A parametric study of copper deposition in a fluidized bed electrode

Abstract

The behaviour of a fluidized bed electrode of copper particles in an electrolyte of deoxygenated 5×10−1 mol dm−3Na2SO4−10−3mol dm−3H2SO4 containing low levels of Cu(II), is described as a function of applied potential, bed depth, flow rate, particle size range, Cu(II) concentration and temperature. The observed (cross sectional) current densities were more than two orders of magnitude greater than in the absence of the bed, and current efficiencies for copper deposition were typically 99%.