Equipment for separating organics from an electrolytic stream in electrowinning process of sx/ew plants and process thereto

Abstract

A compact, light, and continuous-process apparatus for filtering impurities and separating organics contained in an electrolyte stream feeding an electrowinning cell, the apparatus includes an outer body having an octagonal tubular piece, a rear cover and rims or flanges, and an inner body having support housing, a common cover, at least one perforated or slotted tube and at least one high-contract surface filler. The apparatus also includes a rich electrolyte input, a rich electrolyte output, a contaminated electrolyte output, a lower flow input chamber, a mid-chamber for filtered electrolyte output, an upper chamber, and a lower distribution chamber.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 : A compact, light, and continuous-process apparatus for filtering impurities and separating organics contained in an electrolyte stream feeding an electrowinning cell, the apparatus comprising:
 a first outer body including:
 an octagonal tubular piece; 
 a rear cover; and 
 rims or flanges; 
   a second inner body including:
 support housing; 
 a common cover; 
 at least one perforated or slotted tube; 
 at least one high-contact surface filler; 
   a rich electrolyte input;   a rich electrolyte output;   a contaminated electrolyte output;   a lower flow input chamber;   a mid-chamber for filtered electrolyte output;   an upper chamber; and   a lower distribution chamber.   
     
     
         2 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the lower flow input chamber is separated from the mid-chamber for filtered electrolyte output by means of a plate. 
     
     
         3 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the mid-chamber for filtered electrolyte output is separated from the upper chamber of the apparatus by means of a plate. 
     
     
         4 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is made of composites materials, preferably fiberglass with environment-resistant resins 
     
     
         5 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus operates at pressures higher than atmospheric pressure, preferably below  5  bars. 
     
     
         6 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus operates at temperatures between 25° C. and 65° C. 
     
     
         7 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte flow received is equivalent to that received by each electrowinning cell. 
     
     
         8 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the contact apparatus is openable at one end for cleaning the high-contact surface filler and removing solids retained in the mesh of the lower flow input chamber. 
     
     
         9 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the contact apparatus installable only at an angle of at least 0.5° with regard to its length, making the highest point with respect to the horizontal position to be that of the contaminated electrolyte output. 
     
     
         10 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the outer body is larger than the inner body so as to accommodate the inner body in the outer body. 
     
     
         11 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the rims or flanges are configured to fix the inner body to the outer body. 
     
     
         12 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the support housing contains inside at least one perforated or slotted tube and at least one high-contact surface filler. 
     
     
         13 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the high-contact surface filler promotes coalescence of the present organics. 
     
     
         14 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the support housing forms a longitudinally symmetrical conduit in its vertical plane 
     
     
         15 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 11 , wherein the longitudinal symmetrical conduit has, at its upper edges, an inward curvature forming a rim so as to contain the high-contact surface filler. 
     
     
         16 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the perforated or slotted tube is located inside the lower distribution chamber. 
     
     
         17 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the perforated or slotted tube is configured to distribute the electrolyte in the bottom of the high-contact surface filler from the bottom up. 
     
     
         18 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the high-contact surface filler is made of composite materials, PVC or plastics with resistance to environment and to typical temperature and pressure conditions of the apparatus. 
     
     
         19 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the high-contact surface filler comprises a plurality of flat or slotted plates. 
     
     
         20 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 19 , wherein the flat or slotted plates are separated by a distance of about 20 mm from each other. 
     
     
         21 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the organics separated inside the high-contact surface filler float and are accumulated on the surface against the upper chamber of the apparatus and then exit the contaminated electrolyte output. 
     
     
         22 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the electrolyte flows from the bottom of said high-contact surface filler to the top. 
     
     
         23 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the weight is about 25 kilograms. 
     
     
         24 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus operates between a rich electrolyte manifold and the electrowinning cell. 
     
     
         25 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the apparatus may be placed against or under each electrowinning cell. 
     
     
         26 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the rich electrolyte input is connected via a flexible hose to the rich electrolyte manifold. 
     
     
         27 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the lower flow input chamber has a mesh made of stainless steel or any other material resistant to the environment to retain impurities. 
     
     
         28 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the treated electrolyte output feeds the electrowinning cell. 
     
     
         29 : The compact apparatus as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the contaminated electrolyte output is preferably connected to a poor electrolyte manifold or to the poor electrolyte output of the electrowinning cell. 
     
     
         30 : A method using a compact, light, and continuous-process apparatus for separating organics contained in an electrolyte stream feeding an electrowinning cell, the method comprising:
 introducing a rich electrolyte from a pressure rich electrolyte manifold to the apparatus through an input;   introducing the rich electrolyte into a lower distribution chamber;   retaining impurities in a mesh inside the lower distribution chamber;   distributing the electrolyte in perforated or slotted tubes;   pushing the electrolyte upwards using the perforated or slotted tubes;   introducing the electrolyte into the filler from below;   separating the electrolyte when it travels through the filler to the upper chamber;   overflowing the filler with the treated electrolyte, where the treated electrolyte falls down sides of the inner body for the liquid to move;   moving the treated electrolyte through openings so as to enter the mid-chamber;   moving the treated electrolyte through the filtered liquid output so as to exit the mid-chamber;   introducing the treated electrolyte into the electrowinning cell;   recovering the organics in the filler float on the surface of the liquid in the upper chamber;   moving the recovered organics through the organic phase output with some amounts of electrolyte;   introducing the recovered organics into the poor electrolyte manifold.