Decontamination of solutions containing Cu(II) and ligands tartrate, glycine and quadrol using metallic iron.

Decontamination of solutions containing Cu(II) complexes with tartrate, glycine and quadrol (N,N,N'N'-tetrakis(2-hydroxypropyl)ethylenediamine) using metallic iron depends on pH and proceeds best in mildly acidic solutions. Cu(II) is completely removed from all solutions containing the ligands investigated. The degree of ligand removal from solutions considerably differs. Tartrate is relatively rapidly and completely removed from solutions. A complete removal of glycine is prolonged. The removal of quadrol from solutions using metallic iron is negligible. Electrochemical investigations showed that tartrate and glycine have inhibitory influence on anodic dissolution of iron at pH 2 and enhance it at pH 4. Quadrol does not exhibit any significant influence on iron dissolution. Chemical analysis and FT-IR investigations have shown that the content of organic compounds is the greatest in the precipitate formed in solutions containing tartrate, while it is considerably lower in glycine containing solutions. The precipitate formed in quadrol-containing solutions during the treatment with metallic iron contains only negligible amount of organics.