COPPER IONS REMOVAL FROM ELECTROPLATING WASTEWATER USING NEW TYPE OF ION EXCHANGE MEMBRANES

In this paper the removal of copper ions from electroplating wastewater has been studied using a three-compartment electrodialysis cell of own construction device (made of PVC) and different type of acrylic ion-exchange membranes containing Purolite A100 or Purolite C150. Several essential parameters for this process (initial copper ions concentration, electrolyte conductivity, pH, massic flow) were taken into account and their influence on the extraction percentage of copper ions was studied for different values of the applied cell current.The electrodialysis cell operates at galvanostatic mode (under constant applied current at electrodes), without the electrolyte recirculation, during one hour. The electrodes used in electrodialysis cell were made of lead 99.9 %.The experimental results show that the extraction percentage of copper ions is over 70%.