AN INSITU STUDY ON THE MECHANISM OF THE ELECTROCHEMICAL DISSOLUTION OF COPPER IN OXYGENATED SULFURIC-ACID - AN APPLICATION OF THE QUARTZ MICROBALANCE

The authors report on the use of the EQMB to monitor the electrochemical dissolution of copper in oxygenated sulphuric acid. It is shown that the dissolution rate R of copper depends on both the pH and the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the electrolyte. The authors stress the high expressiveness and accuracy of kinetic information which can be obtained in situ from dissolution experiments of copper with the EQMB. Its extraordinary mass sensitivity allows the required time periods to be reduced by several orders of magnitude compared to conventional methods such as ex situ weighing of the electrode, photometry and chemical analysis of the electrolyte. To obtain reliable data with these methods the required time frame is of the order of days, even weeks in special cases. With the EQMB the information can be obtained in situ within minutes.