US2026035825A1PendingUtilityA1

Acid mist suppression in copper electrowinning

87
Assignee: FREEPORT MINERALS CORPPriority: Oct 7, 2021Filed: Oct 9, 2025Published: Feb 5, 2026
Est. expiryOct 7, 2041(~15.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:SANDOVAL SCOT PHILIPTALLMAN STANBERG LEESANDERS WILLIAM DUANEGEBREHIWOT EPHREM LEMLEMTYAB ARON
C25C 7/06C25C 1/12C25D 3/38Y02P10/20
87
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
0
References
0
Claims

Abstract

A method of acid mist suppression in copper electrowinning is described. In various embodiments, at least one liquid licorice root extract, powdered licorice root extract, or reconstituted licorice extract is added in an amount sufficient to the acidic electrolyte solution of the copper electrowinning process to suppress acid mist from the acidic electrolyte solution during the copper electrowinning process. In various embodiments, combinations of licorice extract and surfactant show synergies in acid mist suppression during copper electrowinning.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An aqueous electrolyte solution for use in a copper electrowinning process, the aqueous electrolyte solution comprising a reconstituted licorice root extract made by a process comprising the steps of:
 chopping licorice root into pieces;   exposing the resulting licorice root pieces to heated water to obtain a licorice root extract;   spray drying the licorice root extract to obtain a powdered licorice root extract; and   dissolving the powdered licorice root extract in water to obtain the reconstituted licorice root extract added to the aqueous electrolyte solution, wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution further comprises a cationic surfactant.   
     
     
         2 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution is configured to effectively suppress acid mist generation in the copper electrowinning process. 
     
     
         3 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 1 , wherein the reconstituted licorice root extract comprises from about 35 wt. % to about 45 wt. % powdered licorice root extract, based on a total weight of the reconstituted licorice root extract. 
     
     
         4 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 1 , wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution comprises a concentration of reconstituted licorice root extract in the range of about 10 ppm to about 30 ppm. 
     
     
         5 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 1 , wherein the powdered licorice root extract used in the process of making the reconstituted licorice root extract is characterized as having a pH of 4.5 to 6 for a 1 wt. % aqueous solution, a moisture content of about 3-7 wt. %, and a bulk density of about 0.5 g/mL. 
     
     
         6 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a non-fluorinated surfactant and a fluorinated surfactant. 
     
     
         7 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one surfactant is added to the aqueous electrolyte solution in an amount sufficient to provide acid mist suppression during the electrowinning process. 
     
     
         8 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one surfactant and the reconstituted licorice root extract added to the aqueous electrolyte solution provide synergistic acid mist suppression during the electrowinning process. 
     
     
         9 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 1 , wherein the cationic surfactant comprises a synthetic surfactant. 
     
     
         10 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one of 3,3′-oxybis(2-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid) and sodium C 9 -C 22  alkyl (secondary) sulfonate. 
     
     
         11 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 1 , wherein the process of making the reconstituted licorice root extract further comprises adding a preservative to the reconstituted licorice root extract after dissolving the powdered licorice root extract in water. 
     
     
         12 . The electrolyte solution of  claim 11 , wherein the preservative thus added to the reconstituted licorice root extract comprises from about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.2 wt. % of potassium sorbate or copper sulfate, based on a total weight of the reconstituted licorice root extract. 
     
     
         13 . A method of suppressing acid mist liberated from an aqueous electrolyte solution in a copper electrowinning process, the method comprising: adding a reconstituted licorice root extract to the aqueous electrolyte solution in an amount sufficient to provide acid mist suppression during the electrowinning process, wherein the reconstituted licorice root extract is made by a process comprising the steps of:
 chopping licorice root into pieces;   exposing the resulting licorice root pieces to heated water to obtain a licorice root extract;   spray drying the licorice root extract to obtain a powdered licorice root extract; and   dissolving the powdered licorice root extract in water to obtain the reconstituted licorice root extract added to the aqueous electrolyte solution, wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution further comprises a cationic surfactant.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the reconstituted licorice root extract added to the aqueous electrolyte solution comprises from about 35 wt. % to about 45 wt. % powdered licorice root extract, based on a total weight of the reconstituted licorice root extract. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution comprises a concentration of reconstituted licorice root extract in the range of about 10 ppm to about 30 ppm. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the powdered licorice root extract used in the process of making the reconstituted licorice root extract is characterized as having a pH of 4.5 to 6 for a 1 wt. % aqueous solution, a moisture content of about 3-7 wt. %, and a bulk density of about 0.5 g/mL. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the process of making the reconstituted licorice root extract further comprises adding a preservative to the reconstituted licorice root extract after dissolving the powdered licorice root extract in water. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the preservative thus added to the reconstituted licorice root extract comprises from about 0.1 wt. % to about 0.2 wt. % of potassium sorbate or copper sulfate, based on a total weight of the reconstituted licorice root extract. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising adding at least one of a fluorinated surfactant and a non-fluorinated surfactant to the aqueous electrolyte solution in an amount sufficient to provide acid mist suppression during the electrowinning process. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the cationic surfactant comprises a synthetic surfactant.

Cited by (0)

No later patents cite this yet.

References (0)

No backward citations on record.