Abstract

This review discusses the events of acid mist production at the final stage of hydrometallurgical metal production in copper electrowinning. This review entails the complete process of oxygen bubble generation on the anode and its stages to form into acid mist at the surface of the electrolyte. When these bubbles burst at the solution/air interface, fine acid-containing liquid droplets become airborne and spread throughout the workspace, with the impact factors suppressing the acid mist produced during the process. Also, parameters such as bubble size, temperature, surface tension, and visco-elasticity also affect the acid mist. Sulfuric acid affects the tank houses causes structure deterioration and considerable health effects on employees because sulfuric acid is a carcinogen and costs the industry millions of dollars annually. A theoretical approach with a CFD model is discussed to reduce the acid mist. Furthermore, several other means of suppressing acid mist are shown and discussed, such as the use of surfactants, balls, and hoods. The occupational exposure limits in various nations and the generally used methods of sampling acid mist are described. This review provides a comprehensive understanding of the whole electrowinning process and ways to suppress the acid mist produced during the process.

Department(s)

Mining Engineering

Comments

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Grant 97797001

Keywords and Phrases

electrochemical engineering; electrode kinetics; electrodepisition - copper; electrowinning

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

1945-7111; 0013-4651

Document Type

Article - Journal

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2026 IOP Publishing, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

14 Apr 2026

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