1.

A copper electrorefining tankhouse operates at current density 300 A/m2 and the average cell voltage
between the anode and the cathode is 350 mV. Calculate the copper refining energy consumption in
kWh/kg when copper deposition current efficiency is 96%. What is the share of this electrical energy
from the total embodied energy? Total embodied energy can be found for example in GRANTA EduPack.

Answer:
Our starting values for this question are shown below:
• Current density (J) - 300 A/m2
• Cell voltage (V) - 0.35 V
• Current efficiency (η) - 96%
• Valency of Metal (z) – 2
• Atomic weight of Metal (M) – 63.546 g/Mol
• Faraday's constant (F) - 96485 C/mol.
The copper refining energy calculation going to be done by the 2 formulas which are derived
from formula (4) given in the homework instruction.

Step 1: calculating the electrochemical equivalent:

𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 𝑧𝑧 ∗ 𝐹𝐹 ⁄𝑀𝑀 ≈ 3036.7

Step 2: calculating copper refining energy consumption:

𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 ∗ 𝐸𝐸𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐
w = ≈ 1107.13 𝐽𝐽⁄𝑔𝑔 ≈ 0.3075 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘ℎ/𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
𝜂𝜂
Step 3: Based on the information taken from the GRANTA Edupack (fig. 1.) the share of copper
refining energy consumption from the total embodied energy can be calculated as between
1.78% and 1.97%.

Fig. 1.
2. In copper refining tankhouse the cathode plates are made of stainless steel, and copper is deposited
on them and removed mechanically after the plate has sufficient thickness. Using the current density 300
A/m2 and efficiency 96%, what is the cathode weight when it is stripped after 7-day deposit period?
Cathode surface area is 1 m2.

Answer:
Our starting values for this question are shown below:
• Current density (J) - 300 A/m2
• Area (A) - 1 m2
• Current efficiency (η) - 96%
• Valency of Metal (z) – 2
• Atomic weight of Metal (M) – 63.546 g/Mol
• Faraday's constant (F) - 96485 C/mol.
• Time (t) – 7 days

Step 1: calculating the electrochemical equivalent:

𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 𝑧𝑧 ∗ 𝐹𝐹 ⁄𝑀𝑀 ≈ 3036.7

Step 2: calculating the consumed charge:

𝑄𝑄 = 𝐼𝐼 ∗ 𝑡𝑡 = 18144𝐸𝐸4 𝐶𝐶
Step 3: calculating the theoretical weight of cathode:
𝑚𝑚𝑡𝑡 = 𝑄𝑄/𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 59749 𝑔𝑔
Step 4: calculating the real cathode weight when it is stripped after 7-day deposit period:
𝑚𝑚𝑟𝑟 = 𝑚𝑚𝑡𝑡 ∗ η ≈ 𝟓𝟓𝟓𝟓. 𝟑𝟑𝟑𝟑 𝐤𝐤𝐤𝐤

3. A copper electrowinning plant operates using current density 300 A/m2. The cell voltage is now 2.2
V, because the anode reaction is oxygen evolution instead of dissolution of copper. Calculate the energy
consumption in kWh/kg of deposited copper when cathodic current efficiency is 96%. What is the share of
this electrical energy from the total embodied energy?

Answer:
Our starting values for this question are shown below:
• Current density (J) - 300 A/m2
• Cell voltage (V) - 0.22 V
• Current efficiency (η) - 96%
• Valency of Metal (z) – 2
• Atomic weight of Metal (M) – 63.546 g/Mol
• Faraday's constant (F) - 96485 C/mol.

Step 1: calculating the electrochemical equivalent:

𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 𝑧𝑧 ∗ 𝐹𝐹 ⁄𝑀𝑀 ≈ 3036.7

Step 2: calculating copper refining energy consumption:

𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 ∗ 𝐸𝐸𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐𝑐
w = ≈ 6959.1 𝐽𝐽⁄𝑔𝑔 ≈ 1.93 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘ℎ/𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
𝜂𝜂
Step 3: Based on the information taken from the GRANTA Edupack (fig. 1.) the share of copper
refining energy consumption from the total embodied energy can be calculated as between
11.22% and 12.38%.
4. A copper electrorefining cell contains 36 cathodes and 37 anodes. From one anode batch three cathode
crops are deposited. Electrolysis operates at cathode current density 290 A/m2. The average weight of the
anodes is 350 kg, and scrap from one anode has average weight 52 kg. The average weight of the cathode is
50 kg and one cathode plate deposits two copper cathodes. The anode dimensions are 0.95 m x 0.95 m and
cathode dimensions 1.05 m x 1 m. The cathode deposition period is six days. Calculate the anodic and
cathodic current efficiencies.

Answer:

Our starting values for this question are shown below:

• Current density (J) - 290 A/m2
• Valency of Metal (z) – 2
• Atomic weight of Metal (M) – 63.546 g/Mol
• Faraday's constant (F) - 96485 C/mol.
• Number of anodes (𝑛𝑛𝐴𝐴 ) – 37 pcs
• Average weight of an anode (𝑚𝑚0𝐴𝐴 ) – 350 kg
• Anode area (𝐴𝐴𝐴𝐴 )) – 0.9025 m2
• Final weight of an anode (𝑚𝑚1𝐴𝐴 ) – 52 kg
• Number of cathodes (𝑛𝑛𝑐𝑐 ) – 36 pcs
• Average weight of a cathode (𝑚𝑚0𝐶𝐶 ) – 50 kg
• Cathode area (𝐴𝐴𝑐𝑐 ) – 1.05 m2
• Deposit period (t) – 6 days

Step 1: calculating the electrochemical equivalent:

𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒𝑒 = 𝑧𝑧 ∗ 𝐹𝐹 ⁄𝑀𝑀 ≈ 3036.7

Step 2: calculating anode and cathode weight change:

∆𝑚𝑚𝐴𝐴 = (𝑚𝑚1𝐴𝐴 − 𝑚𝑚0𝐴𝐴 ) ∗ 𝑛𝑛𝐴𝐴 = 11026 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘
∆𝑚𝑚𝐶𝐶 = 2 ∗ 3 ∗ 𝑛𝑛𝑐𝑐 ∗ 𝑚𝑚0𝐶𝐶 = 10800 𝑘𝑘𝑘𝑘

Step 3: calculating cell current:

𝐼𝐼𝑐𝑐 = 𝐽𝐽 ∗ 𝐴𝐴𝑐𝑐 ∗ 𝑛𝑛𝑐𝑐 ∗ 2 = 21924 𝐴𝐴

Step 4: calculating Total, Anode and Cathode charges:

𝑄𝑄𝑇𝑇 = 𝐼𝐼𝑐𝑐 ∗ 𝑡𝑡 ∗ 3 = 34096204800 𝐶𝐶
𝑄𝑄𝐴𝐴 = ∆𝑚𝑚𝐴𝐴 ∗ 𝑧𝑧 ∗ 𝑀𝑀/𝐹𝐹 = 33482630221 𝐶𝐶
𝑄𝑄𝐶𝐶 = ∆𝑚𝑚𝐶𝐶 ∗ 𝑧𝑧 ∗ 𝑀𝑀/𝐹𝐹 = 32796336512 𝐶𝐶

Step 5: calculating the anodic and cathodic current efficiencies:

𝑄𝑄𝐴𝐴
η𝐴𝐴 = ≈ 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗. 𝟐𝟐%
𝑄𝑄𝑇𝑇
𝑄𝑄𝐶𝐶
η𝐶𝐶 = ≈ 𝟗𝟗𝟗𝟗. 𝟐𝟐%
𝑄𝑄𝑇𝑇