Electrocopper Products Limited

Other

Gould Electronics Inc.

Magma Copper Company

Wendy M Gort

Stephen J Kohut

Ronald K Haines

Peter Peckham

David P Burgess

Jackson G Jenkins

Nicholas D Sopchak

Robert J Fedor

Sharon K Young

Roger N Wright

Michael A Eamon

Susan S Enos

This invention relates to a low density high surface area copper powder having an apparent density in the range of about 0.20 to about 0.60 gram per cubic centimeter, and a surface area of at least about 0.5 square meter per gram. This invention also relates to an electrodeposition process for making the foregoing copper powder by electrodepositing the copper powder from an electrolyte solution using a critical combination of process parameters. These critical parameters include: a copper ion concentration for the electrolyte solution in the range of about 2 to about 7 grams per liter; a free chloride ion concentration for the electrolyte solution in the range of about 8 to about 20 ppm; an impurity level for the electrolyte solution of no more than about 1.0 gram per liter; and an electrolyte solution that is free of organic additives.

Low density high surface area copper powder and electrodeposition process for making same

Low density high surface area copper powder and electrodeposition

This invention relates to a process for making a shaped copper article directly from a copper-bearing material, comprising: (A) contacting said copper-bearing material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions into said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution; (B) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution with an effective amount of at least one water-insoluble extractant to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (C) separating said copper-rich extractant from said copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (D) contacting said copper-rich extractant with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said extractant to said stripping solution to form a copper-rich stripping solution and a copper-depleted extractant; (E) separating said copper-rich stripping solution from said copper-depleted extractant; (F) flowing said copper-rich stripping solution between an anode and a cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said anode and said cathode to deposit copper powder on said cathode; (G) removing said copper powder from said cathode; and (H) extruding, forging or molding said copper powder to form said shaped copper article.

Process for making shaped copper articles

This invention is directed to a process for making copper metal powder from copper-bearing material, comprising: (A) contacting said copper-bearing material with an effective mount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions in said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution; (B) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution with an effective amount of at least one water-insoluble extractant to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (C) separating said copper-rich extractant from said copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (D) contacting said copper-rich extractant with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said extractant to said stripping solution to form a copper-rich stripping solution and a copper-depleted extractant; (E) separating said copper-rich stripping solution from said copper-depleted extractant to form a first electrolyte solution; (F) advancing said first electrolyte solution to an electrolytic cell equipped with at least one first anode and at least one first cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said first anode and said first cathode to deposit copper metal powder on said first cathode; and (G) removing copper metal powder from said first cathode. In one embodiment the first electrolyte solution used in step (F) is characterized by a chloride ion concentration of up to about 5 ppm. In one embodiment the first electrolyte solution used in step (F) contains at least one triazole. In one embodiment the copper metal powder is convened to copper foil. In one embodiment the copper metal powder is converted to cuprous oxide, cupric oxide or a mixture thereof; these copper oxides can be readily dissolved in sulfuric acid and used to make copper foil.

Process for making copper metal powder, copper oxides and copper foil

This invention is directed to a process for making copper metal powder from copper-bearing material, comprising: (A) contacting said copper-beating material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions in said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution; (B) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution with an effective amount of at least one water-insoluble extractant to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, said extractant comprising (i) at least one oxime characterized by a hydrocarbon linkage with at least one --OH group and at least one .dbd.NOH group attached to different carbon atoms on said hydrocarbon linkage, (ii) at least one betadiketone, or (iii) at least one ion-exchange resin; (C) separating said copper-rich extractant from said copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (D) contacting said copper-rich extractant with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said extractant to said stripping solution to form a copper-rich stripping solution and a copper-depleted extractant; (E) separating said copper-rich stripping solution from said copper-depleted extractant to form a first electrolyte solution; (F) advancing said first electrolyte solution to an electrolytic cell equipped with at least one first anode and at least one first cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said first anode and said first cathode to deposit copper metal powder on said first cathode; and (G) removing copper metal powder from said first cathode. In one embodiment the copper metal powder is converted to copper foil. In one embodiment the copper metal powder is converted to cuprous oxide, cupric oxide or a mixture thereof; these copper oxides can be readily dissolved in sulfuric acid and used to make copper foil.

This invention is directed to a process for making copper metal powder from copper-bearing material, comprising: (A) contacting said copper-bearing material with an effective amount of at least one aqueous leaching solution to dissolve copper ions in said leaching solution and form a copper-rich aqueous leaching solution; (B) contacting said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution with an effective amount of at least one water-insoluble extractant to transfer copper ions from said copper-rich aqueous leaching solution to said extractant to form a copper-rich extractant and a copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution, said extractant comprising (i) at least one oxime characterized by a hydrocarbon linkage with at least one --OH group and at least one .dbd.NOH group attached to different carbon atoms on said hydrocarbon linkage, (ii) at least one betadiketone, or (iii) at least one ion-exchange resin; (C) separating said copper-rich extractant from said copper-depleted aqueous leaching solution; (D) contacting said copper-rich extractant with an effective amount of at least one aqueous stripping solution to transfer copper ions from said extractant to said stripping solution to form a copper-rich stripping solution and a copper-depleted extractant; (E) separating said copper-rich stripping solution from said copper-depleted extractant to form a first electrolyte solution; (F) advancing said first electrolyte solution to an electrolytic cell equipped with at least one first anode and at least one first cathode, and applying an effective amount of voltage across said first anode and said first cathode to deposit copper metal powder on said first cathode; and (G) removing copper metal powder from said first cathode. In one embodiment the copper metal powder is converted to copper foil. In one embodiment the copper metal powder is converted to cuprous oxide, cupric oxide or a mixture thereof; these copper oxides can be readily dissolved in sulfuric acid and used to make copper foil.

Growing community of inventors

Winkelman, AZ, United States of America

Wendy M Gort