Co-production of Hydrogen and Copper from Copper Waste Using a Thermochemical Cu-Cl Cycle

A novel hybrid Cu-Cl thermochemical cycle is developed and assessed for the co-production of hydrogen and copper using copper waste. An experiment is also conducted to establish the high-temperature electrolytic step as a proof of concept. A detailed parametric study is conducted to assess the effects of such parameters as process step temperature and energy efficiency of the electrical power plant that provides electricity to the cycle on the energy and exergy efficiencies of the overall cycle. The values of the energy and exergy efficiencies of the cycle are 31.8 and 69.7%, respectively. The maximum specific exergy destruction occurs in the electrolytic step. The results show that the proposed cycle performs better in terms of energy and exergy efficiencies compared to similar four-step Cu-Cl cycles. Using the proposed cycle, a new avenue may be open for copper waste to be more advantageously managed, potentially enhancing the sustainability of the relevant processes through improved environmental protection and resource recovery.