Continuous multistage electrodialytic treatment of copper smelter wastewater

In this work, a continuous multistage electrodialytic technique is evaluated as a possible treatment of copper smelter wastewater. Six experiments with different values of feed flow rate, current density and treatment time were carried out. It was possible to concentrate copper during experiments and a maximum recovery of 10% was achieved. The experiment with a feed flow rate of 30 mL min−1, current density of 300 A m−2 and a treatment time of 2 h was the most efficient, with a copper recovery of 5.1%. In sections where copper was concentrated, a solution with mCu/mAs ratio around 2 was obtained, this value is substantially higher than 0.1, which is the value for a mining wastewater.