Role of trivalent antimony in the removal of As, Sb, and Bi impurities from copper electrolytes

The role of trivalent antimony was investigated in removing As, Sb, and Bi impurities from a copper electrolyte. Purification experiments were carried out by adding a various concentrations of Sb(III) ions in a synthetic electrolyte containing 185 g/L sulfuric acid, 45 g/L Cu²⁺, 10 g/L As, and 0.5 g/L Bi under stirring at 65℃ for 2 h. The electrolyte was filtered, and the structure, morphology and composition of the precipitate were analyzed by means of chemical analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and IR spectroscopy. The precipitate is composed of irregular lumps which are agglomerated by fine dendritic and floccus particles, and it mainly consists of As, Sb, Bi, and O elements. Characteristic bands in the IR spectra of the precipitate are As-OX (X=As, Sb, Bi), Sb-OY (Y=Sb, Bi), O-As-O, As-OH, Sb-OH, and O-H. The precipitate is a mixture of microcrystalline SbAsO₄, (Sb,As)₂O₃, and amorphous phases. As, Sb, and Bi impurities are effectively removed from the copper electrolyte by Sb(III) ions attributing to these precipitates.