The copper refined by electrolytic process primarily utilizes the principle of electrolysis to remove impurities from blister copper, thereby obtaining high-purity refined copper.
In the copper refined by electrolytic process, the first step is to use the blister copper as the anode, which is connected to the positive terminal of a direct current power supply. Meanwhile, pure copper is used as the cathode, connected to the negative terminal of the power source. The electrolyte chosen is a solution containing copper ions, typically copper sulfate solution (with a certain amount of sulfuric acid added to enhance conductivity).
Once the power supply is connected, the electrolysis begins. At the anode, copper and other more reactive metals than copper (such as zinc, iron, nickel, etc.) in the blister copper lose electrons, forming metal cations that enter the electrolyte. Specifically, copper loses electrons to form copper ions (Cu2+). Metals less reactive than copper at the anode, such as gold and silver, due to their more positive electrode potentials compared to copper, do not dissolve into the solution but instead settle at the bottom of the anode, forming anode slime.
At the cathode, copper ions (Cu2+) in the electrolyte gain electrons, are reduced to elemental copper, and deposit on the cathode. Thus, high-purity copper gradually precipitates on the cathode, known as cathode copper or electrowon copper.
Through copper refined by electrolytic process, impurities in copper are effectively removed, yielding very high-purity refined copper. This process not only increases the purity of copper but also realizes the effective utilization of resources, as the precious metals and other valuable metals contained in the anode slime can be further refined and recovered.
This method ensures that the resulting copper has a significantly higher purity level, making it suitable for various applications requiring high-quality copper.
