Slurry electrowinning apparatus

An electrowinning apparatus for recovering copper from a slurry comprising copper-bearing solids and an electrolyte, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a rectangular tank for containing said slurry, said tank having alternating spaced-apart cathodes and anodes mounted therein;
• b. an inlet opening formed in one wall of the tank at a level above the top edges of said cathodes and anodes and adapted to be below the upper level of the slurry;
• c. an overflow outlet on a wall opposite the inlet opening for maintaining a slurry level above said inlet opening, said cathodes and anodes being oriented parallely to each other and perpendicular to the walls containing said inlet opening and overflow outlet;
• d. guide means mounted within said tank on such opposite side walls of said tank to extend the length of said tank, said guide means having alternating spaced-apart anode guide slots and cathode guide slots formed therein for holding said anodes and cathodes, respectively, in a generally vertical spaced-apart relationship across the width of said tank;
• and
• e. electrical bussing in contact with said anodes and cathodes for providing electric current to same such that when current is passed therebetween through said slurry, copper deposits upon said cathodes.

An electrowinning apparatus for recovering copper from a slurry solution comprising copper-bearing solids and an electrolyte, the apparatus comprising:

• a. a tank for containing said slurry solution, said tank having alternating spaced-apart anodes and cathodes mounted therein forming an electrode group in each of a plurality of connecting electrode cells;
• b. inlet openings formed in a side of said tank for introducing said slurry solution into each cell of said tank;
• c. an overflow opening formed in a side of said tank for maintaining a slurry solution level within said tank which is above said inlet openings such that said slurry solution is introduced to said tank below said level;
• d. a tank bottom including means to circulate a portion of said slurry solution from said tank bottom to the inlet openings;
• and
• e. electrical bussing in series contact with said anodes and cathodes for providing electric current to same such that when current is passed therebetween through said slurry solution, copper deposits upon said cathodes, each group of electrodes having its respective anodes and cathodes parallel-bussed on alternative opposite sides of said tank from cell to cell.