Cyclone high-speed electrolyzer using high-speed turbulence, method for recovering valuable metals using the same, and valuable metals recovered therefrom

Abstract

A cyclone high-speed electrolyzer using the high-speed turbulence, a method for recovering a valuable metal using the same, and a valuable metals recovered therefrom are provided, by applying a cyclone high-speed electrolytic recovery method to suppress the increase in concentration polarization caused by the rise in activation polarization and the growth of the diffusion layer, which are issues of conventional electrolytic recovery methods. In the cyclone high-speed electrolytic recovery method, a helical downward vortex is generated along the wall of the cyclone electrolyzer to accelerate the electrolyzer at high speed, forming a high-speed turbulent flow. This high-speed turbulence reduces the diffusion layer, significantly improving electrolytic efficiency and remarkably increasing the recovery rate of valuable metals.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cyclone high-speed electrolyzer using high-speed turbulence for electrolytic recovery of valuable metal, the electrolyzer comprising:
 an anode in a shape of a rod; and   a cathode including a receiving hole for accommodating the anode to form a reaction space between the anode and the cathode,   wherein an area ratio of the anode to the cathode in the reaction space is Anode/Cathode=1˜100,   wherein a diameter ratio of Do (overflow) to Du (underflow) is Do/Du=0.001˜1,   wherein a cross section of the anode is circular, and   wherein a cross section of the receiving hole is circular, and the anode is eccentrically positioned in the receiving hole.   
     
     
         2 . The electrolyzer of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a turbulent flow velocity of the cyclone high-speed electrolyzer using high-speed turbulence is 8 to 10 m/s.   
     
     
         3 . The electrolyzer of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a helical downward vortex is generated along a wall of the electrolyzer to accelerate the electrolyzer at high speed, thereby forming a high-speed turbulent flow, and   wherein the high-speed turbulent flow reduces a diffusion layer to significantly improve electrolytic efficiency, thereby remarkably increasing a recovery rate of the valuable metal.   
     
     
         4 . The electrolyzer of  claim 1 ,
 wherein a maximum distance between the anode and the cathode in the reaction space is 2 to 100 times a minimum distance.   
     
     
         5 . The electrolyzer of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the reaction space is supplied with an acid leaching agent of hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, or organic acid.   
     
     
         6 . The electrolyzer of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the cathode is formed with a feed configured to introduce a reactant into the reaction space in a diagonal direction.   
     
     
         7 . The electrolyzer of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the anode is made of stainless steel, graphite, or platinum,   wherein the cathode is made of titanium coated with iridium, and   wherein the anode includes a plurality of cylindrical grooves.   
     
     
         8 . The electrolyzer of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the valuable metal is gold, platinum, palladium, silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, or manganese.   
     
     
         9 . The electrolyzer of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the valuable metal is leached and recovered simultaneously or separately during a process of the electrolytic recovery, and   wherein a recovery rate of the valuable metal is 98 to 99.99 wt %.   
     
     
         10 . A method for recovering valuable metal using the cyclone high-speed electrolyzer using high-speed turbulence of  claim 1 , the method comprising steps of:
 (a-1) adding a reaction solution containing valuable metal ions to the reaction space of the cyclone high-speed electrolyzer using high-speed turbulence to perform an electrolytic refining reaction;   (a-2) observing current density and reduction form of the valuable metal depending on a distance between the anode and the cathode during the electrolytic refining reaction; and   (a-3) recovering the valuable metal.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein an area ratio of the anode to the cathode in the reaction space is Anode/Cathode=1˜100, and   wherein a diameter ratio of Do (overflow) to Du (underflow) is Do/Du=0.001˜1.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 ,
 wherein the anode is made of stainless steel, graphite, or platinum,   wherein the cathode is made of titanium coated with iridium, and   wherein the anode includes a plurality of cylindrical grooves.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the step (a-1) comprises steps of:
 obtaining a valuable metal leaching solution as a single solution or a mixed solution depending on a type of the valuable metal from a valuable metal concentrate; and   supplying the valuable metal leaching solution to the cyclone high-speed electrolyzer using high-speed turbulence to perform the electrolytic refining reaction of the valuable metal,   wherein the step of obtaining the valuable metal leaching solution comprises steps of:
 preparing a powder of the valuable metal concentrate; and 
 extracting the powder of the valuable metal concentrate using an acid leaching agent. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein the acid leaching agent is hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, acetic acid, or organic acid, and   wherein a concentration of the acid leaching agent is 0.2 M to 5 M.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 ,
 wherein in the step of extracting the powder of the valuable metal concentrate using an acid leaching agent, a condition for a process of the extracting is characterized by:   a leaching time of 0.5 to 12 hours,   a pH of 0.5 to 6.5,   a solid-to-liquid ratio of 1/2.5 to 1/4, and   a temperature of 20° C. to 90° C.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein in the step (a-1) of adding a reaction solution containing valuable metal ions to the reaction space of the cyclone high-speed electrolyzer using high-speed turbulence to perform an electrolytic refining reaction,
 an applied voltage during the electrolytic refining reaction is 1.75 V to 25 V,   a current is 0.5 to 10 A, and   a reaction time is 1 to 720 minutes.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein in the step (a-2) of observing current density and reduction form of the valuable metal depending on a distance between the anode and the cathode during the electrolytic refining reaction,
 the reduction form of the valuable metal is powder, film, or bulk.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein in the step (a-3) of recovering the valuable metal,
 the valuable metal is recovered simultaneously or separately, and   a recovery rate of the valuable metal is 98 to 99.99 wt %.   
     
     
         19 . A valuable metal selected from a group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, and manganese,
 wherein the valuable metal is recovered with a recovery rate of 98 to 99.99 wt % through the electrolytic refining of a reaction solution containing valuable metal ions using the cyclone high-speed electrolyzer with high-speed turbulence according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         20 . A valuable metal selected from a group consisting of gold, platinum, palladium, silver, copper, nickel, cobalt, and manganese,
 wherein the valuable metal is recovered with a recovery rate of 98 to 99.99 wt % through the electrolytic refining of a reaction solution containing valuable metal ions by the method for recovering valuable metal using the cyclone high-speed electrolyzer using high-speed turbulence according to  claim 10 .