USE OF OXYGENATED OR POLYOXYGENATED WEAK ACIDS, OR MINERALS, COMPOUNDS OR DERIVATIVES THAT GENERATE SAME, IN COPPER ELECTROWINNING PROCESSES IN CATHODES OR ANODES OF ELECTROLYTIC CELLS, ORIGINATING FROM THE LEACHING OF A COPPER MINERAL

摘要

The invention relates to the use of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals or compounds that generate same, in order to stabilise and buffer the electrolyte, improving its conductivity, and/or to catalytically promote copper electrodeposition. The invention also relates to a copper electrowinning method, comprising adding a necessary quantity of an oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acid, or a compound or a mineral that generates same, to the electrodeposition process, in which the necessary quantity of the weak acid depends on the characteristics of the mineral, the electrolyte and the current density used. In the present invention, the addition of oxygenated or polyoxygenated weak acids, or minerals, compounds or derivatives that generate same, to charged electrolytes that originate from the solvent-based extraction phase and enter the electrowinning (EW) step, is intended to homogenise the current density inside the electrolytic cell, resulting in an increase in electric energy consumption efficiency versus quantity of copper deposited.