US 12,448,696 B2
Acid mist suppression in copper electrowinning
Scot Philip Sandoval, Tucson, AZ (US); Stanberg Lee Tallman, Phoenix, AZ (US); William Duane Sanders, Morenci, AZ (US); Ephrem Lemlem Gebrehiwot, Vail, AZ (US); and Aron Tyab, Thatcher, AZ (US)
Assigned to FREEPORT MINERALS CORPORATION, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed by FREEPORT MINERALS CORPORATION, Phoenix, AZ (US)
Filed on Oct. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/961,917.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/253,349, filed on Oct. 7, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/297,842, filed on Jan. 10, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2023/0111432 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. C25C 1/12 (2006.01); C25C 7/06 (2006.01); C25D 3/38 (2006.01)
CPC C25D 3/38 (2013.01) [C25C 1/12 (2013.01); C25C 7/06 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An aqueous electrolyte solution for use in a copper electrowinning process, the aqueous electrolyte solution comprising a reconstituted licorice root extract made by a process comprising the steps of:
chopping licorice root into matchstick sized pieces;
exposing the resulting licorice root pieces to heated water to obtain a liquid licorice root extract;
removing substantially all of the water by spray drying to obtain a powdered licorice root extract; and
dissolving the powdered licorice root extract in water to obtain the reconstituted licorice root extract,
wherein the aqueous electrolyte solution further comprises at least one of 3,3′-oxybis (2-dodecylbenzenesulfonic acid) and sodium C9-C22 alkyl (secondary) sulfonate to effectively suppress acid mist in a copper electrowinning process.