Process for recovering copper from spent catalysts involves solubilizing copper as tetramine cupric complex by percolation at environmental temperature for four hours with ammonia solution containing ammonia and ammonium chloride

The present invention relates to a process for recovering copper from spent catalysts, resulting from various processes of organic synthesis. According to the invention, the process consists in solubilizing the copper as tetramine cupric complex by percolation at environmental temperature for 4 h with an ammonia solution containing ammonia and ammonium chloride, the maximal ratio between the volume of the complexing solution and the quantity of spent catalyst being 50/1, separating the phases by filtration, alkalinizing the resulting copper ammonia complex with a solution of sodium hydroxide having a concentration of 50%, stripping the ammonia in air/vapour stream at 60 degrees C, simultaneously with the precipitation of black cupric oxide (copper (II)oxide), filtering the solid phase, washing with distilled water and drying the resulting black cupric oxide (copper (II) oxide) at a temperature of about 150 degrees C.