Formation of Dendritic Copper Deposit under Industrial Electrolysis

Abstract

The paper examines variation in structural characteristics of copper deposit in the electrolysis process. In spite of the extensive post-electrolysis treatment, the properties of finished products are greatly dependent on the structure of particles formed during electrolysis. A method to monitor electrochemical crystallization of the dendritic copper deposit in an industrial electrolytic cell is described. The governing equation is completed with a parameter for a 95% mean current efficiency of the copper deposit to use the model of dendritic growth on a cylindrical electrode to describe the crystallization of brittle copper. The method combines video-recording of the dendritic deposit growth and plotting of the time dependence of cathodic overpotential. The data are processed to show the variation in the structural parameter of the dendritic deposit and to reliably determine the period between removal of the power from the cathode to decrease the yield of cathodic scrap and increase the powder homogeneity.