Kinetic studies on copper metal leaching from e-waste using organic acid

Accumulation and disposal of e-waste is a problem that our society faces today. Metal recovery from e-waste is normally achieved by hydrometallurgy, which is a slow and hazardous process that has a negative environmental effect and high operating costs. In this study bioleaching of e-waste was performed in a batch reactor using acetic acid. The most common metals found in e-waste are copper and silver. The kinetics of the reaction between e-waste dissolved in acetic acid was studied and it was determined to be a first-order reaction with a regression coefficient of 0.99.