Evaluation of the Effect of Air Sparging on the Performance of Industrial Copper Electrowinning

As part of a program to improve the profitability of operations at Quebrada Blanca, Chile, Teck is testing an air sparging system in their industrial copper electrowinning cells. This represents a unique opportunity to measure the effects of gas sparging on product quality and metal production cost, and to generate a predictive model to help optimize the operation of electrowinning cells employing gas sparging. The model generated will also aid in the understanding of how operating parameters affect the physical processes occurring within the reactors and help define the limits of those effects. The relevant sampling and performance evaluation methodologies developed during this project will be transferred to Teck's Zinc electrowinning operations at Trail, BC.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Eduard Guerra

Student:

Bruno Welte-Kern

Partner:

Teck Metals Ltd.

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

Mining and quarrying

University:

Laurentian University