Cominco, Ltd.

Douwe Ybema

Clifford J Krauss

Robert E Manwell

Ronald N Honey

Richard T Chow

An insulator for supporting a spooled electrode contact bar and head bars of removable, alternating cathodes and anodes in an electrolytic cell. The insulator comprises an elongated body formed of a synthetic material having a longitudinal outwardly and downwardly sloping upper surface extending from a center line to the side edges of the body, a row of equi-spaced shoulders formed longitudinally on each upper surface adjacent to the said center line offset relative to each other, each row of shoulders having a transverse channel formed between each pair of adjacent shoulders for draining liquid towards a side edge of the body, a longitudinal V-shaped groove formed between the two rows of shoulders for supporting the spooled electrode contact bar between the rows of shoulders and a cavity formed in each upper surface opposite each shoulder between the shoulder and the respective edge of the body for receiving an insulating block therein for supporting one end of the electrode head bars.

Cell top insulator

In the process for electrowinning of zinc from acid zinc sulfate electrolyte, electrolyte is recirculated to the cells and a portion of the electrolyte is returned to the leaching operation of zinc-bearing material. By only returning electrolyte that overflows from electrolytic cells that contain new and/or recently cleaned anodes to the leaching operation, the amount of sludge in the cells can be reduced, the period between cleanings of cells can be lengthened and the amount of addition agent for controlling the lead content of deposited zinc can be reduced. Electrolyte overflowing from only those cells that contain new and/or recently cleaned anodes is diverted and kept separate from recirculating electrolyte from all other cells by providing separate means for collecting and transferring electrolyte to the leaching operation. Such means may consist of two separate overflow pipes in the cell overflow means, and shut-off means, whereby electrolyte can be directed either into the recirculation circuit or to the leaching operation, or both, as required.

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Trail, Canada

Douwe Ybema