Electrolytic separation of tin from alkaline solutions is widely used in industry when using secondary raw materials. However, the cathode reactions occurring in this process have not been sufficiently studied, which excludes clear recommendations for the parameters of electrolysis (electrolyte composition, current density, and the relationship between these parameters). The present work aims to fill this gap.

One of the ways to extract tin from tinplate waste is to dissolve tin in alkaline solutions containing methanitrobenzoic acid, followed by electrolysis. The technological solution is a complex multicomponent system. In addition to free alkali and methanitrobenzoic acid, it may contain stannates and stannites of tin, as well as various nitrobenzoic acid reduction products (azoxy-, azo-, hydrazo- and other compounds). The formation of carbonates is inevitable due to the absorption of carbon dioxide from the air ...