Method and apparatus for electrorefining particulate metallic materials

Abstract

Abstract AT LEAST ONE MASS OF CLOSELY ASSOCIATED, DISCRETE PARTICLES OF A METALLIC MATERIAL TO BE ELECTROLYTICALLY REFINED, SUCH AS SHOTTED ANODE COPPER OR COPPER PRECIPITATES DERIVED BY CEMENTATION FROM SOLUTION ON METALLIC IRON, IS CONFINED WITH AN ELECTROLYTIC CELL BY SOLUTION-PERMEABLE WALLS AND IS PROVIDED WITH ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TO SERVE AS AN ANODE FOR THE CELL. AN ELECTROLYTE IS CONTINUOUSLY CIRCULATED INTO, THROUGH AND OUT OF THE CELL, WHICH IS PROVIDED WITH AT LEAST ONE CATHODE OF CONVENTIONAL TYPE. THE ELECTROLYTE IS FORCIBLY INJECTED WITHIN THE BODY OF THE PARTICULATE MASS AT A FLOW VELOCITY TOO LOW TO FLUIDIZE THE PARTICLES BUT HIGH ENOUGH TO PURGE SUCH MASS OF METAL CATIONS AND TO CARRY THEM THROUGH THE INTERSTICES OF THE MASS AND OUT THROUGH THE PERMEABLE CONFINING WALLS, SO AS TO PREVENT CONCENTRATION POLARIZATION OF THE ANODE WITHOUT UNDULY INCREASING POWER REQUIREMENTS.

Inventors

• 👤 William Marvin Tuddenham
• 👤 David L Adamson

Bibliographic Details