Method for separating copper sheets from electrodes having carbon sheets on both sides

Recycling process for high-purity recovery of copper sheets from waste electrodes using ultrasonic delamination in an acid solution

This technology recovers high-purity copper sheets from waste electrodes—where carbon sheets are attached to both sides of a copper sheet—by using ultrasonic waves of a specific intensity in an acid solution to induce physical delamination without chemical leaching.

Conventional methods for recovering copper sheets from waste electrodes required leaching in strong acid solutions or complex neutralization processes. These methods often left impurities on the copper sheets or damaged the copper itself, resulting in low recycling efficiency and the need for additional purification steps.

This technology involves immersing waste electrodes in an acid solution (10–30% concentration, pH 2–3) and applying 200–300W ultrasonic waves for 10–30 minutes to physically detach the carbon sheets, followed by simple washing and room-temperature drying. Applicable to waste battery anode recycling plants and electrode manufacturing defect recovery lines, it secures current collector materials ready for immediate reuse without damaging the copper, while reducing the burden of waste acid neutralization.

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Key Features:

• Immersing an electrode with carbon sheets on both sides of a copper sheet into an acid solution with a concentration of 10 to 30%
• Applying ultrasonic waves at an intensity of 200 to 300 W to the acid solution containing the immersed electrode for 10 to 30 minutes
• An acid solution consisting of at least one selected from hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid, maintained at a pH of 2 to 3
• Washing the copper sheet separated from the carbon sheets after acid and ultrasonic treatment, and drying it at 10 to 30 ℃

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This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Knowledge Economy for the development of resource recycling technology for difficult-to-separate metal/polymer composite materials.

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