Recuperation of silver from wastewater of miroiterie of thenia (Algeria)

Abstract

In Algeria, the nonexistence of silver mines makes it particularly rarer than its classification among the precious metals imposes its metal recuperation. The objective of this study is electrodeposition of silver ions of sludge from wastewater of miroiterie of SOMIVER Thenia. The process applied in this case is electrolysis of sludge formed in a glass cell containing two electrodes: a cathode made of aluminum and a graphite anode. An adjustable continue current source capable of delivering from 1 to 10 Amps, this causes the cathode reaction electrodeposition of silver. Therefore, we lead to precede by comparison determinations under the effect of weight of cathode. Its weighing before and after electrolysis, and weight difference, means that amount of silver accumulated. Second, we determined the characteristics of sludge by electrochemical aluminum interface (OCP linear voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) before and after electrolysis, this is made possible by Potentiostat PGZ 301. In the electrolysis of silvering solution it has proved that low currents from 0.5 to 4 A can get a good yield of deposit silver where ∆m increases linearly with increasing intensity of electrolysis current for a period of 30 minutes. By against, for electrolysis currents higher than 4 A we recorded decrease in the amount of silver