Electrolytic bath pole plate wiring busbar for gallium production

Abstract

The invention discloses a gallium production electrolytic bath pole plate wiring busbar which comprises a conductive busbar assembly, the conductive busbar assembly comprises a first conductive busbar and a second conductive busbar, the sectional area of the first conductive busbar is equal to that of the second conductive busbar, and the first conductive busbar and the second conductive busbar are arranged in an attached mode. By increasing the contact area and the conductive sectional area, the transition matching performance between different materials is optimized, the total resistance is remarkably reduced, the conductive efficiency and the structural stability are improved, and the service life of equipment is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of electrical connection structure technology, and more specifically to a busbar for connecting electrodes of a gallium production electrolytic cell. Background Technology

[0002] Gallium, an important rare metal, has wide applications in semiconductors, optoelectronics, aerospace, and other fields. Electrolytic extraction is the core step in its extraction process, and this method, with its high extraction efficiency and high product purity, has become the mainstream gallium production method in the industry. In the wet electrolysis of gallium, the electrolyte is typically a mixed solution of sodium gallate and sodium hydroxide. This electrolyte provides a stable chemical environment for the precipitation of gallium ions, ensuring the smooth progress of the electrolysis reaction. Because the electrolyte is highly alkaline, stringent requirements are placed on the corrosion resistance of the electrolysis equipment. Therefore, polypropylene (PPH) is commonly used in the industry as the material for the body of the electrolytic cell. This material not only has excellent resistance to strong alkali corrosion, but also good mechanical strength and processing performance, which can meet the long-term operation requirements of the electrolytic cell. As the core component of the electrolytic reaction, the electrode plate needs to take into account both conductivity and corrosion resistance. Therefore, stainless steel SUS304 or SUS316L with stronger corrosion resistance are often selected. Among them, SUS316L has better corrosion resistance and high temperature strength due to the addition of molybdenum, and is more widely used in the high-requirement gallium electrolysis process.

[0003] The operating characteristics of gallium electrolysis dictate that it operates under a typical low-voltage, high-current mode. In actual production, the electrolysis voltage is typically controlled between 50 and 100V, while the current is maintained within the range of 700 to 1500A. Under this operating mode, current transmission efficiency and the resistance characteristics of conductive connections directly affect the overall operating efficiency and safety of the electrolysis system. Under high-current conditions, even small changes in resistance can lead to significant differences in heat generation. Therefore, the structural design of the conductive connections becomes a critical factor influencing the performance of the electrolysis system.

[0004] Currently, the industry commonly uses "T-shaped" electrode plate busbars to achieve conductive connections between the lugs and the electrodes. This structure features a horizontally extending busbar body with a vertically protruding connection to the electrode plate, forming an overall "T" shape. However, this traditional structure reveals numerous insurmountable problems in practical applications: the contact temperature between the busbar and the lugs often rises above 150°C, not only wasting a significant amount of electrical energy as heat and reducing energy efficiency, but also causing a series of safety hazards and equipment wear. High temperatures accelerate the aging of surrounding insulation materials, leading to a decline in the overall insulation performance of the electrolytic cell and increasing the risk of leakage. In extreme cases, high temperatures may cause fires, seriously threatening production safety. Simultaneously, high-temperature environments cause material degradation in metal components such as busbars and lugs, shortening their service life and increasing equipment maintenance costs and downtime. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a busbar for electrode plates of gallium production electrolytic cells. By increasing the contact area and conductive cross-sectional area, and optimizing the transition matching between different materials, the total resistance is significantly reduced, and the conductivity, structural stability and equipment service life are improved.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application provides the following technical solution: A busbar for connecting plates of an electrolytic cell used in gallium production includes a conductive busbar assembly. The conductive busbar assembly includes a first conductive busbar and a second conductive busbar, wherein the first conductive busbar and the second conductive busbar have equal cross-sectional areas and are fitted together.

[0007] Furthermore, it also includes a connecting component for sequentially fixing the wire lug, the second conductive busbar, and the first conductive busbar together to form a conductive path.

[0008] Furthermore, the first conductive busbar is made of a corrosion-resistant conductive material, and the second conductive busbar is made of a highly conductive metal material.

[0009] Furthermore, the first conductive busbar is made of SUS316L stainless steel, and the second conductive busbar is made of copper.

[0010] Furthermore, both the first and second conductive busbars are rectangular structures, and their lengths and widths are the same.

[0011] Furthermore, the connecting component is a bolt, and the first conductive busbar, the second conductive busbar, and the wire lug are all provided with bolt holes that are adapted to the bolt.

[0012] Furthermore, the first conductive busbar is connected to multiple electrode plates.

[0013] Working principle of the invention: Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages: 1. Significantly reduce resistance and temperature rise: By increasing the contact area and conductive cross-sectional area, the contact resistance between the lug and the busbar is greatly reduced, thereby reducing the temperature of the connection point from above 150℃ to below 60℃, effectively avoiding energy loss and safety accidents caused by high temperature.

[0014] 2. Improved conductivity: The combination of equal-area copper busbars and SUS316L busbars improves current transmission efficiency and reduces energy loss.

[0015] 3. Enhanced structural stability and safety: Modular connections are achieved through bolt fastening, which improves the mechanical strength of the overall structure and the reliability of electrical connections.

[0016] 4. Extend equipment lifespan: Lower temperature rise helps delay material aging and improves the long-term stability and safety of the electrolysis system. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a T-type electrode plate wiring busbar in the prior art; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the busbar connecting the electrode plate of a gallium production electrolytic cell according to the present invention; Figure 3 for Figure 1 Side view. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The following detailed description illustrates the specific implementation method: Example: Refer to Figure 1 The "T-shaped" electrode busbar commonly used in the industry has a core structure consisting of a horizontally extending busbar body and a vertical protrusion perpendicular to the body, forming an overall "T" shape. The horizontal part is the busbar body, used to connect to multiple electrodes in the electrolytic cell to achieve current collection and distribution; the vertical protrusion is the terminal, used to connect to cable lugs to complete the conductive path between the external circuit and the electrode.

[0019] This T-shaped structure was once widely used in gallium electrolysis production due to its simple design and convenient processing, but it has revealed many structural defects in actual high-current operation.

[0020] The longitudinal protruding terminal of the T-type busbar is much smaller than the transverse busbar body. Its contact area with the lug is only 1 / 3 to 1 / 2 of the cross-sectional area of ​​the transverse body. Furthermore, there is a sudden change in the conductive cross-sectional area at the connection between the longitudinal protrusion and the transverse body, resulting in a bottleneck effect during current transmission. The current density is concentrated at the longitudinal protrusion and the contact area, significantly increasing the contact resistance and volume resistance. This becomes the main source of resistance in the entire electrolytic circuit, directly affecting the current transmission efficiency. The increased resistance combined with high current conditions leads to a large amount of Joule heat being generated at the contact area between the T-type busbar and the lug.

[0021] High temperatures accelerate the aging and embrittlement of insulating materials (such as insulating tape and insulating mats) used for isolation around the busbar. This can lead to cracking and peeling of the insulation layer in a short period of time, resulting in a decrease in the overall insulation performance of the electrolytic cell and a significant increase in the risk of leakage. The busbar and lugs are both metal conductors, and their surface oxidation rate accelerates at high temperatures. The resulting oxide layer further increases the contact resistance and exacerbates the temperature rise. In extreme cases, this may cause metal melting, short circuits, or even fires, seriously threatening production safety.

[0022] Therefore, referring to Figure 2 and Figure 3This application provides a novel structure for the electrode plate wiring busbar of a gallium production electrolytic cell, including a rectangular electrode plate wiring busbar (made of SUS316L stainless steel plate) and a rectangular copper busbar (made of copper plate). The rectangular electrode plate wiring busbar and the rectangular copper busbar have the same size, so that they have the same area.

[0023] Place the rectangular electrode busbar (made of SUS316L) horizontally on the mounting bracket of the electrolytic cell, ensuring that it is aligned with the electrode connection end; then align and attach the rectangular copper busbar (made of red copper) onto the rectangular electrode busbar, making sure that the bolt holes of both are completely overlapped. Avoid any misalignment of the contact surfaces during the attachment process. Use bolts to fix the rectangular electrode busbar and the rectangular copper busbar together. Then connect the wire lugs to the connection holes, and finally connect multiple electrodes to the rectangular electrode busbar using bolts.

[0024] The electrolytic cell with the pre-assembled busbars was connected to the actual production system, using the same process parameters as the existing production: electrolysis voltage 80V, operating current 1200A, electrolyte temperature 70℃, and continuous operation for 72 hours. An electrolytic cell using traditional "T-type" busbars was set up as a control group, with all other conditions identical. The data obtained are shown in Table 1 below: Table 1 - Test Data

[0025] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following significant advantages: 1. Significantly reduce resistance and temperature rise: By increasing the contact area and conductive cross-sectional area, the contact resistance between the lug and the busbar is greatly reduced, thereby reducing the temperature of the connection point from above 150℃ to below 60℃, effectively avoiding energy loss and safety accidents caused by high temperature.

[0026] 2. Improved conductivity: The combination of equal-area copper busbars and SUS316L busbars improves current transmission efficiency and reduces energy loss.

[0027] 3. Enhanced structural stability and safety: Modular connections are achieved through bolt fastening, which improves the mechanical strength of the overall structure and the reliability of electrical connections.

[0028] 4. Extend equipment lifespan: Lower temperature rise helps delay material aging and improves the long-term stability and safety of the electrolysis system.

[0029] It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the technical solution of this invention. These modifications and improvements should also be considered within the scope of protection of this invention, and will not affect the effectiveness of the invention or the practicality of the patent. The scope of protection claimed in this application shall be determined by the content of its claims, and the specific embodiments described in the specification can be used to interpret the content of the claims.

Claims

1. A busbar for connecting electrode plates of a gallium production electrolytic cell, characterized in that, The system includes a conductive busbar assembly, which comprises a first conductive busbar and a second conductive busbar, wherein the first conductive busbar and the second conductive busbar have equal cross-sectional areas and are fitted together.

2. The busbar for connecting the electrode plates of the gallium production electrolytic cell according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes connecting components for sequentially fixing the wire lug, the second conductive busbar and the first conductive busbar together to form a conductive path.

3. The busbar for connecting the electrode plates of the gallium production electrolytic cell according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first conductive busbar is made of a corrosion-resistant conductive material, and the second conductive busbar is made of a highly conductive metal material.

4. The busbar for connecting the electrode plates of the gallium production electrolytic cell according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first conductive busbar is made of SUS316L stainless steel, and the second conductive busbar is made of copper.

5. The busbar for connecting the electrode plates of the gallium production electrolytic cell according to claim 4, characterized in that, Both the first and second conductive busbars are rectangular structures, and their lengths and widths are the same.

6. The busbar for connecting the electrode plates of the gallium production electrolytic cell according to claim 5, characterized in that, The connecting component is a bolt, and the first conductive busbar, the second conductive busbar, and the wire lug are all provided with bolt holes that are adapted to the bolt.

7. The busbar for connecting the electrode plates of the gallium production electrolytic cell according to claim 6, characterized in that, The first conductive busbar connects to multiple electrode plates.

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