Extractive metallurgy Electrowinning

By the criterion of productivity per unit of floor area, the pyrolytic iron blast furnace is very efficient at 20 tons of metal/m2 of floor area per day, whereas the electrolytic processes are quite poor, electrowinning of copper showing only 1/10 of a ton of metal/m2 of floor area per day. Many extractive metallurgy operations fall into the latter category (Hall cells, flotation... 

FIGURE 5.3 Contribution of SX/EW to world copper production. (From Wallis, T. L. and Chlumsky, G. F. 1999. In Copper leaching, solvent extraction, and electrowinning technology, Littleton, CO Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration. With permission.)... 

Sole, K. C. 1999a. Separation and purification of cobalt and nickel by solvent extraction. In Solvent extraction and electrowinning basic principles and applications. Johannesburg South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 

Davis, J.R. (ed.) (2001) ASM specialty Handbook. Coptper and Copper Alloys. ASM, Materials Park, OH. Gerald, V.,J. (ed.) (1999) Copper Leaching, Solvent Extraction Electrowinning Technology. Society for Mining Metallurgy Exploration, Littleton, CO. 

Kordosky, G. A. 2002. Copper recovery using leach/solvent extraction/electrowinning technology forty years of innovation, 2.2 million tones of copper annually. In Proceedings international solvent extraction conference, vol. 2, eds. K. C. Sole, P. M. Cole, J. S. Preston, and D. J. Robinson, 853-862. Johannesburg South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. 

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