US 11,807,952 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. 17/961,871.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/297,842, filed on Jan. 10, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/253,349, filed on Oct. 7, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0110076 A1, Apr. 13, 2023
Int. Cl. C25C 1/00 (2006.01); C25D 3/38 (2006.01); C25C 1/12 (2006.01); C25C 7/06 (2006.01)
CPC C25D 3/38 (2013.01) [C25C 1/12 (2013.01); C25C 7/06 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of suppressing acid mist liberated from an acidic electrolyte solution in a copper electrowinning process, the method comprising adding licorice extract solids in the form of a liquid licorice extract, a powdered licorice extract, a reconstituted licorice extract, or a mixture thereof, to the acidic electrolyte solution in an amount sufficient to provide acid mist suppression during the copper electrowinning process, wherein the amount sufficient comprises about 0.1 ppm to about 100,000 ppm of licorice extract solids, based on the total weight of the acidic electrolyte solution, and wherein the powdered licorice extract exhibits a pH of 4.5 to 6 when reconstituted as a 1 wt. % aqueous solution, a moisture content of about 3-7 wt. %, and a bulk density of about 0.5 g/mL.