Anode structure for metal electrowinning cells

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017009359-A1
Application number	US-201515119266-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 3, 2015
Priority date	Feb 19, 2014
Publication date	Jan 12, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

An anodic structure for electrowinning cells having an anode hanger bar, a support structure of insulating material, at least one anode mesh having a valve metal substrate provided with a catalytic coating, said at least one anode being subdivided into at least two reciprocally insulated sub-meshes, said sub-meshes being individually supplied with electrical current through conductive means connected with said anode hanger bar, the anodic structure being further provided with at least one electronic system having at least one current probe and at least one actuator for individually measuring and controlling current supply to each of said sub-meshes.

First claim

1 . An anodic structure for electrowinning cells comprising an anode hanger bar, a support structure of insulating material, at least one anode mesh having a valve metal substrate provided with a catalytic coating, said at least one anode mesh being subdivided into at least two reciprocally insulated sub-meshes, said sub-meshes being individually supplied with electrical current through conductive means connected with said anode hanger bar, the anodic structure being further provided with at least one electronic system comprising at least one current probe and at least one actuator for individually measuring and controlling current supply to each of said sub-meshes.

2 . The anodic structure according to claim 1 wherein said at least one anode mesh is subdivided into sub-meshes of area ranging from 25 cm 2 to 225 cm 2 .

3 . The anodic structure according to claim 1 , wherein said conductive means are metal plates, bars or cables.

4 . The anodic structure according to claim 3 , wherein said metal bars, plates or cables are made of electrically conductive material with electric resistivity at 20° C. of 1.5×10 −8 to 3.0×10 −8 Ω×m.

5 . The anodic structure according to claim 4 , wherein said electrically conductive material is chosen among copper, aluminium or alloys thereof.

6 . The anodic structure according to claim 1 , wherein said reciprocally insulated sub-meshes are secured to said support structure of insulating material by fastening means.

7 . The anodic structure according to claim 1 , wherein said conductive means and said at least one electronic system are embedded and sealed inside said insulating support structure by means of resins or plastics.

8 . The anodic structure according to claim 1 , wherein each sub-mesh is equipped with said at least one electronic system.

9 . The anodic structure according to claim 1 , wherein said electronic system comprises active or passive electronic components.

10 . The anodic structure according to claim 9 , wherein said passive electronic components are thermistors or resettable fuses.

11 . System for deposition of metal in a metal electrowinning plant comprising at least one anodic structure according to claim 1 .

12 . System for metal deposition in a metal electrowinning plant comprising at least one anodic structure according to claim 10 , wherein each sub-mesh is equipped with at least one resettable fuse, and wherein each said resettable fuse comprises:
a positive temperature coefficient; a hold current value equal to a predefined current value, wherein said predefined current value corresponds to the maximum nominal current that is supplied to each individual sub-mesh; and a trip current value lower than the maximum safety current for each sub-mesh.

13 . Method for deposition of metal in a metal electrowinning plant comprising at least one anodic structure according to claim 1 , comprising:
detecting the current in each sub-mesh of each anode mesh at predefined time intervals by means of the electronic system; determining the sub-meshes of each anode mesh corresponding to a relative maximum of current; and discontinuing current supply to said sub-meshes corresponding to a relative maximum of current until the subsequent detection.

14 . Method for deposition of metal in a metal electrowinning plant comprising at least one anodic structure according to claim 1 , comprising:
detecting the current in each sub-mesh of each anode mesh at predefined time intervals by means of the electronic system; determining the sub-meshes of each anode mesh corresponding to a relative maximum of current; and discontinuing current supply to said sub-meshes corresponding to a relative maximum of current if the detected current exceeds a predefined threshold until the subsequent detection.

15 . Method for deposition of metal in a metal electrowinning plant comprising at least one anodic structure according to claim 1 , comprising:
detecting the current in each sub-mesh of each anode mesh at predefined time intervals by means of the electronic system; and discontinuing current supply to the sub-meshes in which the current exceeds a predefined threshold until the subsequent detection.

16 . Method for deposition of metal in a metal electrowinning plant comprising at least one anodic structure according to claim 1 , comprising:
detecting the current in each sub-mesh of each anode mesh at predefined time intervals by means of the electronic system; calculating for each anode mesh the average current value in the sub-meshes; and discontinuing the current supply to the sub-meshes in which the difference between the detected current and the average current, expressed in percentage of the average current of each anode mesh, exceeds a predefined threshold until the subsequent detection.

Assignees

• Industrie De Nora Spa

Inventors

• Prado Pueo Felix

Classifications

• C25C1/00

  Electrolytic production, recovery or refining of metals by electrolysis of solutions (C25C5/00 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C25C7/02 Primary

  Electrodes (consumable anodes for the refining the metals C25C1/00 - C25C5/00); Connections thereof · CPC title

• C25C1/12

  of copper · CPC title

• C25C7/06 Primary

  Operating or servicing · CPC title

• Y02P10/20

  Recycling · CPC title