In the field of precious metals refining, the gold electrolysis system is experiencing a profound
change from experience-driven to data-driven. With the deep integration of Internet of Things
technology and intelligent algorithms, the traditional electrolysis workshop technician holding
test paper to detect the electrolyte is being replaced by a 24-hour on-line multi-parameter
monitoring system; process control relying on the master to “see the fire” is being transformed
into an autonomous optimization of the digital twin platform. This silent technological revolution
is reshaping the industrial pattern of gold refining.
Intelligent transformation of gold electrolysis process
The traditional electrolysis process faces multiple technical bottlenecks. Fluctuations in the
concentration of gold ions in the electrolyte often lead to uneven cathodic deposition, manual
sampling and testing there is a 4-6 hour lag, resulting in each batch of gold purity fluctuations
of up to 0.3 ‰. Electrolyzer voltage adjustment relies on manual experience, energy efficiency
is 18%-25% lower than the theoretical value. A refinery statistics show that manual operation
leads to precious metal retention accounted for 0.7% of the annual output, equivalent to the
annual loss of 1.2 tons of silver equivalent.
Intelligent sensing technology breakthroughs bring a key turnaround. The online mass spectrometer
can monitor the concentration of 8 kinds of metal ions in the electrolyte in real time, and the
detection accuracy reaches ppb level; the infrared thermal camera captures the temperature field
distribution of the electrolysis tank with a resolution of 0.1℃; and the electromagnetic flowmeter
realizes the millilitre-level accurate measurement of the circulating volume of electrolyte. After the
application of new sensors in a project, the response time for electrolyte composition adjustment
was shortened from 3 hours to 15 minutes.
Automated equipment restructures the production process. The mechanical arm accurately completes
the loading and disassembling of the pole plate, and the positioning error is ≤0.5mm; the AGV trolley
realizes unmanned transfer of materials throughout the whole process; the intelligent cleaning system
identifies the cleanliness of the pole plate through machine vision, and the cleaning water consumption
is reduced by 40%. After the introduction of automated production line in a gold refinery, the
processing efficiency of the pole plate has been increased by 3 times and the manual intervention
has been reduced by 70%.
Innovative Practice of Intelligent Technology in Electrolysis Process
The intelligent breakthrough of electrolysis process control is remarkable. Through fuzzy PID algorithm, the
adaptive control system controls the tank voltage fluctuation within the range of ±0.05V, and the current
efficiency is improved to 98.5%. After the application of machine learning model in a system, the uniformity
of gold powder deposition is improved by 40%, and the variance of cathode deposition rate is reduced from
12% to 3%. The digital twin platform simulates the electrolysis process in real time and warns the risk of
concentration polarization 6 hours in advance.
The quality control system has been upgraded in the whole process: X-fluorescence online analyzer detects the
cathode gold purity every 10 minutes, and the data is directly connected to the DCS system; the machine vision
system identifies the microstructure of the gold deposition layer, and the defect detection rate is 99.7%; the
blockchain traceability system records 23 process parameters for each gram of gold. After an enterprise
applied intelligent quality inspection, the product color pass rate increased from 99.2% to 99.98%.
Energy efficiency management system creates green value. Intelligent power distribution devices optimize power
supply waveforms in real time, reducing power consumption by 85kW-h per ton of gold; waste heat recovery
systems increase the efficiency of electrolyte heat conversion to 75%; intelligent recycling devices for process
water reduce the amount of new water replenishment by 60%. A project saves 1,200 tons of standard coal and
reduces 3,100 tons of carbon dioxide annually through the energy IoT platform.
Future Evolutionary Direction of Intelligent Electrolysis System
Algorithms for process optimization continue to evolve. The deep learning model can predict the best combination
of electrolysis parameters for different raw materials through 100,000 sets of historical data training; the
reinforcement learning algorithm independently explores a new scheme of pulse electrolysis, and the deposition
efficiency is increased by 15%. The digital twin interacts with the physical system in real time, pushing the process
parameters dynamically close to the theoretical extreme value.
The level of equipment intelligence has been developed in depth. The self-cleaning electrolysis tank is equipped
with ultrasonic vibration plate device, which extends the continuous operation cycle by 3 times; the modular design
realizes flexible adjustment of production capacity, and the utilization rate of the equipment is increased by 25%;
and the service life of the ceramic-based composite anode material exceeds 12,000 hours. After the application
of a new type of electrolyzer, the recovery rate of precious metals increased by 0.3 percentage points.
Green production is deeply integrated with intelligent technology. The electrolysis waste gas treatment system
intelligently adjusts the pH value of absorbing liquid, and the cyanide removal rate is stable at over 99.9%; the
zero wastewater discharge system optimizes the membrane separation parameters through AI, and the reuse
water quality reaches the standard of GB5749; the intelligent sorting device of hazardous wastes improves the
recovery rate of gold-containing wastes by 80%. An intelligent plant realized a 42% decrease in environmental
protection cost for tons of gold.
In the critical period of transformation and upgrading of the precious metal refining industry, intelligence has
evolved from an auxiliary tool to a core competitiveness. When the millennium smelting wisdom meets modern
digital technology, the catalyst is not only a quantitative change in process efficiency, but also a qualitative
change in production mode. Those enterprises that integrate the intelligent control system, digital twin platform
and green manufacturing technology in depth are seizing the high ground in the wave of digitization of precious
metal refining. This technological innovation, which began in the electrolyzer, will eventually redefine the future
picture of the gold refining industry.