A Bright Future for Copper Electrowinning
Editor(s)
Byko, Maureen
Abstract
Over the past 40 years, the copper mining industry has undergone a dramatic shift toward hydrometallurgical extraction of copper at the mine site. This has increased the importance of recovering high-purity copper by electrowinning. High-purity cathode production was achieved by implementing numerous technologies including superior lead-alloy anodes, improved cathode handling and/or stainless steel blanks, better electrolyte control, and advanced tankhouse automation. In the future, it is projected that tankhouses will produce high-quality copper at lower costs using technologies that could include dimensionally stable anodes, alternative anode reactions, innovative cell designs, novel electrolyte circulation systems, and more. This paper reviews existing commercial copper electrowinning technologies and discusses advances that need to be made to implement future technologies.
Recommended Citation
M. S. Moats and M. Free, "A Bright Future for Copper Electrowinning," JOM Journal of the Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, Springer Verlag, Oct 2007.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-007-0128-y
Department(s)
Materials Science and Engineering
Keywords and Phrases
Geosciences-General; Environment-General; Physics-General; Chemistry/Food Sciences-General; Engineering-General; Materials Science
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1047-4838; 1543-1851
Document Type
Article - Journal
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2007 Springer Verlag, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
01 Oct 2007
