Quadna, Inc.

Other

Manuel G Santoyo

Graeme Alexander

David Watson

Michael P Dwyer

James A Murray

Ron Tix

Stephen R Lopez

Dale F Halter

A one-piece edge strip to be mounted on the bottom edge of a cathode used in electrolysis has a channel running longitudinally of the edge strip. The channel is designed to receive the bottom edge of the cathode. The edge strip is provided with a receptacle at either end of the channel, and each receptacle can accommodate an end portion of an edge strip mounted on a side edge of the cathode.

Edge protector for electrowinning electrode

A corner insert for edge strips used with modified electrodes for electrolytic processes. An electrode that is at least partially submerged in an electrolyte is protected by edge strips to prevent depositions and metallic bridges. The edge strips are typically mitered to abut one another at the corners of the electrode and it is difficult to seal this junction. One solution is to remove the corners of the electrode, provide non-mitered edge strips, and close the gap at the corner with an insert adapted to seal to the additional edges of the electrode created by removing the comers. Another solution is to provide a corner insert having one or more anchors for anchoring the corner insert to the electrode and to respective adjacent edge strips, the corner insert sealing against the edge strips and against opposite sides of the electrode whether or not the corner portion has been removed. Yet another solution is to omit an edge strip at the bottom edge of the electrode, and provide an edge strip insert having an anchor for anchoring the edge strip insert to the electrode and to an edge strip which receives the anchor, the edge strip insert for sealingly seating against the edge strip and against opposite sides of the electrode whether or not the corner portion has been removed.

Corner insert for edge strips used with modified electrodes for electrolytic processes

An arrangement for spacing electrodes used in the electrowinning of copper includes two identical spacers which are designed to be mounted in an opening of an anode. Each spacer is elongated and has two ends which respectively face upward and downward during use. The upward facing end includes a confining surface which confronts a major surface of the anode on which the spacer is mounted and a sliding surface which faces away from the confining surface and has a slope. The confining surface and the sliding surface meet at a knife-edge which again faces upward during use. When the anode on which the spacer is mounted is immersed in an electrolytic bath and a cathode is lowered into a position adjacent to the anode, the knife-edge prevents the cathode from becoming caught on the spacer should the cathode be lowered onto the spacer. In addition, the sliding surface allows the cathode to slide towards its position. The two spacers have cooperating parts at their downward facing ends for locking the spacers to one another.

Arrangement for spacing electrowinning electrodes

An electrode assembly for the electrowinning of copper includes an electrode in the form of a plate. An edge strip is mounted on one edge of the electrode and serves to mask the edge from an electrolyte in which the assembly is immersed. A gap exists between the edge strip and the electrode on either side of the electrode. A sealing strip is located in each gap, and the sealing strips are discrete from the electrode and the edge strip. The sealing strips are resilient and can be stretched to remove the sealing strips from the gaps so that the sealing strips can be replaced.

Electrode assembly for electrowinning

A nonconductive insert is provided to fill the void resulting from the removal of mother-plate corners wrapped within the abutting ends of side and bottom edge strips. The insert includes at least one anchor, adapted to frictionally engage the end of a strip mounted along the edge of the mother plate. The insert and its anchors are designed to completely fill the void left by the missing mother-plate corner, thereby preventing penetration of electrolyte and accumulation of deposits. According to other embodiments of the invention, the insert may be incorporated into the edge-strip end as an integral component of the strip.

An electrode edge protector includes two distinct components that cooperate to provide a tight and durable fit over the edge of an electrode. The first component is an elongated core member with a longitudinal slot for receiving the edge of the electrode. This core member is made of relatively flexible material and includes multiple transverse perforations for housing retaining pins passed through corresponding holes in the electrode plate in substantially the same manner as in conventional edge strips. The second component is an elongated sleeve with a cross-section conforming to the geometry of the core member so as to provide a snug support structure that wraps around the core and contains the pins in place. The sleeve is made of relatively rigid material that is inert to the electrolytic solution.

Electrode edge strip with interior floating retaining pins

An electrolytic processing tank contains alternating cathodes and anodes. Each anode carries a sealing unit on either side thereof. The sealing units include flexible U-shaped sealing members which are in surface contact with neighboring cathodes. A sealing member which is T-shaped as seen in an end view is positioned adjacent the end of each anode. Each T-shaped member has a leg whose thickness is the same as that of the anodes, and a crosspiece which extends partway along the leg. The leg is aligned with a neighboring anode, and the end of the leg remote from the crosspiece abuts the anode. The crosspiece projects beyond the opposite end of the leg to form a flexible flap which establishes a seal with a wall of the processing tank. The crosspieces of neighboring T-shaped members overlap one another.

Preventing escape of vapor or gas from electrolytic systems

An electrode assembly for use in electrowinning includes a cathode in the form of a plate. The cathode has a pair of parallel vertical edges, and a horizontal bottom edge which runs between the vertical edges and defines respective corners therewith. An edge strip is mounted on each of the vertical edges as well as on the bottom edge. The bottom edge strip has an end at either corner, and each end of the bottom edge strip is in abutment with the lower end of the adjoining vertical edge strip. A corner protector is located at each corner and has a vertical channel which receives the lower end of the respective vertical edge strip, a horizontal channel which receives the respective end of the bottom edge strip, and a cutout which receives the cathode.

Growing community of inventors

Tucson, AZ, United States of America

Manuel G Santoyo