Electrolyzer Having Increased Contact Specific Surface Area for the Recovery of Valuable Metals

Abstract

The present invention includes an electrolyzer having increased contact specific surface area for the recovery of valuable metals comprising a housing having a rear end with an inlet port, a front end with an outlet port, an internal space with a downwardly inclined bottom, a plurality of anodes arranged to divide the internal space in a widthwise direction, and a plurality of cathode units arranged to divide each space between adjacent anodes into two electrolytic spaces. Wastewater is introduced through the inlet port, sequentially passes through the electrolytic spaces, and is discharged through the outlet port such that valuable metals are recovered on the cathode units. Each of the cathode units has a first, second, and third cathode and cathode wires which fill the spaces among the first, third and second cathodes to increase the contact specific surface area of the wastewater introduced into the electrolyzer.

1 . An electrolyzer having increased contact specific surface area for the recovery of valuable metals, which has anodes and cathodes and recovers valuable metals by electro-depositing the valuable metals from wastewater by using electrolysis, the electrolyzer comprising:
 a housing having a rear end with an inlet port, a front end with an outlet port, and an internal space with a downwardly inclined bottom;   a plurality of anodes arranged within the housing such that each of the anodes divides the internal space of the housing in a widthwise direction; and   a plurality of cathode units interposed between the anodes to divide spaces between adjacent anodes into two electrolytic spaces,   wherein the wastewater introduced through the inlet port sequentially passes through the plurality of electrolytic spaces and is discharged through the outlet port, such that valuable metals are electro-deposited on the cathode units,   wherein each of the cathode units includes,
 (a) a first cathode disposed between the anodes such that the space between adjacent anodes is divided into two electrolytic spaces, formed in a plate structure dividing the internal space of the housing in a width direction, and that forms an overflow channel gap that allows wastewater to overflow through a space above the cathode unit, 
 (b) a second cathode that is formed in a plate shape having a net structure at a predetermined distance from a first side of the first cathode, 
 (c) a third cathode that is formed in a plate shape having a net structure at a predetermined distance from a second side of the first cathode opposite the first side of the first cathode, and 
 (d) cathode wires that are formed in a lump structure with an increase specific surface area that comes in contact with wastewater and that fill a first space formed by the second cathode and first cathode and a second space formed by the third cathode and first cathode, 
 wherein the valuable metals are electro-deposited and recovered to the cathode units having the cathode wires while wastewater introduced through the inlet port sequentially passes through the electrolytic spaces. 
   
     
     
         2 . The electrolyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the cathode units is formed in a plate structure dividing the internal space of the housing in the width direction, is inserted into the housing by sliding first and second sides of the cathode unit on inner surfaces of the housing, and
 an overflow channel gap is formed above each of the cathode units to allow wastewater to overflow.   
     
     
         3 . The electrolyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein the cathode wires are disposed in close contact and have a coil spring shape. 
     
     
         4 . The electrolyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein the cathode wires have a pot scourer structure formed by gathering together adjacent cathode wires. 
     
     
         5 . The electrolyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the anodes is disposed between adjacent cathode units or disposed between the inner wall of the front end or rear end of the housing and the cathode unit, is formed in a plate structure dividing the internal space of the housing in the width direction, is inserted in the housing by sliding first and second sides of the anode on inner surfaces of the housing, and has a lower end that forms a wastewater discharge channel gap. 
     
     
         6 . The electrolyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein the housing further includes:
 an external body that has a shape with upper and lower portions open, has the inlet port communicating with the outside at an upper portion of the rear end, and has the outlet port at an upper portion of the front end;   a lower cap that is combined with the lower portion of the external body and forms the downwardly inclined bottom of the housing; and   an upper cap that is combined with the upper portion of the external body to form a top of the housing and has one or more gas exhaust holes.   
     
     
         7 . The electrolyzer according to  claim 6 , wherein the external body further includes a plurality of first drain valves that communicates with an upper portion of the electrolytic spaces at an upper portion of a side wall. 
     
     
         8 . The electrolyzer according to  claim 6 , wherein the lower cap further includes a plurality of second drain valves that communicate with lower portions of the electrolytic spaces. 
     
     
         9 . The electrolyzer according to  claim 6 , wherein the housing further includes fluid blocking balls in the internal space which allow a gas to freely move and prevent wastewater from leaking by closing the gas exhaust hole in accordance with an internal pressure, and the upper cap further includes ball-retaining net fences that are formed in net structures to control free movement of the fluid blocking balls in the internal space of the housing by supporting the fluid blocking balls. 
     
     
         10 . The electrolyzer according to  claim 1 , wherein the anodes and the cathodes of the cathode units are made of unplated titanium.