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.
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®
1. Each EMEW® cell comprises 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.
2. 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.
EMEW Plate Cell®
3. 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.
EMEW Cell®
4. 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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Plating cells are harvested by removing the top and extracting the cathode.
The starter sheet is then replaced and the process starts again.
