VOLTAMMETRIC STUDIES ON COPPER DEPOSITION DISSOLUTION REACTIONS IN AQUEOUS CHLORIDE SOLUTIONS

A detailed analysis of the electrochemical behaviour of copper-loaded chloride solutions has been carried out by linear sweep and cyclic vol tammetry. Similar copper concentration to pregnant solutions for elect rowinning processing has been used and the influence of the relative c ontent of metal- chloride ions on the copper deposition/dissolution re actions investigated. The study has shown that the redox-mechanism inv olves soluble cupric and cuprous species, and adsorbed cuprous chlorid e. Possible non-equilibrium processes occurring during the anodic diss olution of copper deposits are also discussed.