Abstract
I. ABSTRACT The growing volume of electronic waste (e-waste) necessitates sustainable metal recovery methods. Printed circuit boards (PCBs), rich in valuable metals like copper are a key target however, improper disposal causes environmental harm, and conventional sulphuric acid leaching achieves low recovery due to limited oxidation capability. This study investigates and compares the effectiveness of selected alternative oxidants hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), calcium hypochlorite (Ca(ClO)₂), and ferric sulphate (Fe₂(SO₄)₃) in enhancing copper dissolution from waste PCBs during sulphuric acid leaching. Experiments were conducted under controlled conditions, and the oxidant efficiency was evaluated by varying oxidants concentrations and temperatures. Results showed that oxidants significantly improve copper dissolution, with H₂O₂ yielding the highest efficiency of 94.11% at 55°C. Additionally, the study identified diffusion through the product layer as the rate-limiting step. And activation energy of 11.559 kj/mol indicated that the process is diffusion controlled.