Copper recovery apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9701553-B2
Application number	US-201414297227-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 5, 2014
Priority date	Jun 8, 2011
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a copper recovery apparatus includes a precipitation tank, a mixing tank, a filter-aid feeder, a solid-liquid separator includes a filter, a cleaning-water supply line, a cleaning-water discharge line, a separation tank, and a filter-aid return line. The precipitation tank is configured to receive copper ions-containing water to be treated and an alkali to prepare treated water containing a precipitate of copper compound. The solid-liquid separator is configured to allow the treated water to be passed through the filter on which the precoat layer is deposited to separate the precipitate retained on the precoat layer from a filtrate.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A copper recovery apparatus comprising:
a mixing and precipitation tank configured to receive water comprising copper ions, an alkali and a filter aid comprising magnetic particles having an average particle diameter of 0.5 to 20 μm to prepare an alkaline suspension containing a precipitate of copper compound;
a heater configured to heat the suspension in the mixing and precipitation tank to convert at least a part of the copper compound in the suspension into copper oxide;
a filter-aid feeder configured to supply the filter aid to the mixing and precipitation tank;
a solid-liquid separator comprising a filter, the solid-liquid separator being configured to receive the suspension from the mixing and precipitation tank to subject the suspension to a filtration by the filter so that the precipitate and the filter aid which is retained on the filter is separated from a filtrate;
a cleaning-water supply line configured to supply water to the filter having the precipitate and the filter aid retained thereon to remove the precipitate and the filter aid from the filter;
a cleaning-water discharge line configured to discharge from the solid-liquid separator the precipitate and the filter aid together with the water supplied by the cleaning water supply line to the filter;
a separation tank configured to receive the precipitate, the filter aid and the water discharged from the solid-liquid separator and separate the filter aid from the precipitate and the water by utilizing a magnetic field; and
a filter-aid return line configured to return the filter aid separated in the separation tank to the filter-aid feeder.

2. The copper recovery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein
the filter aid comprises an aggregate which is obtainable by aggregating magnetic particles of which each surface is coated with a polymer;
the magnetic particles have an average particle diameter D 1 which is within a range of 0.5 to 20 μm;
the aggregate has an average aggregate diameter D 2 which together with D 1 satisfies the relationship: D 1 <D 2 ≦20 μm; and
the polymer has an average coating thickness t ranging 0.01≦t≦0.25 μm.

3. The copper recovery apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyacrylonitrile, polymethylmethacrylate and polystyrene, copolymer thereof, phenol resin, and a trialkoxysilane condensate.

4. The copper recovery apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the magnetic particles comprise iron.

5. The copper recovery apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the magnetic particles comprise a component selected from the group consisting of magnetite, ilmenite, pyrrhotite, magnesia ferrite, cobalt ferrite, nickel ferrite, and balium ferrite.

6. The copper recovery apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the magnetic particles comprise magnetite.

7. The copper recovery apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
an alkali feeder configured to add the alkali to the mixing and precipitation tank;
a pH meter configured to measure a pH value of the treated water in the mixing and precipitation tank; and
an alkali-feed controller configured to control the amount of the alkali added from the alkali feeder to the mixing and precipitation tank so that the pH value of the treated water in the mixing and precipitation tank is neutral, based on the pH value measured by the pH meter.

Assignees

• Toshiba Kk

Inventors

• Fukaya Taro
• Tsutsumi Kenji
• Yamazaki Atsushi
• Yamanashi Ichiro
• Noguchi Hirofumi
• Kikuchi Yasutaka
• Seki Shuji

Classifications

• C02F1/5245

  using basic salts, e.g. of aluminium and iron · CPC title

• C02F2209/06

  pH · CPC title

• C02F1/5281 Primary

  Installations for water purification using chemical agents · CPC title

• C02F2201/48

  Devices for applying magnetic or electric fields · CPC title

• C02F2101/20

  Heavy metals or heavy metal compounds · CPC title