In the field of copper hydrometallurgy, the efficiency of electrolysis
and electro-refining processes directly affects the capacity and cost
of metal purification. As technology advances, traditional electrolytic
starting plates are gradually being replaced by permanent stainless
steel cathodes. This innovative material, with its long life, high corrosion
resistance and stability, has become a key equipment for modern
metallurgical industry to reduce costs and increase efficiency. In this
paper, we will analyze its core technology composition and industry
application value.
Why permanent stainless steel cathode has become
the industry's new favorite?
In the traditional electrolysis process, the frequent replacement of soluble anode
and starting plate leads to high production cost and long downtime. The
permanent stainless steel cathode combines the three core components of
stainless steel plate, conductive rods and side strips through modular structural
design, realizing an ultra-long service cycle of more than 10 years. The
advantages are as follows:
Reduced downtime maintenance: no need to replace cathode plate
periodically, and the production efficiency is increased by more than 20%;
Reduced metal loss: more thorough copper stripping on cathode surface,
and the metal recovery rate is over 99.5%;
Adaptation to harsh environments: resistant to high temperatures (80℃+),
high acid (H2SO4 concentration of 150g/L+), and mechanical shocks.
Core component technology analysis
1. Stainless steel plate: metallurgical grade anti-corrosion barrier
Precision processing technology: 3mm ± 0.2mm thick stainless steel
substrate is used, cold rolled and polished, with the roughness controlled
at 0.16-0.60Ra (ASTM standard), to ensure the electrolytic copper is
uniformly deposited and easy to be peeled off;
Strengthened deformation-resistant design: Yield strength is enhanced
through heat treatment process, and the bending stiffness is up to the
industry's highest standard, with no warping in long-term use. Enhanced
anti-deformation design: heat treatment process to enhance the yield
strength, bending stiffness to the industry's highest standard, long-term use
without warping;
passivation film protection: chromium oxide passivation layer to resist
electrolyte corrosion, service life of more than 10 years.
2. Conductivity bar: high performance composite conductor
steel-copper composite structure: the outer layer of stainless steel coated with
high-purity copper core, extruded and rolled molding, straightness error ≤ 1mm / m,
to avoid uneven distribution of the current;
directional conductive design: only a single end of the exposed copper conductor,
the rest of the fully enclosed corrosion-resistant, conductive efficiency up to
270A / m ² when the pressure drop ≤ 12.5mV;
antipolarization treatment: inhibit the deposition of copper ions in electrolysis to
reduce the risk of short-circuit. Antipolarization treatment: inhibit copper ion
deposition during the electrolysis process, reduce the risk of short circuit.
3. Edge strip: weatherproof insulation shield
Polymer material innovation: polypropylene (PP) modified formula, temperature
range -20℃ to 120℃, anti-acid corrosion, anti-aging performance through 2000
hours of accelerated aging test;
Flexible structure design: can withstand the mechanical stress caused by the
electrolyzer thermal expansion and contraction, sealing performance increased by 50%;
Modular installation: Snap-in connector design, 2-minute quick replacement,
maintenance costs reduced by 70%. Modular installation: snap-in interface
design, quick replacement in 2 minutes, maintenance cost reduced by 70%.
Application Scenarios and Economic Benefits
In copper electrowinning and refining process, the permanent stainless steel
cathode can be adapted to a variety of electrolysis systems:
High-acid and high-copper electrolyte: suitable for heap leaching-extraction-
electrowinning (SX-EW) process, with a current efficiency up to 94%;
High-immurity system: tolerate arsenic, antimony and other impurity ions, with
a cathode copper purity up to 99.99% or more;
Large-scale continuous production: the cathode loading capacity of a single tank
is increased by 30%, and the energy consumption of tons of copper is reduced by
15%. Large-scale continuous production: single-slot cathode loading capacity
increased by 30%, copper energy consumption decreased by 15%.
According to industry statistics, after adopting this technology, the average
annual cost savings of enterprises include:
material cost: 90% reduction of cathode plate procurement expenditure;
labor cost: 80% reduction of maintenance man-hours;
energy cost: 300kWh/ton of copper reduction in DC power consumption.
Technology Trends and Industry Outlook
With the popularization of the green metallurgy concept, the low-carbon attributes
of permanent stainless steel cathode in the whole life cycle are further highlighted.
Future technology iterations include:
intelligent monitoring: integrated current sensor real-time detection of cathode status;
lightweight design: titanium alloy composite plate to reduce the dead weight of the equipment;
recycling cycle: stainless steel substrate recycling rate of more than 95%.
Conclusion
permanent stainless steel cathode is a revolutionary breakthrough to promote the
industry to efficient and sustainable direction of transformation. Its technological
maturity and large-scale application experience have made it the preferred solution
for global copper smelters. With the continuous upgrading of material science and
manufacturing processes, this technology will unleash even greater economic and
environmental value.