The hydrometallurgy of copper . of acid copper slimes is not as easy as filteringcyanide slimes, nevertheless it should not present any very serious difficul-ties. Graphitized carbons have solved the practical difficulty of theanode when depositing copper from chloride solutions. Such anodesare strong and durable. Diaphragms could very likely be made of 346 HYDROMETALLURGY OF COPPER asbestos products which would give satisfactory results. Such diaphragmsare now in commercial use in enormously large plant for the electrolysisof salt into chlorine and caustic soda, where the conditions are verym
The hydrometallurgy of copper . of acid copper slimes is not as easy as filteringcyanide slimes, nevertheless it should not present any very serious difficul-ties. Graphitized carbons have solved the practical difficulty of theanode when depositing copper from chloride solutions. Such anodesare strong and durable. Diaphragms could very likely be made of 346 HYDROMETALLURGY OF COPPER asbestos products which would give satisfactory results. Such diaphragmsare now in commercial use in enormously large plant for the electrolysisof salt into chlorine and caustic soda, where the conditions are verymuch more severe than in the electrolysis of cuprous chloride. The principal difficulty appears to be metallurgical. The solutionof large quantities of copper from a raw sulphide ore, with a somewhatindifferent solvent like cupric chloride, is a difficulty not easily with the present efficient mechanical furnaces is neither expen-sive nor difficult, and removes many of the objectionable elements from Cu,C], I?. \\\\--c^\\^\\\\\\\\\NN\\\NFig. 61.—Coehn cell for electrolyzing cuprous chloride. the ore. But even with roasted ore, it is questionable if the solventaction of cupric chloride would be sufficiently energetic to make a desir-able working process. To overcome the diaphragm difficulty in the Hoepfner process, Coehnproposed a gravity cell, which is interesting and ingenious, but under theconditions of practical copper electrolysis it is too delicate for operationand it is questionable, even with the utmost care, if it would ever lead to ELECTROLYTIC PROCESSES 347 working results, although it is well known that gravity cells are in suc-cessful operation in the electrolytic decomposition of salt. The cell suggested by Coehn is shown in Fig. 61. Coehn noticedthat in the electrolysis of cuprous chloride solution at a low currentdensity that the cupric chloride produced at the anode formed a specific-ally heavier solution than the cuprous chloride electrolyte.
Size: 1228px × 2035px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookidcu3192400467, bookyear1912
