Cailiao Baohu (Nov 2023)
Research Progress in Energy-Saving and Efficiency-Increasing Measures for Copper Electrowinning
Abstract
The aim of copper hydrometallurgy is to produce high-quality cathode copper with the lowest energy consumption and the highest current efficiency. How to achieve this objective has become the focus of research. The anode material significantly influences the anode overpotential, current efficiency and cathode copper quality. Therefore, developing energy-saving anodes holds great practical significance for the copper electrowinning industry. The introduction of alloying element such as Ag, Ca, Co and Re into the lead alloy anode can enhance the mechanical strength of lead alloy, inhibit lead dissolution, and improve its electrocatalytic activity and corrosion resistance; the fabrication of composite anodes with active layers such as β-PbO2, IrO2-Ta2O5, TiB2/β-PbO2 and Co3O4 on conductive substrates, which possess excellent conductivity and catalytic activity, can enhance the anode’s corrosion resistance and reduce the oxygen evolution overpotential; it is found that graphite, lead with a three-dimensional structure and the PANI/Co3O4 composite can enhance both the active specific surface area and current efficiency of anode. By adjusting the copper acid ratio in the electrolyte from 0.25 to 0.30, and adding guar gum, thiourea and Co2+, the performance of the anode can be enhanced and the quality of the cathode copper can be improved. Furthermore, optimizing process conditions such as the temperature of the electrolyte and electrode spacing can also impact the anode’s lifespan and catalytic activity. In this paper, energy-saving measures for hydrometallurgical copper refining were mainly introduced from three aspects: the development of oxygen-evolving anodes, adjustments to the solution system, and optimization of process parameters. Finally, the future development direction of energy-saving in copper electrowinning was discussed.
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