Improving the Control and Management System for the Parameters of Electrolytic Copper Refining

Abstract

The use of modern automated control systems in the production of cathode copper provides the possibility of remote access to resources for monitoring and regulating the parameters of the electrolytic process, which determines the efficiency of production while reducing energy costs. Important parameters in the electrolytic refining of copper are the temperature and composition of the electrolyte, the circulation rate of the electrolyte, the level of sludge, the frequency of short circuits between the electrodes, and the current density, which directly affect the quality of the volume of the cathode deposit at the bottom of the electrolytic cell. The presence of short circuits in the bath is due to the growth of dendrites, which entails the need to control the voltage, composition, and temperature of the electrolyte, and to periodically analyze their composition and the accumulation of the volume of sludge sediment at the bottom of the electrolyzer. The intensification of the electrolysis process occurs mainly due to an increase in the current density, a decrease in the interelectrode distance, an improvement in the quality of the electrodes, an improvement in the electrolyte circulation system, with further mechanization and automation of the process itself and its auxiliary operations, leading to an increase in productivity. The purpose of this work is to expand the functions of the APCS by introducing sludge level control sensors to reduce irrecoverable losses in the presence of short circuits of dendritic sediment on the electrodes in the lower bottom of the electrolyzer using new software. A method for controlling the level of sludge sediment to prevent short circuits is considered, and a control program is developed using float-type level sensors for electrolyte and sludge sediment. This measure, when implemented, will reduce energy consumption by 15–20%, which can be useful for implementation in the electrolytic copper production shops at the Copper Smelting Plant (Lao Cai City, Socialist Republic of Vietnam).