ELECTROLYTIC COPPER PRODUCTION
Electrolytic copper production is a refining process used to obtain high-purity copper. This method is primarily applied to increase the purity of crude copper obtained from ores, producing copper with a purity of up to 99.99%.
1. Preparation of Crude Copper: In the initial stage, impure anode copper plates produced through pyrometallurgical methods are prepared. These plates typically have a purity of 98–99% and contain various impurities such as iron, nickel, lead, silver, and gold.
2. Dissolution in the Electrolytic Cell: The anode copper plates are placed in an electrolyte solution containing sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) and copper sulfate (CuSO₄). High-purity copper cathode plates are also placed in the cell. When electric current is applied, the copper from the anode dissolves into the solution and precipitates as pure copper on the cathode.
3. Separation of Impurities: During dissolution, valuable metals such as gold, silver, and platinum settle as a byproduct known as anode sludge, while other metals like iron and nickel remain dissolved in the electrolyte. This enables the recovery of both high-purity copper and precious metals.
4. Harvesting Copper from the Cathode: After a set period, the pure copper that has deposited on the cathode is collected, dried, and sold as copper sheets. The copper produced via this electrolytic refining process is widely used in electronics, telecommunications, electric cables, batteries, and various other industries.
Although the process is energy-intensive, it enables the production of extremely pure copper and is also utilized in recycling operations.
As GLANCO RECOVER & RECYCLE, we successfully recover acids and valuable metals (such as nickel) generated during this process.
Nickel is consistently present as a waste byproduct in electrolytic copper production. We design nickel recovery facilities to treat the acidic waste streams from this process, producing Nickel Sulfate or Nickel Oxide Hydroxide, both of which are key materials used in electronic chip manufacturing.
