Methods And Systems For Controlling Impurity Metal Concentration During Metallurgic Processes

摘要

Reagent compositions, methods and systems for reducing concentrations of impurity metals during metallurgic processes. Certain methods and systems in particular pertain to control of iron concentration in copper electrowinning electrolyte solutions.

主权项

1. A method of controlling an iron concentration in a copper extraction system, wherein the copper extraction system comprises a copper electrowinning station, the method comprising:
a. introducing a copper rich electrolyte into the copper electrowinning station and removing a copper lean electrolyte from the copper electrowinning station; b. determining an iron transfer to the copper electrowinning station; c. removing a bleed portion of the electrolyte solution from the copper electrowinning station at a bleed stream rate, and introducing bleed portion into an iron extraction stage that contacts the bleed portion with an organic solvent comprising an extraction agent comprising a monoalkyl phosphate ester having a structure represented by: wherein R1 comprises a linear, branched or cyclic alkyl or aryl group, and R2 and R3 are each H; and d. determining an iron removal of the iron extraction stage,
wherein the bleed stream rate is proportional to the ratio of the iron transfer and the iron removal.