Fundamental studies of copper anode passivation during electrorefining: Part III. The effect of thiourea

J. Brent Hiskey, Xuan Cheng

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

19 Scopus citations

Abstract

Thiourea has been extensively used as a grain refiner in industrial copper electrorefining processes. The influence of thiourea on deposit structure and morphology has received considerable study; however, the effect of thiourea and its degradation chemistry on the passivation behavior of commercial copper anodes is still not fully understood. This study was conducted to provide useful information regarding the electrochemical response of a commercial copper anode in the absence and presence of thiourea. Chronopotentiometry measurements were performed in synthetic electrolytes containing different thiourea concentrations and in industrial electrolytes obtained directly from a commercial tank house. Passivation time (tp) and periodic passivation phenomena were found to be closely associated with thiourea concentration and degradation.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)53-58
Number of pages6
JournalMetallurgical and Materials Transactions B: Process Metallurgy and Materials Processing Science
Volume29
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - 1998

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Condensed Matter Physics
  • Mechanics of Materials
  • Metals and Alloys
  • Materials Chemistry

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