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US 4,050,961 AGranted
Method for casting anodes
OwnerBill J. Knightinventor
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OwnerBill J. Knightinventor
Estimating the term…
A method for casting an insoluble anode for use in the electrowinning of copper, the anode being formed by casting molten lead alloy preferably including calcium as an alloying agent in a suitable mold, necessary flow of the molten alloy being minimized within the mold, the temperature of the molten alloy and the temperature of the mold being selected to minimize the time necessary for solidification of the molten alloy within the mold, the lead alloy anode preferably being removed from the mold substantially as soon as it is mechanically self-supporting and rapidly cooling the anode in an unstressed configuration to freeze its grain structure and develop dimensional stability. The present invention also relates to a lead alloy casting produced by the above method as well as to an insoluble anode formed from a lead alloy including calcium as an alloying agent, the anode being characterized by the uniform precipitate distribution illustrated in FIG. 7 and the surface finish illustrated in FIG. 9.
In a method of casting an insoluble anode including the steps of heating a lead alloy to a molten condition and pouring the molten lead alloy into a suitable mold, the improvement comprising the additional steps of
In a method of forming a lead alloy casting, the steps comprising
In a method of casting an insoluble anode including the steps of heating a lead alloy to a molten condition and introducing the molten alloy into a suitable vertically arranged mold provided with an opening along its entire length the improvement comprising the additional steps of selecting the temperature of the molten lead alloy and the temperature of the mold at least just prior to introduction of the molten alloy into the mold in order to minimize the time for solidification of the molten alloy in the mold, introducing the molten alloy into the mold by continuously and proportionately streaming the molten alloy into various distinct portions of the opening along substantially its entire length in order to reduce flow of the molten alloy necessary to intimately fill the mold and thereby enhance grain structure finish of the anode, thereafter removing the anode from the mold when the anode is mechanically self-supporting, arranging the anode in an unstressed, vertically suspended configuration and rapidly cooling the anode to freeze its grain structure and to develop dimensional stability therein.
A lead alloy casting being of generally flat configuration and having a surface area on each side of at least approximately 5 square feet, the lead alloy casting being produced by the steps of
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.