper ions concentration. It was determined that in acid medium with copper(II) ions concentration less than 5 · 10--4 mol/l and mononuclear complexes of the composition are generated in the system, which constant is equal to lg β3 = 11.9. With an increase in the copper(II) ions concentration (CCu+2 > 5 · 10--4 mol/l), binuclear thiourea complex dominates in the system. Stability constant logarithm of the Cu2TM6 composition binuclear complex is equal to 27.5 and was calculated using the modified Leden's method. Based on the constants, complexes existence regions were determined depending on the ratio CTM/CCu+2. With the CTM/CCu+2 ≥ 5 relations, existence of a dominant complex significantly depends on the copper(II) ions concentration. It turned out that fractions of all complex particles were growing with an increase in the copper(II) ions concentration in the system. It was found that stability of thiourea complexes in the CuLi2+, AgLi+, AuLi+ rows was increasing

Effect of Acid Leaching Pre-Treatment on Gold Extraction from Printed Circuit Boards of Spent Mobile Phones

The effect of a preliminary acid leaching for the recovery of gold by thiourea from printed circuit boards (PCBs) of spent mobile phones, was investigated. Preliminary leaching is aimed to recover copper in the leachate that would compete with gold in the successive leaching of the residue with thiourea, thus preventing the formation of the gold-thiourea complex. Two hydrometallurgical routes were tested for the recovery of copper first, and gold after. The first one was based on a two-step leaching that utilizes sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide in the preliminary leaching and then thiourea for the recovery of gold in the successive leaching: A copper and gold recovery of 81% and 79% were obtained, respectively. In the second route, nitric acid was used: 100% of copper was recovered in the leachate and 85% of gold in the thiourea successive leaching. The main operative parameters, namely thiourea and ferric sulphate concentrations, leach time, liquid-solid ratio, and temperature were studied according to a factorial plan strategy. A flowsheet of the processes was proposed, and a mass balance of both routes was obtained. Finally, qualitative considerations on the technical and economic feasibility of the different routes were made.

Electrodeposition of nanowires of a high copper content thiourea precursor of copper sulfide

In this study we reported the pulsed electrodeposition technique of copper thiourea complex nanowires which is an important material class for application as a precursor of copper sulfide nanocrystals with potential use in solar cells, optoelectronics, medicine, etc.