New electrolyzer construction for electrolytic refining of black lead from technogenic and secondary materials has been developed.
Processed materials:
- non-ferrous metallurgy solid wastes (grind, cake, copper, zinc and lead production mattes);
- secondary raw materials – waste lead-acid batteries.
Electric refining being performed in molten salts results in formation of grade lead as a ready product at the cathode and lead ligature at the anode: lead-stibium and lead-bismuth with definite stibium and bismuth concentrations containing metal impurities.
Bipolar electrolyzer includes: frame made of heat resistant concrete, liquid metal anode and cathode, bipolar electrode, non-porous electroconductive diaphragm which divides space between anode and cathode. Electric scheme of the device allows setting the temperature in the range of 500-600 °С and the constant current intensity 300-1000 А. The electrolyzer construction provides continuous electrorefining operation (black lead loading and cathode metal uploading).
The bipolar electrolyzer with a current load of 500 and 1000 A was successfully tested in semi-industrial conditions. The C1 grade lead test benches (GOST 3778-98 lad content not less than 99,985 wt.%) and lead ligatures were obtained.
Advantages:
- Electrolyzer construction allows producing in a single operation pure metal which meets the world standards requirements related to controlled impurities concentration.
- High durability material for electrolyzer frame construction was proposed.
- Refining process efficiency increases due to the cathode current density rise.
- Electrolyzer operation reliability increases due to novel technological and construction concepts.
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Suggested construction can be used to design devices for large tonnage production.
