SUPPORTED LIQUID MEMBRANE SEPARATORS FOR THE ELECTROWINNING OF METALS

ELECTROWINNING IS A PRIME METHOD FOR THE RECOVERY OF METALS FROM HYDROMETALLURGICAL OPERATIONS. IN MANY CASES THE ABILITY OF ELECTROWINNING IS LIMITED BY THE LACK OF HIGHLY SPECIFIC, LOW RESISTANCE SEPARATORS TO ISOLATE THE ANODIC AND CATHODIC PROCESSES. WE PROPOSE TO APPLY THE SUPPORTED LIQUID MEMBRANE (SLM) SEPARATOR CONCEPT, DEVELOPED BY CASTLE TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION FOR USE IN BATTERIES, TO THE ELECTROWINNING OF METALS. WE WILL EXPLORE THE FEASIBILITY IN CONNECTION WITH TWO OPERATIONS: (1) CUPROUS CHLORIDE ELECTROWINNING AND (2) TRANSFER WITHIN A CELL FROM CHLORIDE TO SULFATE ELECTROWINNING. SHAKE OUT TESTS WILL BEUSED TO DETERMINE ION LOADING CAPACITY, STABILITY TESTS WILLINSURE LACK OF DETERIORATION OF TRANSPORT AGENTS, ION TRANSFER RATES WILL DETERMINE SPECIFICITY OF TRANSPORT AND RESISTANCE MEASUREMENTS WILL MEASURE VOLTAGE DROP ACROSS THESEPARATOR AS A FUNCTION OF CURRENT DENSITY. DATA WILL BE USED TO ASSESS THE ABILITY OF THE SLM'S TO IMPROVE ELECTROWINNING TECHNOLOGY AND TO PREPARE A PHASE II PROPOSALFOR ELECTROLYTIC CELL STUDIES.