CHEM-E6180 - Fundamentals of Hydrometallurgy (5 cr)

Assignment 5, 17.10.2017, Electrorefining and electrowinning

This exercise is evaluated with maximum 10 p.

Topics: Electrowinning, Dimensioning an electrochemical reactor, calculation of energy

consumption

Copper is produced electrolytically using either electrolytic refining (ER) or electrowinning (EW).
In electrolytic refining, the impure copper anode (98-99% Cu) is dissolved and pure copper is
deposited on the cathode (99.996% Cu) due to the inserted electricity. Whereas, in electrowinning,
the anode is insoluble and the anode reaction gas evolution. The cathodes are again pure copper,
which are deposited by copper from pregnant solution. Energy consumption in both methods
depends on the cell voltage and current efficiency. The electrolysis cell voltage is composed of the
difference between anode and cathode equilibrium potentials, anodic and cathodic polarization,
solution resistance and voltage losses in the bus bars and connections.

Before you start with the following calculations, check lecture slides and Frees textbook. What is
the most important equation here, as you are working with electrical charge and mass?

1. Copper electrowinning energy consumption

a) A copper electrowinning tankhouse operates at current density 300 A/m and the average cell
2

voltage between the anode and the cathode is 2.2 V. Calculate copper deposition current efficiency
when the copper electrowinning energy consumption is 1.89 kWh/kg.

b) A copper electrowinning tankhouse operates at current density 300 A/m . Assuming that the
2

fraction of standard electrode potential difference (Cu reduction and O2 evolution) is 40% of the
whole cell voltage, calculate the copper electrowinning energy consumption in kWh/kg when
copper deposition current efficiency is 96%.

2. Mass of copper cathode

a) In copper electrowinning tankhouse, the cathode plates are made of stainless steel, and copper
is deposited on them and removed mechanically after the plate has sufficient thickness. Using
current density 300 A/m2, what is the cathode weight when it is stripped after 7-day deposit period?
Cathode surface area is 0.95 m2.

b) Using current density 300 A/m2, how long does it take to deposit 85.2 kg on cathode, which has
surface area of 2.5 m2? Note that the surface area includes both sides of the cathode.
3. Calculate fresh electrolyte flow rate to electrowinning cell to maintain copper balance, when the
current density can be adjusted between 300-350 A/m2. The current efficiency is 95%. Cell
consists of 35 cathodes that have surface area of 2 m2 each (two sides depositing). The
electrowinning cell is 1.2 m wide and 1.5 m deep, and the length of the cell is 5 m. The fresh
electrolyte contains 50 g/l copper. The decrease of copper concentration from fresh electrolyte
entering the cell to the outlet of the cell, also the delta-copper, is 15 g/l.

4. Your task is to calculate cell voltage based on given data and then calculate energy consumption
for copper in an electrowinning plant. The electrolyte temperature is 45 °C and it contains 25 g/L
copper and 130 g/L sulfuric acid and as impurities As 0.1 g/L and Ni 0.1 g/L. The current density
is 250 A/m2 and deposition current efficiency is 95% . The cathodes are 1.0 m x 1.0 m and one
cathode plate deposits on both sides.

The cell voltage is a sum of thermodynamic potential difference between anode and cathode, anode
and cathode overpotentials and voltage drop due to electrolyte resistivity (1)

𝐸"#$$ = 𝐸"& − 𝐸(& + 𝜂( + 𝜂" + 𝑉&,-

The electrode overpotential h can be calculated using exchange current density i0, limiting current
density ilim, the symmetry factor a, and the operating current density i.

𝑅𝑇 𝑖 𝑖$8-
𝜂= ∙ 𝑙𝑛 + 𝑙𝑛
𝛼𝑧𝐹 𝑖7 𝑖$8- − 𝑖

The voltage drop due to electrolyte resistivity is V = i*d/k, where i is operating current density, d
is electrode distance (anode to cathode) and k is electrolyte conductivity. The conductivity has
been determined experimentally. The Excel template contains coefficients to calculate the
conductivity. The conductivity equation is of the form

log 𝑘 = 𝑓8 ∙ 𝑐8

where fi is the factor value and ci is the coefficient.