Device for strengthening oil removal in copper electrowinning process

Abstract

This device enhances the oil removal process in copper electrowinning. It comprises a cylinder containing a multi-stage treatment unit (pretreatment layer, coalescence layer, adsorption layer, etc.) from bottom to top, an inlet pipe, an outlet pipe, and an oil collection tank with a visible oil window and drain valve located above the cylinder. The inlet pipe connects to the pretreatment layer, and the outlet pipe connects to the adsorption layer. This design promotes the collision and coalescence of small oil droplets into larger droplets, adsorbs residual oil droplets, and monitors and automatically collects and discharges oil in real time. It offers advantages such as promoting the coalescence of small oil droplets, long maintenance cycles, adaptability to different electrolyte flow rates, ease of integration and modification into electrolysis systems, and high cost-effectiveness.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of hydrometallurgical technology, specifically to a device for enhancing the degreasing process in copper electrowinning. Background Technology

[0002] In the hydrometallurgical copper electrowinning process, the electrolyte usually contains trace amounts of extractant P204, LIX series residues and other organic oils and greases. These oils and greases will be adsorbed on the cathode surface to form an insulating film, resulting in uneven copper deposition. The final product will have holes, pitting or caking and delamination, which will usually reduce the pass rate by about 15%-30% and seriously affect the quality of cathode copper.

[0003] There are four main existing technologies: First, physical adsorption, which uses porous materials such as activated carbon and diatomaceous earth to filter the electrolyte. However, these materials are easily clogged by oil (saturation cycle ≤ 72 hours), requiring frequent filter replacements and increasing production costs. Second, static separation, which relies on the density difference between oil and water for natural separation. This requires the construction of large storage tanks (retention time ≥ 48 hours), which is space-consuming and inefficient, and difficult to match the high circulation flow requirements of modern electrowinning processes (usually > 50 m³ / h). Third, air flotation, which uses microbubbles to carry oil droplets to the surface. However, it is sensitive to the viscosity of the electrolyte, and the bubbles are easily disrupted by metal ions such as Fe³⁺ and Cu²⁺ in the electrolyte, resulting in an actual oil removal rate of less than 60%. Fourth, centrifugal separation, which uses centrifuges to force oil-water separation. However, the high speed (> 5000 rpm) leads to high energy consumption and maintenance costs, and it is difficult to handle mixtures of viscous oil and solid particles. In summary, existing technologies have many shortcomings: 1. Technical contradiction: the contradiction between the demand for efficient oil removal and the operating costs, energy consumption, and maintenance frequency of the equipment; 2. Process bottleneck: small-diameter oil droplets <50μm and emulsified oil are difficult to completely separate, and residual oil stains cause the surface roughness Ra of the cathode copper to exceed the tolerance >2.5μm; 3. System compatibility: existing devices are mostly independent of the electrolyte circulation system, which makes modification difficult, and lacks real-time oil stain monitoring and automated oil discharge functions.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, patent CN213001893U discloses "An oil removal device for copper wires," which includes an oil removal chamber, a guiding device, and a cleaning assembly. The oil removal chamber is a hollow shell containing cleaning fluid. The guiding device inside the oil removal chamber includes at least two guide wheels and one guide roller. The cleaning assembly includes a liquid removal element, capable of cleaning oil stains and impurities from the surface of the copper wire, as well as residual cleaning fluid residue. However, it is limited to copper wire oil removal and cannot be used for copper electrowinning oil removal. Patent CN215440752U discloses "A copper ladle..." The "steel production electrolytic pickling degreasing device" includes a frame, a rectifier, a bottom electrolyte pool mounted on the frame, and several rollers movably mounted on the frame. It can prevent the odor from emanating from the electrolyte pool, but it is limited to degreasing copper-clad steel and cannot be used for degreasing copper electrowinning. Patent "CN210386796U" discloses "an ultrasonic cleaning and degreasing device for oily waste copper", which includes a conveying unit, a cleaning unit, a separation unit, and a circulation unit. It can process oily waste copper in an environmentally friendly manner, but it is limited to ultrasonic cleaning and degreasing of oily waste copper and cannot be used for degreasing copper electrowinning.

[0005] Therefore, developing a device to enhance oil removal in the copper electrowinning process is of practical significance. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to overcome the shortcomings of existing devices and provide a device for enhancing oil removal in the copper electrowinning process. This device can efficiently separate oil droplets of different particle sizes and improve the quality of copper products, while also being simple in structure and easy to maintain.

[0007] To accomplish the above tasks, this utility model adopts the following technical solution: The device for enhancing oil removal in the copper electrowinning process includes a cylinder containing a multi-stage processing unit from bottom to top, consisting of a pretreatment layer, a coalescence layer, and an adsorption layer; an inlet pipe; an outlet pipe; and an oil collection tank located above the cylinder with a visible oil window and an oil drain valve. The inlet pipe connects to the pretreatment layer of the cylinder, and the outlet pipe connects to the adsorption layer of the cylinder. This device promotes the collision and coalescence of tiny oil droplets into larger oil droplets, adsorbs residual oil droplets, and monitors and automatically collects and discharges oil sludge in real time.

[0008] Compared with the prior art, this utility model has the following advantages or effects: Because of the three-stage synergistic treatment, the residence time of oil droplets is extended, which can promote the coalescence of small oil droplets, thus improving the oil removal efficiency to over 95%. At the same time, since each component is modular, the assembly and maintenance costs are reduced and the maintenance cycle is as long as 3 to 6 months, and it can adapt to different electrolyte flow requirements. In addition, due to its compact and simple structure, it is easy to integrate and modify the electrolysis system, and has a high cost performance. Attached Figure Description

[0009] The specific structure of the utility model is given in the following figures.

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a degreasing device for enhancing the copper electrowinning process, based on the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 for Figure 1 The diagram shown is an enlarged schematic of the spiral flow channel of the coalescing layer used in the degreasing device for enhancing the copper electrowinning process.

[0012] Figure 3 for Figure 2 The diagram shown is a disassembly diagram of the modular adsorption layer used to enhance the degreasing device in the copper electrowinning process.

[0013] The symbols in the attached diagram represent: 101. Cylinder body; 102. Inlet pipe; 103. Outlet pipe; 201. Pretreatment layer; 202. Coagulation layer; 202a. Spiral flow channel; 203. Adsorption layer; 203a. Adsorption layer outer shell; 203b. Adsorption material; 301. Oil collection tank; 302. Visual oil window; 303. Oil drain valve. The embodiments of this utility model will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation

[0014] like Figures 1-3 As shown, the present invention provides an oil removal device for enhancing the copper electrowinning process. It includes a cylinder 101 containing a pretreatment layer 201, a coalescence layer 202, and an adsorption layer 203, which are multi-stage processing units from bottom to top; an inlet pipe 102; an outlet pipe 103; and an oil collection tank 301 with a visible oil window 302 and an oil drain valve 303 located above the cylinder 101. The inlet pipe 102 is connected to the pretreatment layer 201 of the cylinder 101, and the outlet pipe 103 is connected to the adsorption layer 203 of the cylinder 101. This device can promote the collision and coalescence of small oil droplets into large oil droplets, adsorb residual oil droplets, monitor and automatically collect and discharge oil in real time.

[0015] This utility model can be further described as follows: The pretreatment layer 201 is a stainless steel mesh filter element with a pore size of 50~100μm, which can intercept large particulate impurities.

[0016] The coalescing layer 202 is made of hydrophobic polymer fiber polypropylene, and has a spiral flow channel 202a inside, which can promote the collision and coalescence of small oil droplets into large oil droplets.

[0017] The adsorption layer 203 is a modified activated carbon and graphite composite material with an oleophilic and hydrophobic surface, which can efficiently adsorb residual oil droplets.

[0018] The cylinder 101 is made of corrosion-resistant PP or fiberglass.

[0019] The inlet pipe 102 and the outlet pipe 103 are respectively connected to the electrolytic cell circulation system to form a closed loop.

[0020] The oil collection tank 301 placed at the top of the cylinder 101 can absorb the oil droplets separated from the coalescence layer 202 and then discharge them from the adsorption layer 203.

[0021] The pretreatment layer 201, coalescence layer 202, and adsorption layer 203 are all independent snap-fit ​​modules that can be quickly assembled and replaced. Example

[0022] Treatment of copper electrowinning electrolyte with an oil content of 80 ppm: 1. Device installation and parameter configuration: Device specifications: Cylinder 101 diameter 500mm, height 1500mm, material is polypropylene (PP), temperature range 0-80℃; Pretreatment layer (201): Install stainless steel filter screen with 80μm pore size, thickness 50mm, intercepting large particulate impurities >100μm; Cohesion layer 202: Filled with hydrophobic polypropylene fiber, fiber diameter 20μm, spiral flow channel inclination angle 40°, flow channel length 3m; Adsorption layer (203) adopts modified activated carbon-graphene composite filter element with 90% porosity, single layer thickness 100mm, a total of 3 layers; Circulation flow rate: Connected to the electrolyte circulation system through inlet pipe 102 and outlet pipe 103, the flow rate is set to 2m³ / h. Operating Flow: Electrolyte Input: Oily electrolyte is pumped from the electrolytic cell into the bottom of the cylinder 101 through the inlet pipe 102. The flow rate is controlled by the variable frequency pump to 0.5 m / s. Three-stage treatment process: Pretreatment: The electrolyte passes through the stainless steel filter screen 201 to intercept mechanical impurities such as anode mud and suspended particles. Coagulation and separation: It enters the spiral flow channel of the coalescence layer 202. Tiny oil droplets <50 μm collide and coalesce in the flow channel to form large oil droplets >500 μm. Deep adsorption: The residual oil droplets are intercepted by the adsorption layer 203. The oleophilic and hydrophobic properties of the adsorption material surface ensure efficient capture. Oil collection: The separated oil droplets float to the oil collection tank (301). The oil layer thickness is observed through the visible oil window (302). When the oil layer reaches 50 mm, the oil drain valve (303) is opened to automatically drain the oil. Purified liquid return: The treated electrolyte is returned to the electrolytic cell through the outlet pipe (103) and circulated until the oil content is ≤5 ppm. Example

[0023] High oil content 200 ppm electrolyte enhancement treatment Adaptive adjustments: Increased pretreatment layers: A coarse filter layer with a pore size of 200 μm is added before the original filter to intercept large oil particles; Extended coalescence path: The inclination angle of the spiral channel is adjusted to 30°, the channel length is increased to 5 m, and the oil droplet residence time is extended to 120 s; Adsorption layer expansion: The adsorption module is increased to 5 layers, the thickness of a single layer is adjusted to 80 mm, and the throughput is increased to 3 m³ / h.

[0024] Performance verification: Initial oil content: 200 ppm; after three-stage treatment: oil content reduced to 8 ppm, removal rate 96%; cathode copper surface roughness Ra≤1.2 μm (traditional method Ra≥3.5 μm); economic efficiency: filter replacement cost: pretreatment layer 0.2 yuan / ton, adsorption layer 0.5 yuan / ton; energy consumption 0.8 kWh / ton, a 65% reduction compared to centrifugation. Example

[0025] Maintenance and module replacement: Replacement of pretreatment layer 201: Close the inlet valve, open the inspection port at the bottom of cylinder 101, pull out the old filter screen, clean the residue, insert the new filter screen, and lock the buckle. The whole process takes ≤10 minutes and does not require stopping the machine.

[0026] Adsorption layer regeneration / replacement: Countercurrent rinsing, using 60℃ hot water to backwash the adsorption module to restore 60% of the adsorption capacity.

[0027] Complete replacement: Unlock the module shell (203a), remove the old material and fill it with new activated carbon-graphene composite material, clean the coalescing layer 202, soak the polypropylene fiber in 5% NaOH solution for 30 minutes every month to remove the attached oil film, rinse and air dry for reuse, and extend the service life to 2 years.

[0028] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present utility model, but the implementation of the present utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. Any changes, modifications, substitutions, combinations, or simplifications made without departing from the spirit and principle of the present utility model shall be considered equivalent substitutions and shall be included within the protection scope of the present utility model.

Claims

1. A device for enhancing the degreasing process in copper electrowinning, characterized in that... It also includes a cylinder (101) containing a pretreatment layer (201), a coalescence layer (202), and an adsorption layer (203) of a multi-stage processing unit from bottom to top, an inlet pipe (102), an outlet pipe (103), and an oil collection tank (301) with a visible oil window (302) and an oil drain valve (303) located above the cylinder (101); the inlet pipe (102) is connected to the pretreatment layer (201) of the cylinder (101), and the outlet pipe (103) is connected to the adsorption layer (203) of the cylinder (101).

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pretreatment layer (201) is a stainless steel mesh filter element with a pore size of 50~100μm.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coalescing layer (202) is a hydrophobic polymer fiber polypropylene with a spiral flow channel (202a) inside.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The adsorption layer (203) is a surface oleophilic and hydrophobic composite material of modified activated carbon and graphite.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cylinder (101) is made of corrosion-resistant PP or fiberglass.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inlet pipe (102) and outlet pipe (103) are respectively connected to the electrolytic cell circulation system to form a closed loop.

7. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is placed... The oil collection tank (301) at the top of the cylinder (101) collects the oil droplets separated from the coalescing layer (202) and absorbs the oil sludge in the adsorption layer (203) and discharges them.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, 2, 3, or 4, characterized in that: The pretreatment layer (201), coalescence layer (202), and adsorption layer (203) are all independent snap-fit ​​modules.

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