As the core link of non-ferrous metal industry, copper electrolysis
plant is undergoing a profound change from traditional
manufacturing to intelligent production. Driven by the
“Double Carbon” target and Industry 4.0, automation and
digitalization technologies have become the core engine
for improving electrolysis efficiency, reducing energy consumption
and realizing green transformation. In this paper, we will discuss the
intelligent upgrading path of copper electrolysis plant, the application
of key technologies and the future trend of the industry, to provide
strategic reference for practitioners.
First, the challenges of copper electrolysis process and
the inevitability of automation transformation
Traditional copper electrolysis plant has long faced three major pain points:
High energy consumption: electrolysis accounts for more than 60% of the energy
consumption of the whole process, and the power consumption of tons of
copper is more than 2,500 kWh;
Rough process control: relying on manual experience to adjust the current
density, electrolyte temperature and other parameters, the purity fluctuation
rate is as high as ±0.3%;
Intensified pressure on environmental protection: the cost of acidic exhaust gas
and heavy metal wastewater treatment is climbing, and the environmental
protection investment of some enterprises accounts for more than 15%
of the total cost.
The introduction of automation technology, through data-driven and
intelligent decision-making, systematically solve the above problems.
According to industry estimates, intelligent transformation can improve
the electrolysis efficiency by 8%-12%, reduce the production cost of
tons of copper by 20%, and reduce carbon emissions by more than 30%.
Second, copper electrolysis plant automation
technology architecture and core modules
Modern intelligent electrolysis plant to build “perception - analysis -
implementation” closed-loop system, the key technologies include:
1. Intelligent electrolyzer control system
High-precision sensor network: real-time collection of key data such
as tank voltage (accuracy ±0.5mV), electrolyte temperature (±0.1℃),
Cu²⁺ ion concentration;
Adaptive PID algorithm: dynamically adjust the output of DC power
supply, stabilize the current density in the optimal range of 280-320A/m²,
and compress the fluctuation rate of copper cathode purity to ±0.05%;
Pole distance automatic adjustment device: control the distance between
cathode and anode plates through servo motor (precision ±0.2mm),
reduce short-circuit loss, current efficiency breaks through 97%.
2. Digital twin and process optimization platform
Based on 3D modeling technology to build digital mirror of electrolysis
workshop, simulating electrolyte flow field distribution and ion migration path;
Machine learning algorithm analyzes historical production data and
predicts the best additive ratios (e.g. gelatin, thiourea) to reduce
anode mud adhesion;
Process parameter self-optimization module iterates more than 500
times per year to continuously improve the target metal recovery
rate (e.g., gold and silver recovery rate increased to 99.2%).
3. Energy management and environmental protection synergy system
Intelligent grid real-time matching of peak and valley tariffs,
electrolyzer cluster scheduling saves energy by 15%-20%;
Linkage control of waste gas treatment devices: SO₂ capture
efficiency reaches 99.8%, acidic waste water recycling rate exceeds 95%;
Carbon footprint monitoring platform automatically generates
emission reports to meet ESG regulatory requirements.
4. Predictive maintenance and safety control
Vibration sensor + acoustic recognition technology warns of
electrode breakage, busbar overheating and other faults 48
hours in advance;
AR inspection system automatically identifies electrolyzer leakage
and crystallization anomalies, increasing response speed by 70%;
Personnel positioning and gas monitoring module realizes zero
misentry in dangerous areas, and the annual safety accident rate drops by 90%.
Third, the industry value reconstruction
brought by automation upgrading
Economic Benefit Breakthrough
Current efficiency increased from 92% to 96%, and power
consumption per ton of copper dropped to below 2,200 kWh;
The rate of A-grade copper cathode jumped from 88% to 98%,
and the premium per ton increased by 500-800 yuan;
Overall equipment efficiency (OEE) increased by 25%, and
capacity utilization exceeded 90%.
Green manufacturing on the ground
Through the electrolyte closed loop and waste heat recovery,
the single plant saves over 500,000 tons of water annually;
Intelligent sulfur capture system reduces SO₂ emissions by over
10,000 tons/year, equivalent to the carbon sink capacity of
planting 300,000 trees;
The processing capacity of recycled copper raw materials has
been increased by 3 times, pushing the resource recycling rate towards 40%.
Production mode innovation
The “Black Light Factory” realizes unmanned operation of
electrolysis workshop and reduces operation cost by 30%;
5G+MEC edge computing supports millisecond control
command transmission, making cross-base cooperative production possible;
Blockchain technology opens up the data chain of
“mine-electrolysis-processing” and improves the efficiency of
raw material traceability by 90%.
Fourth, the future trend: from automation
to full chain intelligence
AI-driven process revolution
Reinforcement learning algorithms independently explore new
electrolysis formulations (e.g., high-arsenic copper concentrate
treatment process), breaking through the limits of traditional processes;
Quantum computing simulates molecular-level electrolysis
reactions, shortening the development cycle of new materials by 60%.
Zero-carbon plant construction
Photovoltaic + energy storage system covers 50% of the plant's
electricity consumption, and green power electrolysis technology
reduces the carbon footprint of tons of copper to 1.2 tons of CO₂;
Hydrogen energy replaces natural gas for anode furnace heating,
realizing zero emission in the heating process.
Industrial Synergy Ecology
Built an industrial internet platform for copper smelting, accessing
more than 1,000 upstream and downstream enterprises, and
increasing the efficiency of capacity matching by 40%;
Intelligent contracts automatically execute cross-border raw
material procurement and electrolytic copper futures
hedging to avoid the risk of price fluctuations.
Conclusion
The automation upgrade of copper electrolysis plant is not only the
technological transformation of a single link, but also the core
driving force to push the non-ferrous metal industry to evolve in
the direction of high efficiency, low carbon and safety. With the
deep integration of digital twins, AI models, clean energy and
other technologies, the future intelligent electrolysis plant will
achieve the ultimate goal of “process self-optimization,
resource self-cycling, energy efficiency self-balancing”, providing
a solid material guarantee for the global energy transition and
high-end manufacturing. For industry participants, seizing the
high point of intelligent technology will become a key battle
to define the competitiveness of the next-generation industry.