A Study On The Separation Of Cadmium From Copper In Synthesized Waste Cyanide Water By Precipitation-Flotation Method

The removal of heavy metal compounds from a synthesized waste cyanide solution is achievable by a precipitation-flotation method. However, the differential separation of constituting metals by this method was thought to be very difficult. The present author found that addition of ferrous salt to the synthesized waste cyanide solution of cadmium and copper can modify the separation characteristics of these metals. In this paper, the separation of cadmium from copper in the synthesized waste cyanide water by the precipitation-flotation method is discussed. This differential flotation uses ferrous salt as a precipitant and sodium oleate as a collector. Based on a series of fundamental flotation tests, actual differential flotation tests were made. The separation of cadmium from copper in the synthesized waste cyanide water was found to be satisfactory. This method can be effective for the removal of difficult-to- separate colloidal precipitates from liquids by the sedimentation method, provided the applicability of this method to the separation of the other metals is promising. This consists of the intensive studies which have been conducted at author's laboratory.