In the non-ferrous metal smelting industry, copper electrolytic refining is the core link
in the production of high-purity copper cathode, and its process level directly affects
product quality and production costs. With the deep integration of Industry 4.0 technology,
modern electrolytic refinery is transforming from traditional manufacturing to “intelligent
factory”. In this paper, from the process design, equipment configuration, automation
systems and other dimensions, analyze the copper electrolytic refinery innovative
technology path and implementation strategy.
Technological breakthroughs in process design
1. Optimization of electrolysis tank system
Adopting double-plate compound electrolyzer structure, the effective volume of single
tank is increased to 5.5m³, the number of cathodes is increased to 72 pieces/tank, and
the utilization rate of anode is increased to 93%. Optimize the electrolyte flow rate
(0.15-0.25m/s) through CFD flow field simulation to ensure that the difference in copper
ion concentration gradient is less than 5g/L.
2. Electrolyte intelligent circulation system
Main circulation system: equipped with titanium alloy centrifugal pump (flow rate of 800m³/h),
with plate heat exchanger, temperature control precision ±0.5℃.
Purification module: three-stage filtration (activated carbon + resin adsorption + membrane
separation) to achieve organic additives removal rate of >98%.
Concentration closed-loop control: online XRF detector dynamically adjusts the concentration
of sulfuric acid (160-220g/L) and copper ions (40-50g/L).
3. Polar plate processing innovation
Fully-automatic stripping unit: robot positioning accuracy ±0.1mm, copper cathode stripping
efficiency up to 40 pieces/min.
Anode plate shaping line: hydraulic leveling machine with laser thickness gauge reduces the
residual electrode rate from 12% to 7%.
Core architecture of automation system
1. Central control platform
DCS (Distributed Control System) + MES (Manufacturing Execution System) dual-core architecture is
constructed to realize real-time monitoring of 2000+ I/O points in the whole plant. Integrate sub-systems
such as electrolyzer voltage monitoring (accuracy ±1mV), temperature sensing (±0.2℃), flow metering,
etc. through OPC UA protocol.
2. Intelligent electrolysis management
Dynamic current density regulation: automatically adjust the current (280-320A/m²) according to the
change of pole distance (8-12cm), and the DC power consumption is reduced to 2200kWh/t-Cu.
Short-circuit detection system: high-frequency current sensor (sampling rate 10kHz) can locate the
short-circuited pole plate within 0.5 seconds.
Deposition thickness prediction: deep learning model based on electrolyte composition and current
efficiency, thickness control accuracy ±0.3mm
3. Digital twin application
Establishment of 3D plant model, synchronized mapping of electrolyte flow field, temperature
field, electric field data, to achieve:
Process parameter simulation optimization: shorten the process debugging cycle by 60
Failure warning: Predict equipment abnormalities such as pumping unit bearing wear 48 hours in advance
Energy management: dynamic tracking of steam (0.8t), water (3.5m³) and electricity (2350kWh)
consumption per ton of copper cathode.
Intelligent upgrading of key equipment
1. Permanent cathode unit
Titanium master plate laser engraving technology: surface roughness Ra≤0.8μm,
extending service life to 12 years
Automatic conductive bar assembly: six-axis robot synchronization to complete positioning,
welding, testing, crop rate increased to 98%.
2. Electrolyte purification system
Cyclone electrolytic impurity removal device: arsenic, antimony, bismuth impurity removal
efficiency increased to 99.5%.
Evaporation and crystallization co-production line: annual output of 50,000 tons of copper
sulfate by-products, increasing comprehensive income by 15%.
3. Environmental protection treatment unit
Acid waste gas treatment: two-stage counter-current scrubber + selective catalytic reduction
(SCR), sulfur dioxide emissions <50mg/Nm³.
Zero wastewater discharge system: membrane concentration + electrodialysis combination
process, reuse water quality reaches GB/T 19923 standard.
Economic benefits and environmental value
1. Production index optimization
Current efficiency: upgraded from 94% to 96.5%, with an annual increase of 12,000 tons of
copper cathode (based on 200,000 tons of production capacity).
DC power consumption: decreased by 18% compared with the traditional process, with
annual power saving of 42 million kWh.
Labor cost: 40% reduction in plant-wide staffing, per capita production capacity exceeding 150 tons/year.
2. Environmental benefits
Heavy metal emission reduction: 55% reduction in electrolysis sludge generation, saving 3 million
RMB/year in hazardous waste disposal cost.
Carbon footprint: green power coupling ratio reached 30%, CO2 emission per ton of copper
reduced to 1.2t (industry average 1.8t)
Resource recovery: the recovery rate of gold and silver in anode sludge reaches 99.3%
and 99.1% respectively.
Future technology evolution direction
1. Deep integration of technology
Development of “electrolysis-extraction-electrowinning” triple process, direct recovery rate
increased to 99%.
Experimenting ionic liquid electrolysis system, breaking through the temperature limitation
of traditional sulfuric acid electrolyte.
2. Intelligent sensing upgrade
Deployment of fiber grating sensor network, real-time monitoring of electrolyzer stress deformation.
Introduced terahertz imaging technology to realize non-destructive inspection of
copper cathode grain structure.
3. Energy Structure Transformation
Construction of micro-grid system: photovoltaic + energy storage to meet 30% of
the power needs of the plant.
Hydrogen substitution: developing coupled technology of hydrogen production by
proton exchange membrane electrolysis.
4. Full Life Cycle Management
Apply blockchain technology to track the flow of copper cathode from mine to
electrolysis to terminal.
Developed an equipment health evaluation model to extend the overhaul cycle
of core equipment by 50%.
Conclusion
Intelligent reconstruction of copper electrolysis refinery is essentially to connect material flow and
energy flow through data flow to realize synergistic leap in quality, efficiency and environmental
protection. With the deep penetration of digital twin, advanced sensing, clean energy and other
technologies, the future plant will show a new form of “adaptive process control, zero human
intervention, ultra-low environmental load”. Under the double driving force of “double carbon”
target and global copper demand growth, intelligent electrolytic refining technology will become
the core support for high quality and sustainable development of non-ferrous metal industry.