Electrowinning apparatus and method for recovering useful metals from aqueous solutions

Abstract

An electrowinning apparatus and method are provided. The electrowinning apparatus includes: an electrolytic cell including a body portion which has an inlet for introducing an aqueous solution containing metal ions into the body portion and a conical portion which is gradually reduced in diameter from top to bottom and disposed under the body portion; a ring-shaped cathode coupled to an inner circumferential surface of the body portion of the electrolytic cell and having an entrance hole which extends from an outer circumferential surface of the cathode through to an inner circumferential surface of the cathode and is connected to the inlet of the electrolytic cell; and a hollow anode having an upper end disposed outside the electrolytic cell and inserted into the cathode. In the electrowinning method, a metal can be recovered from an aqueous solution containing a low concentration of metal ions using the above cyclone-shaped electrowinning apparatus.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.