Method for monitoring the quality of zinc sulfate electrolyte containing antimony (V).

摘要

Certain continuous methods for monitoring the quality of ZnSO₄ electrolyte lose sensitivity when the electrolyte contains Sb (V). The sensitivity can be increased by electrochemically reducing Sb (V). A sample of electrolyte which contains impurities including Sb (V) and which may also contain polarization affecting agents is passed through a test cell containing an elongated moving cathode having a predetermined area exposed to the electro­lyte, an anode and a reference electrode. A substantially constant current in the range of 0.01 to 0.20 A/cm² is applied to the electrodes and the cathode is moved with a speed sufficient to obtain measured values of the cathode polarization potential of zinc deposition on zinc. The measured values are related to the concentrations of impurities, polarization affecting agents, or both and to the concentration ratio between impurities and polarization affecting agents, and the process for zinc recovery is adjusted in response to these relations to obtain optimum zinc recovery.