Method for fixing edge strips on electrode plates

Abstract

A method for installing pins or sealing components for fixing insulating edge strips to the edges of plates of electrodes, preferably permanent cathodes, for electro-refining/electro-winning processes, in aligned perforations of the edge strips and the edge of plate of the electrode, thus avoiding the detachment of the edge strips while ensuring a tight seal, thus preventing the aqueous electrolyte solution from entering into said perforations, wherein each pin or sealing component is made of elastomer/rubber, having an elongated cylindrical shape, wherein the diameter of the pins or sealing components is bigger than the diameter of said perforations, thus forming a tight seal between them; and an electrode comprising a conductive bar and a plate that is suspended by the conductive bar at one of its ends that has pins or sealing components for fixing the edge strips.

1 . A method, comprising:
 providing an electrode comprising a conductive bar; and a plate that is suspended by the conductive bar at one of its ends, where the edge of the plate is configured to receive an edge strip comprising a plurality of perforations, which extend along said edge;   providing an edge strip comprising an elongated body with a groove or a clamp that extends longitudinally to fit or be inserted into a corresponding edge of the plate of the electrode and a plurality of perforations along the side walls of the edge strip, in the area of the groove or clamp, corresponding with the plurality of perforations on the edge of the plate of the electrode;   placing the edge strip on the edge of the plate of the electrode, by using the groove or a clamp, and aligning the perforations of the edge of the plate with the perforations of the edge strip;   inserting and passing through an elongated cylindrical extended pin or sealing component made of elastomer or rubber through a first aligned perforation of the plurality of perforations, so that sections of the extended pin or sealing component are projected from each end of said first perforation, leaving a segment inside of the first perforation, where said extended pin or extended sealing component has a diameter bigger than the plurality of perforations;   cutting the sections of the extended pin or sealing component that protrude from the ends of the first perforation, so that the segment inside the first perforation does not protrude from the ends of said first perforation; and   repeating steps iv. and v. until a segment of the extended pin or sealing component is positioned inside each of the aligned perforations of the edge strip and edge of the plate of the electrode.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein when repeating steps iv. and v. a remaining section of the extended pin or sealing component of the previously aligned perforation or a new extended pin or sealing component is used. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 2 , wherein one of the remaining sections of the extended pin or extended sealing component is inserted when its length is sufficient to pass through an aligned perforation so that portions of the remaining section of the extended pin or sealing component are projected from each end of said perforation. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the extended pin or sealing component has a diameter between 1 to 1.3 times the diameter of the perforations of the edge strip. 
     
     
         5 . A method, comprising:
 providing an electrode comprising a conductive bar; a plate that is suspended by the conductive bar at one of its ends; a side edge strip placed on each side or vertical edge of the plate, formed by an elongated body with a length that allows it to at least partially cover a side edge of the plate, comprising, each edge strip, a groove or a clamp, which extends along one side of the side edge strip, where said a groove or a clamp is inserted in a side edge of the plate; and a bottom edge strip placed on the bottom edge of the plate, formed by an elongated body with a length that allows it to at least partially cover a bottom edge of the plate, comprising a groove or a clamp that extends along one side of the bottom edge strip, where said groove or clamp is inserted into a bottom edge of the plate, where the corner that receives the corner edge protector comprises at least one perforation;   providing a corner edge protector comprising an L-shaped body with a groove or a clamp that extends between the ends of the corner edge protector to fit or be inserted into a respective corner of the plate of the electrode and at least one perforation in the side walls of the corner edge protector, in the area of the groove or clamp, corresponding with the at least one perforation in the corner of the plate of the electrode;   placing the corner edge protector in the corner of the plate of the electrode, using the groove or clamp, and aligning the at least one perforation in the corner of the plate of the electrode with the at least one perforation in the corner edge protector;   inserting and passing through an elongated cylindrical extended pin or sealing component made of elastomer or rubber through at least one first perforation aligned with the corner of the plate of the electrode and the corner edge protector, so that sections of the extended pin or sealing component are projected from each end of said first perforation, leaving a segment inside the at least one first perforation, where such extended pin or sealing component has a diameter bigger than the perforations;   cutting the sections of the extended pin or sealing component that protrude from the ends of the first perforation, so that the segment inside the first perforation does not protrude from the ends of said first perforation; and   repeating steps iv. and v. until a segment of the extended pin or sealing component is placed inside each of the aligned perforations of the corner edge protector and the corner of the plate of the electrode.   
     
     
         6 . An electrode for electro-refining/electro-winning processes comprising:
 a conductive bar and a plate that is suspended by the conductive bar at one of its ends, with pins or sealing components for fixing edge strips that avoids the detachment problems of the edge strips while ensuring a tight seal, thus preventing the aqueous electrolyte solution from entering into perforations in the edge strips and edges of the plate for attaching said edge strips;   a plurality of perforations extending along each side edge of the plate;   two side edge strips formed by an elongated body with a length that allows at least partial coverage of an edge or side of the plate, comprising, each edge strip, a groove or a clamp, which extends along one side of the side edge strip, where said groove or clamp is inserted into a side or vertical edge of the plate, fixing the position of the side edge strip so that the side edge of the plate is adjusted in said groove or clamp; and a plurality of perforations along the side walls of the side edge strip, in the area of the groove or clamp, corresponding with the plurality of perforations in a side edge of the plate of the electrode, so that said perforations are aligned; and   a pin or sealing component inserted in each of the aligned perforations,   wherein pin or sealing component is made of elastomer/rubber having an elongated cylindrical shape, wherein the diameter of the pins or sealing components is bigger than the diameter of said perforations thus forming a tight seal between them.   
     
     
         7 . The electrode according to  claim 6 , wherein further comprising a bottom edge strip formed by an elongated body with a length that allows it to at least partially cover a bottom edge of the plate, comprising a groove or a clamp that extends along one side of the bottom edge strip, where said groove or clamp is inserted into a bottom edge of the plate, fixing the position of the bottom edge strip so that the bottom edge of the plate fits into said groove or clamp. 
     
     
         8 . The electrode according to  claim 7 , wherein the bottom edge of the plate and the bottom edge strip comprise a plurality of perforations that extend respectively, along said bottom edge of the plate and along the side walls of the bottom edge strip, in the area of a groove or a clamp, where the perforations of the bottom edge of the plate and the bottom edge strip are aligned, where each said aligned perforation contains an elongated cylindrical pin or sealing component made of elastomer or rubber, where the diameter of the pins or sealing components is bigger than the diameter of said perforations thus forming a tight seal between them. 
     
     
         9 . The electrode according to  claim 8 , wherein further comprising two corner edge protectors that each join one end of a side edge strip to one end of the bottom edge strip, covering a bottom corner of the plate, where each corner edge protector is formed by an L-shaped body, comprising an L-shaped groove or clamp, which follows the shape of the body, into which are inserted the end of a side edge strip, the end of the bottom edge strip and a bottom corner of the plate. 
     
     
         10 . The electrode according to  claim 9 , wherein each bottom corner of the plate and each corner edge protector comprise at least one perforation in, respectively, the area of the corner that receives the corner edge protector and in the area of the groove or clamp, where the at least one perforation of the bottom corner of the plate and the corner edge protector are aligned, where each of the aligned perforations contains an elongated cylindrical pin or sealing component made of elastomer or rubber where the diameter of the pins or sealing components is bigger than the diameter of the perforations, thus forming a tight seal between them. 
     
     
         11 . The electrode according to  claim 10 , wherein each pin or sealing component has a diameter between 1 and 1.3 times the diameter of the perforations of the edge strip where it is inserted. 
     
     
         12 . An electrode for electro-refining/electro-winning processes comprising:
 a conductive bar and a plate that is suspended by the conductive bar at one of its ends, with pins or sealing components for fixing edge strips thus avoiding the detachment of the edge strips while ensuring a tight seal, thus preventing the aqueous electrolyte solution form entering into perforations in the edge strips and edges of the plate for attaching said edge strips;   two side edge strips formed by an elongated body with a length that allows at least partial covering of a side or vertical edge of the plate, each edge strip comprising a groove or a clamp, which extends along one side of the side edge strip, where said groove or clamp is inserted into a side edge of the plate, fixing the position of the side edge strip so that the side edge of the plate fits tight into said groove or clamp;   a bottom edge strip formed by an elongated body with a length that allows at least partial coverage of a bottom edge of the plate, comprising a groove or a clamp that extends along one side of the bottom edge strip, where said groove or clamp is inserted into a bottom edge of the plate, fixing the position of the bottom edge strip so that the bottom edge of the plate fits tight into said groove or clamp;   two corner edge protectors each connecting one end of a side edge strip to one end of the bottom edge strip, covering a bottom corner of the plate, where each corner edge protector is formed by an L-shaped body, comprising a groove or a clamp, in the shape of an L, following the shape of the body, into which are inserted the end of a side edge strip, the end of the bottom edge strip and a bottom corner of the plate,   wherein each bottom corner of the plate and each corner edge protector comprise at least one perforation in, respectively, the area of the corner that receives the corner edge protector and in the area of the groove or clamp, where the at least one perforation of the bottom corner of the plate and the corner edge protector are aligned, where each of the aligned perforations contains an elongated cylindrical pin or sealing component made of elastomer or rubber where the diameter of the pins or sealing components is bigger than the diameter of the perforations thus forming a tight seal between them.   
     
     
         13 . The electrode according to  claim 12 , wherein the side edges of the plate comprise a plurality of perforations that extend along them and the side edge strips comprise a plurality of perforations along the side walls of the side edge strip, in the area of a groove or a clamp, corresponding with the plurality of perforations in a side edge of the plate of the electrode, so that said perforations are aligned, wherein an elongated cylindrical pin or sealing component made of elastomer or rubber is inserted in each of the aligned perforations wherein the diameter of the pins or sealing components is bigger than the diameter of said perforations thus forming a tight seal between them. 
     
     
         14 . The electrode according to  claim 13 , wherein the bottom edge of the plate and the bottom edge strip comprise a plurality of perforations that extend respectively, along said bottom edge of the plate and along the side walls of the bottom edge strip, in the area of a groove or a clamp, where the perforations of the bottom edge of the plate and the bottom edge strip are aligned, where each said aligned perforations contain an elongated cylindrical pin or sealing component made of elastomer or rubber, where the diameter of the pins or sealing components is bigger than the diameter of said perforations thus forming a tight seal between them.