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Electrochemical Processing of the Wastes of Heavy Tungsten Alloys in Ammonium Carbonate Solutions

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Russian Metallurgy (Metally) Aims and scope

Abstract

The electrochemical behavior of tungsten and a VNZhK alloy (wt %: 90 W, 7.2 Ni, 1.8 Fe, 1 Co) in 0.5–1.5 M solutions of ammonium carbonate is studied by linear voltammetry in the potentiodynamic mode. An increase in the maximum anodic current density for the oxidation of tungsten and VNZhK alloy with the ammonium carbonate concentration is revealed. The electrochemical dissolution of the VNZhK alloy wastes in a 1.0 M solution of ammonium carbonate is studied by galvanostatic electrolysis and electrolysis using sinusoidal industrial-frequency alternating current. The advantage of a step-by-step application of direct and alternating currents is substantiated. For the processing of the VNZhK alloy wastes under the step-by-step action of direct and alternating currents, the transition of tungsten from the alloy to an ammonium carbonate solution is accompanied by concentrating the iron-group metals in a microdispersed electrolysis slime. A principal technological scheme is proposed for tungsten recovery from the wastes of heavy tungsten alloys to form ammonium paratungstate as the final product.

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Funding

This work was carried out in terms of state assignment no. 075-00715-22-00.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Baikov Institute of Metallurgy and Materials Science, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    O. G. Kuznetsova, A. M. Levin, S. V. Konushkin, O. I. Tsybin & A. O. Bol’shikh

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  1. O. G. Kuznetsova
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  2. A. M. Levin
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  3. S. V. Konushkin
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  4. O. I. Tsybin
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  5. A. O. Bol’shikh
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Correspondence to O. G. Kuznetsova.

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Translated by E. Yablonskaya

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Kuznetsova, O.G., Levin, A.M., Konushkin, S.V. et al. Electrochemical Processing of the Wastes of Heavy Tungsten Alloys in Ammonium Carbonate Solutions. Russ. Metall. 2023, 7–12 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1134/S003602952301007X

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S003602952301007X

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