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Updated: Jun 29, 2025
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Accumulation and Analysis of Cuprous Ions in a Copper Sulfate Plating Solution
Published on: March 20, 2019
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Novel Additives in Copper Electrorefining-Small Laboratory Scale.
Patrycja Kowalik1,2, Dorota Kopyto1, Katarzyna Leszczyńska-Sejda1
1Łukasiewicz Research Network-Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals, Sowińskiego 5, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|March 28, 2024
Summary
A new ionic liquid combined with thiourea significantly improved copper electrorefining, achieving high current efficiency and low energy use. This combination outperformed traditional additives, offering a more sustainable process.
Area of Science:
- Electrochemistry
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Copper electrorefining is crucial for producing high-purity copper.
- Current additives have limitations in efficiency and sustainability.
- Novel organic substances offer potential for process improvement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate new organic substances as additives in copper electrorefining.
- To assess their impact on process indicators and cathode deposit quality.
- To compare their performance against industrial additives.
Main Methods:
- Laboratory-scale experiments using industrial copper anodes.
- Testing single doses and combinations of novel additives (ionic liquid, polyhexamethylenebiguanidine, safranin).
- Analysis of current efficiency, cell voltage, energy consumption, and cathode deposit morphology.
Main Results:
- Single additives did not improve process indicators or deposit quality.
- A combination of a novel ionic liquid and thiourea yielded 97% current efficiency.
- This combination resulted in a 0.110 V average cell voltage and ~100 kWh/tCu energy consumption.
- Smooth cathode surfaces were achieved, outperforming industrial additives like bone glue and thiourea.
Conclusions:
- The novel ionic liquid-thiourea combination shows significant promise for enhancing copper electrorefining.
- This additive system offers a more efficient and potentially sustainable alternative to current industrial practices.
- Further research is warranted to explore industrial scalability and application.
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