Kurion UK EMEW Presentation

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SOLUTIONS TO POLLUTION
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EMEW Electrowinning
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Conventional electrowinning involves placing an
anode and cathode into a bath of slowly
circulating or stagnant electrolyte. The metal
ions eventually make their way to the cathode to
be plated.
Anode (ve)
Cathode (-ve)
With EMEW, the electrolyte is circulated rapidly
past the anode and cathode at a higher flow rate,
allowing for improvements in efficiency and
recovery.
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EMEW Cell
Each EMEW cell comprises of a 6 or 8 inch pipe
made of stainless steel or PVC. The cathode area
in each cell is 0.5m² for the 6 inch cell, or 1m²
for the 8 inch cell. The ANODE runs through the
centre of the cell. The Inside surface of the
pipe is the CATHODE.
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EMEW Cell
There are two types of EMEW cell. One produces
metal plate, the other produces metal powder
In the powder cell the Anode has a larger
diameter and a smaller electrode gap.
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EMEW Plate Cell
For plating cells a Starter Sheet, usually made
of stainless steel, is slid inside the body of
the EMEW cell The metal being recovered is
plated onto this removable/reusable starter sheet
when current is passed between the ANODE and the
CATHODE.
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EMEW Cell
The electrolyte is pumped through the cell from
the bottom.
Power is applied to the cell between the ANODE
CATHODE.
Metal then begins to plate, or forms as powder,
on the CATHODE
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Harvesting The Metal
Powder cells are harvested automatically using a
flush through methodology.
This flush harvesting is controlled by a PLC and
is fully automatic
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Harvesting The Metal
Plating cells are harvested by removing the top
and extracting the cathode.
The starter sheet is then replaced and the
process starts again