Application of Activated Carbon in Copper Waste Recovery

Activated carbon is an excellent adsorbent because of its huge specific surface area and developed pore structure, which can selectively adsorb heavy metal ions, especially copper ions. When treating copper-containing wastewater, activated carbon can effectively remove copper ions in the water and reduce the harm of copper ions to the environment through its adsorption.

In addition, activated carbon can also be modified, such as using strong oxidants, to further improve its adsorption capacity and efficiency for copper ions. Modified activated carbon, such as using potassium permanganate or potassium ferrate, can significantly increase its adsorption effect on copper ions. This is an environmentally friendly adsorption material suitable for treating copper-containing wastewater and recycling copper scrap.

Advantages of activated carbon include:

·Has good adsorption and catalytic properties.

·Acid, alkali and heat resistant.

·Easy to regenerate and recycle.

·Can reduce indoor dust levels.

However, activated carbon has limited adsorption capacity and needs to be replaced or regenerated after reaching saturation. In addition, not all activated carbon can effectively adsorb harmful gases. The adsorption effect depends on whether the size of the gas molecules matches the pore structure of the activated carbon. Therefore, when using activated carbon for copper waste recycling, you need to pay attention to the saturation problem of activated carbon and replace or regenerate it regularly to ensure the adsorption effect‌