Cathode and method of manufacturing

Abstract

A method is disclosed for manufacturing a cathode for electrolytic processes, the cathode comprising a conducting bar and a plate attached to the conducting bar, wherein the conducting bar has a conducting member attached thereto to increase the conductivity of the conducting bar.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a cathode for electrolytic process, the method including the steps of: attaching a conducting member to a side of a planar plate by welding the conducting member to the side of the planar plate; roll forming a hollow conducting bar from the planar plate, wherein the side of the planar plate to which the conducting member is attached defines an inside surface of the hollow of the conducting bar; attaching a plate to the conducting bar, wherein the step of roll forming the hollow conducting bar includes: forming a first and second portion of the conducting bar substantially in axial alignment; and forming a third inclined portion of the conducting bar and a fourth inclined portion of the conducting bar disposed between the first and second portions, wherein the axes of the third inclined portion and fourth inclined portion are angled relative to the axes of the first and second portions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the cathode is used for electrolytic processes of copper production.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hollow conducting bar is made of stainless steel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the third inclined portion and the fourth inclined portion form an obtuse angle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the third inclined portion and the fourth inclined portion form a right angle or an acute angle.

6. A method of manufacturing a hollow conducting bar, the method including the steps of: attaching a conducting member to a side of a planar plate by welding the conducting member to the side of the planar plate; and roll forming the hollow conducting bar from the planar plate, wherein the side of the planar plate to which the conducting member is attached defines an inside surface of the hollow of the conducting bar, wherein the step of roll forming the hollow conducting bar includes: forming a first and second portion of the conducting bar substantially in axial alignment; and forming a third inclined portion of the conducting bar and a fourth inclined portion of the conducting bar disposed between the first and second portions, wherein the axes of the third inclined portion and fourth inclined portion are angled relative to the axes of the first and second portions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the conducting bar is used for electrolytic processes of copper production.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) To assist in understanding the invention and to enable a person skilled in the art to put the invention into practical effect, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a section of a prior art cathode;

(3) FIG. 2 shows perspective schematic view according to an embodiment of the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 shows a schematic cross sectional view of a conducting bar and a conducting member according to an embodiment of the invention;

(5) FIG. 4 shows a schematic cross sectional view of the conducting bar and a conducting member of FIG. 3 welded together;

(6) FIG. 5 shows a schematic cross sectional view of the conducting bar of FIG. 4 formed into a hollow shape;

(7) FIG. 6 shows a schematic cross sectional view of the conducting bar of FIG. 5 welded;

(8) FIG. 7 shows a schematic cross sectional view of the conducting bar of FIG. 6 and a plate;

(9) FIG. 8 shows a schematic cross sectional view of the conducting bar and the plate of FIG. 7 welded together;

(10) FIG. 9 shows a schematic cross sectional view of a conducting bar according to an embodiment of the invention;

(11) FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of an electrode according to an embodiment of the invention;

(12) FIG. 11 shows a schematic view of an electrode according to an embodiment of the invention;

(13) FIG. 12 shows a schematic view of an electrode according to an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(14) FIG. 1 shows a prior art cathode 100 having a copper conducting bar 101 and a stainless steel plate 103. The stainless steel plate 103 is welded to the conducting bar 101 by welds 105. A problem with the stainless steel/copper welds 105 is that they are susceptible to corrosion and do not provide welds of high structural strength.

(15) With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown an electrode in the form of a cathode 10. The cathode 10 comprises a conducting bar 20 attached to a plate 30 by welds 32. A conducting member 26 is attached to the conducting bar 20 by welds 28.

(16) The conducting bar 20 and the plate 30 are made of stainless steel and as such the welds 32 are stainless steel welds of high structural strength having resistance to corrosion. The conducting bar 20 is hollow, with an inside surface 22. The conducting bar 20 is welded by a weld 24 to provide a tube shaped conducting bar 20.

(17) The conducting member 26 is made of copper and the welds 28 are not required to be as strong as the welds 32, as there is minimal structural load placed on welds 28.

(18) The welds 28 are primarily for conductive purposes such that the conductivity of the stainless steel conducting bar 20 is increased by the copper conducting member 26. A benefit of having the conductive member 26 welded to an inside surface 22 of the conducting bar 20 is that the conductive member 26 and the welds 28 are less susceptible to corrosion. A benefit of welding the conductive member 26 to the conductive bar 20 is that the conductive member 26 is not required to provide structural strength to the conductive bar 20, as such, less copper material can be used, resulting in reduced costs.

(19) With reference to FIGS. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8, there is shown a cathode 10 during various stages of production. In FIG. 3, the conducting member 26 is placed on the inside surface 22 (i.e. this will become the inside surface) of conducting bar 20 (i.e. this plate or sheet material will become the conducting bar). In FIG. 4, the conducting member 26 is attached to the conducting bar 20 by welds 28. In FIG. 5, the conducting bar 20 is roll formed to provide a hollow shape. In FIG. 6, the conducting bar 20 is sealed along its length by weld 24. In FIG. 7, the plate 30 is positioned adjacent to the conducting bar 20. In FIG. 8, the plate 30 is attached to the conducting bar by welds 32.

(20) With reference to FIG. 9, there is shown a cross sectional view of a conducting bar 20 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The conducting bar 20 is made of stainless steel and has a conducting member 26 made of copper attached to an inside surface 22 of the conducting bar 20 by welds 28. As can be seen from FIG. 9, the conducting member 26 has a CU′ shape cross section. A benefit of this is that the conducting member 26 can be made by bending or roll forming a sheet or plate material.

(21) With reference to FIG. 10, there is shown a cathode 10 according to the present invention with a “straight” shaped conducting bar 20 and a plate 30 which is placed in electrolyte solution 50.

(22) With reference to FIG. 11, there is shown a cathode 10 according to the present invention with conducting bar 20 having a first portion 70 and a second portion 72 substantially in axial alignment, a third portion 74 is axially offset from the first portion 70 and second portion 72, a fourth portion 76 is disposed between the first portion 70 and third portion 74 and a fifth portion 78 is disposed between second portion 72 and the third portion 74. A plate 30 is attached to the third portion 74 of the conducting bar 20. The plate 30 is placed in electrolyte solution 50.

(23) As can be seen by comparing FIGS. 10 and 11, the cathode 10 in FIG. 11 has more of the plate 30 in the electrolytic solution, this results in a lower voltage drop between the conducting bar 20 and the part of the plate 30 which is in the electrolytic solution 50.

(24) With reference to FIG. 12, there is shown a cathode 10 according to the present invention with a conducting bar 20 having a first portion 80 and second portion 82 substantially in axial alignment, a third inclined portion 84 and a fourth inclined portion 86 are disposed between the first portion 80 and the second portion 82. The third inclined portion 84 and the fourth inclined portion 86 are angled relative to the first portion 80 and the second portion 82. The plate 30 is attached to the conducting bar 20 and is placed in electrolyte solution 50. As can be seen from FIG. 12, part of the third inclined portion 84 and the fourth inclined portion 86 of conducting bar 20 dip below an upper edge 90 of the plate 30. Cut-outs 60 are located adjacent to the conducting bar 20 and an upper edge 90 of the plate 30.

(25) Throughout the specification the aim has been to describe the invention without limiting the invention to any one embodiment or specific collection of features. Persons skilled in the relevant art may realize variations from the specific embodiments that will nonetheless fall within the scope of the invention. For example, individual features from one embodiment may be combined with another embodiment.

(26) It will be appreciated that various other changes and modifications may be made to the embodiment described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

(27) Throughout this specification the word “comprise”, or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps, but not the exclusion of any other element, integer or step, or group of elements, integers or steps.