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Gallium Electrowinning in Complex Solutions Produced by a Zinc Hydrometallurgy System.
Jie Wang1, Fupeng Liu1, Bin Liao1
1School of Metallurgical Engineering, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, Jiangxi, China.
ACS Omega
|January 6, 2025
Summary
Impurities in zinc hydrometallurgy negatively impact gallium electrowinning. Zinc (Zn) significantly reduces cathode gallium purity, while aluminum (Al) affects current efficiency, with optimal conditions yielding 54.14% efficiency.
Area of Science:
- Metallurgy
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
Background:
- Gallium (Ga) recovery from lead-zinc ore utilizes a hydrometallurgical process involving leaching, extraction, and electrowinning.
- Impurities present in the ore, such as aluminum (Al), zinc (Zn), and hydroxide ions (OH-), adversely affect gallium electrowinning efficiency and product quality.
- These impurities can lead to increased hydrogen evolution and reduced mass transfer rates during electrowinning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the effects of Al, Zn, and OH- impurities on the gallium electrowinning process.
- To identify optimal conditions for efficient gallium separation and recovery within a zinc hydrometallurgy system.
- To provide insights for industrial-scale gallium production.
Main Methods:
- Electrochemical experiments were conducted to study gallium electrowinning in the presence of varying concentrations of Al, Zn, and OH-.
- Cathode product quality and current efficiency were measured under different impurity levels.
- Optimization of alkali concentration for maximum current efficiency was determined.
Main Results:
- Aluminum (Al) impurity did not affect cathode gallium product purity but decreased current efficiency.
- Zinc (Zn) impurity significantly impacted gallium electrowinning, reducing current efficiency and cathode product purity to approximately 99% when concentrations exceeded 1 g/L.
- Both low and high hydroxide ion (OH-) concentrations negatively affected the process, with maximum current efficiency of 54.14% achieved at 120 g/L NaOH.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the impact of impurities is crucial for optimizing gallium electrowinning.
- Zinc (Zn) is a critical impurity that must be controlled to ensure high-purity gallium production.
- Optimized conditions, particularly alkali concentration, are essential for efficient gallium recovery in industrial zinc hydrometallurgy.
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