System and apparatus for enhancing convection in electrolytes to achieve improved electrodeposition of copper and other non ferrous metals in industrial electrolytic cells

Abstract

A system and apparatus for enhancing convection in electrolytes for improved electrodeposition of copper and other non ferrous metals in industrial electrolytic cells at given a current density providing exact geometric locations of the electrolyte jet infeed supply system used to impart forced convection in the electrolyte, the gas bubbling system for low pressure / low volume convection enhancement, and the electrode bottom and lateral distancing system, and range of operational parameters, for correct electrolyte flow and air bubbling flow improving cell productivity, quality of metal plates with increased electrical efficiency for its industrial application. The system and apparatus can also be used in industrial cells with same optimal results but at increased current densities, provided sufficient suitable electrolyte and additional electric power is available.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001]This application is a non-provisional application of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 096,394 filed on Sep. 12, 2008, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT [0002]This invention was not federally sponsored.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention[0003]This invention relates to the general field of aqueous electrolytic electrodeposition, and more specifically toward a system and apparatus for enhancing convection in electrolytes to achieve improved electrodeposition of copper and other non ferrous metals in industrial electrolytic cells at industrial scale operations. The system and apparatus are useful in both electrowinning and electrorefining versions of electrodeposition.[0004]Industrial electrodeposition of metals as practiced today is one of the most complex unit operations known due to the unusually large number of critical elemen...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019]The current invention provides just such a solution by having a system and apparatus for enhancing convection in electrolytes to achieve improved electrodeposition of copper and other non ferrous metals in industrial electrolytic cells at a given current density providing exact geometric locations of the electrolyte infeed system, especially where pressure infeed systems are deemed necessary to impart forced convection in the electrolyte, and the gas diffusion system for low pressure / low volume convection enhancement with adequate given favorable bubbling sizes and discharge patterns and the electrode bottom and lateral distancing system, and range of operational effective parameters, for correct electrolyte flow and air diffusion flow improving cell productivity, quality of metal plates with increased electrical efficiency for its industrial application. The system and apparatus can also be used in industrial cells with same optimal results at incrementally increased current densities, provided sufficient suitable electrolyte and additional electric power are available.

[0021]The present invention recognizes the present shortcomings of industrial practice and provides a global system for enhancing convection of electrolyte in industrial cells, specially aimed to industrial electrolytic cells used for copper electrowinning—and with suitable adaptations, also in cells for electrorefining of copper—focusing primarily on the strategy of effective characterization, monitoring and process control of final quality of metal plates harvested, and also their deposition growth in the cathodes, with simultaneous high current efficiency. The system proposed as one unit is formed by three subsystems wherein the first subsystem is an electrolyte infeed supply system for a given specific flow and composition, balanced for a given current density, which is provided in the case of copper electrowinning described herein preferably through dual manifold tubes installed horizontal and longitudinally along the lower vertices of the lateral walls near the cell bottom, with oriented perforations of given diameters in the piping for controlled pressure jetting electrolyte—in opposite predetermined paths—towards the interelectrode spaces providing a basic forced convection in the industrial cell. The first subsystem can be operated simultaneously interlinked with any one of the other two subsystems or preferably both (low pressure, low volume gas bubbling and positive spacing of electrodes and protection of gas bubbling system inside the cell). The specific object in copper electrowinning disclosed herein is enhancing the basic forced convection of the electrolyte generally provided by an electrolyte jet infeed subsystem, preferably located at each lower corner of the flat surfaces of the cathodes in an effective manner to achieve improved electric efficiency and quality electrodeposition of copper in industrial cells. Optimal results in productivity, quality of copper plates, and process current efficiency are obtained while operating simultaneously with all three subsystems linked together (concatenated), geometrically precisely installed relative to each other and exactly positioned with respect to the electrolytic cell in which they operate so they can be effectively and efficiently interlinked to produce the results sought.

Problems solved by technology

It can be concluded by the foregoing patent analysis that the technological solutions proposed in the various patents did not succeed in making their way into industry as innovations, principally because one or more necessary aspects or details deemed necessary to suit conditions for sustained success of the complex electrodeposition process in industrial scale electrolytic cells were simply omitted, were technically vague, uncertain and / or weak, simply incorrect, results reported deemed exaggerated, experimental, or not demonstrated validly at industrial scale, etc.

Whatever the reasons, the fact remains that poor reception of enhanced electrolyte convection as an innovation by the industry have rendered the various partial solutions claimed either impractical or outright not viable for large scale operations.

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