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Leaching of copper and other metals (i.e., Ni, Ag and Pd) from waste printed circuit boards (WPCBs) in acidic ferric sulphate solutions was studied. The effects of concentration of H₂SO₄ (0.05–1 M), Fe(III) (0.05–0.5 M) and temperature (20–80 °C) on the extent and kinetics of extraction of metals were investigated using response surface methodology. Under the suitable conditions, high extractions of copper (i.e., ≥ 98%) were readily achieved over a leaching period of 120 min. The kinetic data derived from the shrinking particle model for copper were used as the response for the analysis of data. All the leaching parameters were statistically significant within an order of temperature > [Fe(III)] > [H₂SO₄] and increasing their levels had positive influence on the leaching kinetics. The activation energy for extraction of copper was found to be 18.3 kJ/mol. In addition to copper, nickel extractions were also high (i.e., up to …