Recovery of Tungsten from Tungsten Copper Waste Using Vacuum Steam Method

Tungsten copper is fused with powder metallurgy by using a certain percentage of copper powder and tungsten powder. Such material combines the advantages of tungsten and copper and is widely used in military materials, electronic packaging materials, electrode materials, electrode materials, etc. With the extension of using time and decline of functional of tungsten copper, it exceeds the application areas and becomes waste.

At present, the recovery of metal from waste metal materials has become an important source of metal resources. Acid-soluble and electrolysis are often used to recycle tungsten and copper in industry, that is, firstly grinding tungsten copper, and then dissolve it in a strong acid. And in appropriate conditions, to obtain tungsten and copper by electrolytic acid solution. The method has the following disadvantages: First, the process is complex. The alloy needs grinded and acid solution and electrolysis. And in the process of electrolysis, acid is easily to become acid fog which resulting in poor working-environment. Second, because of the use of strong acid, it can lead to environmental pollution easily during operating process which also increases the difficulty of the operator's work. Third, the rate of metal recycling isn’t high and is of low purity. Fourth, high production costs.

Some scholars have proposed an improved scheme of copper tungsten recycling. The central principle of the scheme is to utilize the large difference between the boiling points of tungsten and copper so that the copper in the copper-tungsten waste can be separated in the form of steam while the tungsten won’t be evaporated due to the high boiling point so as to realize the separation of tungsten and copper in the copper tungsten waste.

By using the vacuum-separation recovery technology, the process of the scheme of tungsten copper waste is as follows roughly: (1) Copper tungsten waste is crushed to obtain copper tungsten waste powder. (2) Copper tungsten waste powder is vacuum-evaporated, and vacuum pressure is from 1 Pa to 10 Pa. The temperature is from 800 degree Celsius to 1000 degree Celsius to obtain copper vapor and metal tungsten. (3) The copper vapor is cooled to obtain metallic copper, the rest is tungsten. How? Do you like it?

Vacuum steam is easily to operate and the process is short. And the product of copper and tungsten can’t be introducing impurities and is of high purity. It doesn’t produce waste gas or cause the environmental pollution which is an effective way of recycling tungsten copper waste.

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